# galacia here we come



## mr pinks (Jun 8, 2010)

its not the costas its not the canaries we dont expect it to be but it is spain and weve got somewhere for our caravan its a farm owned by expats so now we have the chance of experiencing spain for ourselves under our terms a chance to experience the up and downsides first hand long term and at low cost and have people close by who have gone through everything we are about to 
got to get there first but now lets see if we can survive then prosper
if you doubters out there prove us wrong ill be the first to hold my hands up hopefully not and we can bcome a positive part of the community there


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## nigele2 (Dec 25, 2009)

mr pinks said:


> its not the costas its not the canaries we dont expect it to be but it is spain and weve got somewhere for our caravan its a farm owned by expats so now we have the chance of experiencing spain for ourselves under our terms a chance to experience the up and downsides first hand long term and at low cost and have people close by who have gone through everything we are about to
> got to get there first but now lets see if we can survive then prosper
> if you doubters out there prove us wrong ill be the first to hold my hands up hopefully not and we can bcome a positive part of the community there


Thought you wanted spain  But Galicia is very unique and wonderful. Don't forget to take your bagpipes. And don't forget to visit god's own country just next door 

We expect daily updates, don't forget


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

mr pinks said:


> its not the costas its not the canaries we dont expect it to be but it is spain and weve got somewhere for our caravan its a farm owned by expats so now we have the chance of experiencing spain for ourselves under our terms a chance to experience the up and downsides first hand long term and at low cost and have people close by who have gone through everything we are about to
> got to get there first but now lets see if we can survive then prosper
> if you doubters out there prove us wrong ill be the first to hold my hands up hopefully not and we can bcome a positive part of the community there


If that's what you want, good luck. Hopefully all will work out well for you.
It's not that people doubt you or your will to make a fist of it here, it's just that we're describing the facts on the ground.
And living in a caravan and finding agricultural work takes a lot of pressure off on the home-finding and job front. You'll have no major outlay for accommodation which will save you at least 300 -400 euros a month.
Do you know what kind of work you will be doing?


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## mr pinks (Jun 8, 2010)

they bought the place 3 years ago rundown virtually derelict used to be organic farmers in ireland trying to do the same again there the place needs a lot of building work done and a lot of development should suit with my background who knows might be able to pick up more work there if i do a good job there i go again eternal optimist


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

mr pinks said:


> they bought the place 3 years ago rundown virtually derelict used to be organic farmers in ireland trying to do the same again there the place needs a lot of building work done and a lot of development should suit with my background who knows might be able to pick up more work there if i do a good job there i go again eternal optimist


No, you're not being over-optimistic imo because it's sod's law that you get offered work when you're working (if you know what I mean) and besides you will get to know your way around simply by being on the spot and getting a nose for opportunities.
Plus you seem to have many skills which will stand you in good stead.
Just a slight note of caution: are these people solvent? I say this only because a friend of ours, a skilled carpenter, has spent weeks doing a similar job for a guy who can't afford to pay him. 
But as I've said, I'm a gloomy sort who tends to look for difficulties before they crop up and most often they don't... and you will be on the spot with a suitably menacing set of heavy tools... a sure way of ensuring payment for work done.
Looking on the bright side -and I'm sure that's the right side - it seems an ideal situation for you.


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## Tallulah (Feb 16, 2009)

Good luck Mr Pinks - whereabouts in Galicia you heading?


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## mr pinks (Jun 8, 2010)

Tallulah said:


> Good luck Mr Pinks - whereabouts in Galicia you heading?


thanks tallulah at the moment i havent a clue were heading for guinness heaven


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

mr pinks said:


> thanks tallulah at the moment i havent a clue were heading for guinness heaven


I've lost track here. Weren't you going to a job in Pedenes (Catalonia) in the wine industry??
Or are you going to a job in Galicia on an organic farm????
Or are you going to an unknown destination in Galicia?????
And what's this about Guinness heaven - surely that's Ireland??????
:confused2:
Make your mind up Mr. Pinks. It's too confusing for me!


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## mr pinks (Jun 8, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I've lost track here. Weren't you going to a job in Pedenes (Catalonia) in the wine industry??
> Or are you going to a job in Galicia on an organic farm????
> Or are you going to an unknown destination in Galicia?????
> And what's this about Guinness heaven - surely that's Ireland??????
> ...


we are definitely going to galicia near to lugo on the organic farm
it seems like a safer bet to kick off with
guinness heaven is 3 doors up the street from us here in wales confusing yes cos its an irish bar and mrs pinks posted the email even more confusing !!!!!
hope that deconfuses things a bit


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

mr pinks said:


> we are definitely going to galicia near to lugo on the organic farm
> it seems like a safer bet to kick off with
> guinness heaven is 3 doors up the street from us here in wales confusing yes cos its an irish bar and mrs pinks posted the email even more confusing !!!!!
> hope that deconfuses things a bit


OK, gotcha now.
So it's through that workaway website, is it? It seems a good way to make a start. Will you actually make any money or is it board and lodging?
PS Don't listen to nigele2 - Galicia is a lovely part of Spain, but it's just not Asturias.


