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Post by prestwichpotter on Sept 4, 2022 20:12:39 GMT
My plan was always to move to South West France at some point in my late 50’s/early 60’s, made more difficult by Brexit of course but still a few years away so here’s hoping……
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Post by swampmongrel on Sept 4, 2022 20:39:29 GMT
I'd love them . I can see why you'd hate them though, they are basically the opposite to what you want You'd hate it, full of foreigners and foreign ways of doing things. Although a spell as an immigrant might open your eyes a bit I guess. If you don’t mind me asking, have you ever lived overseas? You’re posting is usually hyper-critical of the UK and I’m just wondering if it’s based on personal experience or something else? I quite often agree with some of your criticisms but tend to think they’re a bit ‘grass is always greener’.
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Post by cerebralstokie on Sept 4, 2022 20:42:30 GMT
Portugal is a lovely country to visit. There are many fascinating places to visit off the beaten track in north and central Portugal. Try and learn a few basics of the language - not one of the easiest language to learn. I found the people lovely and wanting to please. There are one or two rough area in Lisbon but otherwise I love the place. I would support Portugal too. Many cultural links to the UK, splendid scenery, and a political tolerant society. Actually learning the language has been fun for me, and it has massive links with Brazil. They also allow you to hold dual nationality. Ireland i can also see, for it's links to the UK. I have visited Brazil too and absolutely loved it. However it is not a safe place and the politics is toxic. Another point in favour of Portugal is the fact that they make some brilliant wines and they are very cheap!
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Post by elystokie on Sept 4, 2022 21:16:39 GMT
I would support Portugal too. Many cultural links to the UK, splendid scenery, and a political tolerant society. Actually learning the language has been fun for me, and it has massive links with Brazil. They also allow you to hold dual nationality. Ireland i can also see, for it's links to the UK. I have visited Brazil too and absolutely loved it. However it is not a safe place and the politics is toxic. Another point in favour of Portugal is the fact that they make some brilliant wines and they are very cheap! I've only been for a week a long time ago, need to go for a good look around, my lad was there a couple of months back and loved it.
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Post by thehartshillbadger on Sept 4, 2022 21:22:44 GMT
My plan was always to move to South West France at some point in my late 50’s/early 60’s, made more difficult by Brexit of course but still a few years away so here’s hoping…… Biarritzpotter would be a snazzy username
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Post by prestwichpotter on Sept 4, 2022 21:26:54 GMT
My plan was always to move to South West France at some point in my late 50’s/early 60’s, made more difficult by Brexit of course but still a few years away so here’s hoping…… Biarritzpotter would be a snazzy username Not far from there to be fair. Won’t be easy now though, I was tempted to buy a place out there a few years back and my mum and dad could have retired out there for a while but now I’ll just have to wait and see what happens over the next 10 years or so……..
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Post by musik on Sept 4, 2022 21:27:59 GMT
Unfortunately, since I've kind of given up on mankind I don't believe in migration and immigration any longer. Mankind simply can't handle it.
Therefore I would only move to a country where Swedes are in majority, which is a parody since only Sweden fulfills that criteria.
If I look away from that, and dream a little, my choices are:
California, US, where I have relatives
Luxemburg, where I have a long time mate
Cannes' Old Town, a place I like
Germany or Australia, since they have a healty approach to register
Finland or Norway, still in control
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Post by thehartshillbadger on Sept 4, 2022 21:30:22 GMT
Biarritzpotter would be a snazzy username Not far from there to be fair. Won’t be easy now though, I was tempted to buy a place out there a few years back and my mum and dad could have retired out there for a while but now I’ll just have to wait and see what happens over the next 10 years or so…….. Heard similar stories from senior folk I know, now they’re all carrying on with work until another opportunity arises. Sad really but that’s life unfortunately. I’m more bothered about the young people starting out in life who won’t have a pot to piss in.
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Post by prestwichpotter on Sept 4, 2022 21:37:47 GMT
Not far from there to be fair. Won’t be easy now though, I was tempted to buy a place out there a few years back and my mum and dad could have retired out there for a while but now I’ll just have to wait and see what happens over the next 10 years or so…….. Heard similar stories from senior folk I know, now they’re all carrying on with work until another opportunity arises. Sad really but that’s life unfortunately. I’m more bothered about the young people starting out in life who won’t have a pot to piss in. Yep, they’ll have it tough no doubt. I’ve got 3 kids still at home and I’ve got visions of all 3 of the little bastards still being here into their 30’s…..
