Enjoying Retirement
Discussion
funinhounslow said:
I enjoy cruises but “swamping” an island in the Caribbean or Greece definitely doesn’t appeal.
Neither does visiting somewhere like New York for the day…
But a lot of ports in Europe hit that sweet spot - big enough to “absorb” a cruise ship but small enough that you can get a decent flavour of them in a day.
I’m thinking of places like Hamburg, Rotterdam, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Porto, Barcelona and Malaga.
A day in any of these places is enough for a wander around the centre and to see a couple of sights. Just do a bit of research in advance and choose two or max three things to do/see.
Plus you aren’t contributing to anyone’s housing crisis by staying in an Air B&B
We did the Caribbean on Arvia last January. I was worried about swamping these Islands and the horror stories of two or three ships being in a port at once. We just didn't find that the case strangely. (we've done some of the Islands in hotels ) I think the reason being that many guests disembark and go their separate ways on tours, some pootle around the local town, some stay on board and take advantage on an almost empty ship with loads of access to pools and sunbeds. That said some of the individual tourist attractions on St Lucia for example can get busy when a ships in- but we know where to avoid.Neither does visiting somewhere like New York for the day…
But a lot of ports in Europe hit that sweet spot - big enough to “absorb” a cruise ship but small enough that you can get a decent flavour of them in a day.
I’m thinking of places like Hamburg, Rotterdam, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Porto, Barcelona and Malaga.
A day in any of these places is enough for a wander around the centre and to see a couple of sights. Just do a bit of research in advance and choose two or max three things to do/see.
Plus you aren’t contributing to anyone’s housing crisis by staying in an Air B&B
I understand The Greek Islands, Santorini etc can get swamped however by cruise ship numbers. We've done the Med to death now on cruises (apart from Greek Islands) as you've mentioned some places can absorb it but some like Barcelona seem permanently crowded.
We did a hotel in Sorrento on the Amalfi coast last September for a wedding. Now that was absolutely swamped. We went to Capri extra early and as we left the numbers had to be seen to be believed. We caught the local bus to Positano, it was so crowded we walked (struggled) straight down to the ferry and went back to Sorrento.
Anyway it's the retirement thread, so did Antigua last October, Caribbean cruise Jan, and we've just come back from the Maldives on an island with 30 other guests- absolute paradise. The polar opposite of a cruise for numbers :-). That said we have another Caribbean cruise in December.
We're currently enjoying the garden and I've just researched and made a 'bog filter' for the fish pond. It's quite an interesting concept that involves recycling the pond water with a small pump through a filter of rocks / pebbles in a container. On top of the pebbles, which sit at water level you place water plants, these absorb the nutrients from the pond and it's meant to clear the water. Time will tell I guess. This is my first attempt so a bit heath robinson until I can disguise it all. The hose pipe is the old pond water going down a waste pipe to the bottom of the container, out through a perforated pipe. The water flows up through the pebbles and through an outlet back into the pond (22mm white pipe currently disguised with bamboo)
I need to move those lillies as they prefer still water apparently.
DT1975 said:
Anyway it's the retirement thread, so did Antigua last October, Caribbean cruise Jan, and we've just come back from the Maldives on an island with 30 other guests- absolute paradise. The polar opposite of a cruise for numbers :-). That said we have another Caribbean cruise in December.
I did a few EasyCruises back in the day - Greece and Belgium/Netherlands.
Sitting in a hot tub in a bright orange party boat making its way through Rotterdam’s industrial areas is a particularly pleasant memory.
Shame they folded - they were very enjoyable but I don’t think Stellios could make the numbers work for some reason…
PositronicRay said:
Mr Magooagain said:
@MrMagooagain - that looks a fine way to spend your time - did you dig holes for the uprights & concrete (or postcrete?) them in, or are they mostly bashed down with a power or hand tool?
I can see the gate and big one are concreted.
The wife helped with a fair few bashing them down with a post basher weighing in at around forty(40) kilograms.The posts are in about 55 cms leaving 1.3 metres to work with.