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## mr pinks (Jun 8, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> OK, gotcha now.
> So it's through that workaway website, is it? It seems a good way to make a start. Will you actually make any money or is it board and lodging?
> PS Don't listen to nigele2 - Galicia is a lovely part of Spain, but it's just not Asturias.


its board and lodgings only so no pressure and plenty of free time to do research and relax!!!! thats something we havent done for ages
we are looking forward to it never been to those parts before who knows we may end up settling there it does sound nice
we were talking on the phone with them last might and they sound like a decent couple they have experience of workaway and have had positive feedbacl posted on thier profile


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## nigele2 (Dec 25, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> OK, gotcha now.
> So it's through that workaway website, is it? It seems a good way to make a start. Will you actually make any money or is it board and lodging?
> PS Don't listen to nigele2 - Galicia is a lovely part of Spain, but it's just not Asturias.


You mischief making by any chance pesky 

Mr Pinks every year Galicia send their bagpipe band to our village festival and they are truely wonderful (both music and friendship). And what I like most about Galicia is that when the weather is bad, and it can be but then you're from Wales so you know all about that  , you can escape down on to the Rias in the SW and find a micro climate.

I'd recommend the Alborino (that's an n with a ~ ontop), Las Islas Cies - take a picnic for a day, a beautiful magical place to crash out), and Santiago which despite the tourists (and of course you will be an immigrant, not a tourist ) is mmmmmmmmm. You'll enjoy yourself 

See Pesky I like the place - but you're right - it is not ASTURIAS


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## mr pinks (Jun 8, 2010)

hi nigele just googled that lot
las islas cies looks stunning its actually rated as one of the top 10 beaches in the world i can see why
cant find anything about alborino except its a grape variety grown in galicia another thing to try
santiago is on the shopping list of things to see
been looking at the property prices as well you can pick up a decent sized rundown house with land for next to nothing in the lugo area thats another positive if we decide to settle there


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2010)

I just like that every time we go to Galicia, I don't have to cook dinner. Go out, have a caña, get a tapa AND a pintxo. Repeat three times and you've had dinner! 

Enjoy. I'd love to live there!


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## mr pinks (Jun 8, 2010)

halydia said:


> I just like that every time we go to Galicia, I don't have to cook dinner. Go out, have a caña, get a tapa AND a pintxo. Repeat three times and you've had dinner!
> 
> Enjoy. I'd love to live there!


tapas pint got that. whats a cana? looks like ive got a lot to learn


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## Tallulah (Feb 16, 2009)

You'll love Lugo - (we're in La Coruna province) and we're in fact travelling up there on Sunday to a friends fiesta (it's San Antonio). Great place - great swathes of it very sparsely populated outside of the towns. One of the reasons why it is so cheap in comparison to the coastal areas is because of that. The youngsters have long since moved to the towns or wherever and there are whole hamlets on mountainsides with one or two houses only populated. Yet, you look at the place, its surrounding valleys/lakes etc and you wonder why it's not millionaires row until you realise how different it is here in Galicia to UK logic with Spain being the size it is and the population it has. 

Of course, it's not for everyone - not everyone wants to live in an area where most services taken for granted elsewhere are non-existant or may never arrive. At the end of the day, commercial realities mean that it would take a strong political stance to take electricity, telephony, tv repeaters etc to an area that might only hold 80 or 90 people in god knows how many square kilometres - and there lies the magic and the pain depending on your point of view.  Blissfull surroundings, but sparse in what we've come to know as modern creature comforts. Personally I find it all part of its charm.  After all, today's technological advances do allow those who want the isolation and have the creature comforts to have an autonomy level only most of us dream of, generating their own electricity, supplying their own water, and the world of satellites bring for those who want it even the normal TDT channels wherever you are - not to mention thousands of other channels (even SKY lol!!).

