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Downsizer Forum Index -> Downsizing abroad

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Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 06 8:33 pm Post subject:
Wow, Finland - think you are probably our first member from that part of the world Was there a particular reason you chose to move there? It would be lovely to see some pictures of your homestead. What sort of crops are you able to harvest?? Sorry so many questions, but it just sounds so fascinating!

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Sat Oct 14, 06 6:21 pm Post subject:
Yes indeed, welcome Suomi. Minus 25 ain't so bad (considerring how much far North you are to us). We have had minus 20 deg.C here a couple of years ago. As per Penny, I would be interested to hear of your reason for the choice of so far north a location to settle? Not been to Finland (Suomi ) yet but we will one day. Enjoy the site. Simon

Guest

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 06 8:51 am Post subject: We have a dream !!!

'Hola, Bonjour, Ciao ...... Hi'ya,

We are relatively new to the forums, so we thought we'd post an intro on here.

We (Mic & Min) plan to downsize in Spain, within the next 3 - 5 years. We have been to the Costa Dorada area a number of times now & like what we see.

We'd like to have some land, with trees, such as Almonds, Carobs, Olives or Fruit, to give us a small income. As well as growing all our vegetable requirements. In essence, we want a 'Smalholding', probably with a number of animals to.

The idea would initially be to purchase the land & a building/ruin on it, to renovate, then build/ or extend the renovation.

At the moment we are ploughing our energy's into a 250 Sq meter Allotment & considering a second one as this is full ..... even in November !!! However soon we will be building up our skills base by attending an array of courses to enable us to do the majority of the renovation ourselves. Not to mention .... saving some pounds, shillings & ... Euros.

If anyone has any advice about Spain, moving abroad, setting up a Smallholding then any advice would be greatfully received.

Regards

Mic & Min

MIC

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 24

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 06 8:55 am Post subject: Oooooops
Forgot to sign in regards Mic & Min

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 06 11:47 am Post subject:
Hi there, Mic and Min, and welcome to Downsizer What's your allotment full of at this time of year ?

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 06 12:06 pm Post subject: Re: moved to finland..

suomi wrote:

H.. we moved from north yorkshire to eastern finland,... we are getting ready for winter, down to minus 25oc!!

You thinking getting used to such warmer temperatures is going to be tricky?

If it gets too cold then stay in the sauna a bit longer.

MIC

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 24

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 06 3:03 pm Post subject:

Hi'ya Gil

Unsure if this is the place to post on my allotment but i'm sure a moderator will move it if not. In the main onions & Garlic.

We have dedicated areas for Strawberry's, Raspberrys, Logan & Tayberry's. Plus other fruits.

We've a late salad bed & also have Chard in there. Then Carrots, Swede & Beetroot.

We've a full Brassica bed (Spinich, Swiss chard, White & Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Curly Kale & Brussel Sprouts. Three beds of Autumn planted Onions & two & a half beds of Autumn Garlic. We had such a success with the onions & garlic last year we have planted more.

We have two and a half beds of Spring Cabbage & a half bed of Pak Choi.

In a seperate row we have the remainder of the Cabbage & a few remaining Coliflours.

I also planted a bed of Carrots & Turnip for Christmas time.

In a Greenhouse I have 3 plastic troughs of Carrots, some Spring Cabbage in Pots & some Rosemary Cuttings. Also groing Elephant garlic in pots outside to.

I would of liked to of put some Peas in, however got to prepare an area for the Broad beans in Febuary.

Hope that gives you a flavour of what's in our plot.

Regards

Mic

Guest

Posted: Sat Nov 11, 06 6:44 pm Post subject: Move to Spain.......
Hi Mic and Min Welcome - we moved to Spain (Asturias) in April this year after looking for over two years. Never looked back. Can give you lots of tips and direct you to some useful resources when you are ready - keep in touch.