You can see it here on the last post we put in yesterday. I’ve done a lot of it over the years but it’s hard going now.
But I’m happy that I can still do it and will continue.
It’s now all finished with a tensioned strand of barbed wire four (4) inches above the sheep fencing.
You're a lucky man, my wife would certainly not be up for weilding a basher that size! Nor would I come to that.I can see the gate and big one are concreted.
The wife helped with a fair few bashing them down with a post basher weighing in at around forty(40) kilograms.The posts are in about 55 cms leaving 1.3 metres to work with.
You can see it here on the last post we put in yesterday. I’ve done a lot of it over the years but it’s hard going now.
But I’m happy that I can still do it and will continue.
It’s now all finished with a tensioned strand of barbed wire four (4) inches above the sheep fencing.
I consider myself extremely lucky to have have her. She won’t be retiring for another four(4) years unfortunately as we both profit from staying in the French system until 67 years of age. So she carries on being a coach driver which she loves doing.
I’m 66 so claiming my uk state pension and will carry on my business in name only until 67. Where I will then be entitled to a partial French pension also.
RDMcG said:
Summer is definitely mixed. I am planning a trip in the Autumn to Europe, ( Austria, Germany, Italy , Switzerland. Intention is to ship my 992RS and have some time at the Nürburgring and do some events at a meet in Zell am See Austria. Shipping is a fairly complex business but I have done it a number of time.
.....
(2) The more challenging issue is that the car has no luggage space at all. No front trunk and non-folding lightweight buckets mean that I can only pass into amounts of luggage into the rear.
The European GT3RS can barely access the rear space, due to the very complex roll cage (just very small bags will fit though). The absence of the roll cage on the US version makes it relatively much more practical......
(2) The more challenging issue is that the car has no luggage space at all. No front trunk and non-folding lightweight buckets mean that I can only pass into amounts of luggage into the rear.
When I had a 996 GT2 (with factory roll cage and buckets) I fitted quite a few bags in the rear and also a helmet in a fabric helmet bag. That was with the far more basic roll cage that had. Without any roll cage you should be able to fit quite a lot back there, though it is ackward.
ams007 said:
Been reading this thread for a while… have now handed in notice. Last working day end of September…. Feels weird..
Well done and enjoy this run down period .Above all have a plan , I am two years in and wasted the first year adjusting and trying to work my head out .I utterly love it now fantastic.ams007 said:
Been reading this thread for a while… have now handed in notice. Last working day end of September…. Feels weird..
Congrats!Hopefully the 'weird' will develop into excitement. Do you have plans for October onwards?
We just had a fantastic IOW festival weekend - a tiny patch of rain on Friday night which let us test our new festival ponchos, but otherwise great weather!
Managed around 55k steps over the 3 days, loads of bands, some nice ales and good company. Plans afoot to get early bird tickets for next you with the family coming as well.
This week is recovery time
cliffords said:
ams007 said:
Been reading this thread for a while… have now handed in notice. Last working day end of September…. Feels weird..
Well done and enjoy this run down period .Above all have a plan , I am two years in and wasted the first year adjusting and trying to work my head out .I utterly love it now fantastic.I think i wasted rhe first 18 months sorting my head and adjusting to a life without deadlines or expectations. It's a bit strange but once adjusted its far better than the daily grind !
Congratulations ams007 I'm sure you'll get plenty of help on here if you run out of ideas of what to do once retired. Taken me 2 years to really settle into it, though I did start with the idea it was just a 6 month break and I'd get some kind of part time job after that (unless you count the band, which is very part time.
One of our near neighbours died suddenly last week, a few years younger than me and he was still working, so it reminds me how lucky I am.
One of our near neighbours died suddenly last week, a few years younger than me and he was still working, so it reminds me how lucky I am.
We returned last week from a few weeks in the Dordogne, nothing we haven't done before only this time the dog came too. His first foreign holiday and he was great for the 900 miles in each direction.
