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Welcome 2025

Thanks Robert, and to you! I now look forward to your post every year. I may be seeing you in Mallorca this year. Cheers!
 
We are considering retiring to Italy or Spain. I've looked online at properties in Menorca. It's a very small island. Do you find it confining for riding or does the climate and beauty of the place make up for it?

P.S. -10C tonight and -18C by Sunday.
 
Raven said:
We are considering retiring to Italy or Spain. I've looked online at properties in Menorca. It's a very small island. Do you find it confining for riding or does the climate and beauty of the place make up for it?

P.S. -10C tonight and -18C by Sunday.
Click to expand...
I would start by saying island life doesn’t suit everyone. Menorca is a relatively small island and at times can feel quite restrictive, but yes the climate, beauty and apart from petty crime certainly make up for it.
We do however get residents discount (substantial savings) for the ferries and flights to Mallorca and mainland Spain. As the island relies on tourism June through August can be quite manic due to the volume of people and vehicles however once the tourists have gone the island returns to relative tranquility and virtually shuts down between November and March with only direct flights to Madrid and Barcelona and a weekly service to London and possibly Paris. Mallorca by comparison is a far bigger island absolutely fantastic for riding (a short ferry hop) and of course a much larger airport with connections far and wide. I have been to many locations in Italy and would certainly have relocated there, but too long in the tooth now to start learning Italian. Good luck, and if you want any further information regarding Menorca or even what I know about Spain drop me a line.
 
It looks beautiful, but a pretty small Island ?
It's 704 sq/Km vs. Ottawa's 2,760 square kilometers in area.
You could spend a Long time exploring the 2,500 Km of Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way Coastline plus the interior before you got bored, and did it again...
( As a comparison of Island exploration :p )
 
There are literally thousands of old houses in Italy, Spain and Portugal for very little money. Some look to have been empty for decades or longer. The problem is the cost of renovation and the many rules and regs governing what you are allowed to do to the properties. Much like the rules for heritage homes in Ottawa but factoring in the age of 2-300 years of some.
I do renovations for a living but at my age I'm not ready to take on projects of this magnitude. I want to ride my Moto Guzzi through the countryside every day, not work on my house.
For around $300,000 CAD there are hundreds of beautiful, move in ready homes.
 
You can also rent a lot of places and have the option to move around for that same money…

A older single fella we know has a cottage around Pembroke that he closes up in the fall and heads off to warmer climes , mostly Europe but spent some time in India, until the Cottage weather comes back.
He would live in some of the places all « Winter » other times moving around after a couple of months.

We are still figuring out our options, we’re doing another Fly + Drive this spring , Portugal this time.
 
I was born and raised in Cadiz, just at the southern tip of Spain. You’ll get plenty in sunshine, warm winters and all-year riding there. Beach? Mountain? Sand dunes? Pine forests? Good food and wine? We have it all. Ride this Spanish province and you’ll fall in love with it.
 
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