If you take a wrong turn and find yourself peckish in central London, please consider yourself a guest.

Scriptus,
HE changes underpants??????????? are you sure he does not just wear a pair till there disappear!!!

Now you have time to came to ARGENTINA ,came and visit me you are my guest .
Sandly many friends are leaving Africa ,im trying to convice them to came here BUT I DONT KNOW WHAT IS WORSE...

Steve, What little I have seen of Portugal I really liked. As you said once you get away from the coast the population starts to thin out a bit. Food and drink was great and very reasonable. I have no idea of the real estate prices since I wasnt interested in that. I do know the people were open and friendly. They laughed once in awhile at my poor attempts at the language but at the same time very much appreciated it. Cost of living should be good if everything in the world dosnt go to hell. Climate was most excellent. I wish you two well and enjoy that grandchild while you can. It is one of the great pleasures in life. Perhaps I will hook up with you there sometime in the future. Best regards.
mike

Good Luck to you both !!!!

Steve
I hope you enjoy portugal and my jeep.Its really sad to see n friend leave and not only a friend but a pommie with great taste mentor and a guy always ready to help and give some info.

Thx for all your help and smiles over the years and thx for sitting up with me in pubs and listen to all our tales and drinking a few pints who is going to do that with me now.

Enjoy your new place friend.

From the boertjie
Luan

Dear Steve

Thanks for all the advise and info you have passed down to us all.

As a parting gift and to avoid you ending up with an Ostrich or 2.

I have arranged with your wife to send you a few emu's.

Keep well Regards Mark

Hey, man, I know how difficult it is to leave somewhere you love. Like my old home town of 36 years, I had to leave because I simply no longer recognized it.

Good luck to you and please ensure I get your new email.

And last, but not least, thank you so much for all the help you have given me over the years planning my hunts. I will always appreciate it.

Fred

Luan,

I'll take care of 'your' Jeep for you and anytime you're over, you'll be welcome to drive it.

I've been blessed with many South African friends and all are truly good people and I have to say, you're truly a man and a friend in a million. I'll never forget the good times we spent together and as ever. Thank you for your friendship and the fun!

Mark,

Emus huh....... I'll pass the message on but I have to say, I'm bloody glad you don't have our address!

Fred,

Maybe we'll get to meet and share a campfire sometime..... I hope so!

Let us know how your new home is. If we in the USA continue down the same path we have for the last several years I will be looking for somewhere else to move. I am about tired of the wealth redistrobution schemes.

Steve,
I just checked in for the first time in a while.
Best Wishes and Good Luck!
Rich Elliott

I reckon some uncivilised is coming to the civilised world!!

Steve have fun tomorrow. Meeting your grandaughter is going to be a great way to spend the day.

In the mean time the fly rod is ready and the new free state shrimp has been tied. All we need to do is go catch a sea trout with one!!





K

Will do my friend and the Free State Shrimp looks just tickety boo......

here's wishing you a peaceful transition and future.

Best wishes for a happy and successful move. I hope the people make you feel as welcome in Portugal as Mason and I felt with you and Susan at Luan's. If so, you will be truly blessed.

Safe Travel Steve,

Alex & Mason

Fully understand Steve. I know many good folks leaning towards that same sad decision. My very best thoughts accompany you and your family and we know you will land on both feet.
All the best buddy and keep us posted.

It's sad to see so many good people leaving RSA and Zim.

Portugal? I know quite a few Americans who, for the first time, are starting to look at other countries for residence.

Steve: Just out of curiosity, how did you wind up picking Portugal? Lovely place to be sure, and are you planning to work there or just keep going back to do the PH/Outfitting thing?

Well chaps, we made it to Lisbon in one piece and in comfort..... Business class to London was a dream and our bags even hit the belt first.

Then a few hours meeting my new Grandaughter Ella which was a very emotional time for this old fart and then back to LHR where we managed to get the earlier flight onto Lisbon and again, the better seat helped..... and again, our bags appeared first...... how's that for luck!

Jorge,

We looked at a number of other African countries but all would have meant a lot of buggering about with African bureaucracy and I simply refuse to take their BS anymore......

Although we looked at countries such as the States and Oz etc, I simply don't want to deal with visa applications etc so as we're both EU passport holders, that really left Europe...... and Portugal came out on top with France second.

Portugal has a similar climate and terrain to our part of Africa, most prices are lower, esp property prices and fishing is top notch.

As for the company etc. As you know, I've been trying to retire from the field for 2/3 years now and the only reason I'm not is that Uganda came up and I'd always dreamed of hunting there so I gave myself an extension.

This move is the next step in the retirement process. I'll still do a very few hunts but only with old friends etc that I really want to hunt with. Other clients will hunt with other PHs..... they'll all be really good and experienced guys but I'm getting too old to do things like walk after buffalo all day and I recognise that fact.

Our sites will also continue but will be run from here instead of Africa.

