# Anyone living near Tomar want a free coffee and a sticky bun???



## Colin Robinson (Jan 19, 2011)

Hi knowledgeable-people-who-no-doubt-made-mistakes-when-moving-to-Portugal-and-are-kind-enough-to-be-inclined-to-help-us-make-less-by-selling-their-advice-for-a-coffee-or-a-beer!

My wife and I have done most of our "homework" and concluded Portugal is the place for us.

We have decided where we DON'T want to be (the Algarve, too far north, too near the coast, too near the Spanish border) but that still leaves a lot of ground I like to think of as "Central Portugal".

We want to avoid areas where there are TOO many Brits (or why leave here in the first place?) but we recently filmed an episode of "A Place In The Sun" (yes, Jasmine is LOVELY and a really nice person and yes, you can have our autographs!) around Evora and, Channel 4 being as tight as they are, we had to buy our own evening meals. We ventured out into the nearby town and discovered to our horror that all the bars and restuarants had menus in Portuguese and none of the staff could speak English! Of course we intend to learn our adopted country's language, but we have to eat in the meantime....

Anyway, we THINK we want to live somewhere near Tomar, and by "nearby", I mean within 50 miles - or further still if we find the right area with houses at the right price...? You see our problem!

We will be coming back to Portugal at the end of September - or a week after my first grandson is born and that is up to HIM - and staying for at least six months but to try to narrow down the search area, we are coming out first on the 14th. June 2012 and staying for 4-6 weeks and that, finally :focus: brings me back to the two questions I would like to ask all you kindly, clever, well-informed and helpful peoples..

1) Does anyone know of a cheapy little one-bed cottage or villa for rent that's within 20 mins or so of Tomar and is available for the period we have in mind? I checked on the "Sticky" with the forum rules and I THINK I'm allowed to ask that - even if you have to reply by way of a PM? Anyway, I wrote to gekkoportugal and they haven't bothered to reply to me?

2) Do YOU live anywhere near Tomar and are you cheap enough to sell an hour or so of your time for a coffee and a bun or a glass of plonk? If so, could we meet up somewhere, when we are out there, so that we can, unmercifully and unashamedly, pick your brains about the whole experience of moving, where we should be looking to live, what we should be considering that we haven't already been considering, why my wife should not be allowed to have seventeen flippin' cats out there and why playing golf five times a week is required by Portuguese law for all ex-pat Brits? Etc.?

Finally, yes, we know it's a big step, yes we know there are loads of things that can go wrong, no I haven't mentioned our finances in this post and yes, the Euro is in trouble so cynics that just want to put me down please don't bother to reply - to save you time, I know I'm an idiot! Any helpful comments or answers to either question however, would be very, very much appreciated :clap2:


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## percycat (May 27, 2012)

I can't help ..but wanted to say good luck  ... if i was there i would be cheap enough to accept your offer lol


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## omostra06 (Sep 11, 2007)

Hi, good luck with your plans to move to the Tomar region, 
Its a good time to buy plenty of bargains out there, with the way things are.

I noticed you mentioned that you have contacted our website and got no reply, your email does go straight to the property owners. Sometimes they take a long time to reply,(probably out enjoying the sun) I would suggest if you get no reply just try a different owner.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Colin

PM sent


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## Dennis (Sep 29, 2008)

Colin Robinson said:


> Hi knowledgeable-people-who-no-doubt-made-mistakes-when-moving-to-Portugal-and-are-kind-enough-to-be-inclined-to-help-us-make-less-by-selling-their-advice-for-a-coffee-or-a-beer!
> 
> My wife and I have done most of our "homework" and concluded Portugal is the place for us.
> 
> ...


Hi Colin.
Been here nearly three years now and we based ourselves in Poco Redondo about 15 mins from Tomar <HERE>  if it`s not what you are after then have a word with Linda who is very knowledgeable about the area with many contacts.
We eventually ended up further north near Miranda do Corvo about 1 hour away but Tomar will by next year be within about half an hour away with the opening of a new motorway.
Good luck in your quest and if you need further info on this area (Miranda) then ask away, if I can`t help there are many from this area who can.