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Post by thehartshillbadger on Sept 4, 2022 21:40:16 GMT
Heard similar stories from senior folk I know, now they’re all carrying on with work until another opportunity arises. Sad really but that’s life unfortunately. I’m more bothered about the young people starting out in life who won’t have a pot to piss in. Yep, they’ll have it tough no doubt. I’ve got 3 kids still at home and I’ve got visions of all 3 of the little bastards still being here into their 30’s….. It’s wrong, my daughter is 16. Can’t imagine what life will be like by the time she’s mid 20’s and striving for the kind of stuff women dream of
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Post by marylandstoke on Sept 4, 2022 22:11:01 GMT
Depends if it's to work, start a business or retire. Retirement wise Portugal looks good. Portugal is a lovely country to visit. There are many fascinating places to visit off the beaten track in north and central Portugal. Try and learn a few basics of the language - not one of the easiest language to learn. I found the people lovely and wanting to please. There are one or two rough area in Lisbon but otherwise I love the place. Could you tell us more about the rough areas? Asking for a friend.
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Post by marylandstoke on Sept 4, 2022 22:21:43 GMT
My plan was always to move to South West France at some point in my late 50’s/early 60’s, made more difficult by Brexit of course but still a few years away so here’s hoping…… I had always thought my US exit plan was a bit of France, maybe Italy, maybe even Germany. I had lived my working life thinking I would have that choice.
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Post by prestwichpotter on Sept 4, 2022 22:24:58 GMT
My plan was always to move to South West France at some point in my late 50’s/early 60’s, made more difficult by Brexit of course but still a few years away so here’s hoping…… I had always thought my US exit plan was a bit of France, maybe Italy, maybe even Germany. I had lived my working life thinking I would have that choice. Yeah Italy would be my second choice after France……
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Post by mtrstudent on Sept 5, 2022 11:28:52 GMT
I moved to the US and I'm fucking lucky with job and gf and that but even though I'm in one of the best states I still miss home. So I'd pick the UK. If you had my job and gf then maybe the US. Which state are you in? California mate. Better weather when shit's not on fire. Audlempotter would love it, there are even openly trans people at my work ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/800541/images/kwfoKwtHI0jglJZ4qZf6.gif)
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Post by swampmongrel on Sept 5, 2022 11:32:50 GMT
Biarritzpotter would be a snazzy username Not far from there to be fair. Won’t be easy now though, I was tempted to buy a place out there a few years back and my mum and dad could have retired out there for a while but now I’ll just have to wait and see what happens over the next 10 years or so…….. Still possible but bureaucratically difficult. Although the French aren’t exactly known for making bureaucracy easy at the best of times.
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Post by Seymour Beaver on Sept 5, 2022 11:37:28 GMT
Not far from there to be fair. Won’t be easy now though, I was tempted to buy a place out there a few years back and my mum and dad could have retired out there for a while but now I’ll just have to wait and see what happens over the next 10 years or so…….. Still possible but bureaucratically difficult. Although the French aren’t exactly known for making bureaucracy easy at the best of times. Buying a property is not a problem. Living there and coming and going as you please has been made more difficult.
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Post by salopstick on Sept 5, 2022 11:42:01 GMT
In this day and age where exactly are the best countries to Immigrate to? There is so much to consider these days from health care to climate change that its a difficult question to answer. A few years back I'd have said Canada or Australia but I'm not so sure now. New Zealand is obviously a good shout too however its also a very expensive place to live so feel it's not really realistic for most of us. Scandinavia maybe? The more I think about climate change too, I can't help but feel that Ireland is probably nearly as good as anywhere right now. Cheaper housing (outside of main cities), decent health care, similar culture, low population density, better climate than most etc.. Do we not emigrate as emigrants and become an immigrant.