Went

Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 6968

Posted: Sat Nov 11, 06 6:47 pm Post subject: Signed in but......
Hi Again....thought I'd signed in but obviously not - Good luck with your plans for Spain......see previous post Ian and Luis

Douglas in Transilvania

Joined: 11 Jan 2007
Posts: 11
Location: Huedin, Romania

Posted: Sun Jan 21, 07 11:20 am Post subject: Downsizing in Transylvania
That is exactly what we are doing. Looking for like-minded people. Transylvania is a sacred land which retains its magic and yet needs healing. Downsizing in Transylvania. website coming as soon as we find a designer. Are you interested? Douglas Mcfarlane[/code]

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Sun Jan 21, 07 12:26 pm Post subject:
Where exactly is Transylvania ? All that comes to mind is that song from the Rocky Horror Picture Show What kind of downsizing have you gone for ? Smallholding ? Farm ? What's it like there ?

Douglas in Transilvania

Joined: 11 Jan 2007
Posts: 11
Location: Huedin, Romania

Posted: Sun Jan 21, 07 2:59 pm Post subject: where's Transylvania?
Apparently a lot of Brits think it is just an imaginary land thought up by the author of Dracula. It's real; it's got mountains, hills, forests and rivers;lots of land for smallholdings; and an interesting ethnic mix. At times in the past an independent principality, then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, today it forms much of the west and central romania.[/img][/quote][/code]

Buzet

Joined: 25 Jan 2007
Posts: 2

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 07 9:03 am Post subject: Sometimes Abroad!

Hi,

I've been reading the useful info on this site for quite a while and have decided to join in. Look out for me trying to pick your brains (or more precisely onions) in a post later!

I've posted here because although we live in Lincolnshire we also have a house in Brittany, France. As we spend all the school holidays there we are hoping to be able to grow some vegetables - the 5/6 week summer holiday makes it difficult to look after things in the UK.

NannyP

Joined: 26 Aug 2005
Posts: 118
Location: Vienne, France

Posted: Sat Jun 16, 07 7:32 pm Post subject:

Hi,
I am Kathy and my husband is Mark.
I joined this site nearly 2 years ago now, as we were just beginning to work out how we could retire to France from Devon.
Well, we've been here nearly a year now, and in this house since last November.

I have 3 hens, currently free ranging, 2 chicks who in a couple of weeks will be old enough to join the free rangers.
12 Sasso crosses being specifically grown for the table....they live in a large fenced off area next to the potager.
3 Japanese Banatams, who are gorgeous but too small to be safe free ranging in our garden, so they'll be moving to more secure premises with a friend in September.
The table birds (8 of them) will be culled on the 8th Sept. I'm dreading it, as I have to learn how to do it on that day, and will for the first time, kill, deplume and gut a bird

I have never really grown vegetables besides tomatoes and peppers. We discovered that there was an exisiting, completely over run potager here, so have attempted (very badly) to resurrect it. This year is all about learning what is already in the 1 acre garden, and each day is really new as i discover another tree, or another plant.
In the garden we have chestnut, walnut, hazlenut, conker, apple, pear, peach, quince, and cherry trees.
In the potager there is perpetual spinach (yuk

), raspberry, loganberry, blackberry, redcurrant and a few blackcurrants.
I have planted, potatoes, runner beans, tomatoes, rhubarb, mange tout, pumpkins, peppers, and today planted the sweet potato slips. I am only using about 1/2 the potager as i didn;t want to push myself too hard. I had hoped that mark would help me, sadly he has little interest in gardening and I have to supervise heavily if I need his assistance.
So far, we've enjoyed the potatoes, and I have 3 or 4 mange tout ready to eat, I'll pick some later in the week.
I've been making cherry jam, cherry chutney, cherry liquer, and cherries in syrup. Raspberry liquer, red currant liquer, and today I've start a red berry wine.

I am a member of several forums.

Total France Where I know of several members here, HWH< Merlinn, Boisdevie and MMM.

The website in my sig is very good regarding Poultry and some smallholder animals.

Le Blog
That's about it.
It's nice to be in a postition, at long last, to look around and use this site.

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Sat Jun 16, 07 8:24 pm Post subject:
Good to hear from you, sounds like you have alot to do at the moment!

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