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## southsussex (Jun 19, 2009)

Hi Colin

We haven't moved out yet but have been backwards and forwards for the past 2 years whilst our house is being renovated. Obviously everyone has an opinion on why the place they have bought is best, so here's my tuppence worth!

We are near Ansiao, about 45 mins of Tomar but when the new motorway is completed, considerably less. We looked at the Tomar area originally but thought that we were a little too far from any big city. 

The area around Ansiao is served by the IC3 and IC8 giving great north/south and east/west access. 45 mins to the coast, close to the river beaches, the beautiful city of Coimbra , Portugals 3rd biggest city, 40 mins away and Lisbon and Porto equidistant at about 1.5 hrs. The new motorway will shorten these times. The area is beautifully unspoilt, some very nice towns (Penela, Ansiao, Avelar, Pombal, Mirandha de Covo etc) plus lots of green rural area. Its not 'Little Britain' yet there are a few ex pats around' For us it's a real 'location location location' type thing. 

Whatever you do. Look around the areas in Winter as well. You are then going to see the places at their worst. You can then ask yourself if you would be happy living in this area when it's overcast and drizzly!!!

Good luck!!


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## Colin Robinson (Jan 19, 2011)

What nice people you are!

Within 24 hours I have got private messages, “unauthorised visitors messages” and people posting on this thread, all being really helpful and even those that can’t help, wishing us well! You have all just given us ANOTHER reason to pat ourselves on the back for choosing Portugal to spend the rest of our lives in!

Rather than fill this thread by replying to each of you individually, I thought I’d do a blanket reply in one message….hope that’s OK?

PERCYCAT – Where are you? If you’re north of Tomar, we are travelling through Santander so maybe we could meet up on our way down/back? We always like to meet cheap people! Thanks for your wishes anyway….

OMOSTRA06 – Before I tried any owners, I wrote to you directly asking if you knew of any places that might suit our needs? When I didn’t get a reply, I went back through your site and found that some of the properties I thought might be right for us had owners’ contact details so wrote directly to them but there were quite a few that still just gave your email address? My wife has also written to you about the place next door to yours but hasn’t heard back from you either? No doubt we are doing something wrong somewhere….. Thanks for your good wishes though…

DENNIS – Thanks for your reply and your kind offer. You mention a “Linda” but don’t say how to get in touch with her? If you could let me know, I would be most grateful as she sounds the sort of person who would warrant TWO sticky buns! Thanks also for the link to the campsite but Tina has a bad back so we’d have to go for the caravans or chalets and they seem a bit pricey for us compared to the sort of costs we have seen for a cottage or small villa? Interesting to hear about a new motorway? Must find out more when we’re there! Thanks again for bothering to reply.

SOUTHSUSSEX – Thank you! On one of our sojourns, we met a lovely estate agent called Sarah from PPPortugal who has an office in Ansiao so we have looked at the area. We weren’t too keen on Coimbra though and having spent three months in the area between October and December, we DID find it a bit chilly which is why we thought we’d look a little further south? If you are not going to be out there when we are this time, could we keep in touch please? Then, when you are there at the same time as us, perhaps we could meet up, as you seem to be exactly the sort of person we could benefit from meeting? We’d even run to a BOTTLE of plonk… Now there’s an offer you can’t refuse, eh?


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Colin

I've just sent you an email


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Have a look at Instituto de Meteorologia, IP Portugal you can search by year, temprature min-max, rainfall etc.

Portugal can be chilly in the winter, even the Algarve


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## Colin Robinson (Jan 19, 2011)

Thanks Canoeman, that helps.

Are you married? If so, you'll understand that the phrase "You can't please all of the people all of the time" is actually a derivative of the much earlier coined, and far more accurate saying, which is “You can’t please your wife any of the time”!

