anyone in Lisbon?

[chicca]

Currently in southern Spain but are seriously considering jumping ship to Lisbon in Portugal. Anyone based there at the moment? I think it is probably similar to Spain in some ways but we prefer the Portuguese!!
Would love to hear from anyone about their experiences there. I believe there is a Spanish school which might be a good bet to keep the Spanish going with DS1 (DS2 too litle to care...)

[macaco]

I prefer the Spanish, found it much much harder to integrate in portugal and the language impossible. Lisbon is a beautiful city though.

[chicca]

I think the fact that we know Spanish helps a lot -especially reading it. Deciphering spoken Portuguese is another thing.
Why do you think it is harder to integrate there? It's not that easy in 'real' Spain either...not on any true level anyway.

[macaco]

Found the portuguese (in Lisbon anyway) quite snotty and found the language so impossible. Came to Spain (not the costas) and even with very little Spanish at all found the whole attitude to life and to foreigners more open and welcoming. Felt much more settled in Spain much faster than in Portugal. Admittedly I wasn't in Portugal long (a year) but it was long enough.

[chicca]

bumping this as we are going for a recce in June and then moving over in July.

[baunilha]

Hi, I have been in Lisbon for four and a half years and like it a lot. It's true that it's hard to integrate but with your Spanish you will find learning Portuguese much easier. (I'm still on the basics!)

We don't live actually in Lisbon, bit too full on for us, we lead the quiet life out towards Cascais. Don't know anything about the Spanish school, my son goes to an international school and is happy there but isn't doing well with learning portuguese.

It's wonderful for children here, loads to do and see, but I imagine the lifestyle here is similar to Spain like you mentioned. If there is anything specific you would like to know I can try to help.

[chicca]

Hi there. Came over last week to have a look and confirmed our desire to be there! We think we will postpone until the New Year though as there is just too much to do before school finishes here etc. Had a brief trip to Cascais which we thought lovely but having been in the country for a while we are happy to get back into the more metropolitan life - poor kids... Thinking of perhaps somewhere between Lisbon and Carcavelos. The spanish school is in Dafundo nr Cruz Quebrada. Where are you? Which school are your kids at?

[baunilha]

Ds is at IPS in Carcavelos, virtually opposite St Julian's. It only goes up to 11yrs then he will go to St Julian's if we are still here (he is five).

We live in Bicesse which is behind Estoril/Sao Joao, nice, not in the sticks or anything but a bit out of it if you know what I mean.

I'll have to ask around about the Spanish school, didn't even know it existed. Have you been to see it? Is it close to the National Stadium?

Are you planning this to be a perm move or just for a few years?