The Eucalyptus Dance

by Ken Barlow, Sue Cooper (Editor)

Changing lives at 50+ is never an easy option so when Ken and Sue fell in love with Alombada, a small, Portuguese, rustic, working village at the top of a mountain after just two days into their first holiday together, they certainly took on a mammoth task. This latest edition also provides an update of Casa Sulo and their village life over the past fifteen years. Their refreshing way of dealing with an intransigent, bureaucratic system, whilst attempting to buy land and build a home and holiday business, is humorous, exasperating and yet satisfying. A captivating story that takes the reader through the labyrinth of the council offices, buying land and building a home in rural, central Portugal, near Aveiro, is brought to life with humour, pathos and a refreshing way of dealing with an intransigent, bureaucratic system. Always moving closer to their goal, Ken and Sue face set-backs at every stage. These appear insurmountable at times, but they are made of sterner stuff and refuse to give up, fully enjoying their new way of life together in a small mountain village. … Sue, heaving a great sigh, started to walk away with tears in her eyes. I caught up with her, put my arms round her shoulders, looked her in the eyes and asked “How much do you really want to live here?” “Desperately.” “OK then, let’s go and see what can be done.” … Just before noon, I glanced out of the window. Natalio was walking past pushing a wheelbarrow, which had the four legs of a porker sticking up in the air. “I’ve just seen Tuesday’s lunch going by,” I called out. “That’s what I call fresh.”

347 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 2, 2011

Reviews

[Graeme Cumming · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Eucalyptus Dance tells the true story of a couple moving to Portugal to start a new life there. Anyone considering buying a property abroad - especially if they're planning to do any development work - needs to read this first. Overcoming the challenges of a foreign bureacracy are issues that can be forgotten about in the enthusiasm to follow your dream, and this book is a solid reminder that dreams should be followed, but with eyes wide open. That possibly sounds a little negative, but the book isn't. It traces every step of Ken and Sue's progress - sharing the good and the bad - until they achieve their objective. The description of life in rural Portugal is a delight, with larger than life characters and situations and circumstances that would sound too far-fetched in a work of fiction. Having now visited the village and stayed in the holiday home they've built, I can vouch for the unorthodox access to the nearest major road! Read the book, then visit the area. Strongly recommend both.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent account of a couples move to Portugal, their ups and their downs of moving to a country where they don't really speak the language or understand the local customs. A great read.