What’s it like to live in…Portugal
Tony and Lisa Boland met in Wales, moved to the Shetlands and then to Ireland. Now in Portugal, they sell chocolates and say their wanderlust is cured Why did you settle on Portugal?We were adamant that this time we wanted to be somewhere with year-round warmth. We knew we wanted to come to Portugal or Spain and did lots of research.
Monchique is 15 miles inland and perfect. It’s a quiet market town, the countryside is beautiful, the people are friendly and we feel completely at home here. Do you still work? Very much so. I’m 53 and Lisa’s 50, so we’re not ready to retire. I’ve always worked as a builder and I’ve done everything from mending broken tiles to renovating a castle for Jeremy Irons in Ireland, so I found work quickly when we arrived three years ago. What made you open a chocolate shop?After being in Portugal for a while we noticed it was almost impossible to find the sort of chocolates we are used to in Britain. The Portuguese have a sweet tooth but they tend to eat puddings and tarts rather than confectionery. We thought there was a real gap in the market, so we opened a shop selling imported and home-made chocolate as well as diabetic sweets, chocolate and ice cream. Do you have Portuguese friends?Lots of them. The people of Monchique have been wonderful to us and we have been made to feel very much part of the community. We were invited to a pig-killing last year which, we were told, is quite an honour and means you’ve been accepted. We managed to arrive late, after all the blood had been washed away, but still in time for the sausages. Do you mix with other expatriates?We have some British and German friends but we don’t go out of our way to find foreigners and there are very few in Monchique. What with building work and the shop we don’t have much time for relaxing. In fact, working in the shop is my leisure activity. How hard has it been to learn Portuguese?For me, almost impossible. I have tried hard but I can’t get much beyond the basics. Everyone says it’s a difficult language to learn but it’s still frustrating. I can talk to people in the cafés or other shopkeepers on a basic level, but no more than that. Lisa is better and our son, Ricky, was fluent within a year. He now runs the bar in a local restaurant. Tabitha, our daughter, has picked up a good amount too. How do house prices compare with Britain?It can be expensive on the coast, especially in places like Vilamoura, but up here in the hills it’s cheaper. That gives us the best of both worlds. How do you find the health system?Excellent. The pharmacists are well-qualified and can dispense treatments for minor illnesses like flu, which means you don’t have the bother of a doctor’s appointment. And because of that the doctors’ surgeries are quieter and you’re seen more quickly. The emphasis is on people and their health, not on balancing the books. It’s mostly free, although we do pay for a few things. What do you miss about Britain?Nothing. I don’t even want to go back to visit and I have no family there. My recollection of the UK is everything this place isn’t: bad weather, choked roads, everyone rushing around and being impatient. What’s the worst thing about living in Portugal?The language is a struggle, but I suppose the bureaucracy takes some beating. It was a problem to start with but then I realised this was why we were here – the slower pace of life, the queues in the bank while the only teller discusses crops with the farmers – and after that I came to terms with it. And the best?The quality of life we have here is unbeatable. We see so much of each other and the pace of life suits all of us. Will you be moving again?Never. Nothing would drag us away from Monchique. Interview by Anthony Jefferies Fancy a break in Portugal to find out if it's your dream place in the sun? Visit Saga's holiday pages
This article was created: 18 July 2006.
This article was last edited: 13 November 2006.
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