The place is imo gorgeous - the people, the surroundings, the communication links, the food, the wine  - nothing to fault it and long may it stay that way.:spit:


Tallulah.x


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## Tallulah (Feb 16, 2009)

mr pinks said:


> tapas pint got that. whats a cana? looks like ive got a lot to learn


it's a small beer.....but beware because it can also be a small shot of the local firewater (orujo/aguardiente)


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## nigele2 (Dec 25, 2009)

mr pinks said:


> hi nigele just googled that lot
> las islas cies looks stunning its actually rated as one of the top 10 beaches in the world i can see why
> cant find anything about alborino except its a grape variety grown in galicia another thing to try
> santiago is on the shopping list of things to see
> been looking at the property prices as well you can pick up a decent sized rundown house with land for next to nothing in the lugo area thats another positive if we decide to settle there


Sorry I wasn't very clear - I was referring to the wine. You'll see the vineyards down near Pontevedra. I drink it all the time. Cheap but drinkable about 3 Es a bottle, my usual tipple E5.85. In Galicia you may be able to get it at source in unlabeled bottles.

The Islas are beautiful. I've been scuba diving there (its a reserve and very protected with limited access but my mate who lives near Pontevedra got a license). But after you get off the ferry there is a tidal barrier and as you walk across you see more big fish then you will have ever seen from dry land and even large octopus if you're lucky. When I saw them I wondered why I had bothered going down below  Take a well stocked freezer box on a sunny day and you'll have a great time.

The other thing that stuck in my mind was inland small local village bars seemed incredible cheap. A bottle of Sanmig and a steak bocadillo (couldn't eat more than one) 3Es.

Worth learning two or three phrases in Galician also. More common than welsh in Wales I thought. But friendly souls if you give them a smile.

Youy'll have a great time - but as you may have heard - it's not Asturias


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2010)

Tallulah said:


> it's a small beer.....but beware because it can also be a small shot of the local firewater (orujo/aguardiente)


We got some homemade crema de orujo while we were there. Amazing.


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## Tallulah (Feb 16, 2009)

Yeah, the crema de orujo I can handle (in fairly large quantities) - it's the plain orujo that I can't - can taste that stuff for days afterwards lol!!!

xxx


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2010)

Tallulah said:


> Yeah, the crema de orujo I can handle (in fairly large quantities) - it's the plain orujo that I can't - can taste that stuff for days afterwards lol!!!
> 
> xxx


The only time I've had that stuff was after Christmas dinner. And I'll do it again - anything to cut through that lump of food the Spanish somehow stuff into themselves!!!!

Edit: Now that I say that, I can't even begin to complain about Christmas dinner. If it's bad to the east, I can only imagine how much food there is in Galicia!


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## mr pinks (Jun 8, 2010)

that orujo sounds like the spanish equivelent of irish poteen fermented grape seeds skins and all dangerous alcohols if not done by an expert think ill give that one a miss
las islas cies is definately getting a visit as well as pontevedre


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## mr pinks (Jun 8, 2010)

mr pinks said:


> that orujo sounds like the spanish equivelent of irish poteen fermented grape seeds skins and all dangerous alcohols if not done by an expert think ill give that one a miss
> las islas cies is definately getting a visit as well as pontevedre


lugo area sounds better all the time the more rural the better self sufficiency would be good wouldnt have to work ever again
think we could treat ourselves to steak and san miguel at 3 euro a pop though found some loose change in a drawer from last eurozone venture yesterday we could eat for a fortnight out there at those prices


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2010)

mr pinks said:


> that orujo sounds like the spanish equivelent of irish poteen fermented grape seeds skins and all dangerous alcohols if not done by an expert think ill give that one a miss


More for me then!


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## mr pinks (Jun 8, 2010)

ill have your tapas


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2010)

If you're drinking that stuff, you've got to put something in your stomach.
Most memorable tapas offering at one of the bars in the town we go to? 

- Tripe
- Pigs ear
- Pigs snout
- Pigs feet

I passed.


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## mr pinks (Jun 8, 2010)

halydia said:


> If you're drinking that stuff, you've got to put something in your stomach.
> Most memorable tapas offering at one of the bars in the town we go to?
> 
> - Tripe
> ...


just imagine your eating pork scratchings youll get through it dunno about tripe though imagine its calamari maybe
im sure theres all kinds of local delicacies ill try anything once
we eat some pretty wierd stuff ourselves black pudding offal oxtail god knows what goes into a doner kebab


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

nigele2 said:


> you mischief making by any chance pesky
> 
> 
> 
> see pesky i like the place - but you're right - it is not asturias


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## mr pinks (Jun 8, 2010)

i think reality has just hit home 
mrs pinks car went last night that was her pride and joy shes reduced to driving the 4x4 
my boats next and give up the workshop perhaps we should bring the boat down there save on ferry fares but i dont think we can get the caravan on a 22ft fishing boat.
ah well no pain no gain


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