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Post by swampmongrel on Sept 5, 2022 11:54:18 GMT
Still possible but bureaucratically difficult. Although the French aren’t exactly known for making bureaucracy easy at the best of times. Buying a property is not a problem. Living there and coming and going as you please has been made more difficult. Yeah. My curiosity was peeked so I had a look at visa requirements. The minimum income requirements look quite low but possibly hard to prove if you’re living of investments/pension drawdown or some such. Health insurance would have to be accounted for and could also be pricey for oldsters. The sequencing might be difficult as well e.g. you might need to rent/buy a home before you knew you would be allowed to stay year round.
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Post by OldStokie on Sept 5, 2022 12:01:46 GMT
Deffo Portugal. My second home. Spent 10 years going there before my wife died and in the 20 years since (until recently when ill health has curtailed my mobility) I was going 2/3 times a year. I bloody adore the place and the people. But it's best to retire to non-tourist areas and settle amongst the natives. The food is fantastic and the beers and wines are as cheap as chips, and the way of life is so slow that you can literally sit down where the old guys congregate by the markets and down a few bottles of cheap beer (3 bottles for a euro) and watch the world go by in the lovely warmth.
Other than that, a wonderful place to retire to is a village up in the hills of Northern Italy. It's magical.
OS.
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Post by mtrstudent on Sept 5, 2022 12:10:35 GMT
Deffo Portugal. My second home. Spent 10 years going there before my wife died and in the 20 years since (until recently when ill health has curtailed my mobility) I was going 2/3 times a year. I bloody adore the place and the people. But it's best to retire to non-tourist areas and settle amongst the natives. The food is fantastic and the beers and wines are as cheap as chips, and the way of life is so slow that you can literally sit down where the old guys congregate by the markets and down a few bottles of cheap beer (3 bottles for a euro) and watch the world go by in the lovely warmth. Other than that, a wonderful place to retire to is a village up in the hills of Northern Italy. It's magical. OS. I'm still looking for a bit more of an active lifestyle but I hear Portugal has loads of camping, biking etc too? It sounds brilliant tbh. One of my best mates is Portuguese but she left because she couldn't find a job in our area that paid enough. Her husband works in fashion and it seemed like he could have settled there just fine. I just visited Turin and it looks like a wonderful place to live. I love loads of Italy but places like Florence are probably better to visit than live in.
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Post by Seymour Beaver on Sept 5, 2022 12:13:00 GMT
Buying a property is not a problem. Living there and coming and going as you please has been made more difficult. Yeah. My curiosity was peeked so I had a look at visa requirements. The minimum income requirements look quite low but possibly hard to prove if you’re living of investments/pension drawdown or some such. Health insurance would have to be accounted for and could also be pricey for oldsters. The sequencing might be difficult as well e.g. you might need to rent/buy a home before you knew you would be allowed to stay year round. Indeed. Have looked at it too. As a matter of principle I'm against 'second homes' - particularly if left empty for large parts of the year - so the idea was if we were 'going' then we were going. As it currently stands personal circumstances (which I won't bore you with) plus Brexit mean shipping out 100% is not an option right now. Would therefore be a case of squaring my conscience with partial residence - at least for the time being.
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Post by Rednwhitenblue on Sept 5, 2022 12:16:27 GMT
You'd hate it, full of foreigners and foreign ways of doing things. Although a spell as an immigrant might open your eyes a bit I guess. If you don’t mind me asking, have you ever lived overseas? You’re posting is usually hyper-critical of the UK and I’m just wondering if it’s based on personal experience or something else? I quite often agree with some of your criticisms but tend to think they’re a bit ‘grass is always greener’. I don't mind you asking at all. Yes, I've lived in Germany previously, my extended family comes from there. My wife has dual nationality, as do the kids. We'll probably go back there when their Uni is done. We were quite close to the Dutch border so I'm pretty familiar with how the Dutch operate too. I've also spent 12 months travelling around Asia but I don't think that really qualifies as having lived abroad although it helps to see other societies. My posting is often critical of the government (and the electorate that keeps voting these idiots in!), not the UK, there's a big difference. The UK is still one of the best places to live in the world, but, having seen how other countries do things and done some research, which anyone can do, you can see that the UK could be a lot better, and its people much happier. Northern European countries and the Scandi countries routinely have happier, more contented people whenever these kind of assessments are done. They seem to be getting things right for their people which we aren't. We appear to be turning away from the northern European ways of doing things, and Europe in general, in favour of a more American way. Looking at the way the US operates, its over-consumption, its highly fractured politics, its individualism, its inequality, its exploitation of its environment etc that doesn't strike me as a sensible direction to be heading.