Stopped in hotel on the way down and again on the way back to break it up and again he was superbly well behaved. So it's nice to know that we can always take him with us when and if 'sitters' aren't available.
We rented a cottage there with plenty fields to run in for him
Here he's just enjoying a dogs retirement at rhe age of 2
Stopped in hotel on the way down and again on the way back to break it up and again he was superbly well behaved. So it's nice to know that we can always take him with us when and if 'sitters' aren't available.
We rented a cottage there with plenty fields to run in for him
Here he's just enjoying a dogs retirement at rhe age of 2
Longy00000 said:
This ^^^^
I think i wasted rhe first 18 months sorting my head and adjusting to a life without deadlines or expectations. It's a bit strange but once adjusted its far better than the daily grind !
Thank you all. Yep, I intend to spend the next couple of months developing a plan. Currently planningI think i wasted rhe first 18 months sorting my head and adjusting to a life without deadlines or expectations. It's a bit strange but once adjusted its far better than the daily grind !
Cycling in Spain in September
Culture in Italy in October
Paris for French lessons in November
Ski season starts in December…
Intend the first few months to be a bit of a gap year experience and then look at more structure in 2025. This is a very happy place in pistonheads!
Techno9000 said:
Currently on holiday having retired last week. Achieved escape at 55 having found the last ten years rather stressful and seeing too many peeps depart this earth, it made me think…life is indeed too short.
Looking forward to using the time for myself and family.
Ah, another member of The Unemployables - welcome, congrats: I am certain you won’t regret the decision. Looking forward to using the time for myself and family.
It is a real luxury to have flexibility to make memories with family & friends, versus continuing the daily grind!
Enjoy the holiday!
ams007 said:
Been reading this thread for a while… have now handed in notice. Last working day end of September…. Feels weird..
Congratulations...it won't feel weird for long!I am in my 20th year of retirement, still think it is great, and a very good time for all sorts opportunities, in our case mostly travel related.
One thing I and my wife will advise: be aware that the body will start to wear out. Ours started at around age 75, mostly arthritis related. We've both had various ops to help keep us going!
And do contribute to the best thread on PH.
R.
I too have been reading this thread for sometime, and at the age of 59 I'm retiring at the end of next week (my wife retires this Friday at 56)
I have a few things planned, spending time at our holiday home in the Tramontana mountains in Mallorca, learning Spanish, getting fit in the gym, more hiking and cycling, restoring my barn find E-type (if I can find/justify the money!), finding an area in the south of England we want to move to for retirement.....but probably need to do some more planning to keep busy. Looking forward to it though as the last 35 years of my career has not been a pleasure!! lol
I have a few things planned, spending time at our holiday home in the Tramontana mountains in Mallorca, learning Spanish, getting fit in the gym, more hiking and cycling, restoring my barn find E-type (if I can find/justify the money!), finding an area in the south of England we want to move to for retirement.....but probably need to do some more planning to keep busy. Looking forward to it though as the last 35 years of my career has not been a pleasure!! lol
Longy00000 said:
We returned last week from a few weeks in the Dordogne, nothing we haven't done before only this time the dog came too. His first foreign holiday and he was great for the 900 miles in each direction.
Stopped in hotel on the way down and again on the way back to break it up and again he was superbly well behaved. So it's nice to know that we can always take him with us when and if 'sitters' aren't available.
We rented a cottage there with plenty fields to run in for him
Here he's just enjoying a dogs retirement at rhe age of 2
We used to this a lot, it was more spontaneous in the days when they had passports. Stopped in hotel on the way down and again on the way back to break it up and again he was superbly well behaved. So it's nice to know that we can always take him with us when and if 'sitters' aren't available.
We rented a cottage there with plenty fields to run in for him
Here he's just enjoying a dogs retirement at rhe age of 2
Both dogs travel okay, but I do try to keep motoring down to around 6 hours per day. Being retired means we can take a few days over a journey.
Amboise is a favorite stop over for a couple of nights.
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