Goodbye, Farewell, Adeus Portugal…
It has been a very busy week, after a very relaxing holiday visiting family in Spain we arrived back in Portugal on a mission. A mission to sell, sort and pack. We have managed to sell the ‘stuff’ that we no longer require ready for our move to New Zealand. Some of the things we are happy to see go, others we reluctantly part with. In a way, de-cluttering to such an extent is really cleansing. For us anyway, the boys are ultra reluctant to part with anything, a firm hold on their toys and teddies, we have smuggled a few things out to give to friends and sell on facebook, promising to replace them once we land in NZ. We have even sold our beloved caravan. It has been our home, our haven for the past year and allowed us to live rent free; something we never really thought was possible.
We have absolutely loved every minute of living in Portugal, even the more challenging aspects of living off-grid, hand-washing, collecting drinking water, having limited electricity and only having use of a solar shower, have all been amazing learning experiences. Never, ever again will we take running water, a warm shower, a flushing toilet, a washing machine and clean clothes for granted.
Welcoming Portugal is truly an amazing place, so safe, pure and beautiful, with a fantastic climate, culture and kind people. Only this week the valve on the caravan tyre flew off the day before we were due to deliver it to the new owners. We took it to our local tyre shop who promptly fixed the tyre and delivered it back to us, we waited around another 5 minutes to find out how much…no, nothing, it’s no problem. We went to close our bank account and needed 7 cents to round up the balance. We only had two, of course the lovely man in the bank who always shook our hand and greeted us by name put in the change from his own pocket and rounded up the balance so we could save any fees and withdraw the money from the cashpoint. Just a reminder for us in our last week how genuinely generous and kind the people are here in Portugal. We have met so many lovely local people and estrangeiros (foreigners), people who have lived here all of their lives and some who have only just arrived. A melting pot of people and cultures. A fascinating bunch of lovely individuals.
Goodbye and Adeus Portgual, we will miss you…
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All the best for the move. What a lovely time of year to be heading out to New Zealand. I can’t wait to see your photos from there too.
Awww bittersweet. Looking forward to hearing about your NZ adventures =)
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What fantastic images, all the best for your move #mysundayphoto
Wow that’s quite a move to New Zealand. Hope everything goes well and I look forward to seeing the photos.
Have a good Sunday and thank you for linking up to #MySundayPhoto
I am unsure whether this is a sad moment or not? What an amazing life you lead. I hope it goes well for you in NZ. Great parting pictures too. Look forward to reading about your latest adventures on the other side of the world. #mysundayphoto
That is such a big move. I have been to Portugal – and totally agree with you about the friendliness. I have never been to NZ but heard so many wonderful things. These are beautiful parting shots – especially the wing mirror – and wishing you all the best for your move. Looking forward to seeing your next round of photos from a new area. #MySundayPhoto
Good luck with the move, it sounds like Portugal has been amazing and I’m sure NZ will be just as amazing for you all too!
Good luck with the move. It’s a big one, my parents moved countries several times in my childhood. NZ is lovely though!
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Looks like great family fun!
Thank goodness you have lots of amazing pictures to help you remember after you’ve gone. I can’t wait to see your NZ ones though. My first ever trip on a plane was to NZ when I was 21, which seems a bit ridiculous now. Go big or go home, right? I absolutely loved it. You’re going to have a blast. #MySundayPhoto
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Fantastic farewell shots. Will look forward to hearing about your next move
Such an emotional time! I want to visit Portugal now after reading how lovely the people are! Loved the bank story. So exciting about NZ – good luck! xx
Wow, New Zealand, what a huge move this is! Leaving Portugal must be hard though, it sounds like you had a incredible experience there. Can’t wait to follow you (via your blog!) to the other side of the world!
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