Getting Away From It All

When it comes to the great escape, southern Portugal, The Algarve, is right up there in the top 15 of the best get-away-from-it-all destinations.

In Jon Spayde's article, "http://www.modernmaturity.org/department..." it is listed at number 11.

The all-year-round warm but temperate climate-- it is never too hot to sleep at night in the summer yet you can spend Christmas on the beach-- is a great attraction .

Another is the very reasonable cost of living.Try "http://www.expataccess.com/i/ea/Content/..." for information selected on behalf of expats moving to Portugal. In depth information on that subject comes from "http://www.expataccess.com/i/ea/Content/..." This has lots of useful information if you are really, determinedly on the move.

A third advantage is the very real friendliness of the Portuguese people themselves. For Northern peoples, there is the additional benefit of a green and garden land, totally unexpected considering the low rainfall.

A thriving expat community of Americans, British, Dutch, Germans are among the multinational residents who now call the Algarve home. There is always someone around to help and advise if you have a problem or find yourself in difficulties.

The cheering story of one family who has moved, llamas and all, to the Algarve is told at "http://www.escapeartist.com/internationa..."

And if you have been swayed by friends and relatives against retiring to a home in the sun, have a look at the latest research from the University of Sussex,"http://www.sussex.ac.uk/press_office/med..." which refutes all claims that expat pensioners have a miserable time.

The towns and main tourist areas are well documented. Yet despite their great popularity and the numbers of visiting tourists, there is no loss of real Portuguese charm.

One of the most informative sites on towns and villages of the Algarve is "http://www.algarve-portugal.co.uk/". This is well worth a look to give you an overview of the region. It is well illustrated with up-to-date photos, maps and weather info.

What you will find, as always, is a comparatively steep rise in prices in the popular coastal tourist towns. Again, you will always find cheaper accommodation, cheaper food even in towns if you watch local Portuguese families and find out not only where they shop but what they shop for.

You may find you have to draw the line when it comes to the favourite blocks of bacon fat (toicinho pronounced toy-seen-yew), or the dried cod (bacalhaupronounced ba-kal-yow ). This can taste great when cooked but can rather resemble cardboard in its two-dimensional flat form.

Eating locally can also bring surprises like sheep eyes or chicken feet floating the stew. It may be great for the calcium intake but.........

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