Would/could you emigrate?

[TheONe]

Originally Posted by cynic

In ten to fifteen years, ya'll can find me living on the coast of Portugal with a dog and a fishing pole in a little stone cottage.

I'm a fan of the simple life and it's getting harder and harder to live it in the U.S.

Hey Cynic I'm actually vacationing in Portugal this summer (mainland not the Azores)...it's going to be great! Have you ever been?

[cynic]

Yes, many times on business. I haven't been there for a few years now, but I love the place! From the upper part near the port of Vigo down through Porto where the forests and mountains are to Lisbon down to the resort areas near the southern tip, I love it all. The people are incredibly friendly and will offer lots and lots of help if you ask. However, don't drive more than you have to because they are literally the worst drivers on the worst roads in Europe.....and read up on their traffic laws because if you do drive and get into an accident, you can be in deep shit in a hurry. I try to hire drivers whenever possible, ask your hotel for suggestions. They aren't that expensive and if you get a friendly one (most are) they are great sources of information and the best for choosing great places to see.

I highly recommend Rick Steves' Spanish & Portuguese Phrase Book, it helps you to try to speak their language in a very easy format. Just the fact that you try will make you instant friends.

The food is amazing and the wine is very, very good. I am jealous, I would love to see Portugal for the first time again. My impression was that the age of the churches was so awesome (and I'm an atheist, so it takes a lot for a church to impress me) and so many little fishing villages are like stepping back to the sixteen century or so. It made me realize how "new" the U.S. really is compared to the "old" states of Europe.

Take me, I'd be a great tour guide!

[TheONe]

Originally Posted by cynic

Take me, I'd be a great tour guide!

Ha,ha,ha...actually I'm going to be up on the Northern Coast near "Figuiera da foz" Luckily my girlfriend was born there and her parents moved back a few years ago so I should be all set. I speak a little bit but obviously she is very fluent so I'm not worried. My friend is from the same town as her and he went last year...said it was a great time and really inexpensive. Maybe I can sneak you in one of my suitcases?! lol, but I hope to bring back some nice Port wine so fitting you in there for the ride home might be tough...

[cynic]

^^yep, really inexpensive (of course, I've not been there since the U.S. dollar took a nosedive), I have eaten at some really amazing restaurants and the bill was always such a shock because the food was of such high quality and so cheap! I ate cockles that melted in my mouth and I'm not much of a fan of bifolds (clams, mussels, etc.)..... I have heard their port is top notch, but I'm more of a fan of white wine.....in my later years, I find that red wine puts me to sleep.....

I'm not sure how old you are, but beware.....and you know this because your g/f is Portuguese.....but their young women are some of the most awesome looking I have ever seen! I am not much of one to go after younger women, but their beauty made it hard not to stare!

You are a lucky fellow.........but don't let your g/f catch you staring at someone other than her!!!!

....fit me in a suitcase?......maybe a steamer trunk...........but if you pack me with the bottles.....

[LaFolie]

Originally Posted by TheONe

Ha,ha,ha...actually I'm going to be up on the Northern Coast near "Figuiera da foz" Luckily my girlfriend was born there and her parents moved back a few years ago so I should be all set. I speak a little bit but obviously she is very fluent so I'm not worried. My friend is from the same town as her and he went last year...said it was a great time and really inexpensive. Maybe I can sneak you in one of my suitcases?! lol, but I hope to bring back some nice Port wine so fitting you in there for the ride home might be tough...

Sneak me in too! My father's from Portugal (Northeast), but I've never gotten a chance to go there

Originally Posted by cynic

I'm not sure how old you are, but beware.....and you know this because your g/f is Portuguese.....but their young women are some of the most awesome looking I have ever seen! I am not much of one to go after younger women, but their beauty made it hard not to stare!

You are a lucky fellow.........but don't let your g/f catch you staring at someone other than her!!!!

Cynic, you're my hero! In France, the stereotype about Portuguese girls is that they're fat, hairy and real ugly!

[cynic]

^^the French girls are jealous and are spreading that nasty rumor in hopes that their b/f's don't ever go there and find out how wrong they are!

.....the Portuguese women who have the dark hair, dark skin and green eyes make my knees weak.....like most people everywhere, the middle-aged and older folks were a little heavier, but the young ones reminded me of wood nymphs......they seemed a lot more "natural" than U.S. teens who have grown up on a diet of sex and violence.....

If lusting after your fellow countrywomen makes me a hero, then I'm DEFINITELY retiring in Portugal.....