I have to say, I almost feel like I've started a landslide because since I began telling my friends we were going a good many have said it's time they looked into leaving as well.

Africa's great but the politics abd crime etc are a nucking fightmare nowadays!

Funny, the wife and I were beginning to research which African country we'd like to retire to...

Good luck with your new life Steve and we'll look forward to pictures once you get settled!

Jorge

The other attraction is that whilst RSA ranks 118 on the Global Peace Index, Portugal ranks 17th!

Phil,

Research carefully. Many/most won't or are reluctant to grant residency to white immigrants and of those that do, some will then change banking laws for residents compared to non residents. RSA being a case in point.

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana Nderobo:
Funny, the wife and I were beginning to research which African country we'd like to retire to...

You can do that, just ensure that you have a bolt hole ready and leave the motor running.

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
We're relatively open to area but want central rather than the coastal areas because we both want a bit of solitude rather than have neighbours right on top of us. I also want a trout stream, river or water view.

From what we've seen and found on the net, the areas that look especially interesting are Coimbra, Penela & Tomar...... I also have an interest in the period of the Knights Templar so Tomar looks especially good to me...... Maybe David has a point about a metal detector!

I'm not sure what little shiny round things he's talking about though? I wasn't aware PT had precious stones?

Steve

Good luck on the move.

Are you going to do one of those "English couple buys a old stone ruined barn in Portugal, and spends E1 million renovating it, getting stressed, planning to open a B&B ... " type shows we keep getting in Oz from Pommie TV?

Bugger that for a lark John.... all we want is a smallish cottage, a bit of land, a trout stream, a good internet connection and no damn neighbours.

With that, I can have a very happy retirement and maybe even manage a bit more writing.

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
Bugger that for a lark John.... all we want is a smallish cottage, a bit of land, a trout stream, a good internet connection and no damn neighbours.

With that, I can have a very happy retirement and maybe even manage a bit more writing.

Not askin for much are you Steve?

They say all Hell needs is more water and a better class of people--

inter-net and a trout stream?



SSR

Best wished for a happy transition, and a great retirement program.

Rich

quote:

Originally posted by Cross L:

inter-net and a trout stream?



SSR

I'm told that with Bentley-Walker satellite internet, all things are possible in Europe.... and at a sensible price too!

Settling into the cottage now and haven't heard a yapping ducking fog since we got here...... hoo-bloody ray!

And no gangs of HIV positive thugs looking to kick-in your doors and own 51% of your business - "just Because"!!!

Good move Steve! Best of luck to you and your bride!

Send trout pics!

JW

We've moved from a country that scores 118 in the Global Peace Index to one that scores 17 and the difference is unbelievable...... I'd gotten used to just being alert whenever I left the house and it was just second nature....... here, the feeling is totally and unexpectedly different.

Susan must be keeping you busy your not even answering emails yet

Only got limited email access but check your spam box for a message from 'first name last name' or similar..... I'm having to use the airmail box and it's bloody useless!

Wait a min I thought you where going to have great internet service????? I love it when someone besides me has problems with the net my stuff from Uganda got here it looks great

I'll get satellite internet when we buy but in the meantime, we're making do with a dongle and cell phone system...... and it ain't very good!

boy are you going to be busy when you get good connection.

i somewhat know how you feel Steve. 8 years ago i moved from a city of about 600,000 people with a high crime rate to a 36 acre ranch in the country at the end of a dead end dirt road behind an electronic gate partway up a mountainside. nearest neighbor is about 1/2 mile. in my front "yard" i set up a 100 yard rifle range, 50 yard bow range and 30 yard pistol range. we never lock our doors or take the keys out of our vehicles. it is really hard to put a price tag on peace of mind- as the credit card company advert says-PRICELESS!!!!! best of luck going forward and may the wind be always at your back.

Steve

You will need to have a look at the "Barrosa" valley or area in Portugal. Col William Light named this area in Australia ie Barossa (mis-spelt) after that area in Portugal, when he served under Wellington against the Napoleanic Army in the Iberian Peninsula.

No idea if it is a nice area or not?!

"Will do my friend and the Free State Shrimp looks just tickety boo...... "

Steve,

Now think of a 25 kg Mahseer on a fly rod! You are only a few hours away now .

Good luck with settling down. I have some idea of how unsettling it can be!

Warm regards

Saeed

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
I'll get satellite internet when we buy but in the meantime, we're making do with a dongle and cell phone system...... and it ain't very good!

I live on a satellite "broadband" system. While it is better than dial up, it leaves a lot to be desired as it will only deliver advertised speed between 0100 and 0300 hrs PST.

John

Haven't heard of it but will look and try to find out more.... this whole area is chokka with vinyards plus citrus, fig & chestnut etc.... every house seems to have it's own vines and port esp is as cheap as chips.

Saeed

Now you're talking.... I'd love to try for mahseer!

Jim

I appreciate satellite ain't gonna be perfect but it will allow us to live in the sticks and away from neighbours etc so we'll try to make it work for us!