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Post by dutchstokie on Sept 5, 2022 12:18:22 GMT
I have visited Brazil too and absolutely loved it. However it is not a safe place and the politics is toxic. Another point in favour of Portugal is the fact that they make some brilliant wines and they are very cheap! I've only been for a week a long time ago, need to go for a good look around, my lad was there a couple of months back and loved it. Londrina is a lovely place I found.....its only a couple of inches on the map from Rio.....it took us 2.5 days to get to Rio. Rio Caranval is a must for any red blooded testoterone fuelled young man. If you have a whiff of lavender about you its not for you...... Also got thrashed at footy on copacabana by a group of little 7 year old kids who challenged us to a footy match. You can see why Brazil churns out so many great players.
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Post by elystokie on Sept 5, 2022 12:20:31 GMT
I've only been for a week a long time ago, need to go for a good look around, my lad was there a couple of months back and loved it. Londrina is a lovely place I found.....its only a couple of inches on the map from Rio.....it took us 2.5 days to get to Rio. Rio Caranval is a must for any red blooded testoterone fuelled young man. If you have a whiff of lavender about you its not for you...... Also got thrashed at footy on copacabana by a group of little 7 year old kids who challenged us to a footy match. You can see why Brazil churns out so many great players. I was on about Portugal.
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Post by dutchstokie on Sept 5, 2022 12:21:30 GMT
Londrina is a lovely place I found.....its only a couple of inches on the map from Rio.....it took us 2.5 days to get to Rio. Rio Caranval is a must for any red blooded testoterone fuelled young man. If you have a whiff of lavender about you its not for you...... Also got thrashed at footy on copacabana by a group of little 7 year old kids who challenged us to a footy match. You can see why Brazil churns out so many great players. I was on about Portugal. Same language ! ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/800541/images/kwfoKwtHI0jglJZ4qZf6.gif)
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Post by swampmongrel on Sept 5, 2022 12:50:09 GMT
Yeah. My curiosity was peeked so I had a look at visa requirements. The minimum income requirements look quite low but possibly hard to prove if you’re living of investments/pension drawdown or some such. Health insurance would have to be accounted for and could also be pricey for oldsters. The sequencing might be difficult as well e.g. you might need to rent/buy a home before you knew you would be allowed to stay year round. Indeed. Have looked at it too. As a matter of principle I'm against 'second homes' - particularly if left empty for large parts of the year - so the idea was if we were 'going' then we were going. As it currently stands personal circumstances (which I won't bore you with) plus Brexit mean shipping out 100% is not an option right now. Would therefore be a case of squaring my conscience with partial residence - at least for the time being. Could see it’s a bit more of a dilemma. In large parts of France there’s a housing surplus rather than a shortage so the second home objection may not stand. Indeed you may be warmly welcomed for bringing economic activity to some areas.
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Post by elystokie on Sept 5, 2022 12:54:37 GMT
Indeed. Have looked at it too. As a matter of principle I'm against 'second homes' - particularly if left empty for large parts of the year - so the idea was if we were 'going' then we were going. As it currently stands personal circumstances (which I won't bore you with) plus Brexit mean shipping out 100% is not an option right now. Would therefore be a case of squaring my conscience with partial residence - at least for the time being. Could see it’s a bit more of a dilemma. In large parts of France there’s a housing surplus rather than a shortage so the second home objection may not stand. Indeed you may be warmly welcomed for bringing economic activity to some areas. I've seen a couple of episodes of a TV show called "Help! We bought a village" can't remember the channel, they (the villages) don't seem overly expensive, worth a watch.
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Post by Seymour Beaver on Sept 5, 2022 13:01:14 GMT
Indeed. Have looked at it too. As a matter of principle I'm against 'second homes' - particularly if left empty for large parts of the year - so the idea was if we were 'going' then we were going. As it currently stands personal circumstances (which I won't bore you with) plus Brexit mean shipping out 100% is not an option right now. Would therefore be a case of squaring my conscience with partial residence - at least for the time being. Could see it’s a bit more of a dilemma. In large parts of France there’s a housing surplus rather than a shortage so the second home objection may not stand. Indeed you may be warmly welcomed for bringing economic activity to some areas. True - but I wasn't just thinking about at that end. Would leave a property unoccupied for 6 months of the year here too - where there's anything but a housing surplus.