Mine has a bad back to the extent that she takes morphine for pain relief. She is much improved whenever we have gone to warmer climes – India, the Caribbean and so on, so in deciding to emigrate, we naturally looked for reasonably hot weather BUT…

*She doesn’t like it TOO hot
*She wants “climates” because she likes watching the changes in the colour of flants (flowers and plants and other such rubbish!)
*She wants “views” so it can’t be flat or barren nearby
*She doesn’t want to be TOO far away from her “family” in the UK (none of whom she sees anyway – miserable bunch of !£^%$£)
*She wants somewhere that’s “friendly” and where she can feel “safe” when she goes out

Now I know what you’re thinking – she wants a lump of 2 by 4 in a particular place  but I can’t find anywhere where that’s not illegal, so we looked and looked and discovered Portugal!

We fully understand that it’s going to rain in PT and that we’re going to need some form of heating in the winter but having spent October to December there year before last, IN A CARAVAN, we know it’s not going to be anything like as cold as it is in the UK.

From all our research and leaving aside micro-climates, we came upon a rule of thumb that the further south, the milder it becomes. Not wanting to live in Little Ingerlund (as I read another poster describe it), we are thinking of Tomar as a good compromise?

Thanks again for your advice and if you can add anything else, please do, as we would be really grateful for ANY comments or criticisms whatsoever, especially from someone as experienced as you….


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Look at the climate charts, you've discounted North but if you look at the VdoCatstelo region up to Valenca and down to Ponte de Lima you'll see climate favours well with the Algarve, and gives you seasonal weather which CP doesn't always.


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## Dennis (Sep 29, 2008)

DENNIS – Thanks for your reply and your kind offer. You mention a “Linda” but don’t say how to 
get in touch with her? If you could let me know, I would be most grateful as she sounds the sort of person who would warrant TWO sticky buns!
Sorry Colin........Linda is the owner of the campsite and can be contacted via the website I linked to.
Get yourself over to Miranda for a chat and a coffee......my shout!


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## Colin Robinson (Jan 19, 2011)

Dennis said:


> DENNIS – Thanks for your reply and your kind offer. You mention a “Linda” but don’t say how to
> get in touch with her? If you could let me know, I would be most grateful as she sounds the sort of person who would warrant TWO sticky buns!
> Sorry Colin........Linda is the owner of the campsite and can be contacted via the website I linked to.
> Get yourself over to Miranda for a chat and a coffee......my shout!


We will write again as soon as we get there as we would LOVE to meet up with you in Miranda or anywhere else - armed with notebook and several pens (in case the first few run out!). Thank you!

Anyone else willing to meet with us - we don't bite and anyway, we've had our shots???


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## Colin Robinson (Jan 19, 2011)

Thanks to all of you who have bothered to write comments on this thread and for the many private messages and other communications we have received!

THIS IS A GREAT FORUM!

Everything is now booked and we're going to be staying at Alverangel - wherever that is - from the 14th of THIS mopnth (I can say that today!) Woo Hoo!!

Tina and I really look forward to meeting those of you who have agreed (could have done with a few more though.....?) but we're not sure if we should bring the buns with us or if they're better over there? Hey - I could start a new thread on "Who's got the best buns" but the Americans on here would probably misunderstand coz them doan speek inglish propa!

If anyone who was kind enough to agree to meet up with us wants anything brought from Blighty - bits of shopping you can't get out there and that sort of thing - let me know as it's the least we can do for you?

Thanks again to you all.....

Colin & Tina


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## Dennis (Sep 29, 2008)

[QUOTE
If anyone who was kind enough to agree to meet up with us wants anything brought from Blighty 

Thanks again to you all.....

Colin & Tina[/QUOTE]
Hi Colin and Tina, great news and we look forward to meeting up.
Reference the above............a new concrete coal bunker, if you can fit one in.:laugh:


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