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Post by OldStokie on Sept 5, 2022 13:03:23 GMT
Deffo Portugal. My second home. Spent 10 years going there before my wife died and in the 20 years since (until recently when ill health has curtailed my mobility) I was going 2/3 times a year. I bloody adore the place and the people. But it's best to retire to non-tourist areas and settle amongst the natives. The food is fantastic and the beers and wines are as cheap as chips, and the way of life is so slow that you can literally sit down where the old guys congregate by the markets and down a few bottles of cheap beer (3 bottles for a euro) and watch the world go by in the lovely warmth. Other than that, a wonderful place to retire to is a village up in the hills of Northern Italy. It's magical. OS. I'm still looking for a bit more of an active lifestyle but I hear Portugal has loads of camping, biking etc too? It sounds brilliant tbh. One of my best mates is Portuguese but she left because she couldn't find a job in our area that paid enough. Her husband works in fashion and it seemed like he could have settled there just fine. I just visited Turin and it looks like a wonderful place to live. I love loads of Italy but places like Florence are probably better to visit than live in. In the south, The Algarve, you've got everything to suit your taste. Albufeira is Portugal's (partial) answer to Ibetha and there's plenty of nightlife in Faro and Lagos. Loads of golf courses and hundreds of miles of off-road mountain biking too. The south coast is fantastic with miles of sandy beaches as well as isolated coves, and the west coast is rugged Atlantic cliffs at their best. In the north you have wonderful Lisbon and Porto where you can watch some nogger as well as having all the things in the south. It really is a country of differences so whatever turns you on holiday-wise, or living-wise, Portugal has it. And there's other things that are special; the people are warm and friendly and they love the Brits. That comes from us being their oldest ally. ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/800541/images/0m0lbCuTEBzaRn6f8QaM.gif) OS.
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Post by swampmongrel on Sept 5, 2022 13:13:24 GMT
If you don’t mind me asking, have you ever lived overseas? You’re posting is usually hyper-critical of the UK and I’m just wondering if it’s based on personal experience or something else? I quite often agree with some of your criticisms but tend to think they’re a bit ‘grass is always greener’. I don't mind you asking at all. Yes, I've lived in Germany previously, my extended family comes from there. My wife has dual nationality, as do the kids. We'll probably go back there when their Uni is done. We were quite close to the Dutch border so I'm pretty familiar with how the Dutch operate too. I've also spent 12 months travelling around Asia but I don't think that really qualifies as having lived abroad although it helps to see other societies. My posting is often critical of the government (and the electorate that keeps voting these idiots in!), not the UK, there's a big difference. The UK is still one of the best places to live in the world, but, having seen how other countries do things and done some research, which anyone can do, you can see that the UK could be a lot better, and its people much happier. Northern European countries and the Scandi countries routinely have happier, more contented people whenever these kind of assessments are done. They seem to be getting things right for their people which we aren't. We appear to be turning away from the northern European ways of doing things, and Europe in general, in favour of a more American way. Looking at the way the US operates, its over-consumption, its highly fractured politics, its individualism, its inequality, its exploitation of its environment etc that doesn't strike me as a sensible direction to be heading. Thanks for the reply. Certainly I think the UK could improve on many aspects, regional inequality being the main issue for me. I live in a rich part of one of the places you mentioned and admit to being depressed when I compare it to some deindustrialised parts of the UK. On the other hand, I also recognise that my experience as a (relatively) wealthy immigrant doesn’t really match an insiders warts and all of view of parts of Northern Europe which include the buts that don’t attract tourists/or high income workers from overseas. I routinely meet higher income non-Brits who have lived in the UK and they usually express a very favourable view. I guess London (it’s usually London) must be ace if you’re rich (and don’t have kids)! The indicies on happiness/wellbeing, that you point to, show only marginal differences between the Northern European countries (incl. UK). They’re also somewhat subjective as well. I respect your view but I do think it’s overly negative.
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