Galway, Ireland?

[John Mitchell]

I've had hay fever attacks trigger sinus infections that have in turn had expensive dental repercussions. Definitely see the doc...

[MizBrown]

21 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

A very thoughtful, informative post, MizBrown. Thanks.

 

My basic problem with Central and South America is the unstable element. I did several photo shoots in Venezuela, including 3 for PanAm and one for AmEx. Back then, V was the most stable place. ??? I'm not looking for Shangri La. I'm ready to compromise. 

 

Costa Rica is a stable democracy of oligarchs, but I've heard that crime is up and Ticos avoid gringos socially.  Expat life there is complicated by the reputation gringos have for being on the prowl for young Ticas.   Chile and  Argentina seems to be also fairly stable now. Both have areas with temperate weather as well as warmer areas.   Ecuador has been stable for quite some time, but the bureaucracy is more difficult than here (here isn't that difficult).  Bolivia is politically interesting and is making economic progress with a mixed economy, but probably doesn't have an expat community.   Nicaragua upped its minimum to $1K a month from a government pension for new residents (earlier will be grandfathered in on their original qualifying income), but the kicker is you can't qualify for the national health insurance and medical costs can get interesting even using the free clinics (open to everyone, few meds given free).

 

I'm personally not a fan of San Juan del Sur here, but there's enough money on all sides of the Nicaraguan political buckyball that it got two tanker trucks of gasoline delivered by the state owned oil company when the roads were blocked.  It's close to Costa Rica and if things got crunchy again, you could go across the border and out from Liberia airport in Costa Rica. 

 

 

 

21 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Portland, Oregon was a good idea 10 to 15 years ago. Too expensive now, almost as bad as Seattle.

 

This allergy-asthma I have is the worst for me in 30 years. I can't think straight.

 

What about eastern Oregon?   Any walking cities there or decent public transportation?   I have a friend who teaches or did teach at Eastern Oregon State University.  College towns are often rather interesting places to live.

 

Like others are saying, get help for the asthma. 

[MizBrown]

On 22/05/2019 at 20:49, John Mitchell said:

 

Good choice. I love Mexico and have spent a lot of time in the country. I'd probably move there myself if it didn't mean disqualifying myself for Canadian healthcare. As it is, I have to spend six months -- not necessarily consecutive -- per year in Canada in order to keep my medical coverage, something I don't want to lose at the tender age of 70. Lots of places to choose from. I prefer the highland regions of Mexico, where the year-round climate is more temperate. Lake Chapala certainly qualifies in that department.

 

Try the Orizaba area under the Volcan Orizaba.  It's beginning to get the relocation hustlers, but not excessively yet.  Orizaba the town is one of the Magical Pueblos, and seems to have a decent economic base.   Couple of other high elevations towns around it.

 

If what I've read is accurate, Lake Chapala is extremely polluted and the children in lake communities are having some serious health problems.   Report out from the University of Guadelajara or something like that. 

 

[Colblimp]

12 hours ago, NYCat said:

Oh  dear. Get thee to a doctor. Anti-biotics seem to be in order.

 

Paulette

Antibotics won't touch hay fever.  I find the only real thing which works for me is a steroid injection.

[Ed Rooney]

I'm way past concerning myself with allergy or asthma.  The mucus I'm producing (now a very thick white to light yellow) is a sure sign of bronchitis. And as it says in my attached link, 90% of bronchitis is viral so it would not be helped by antibiotics. I'm doing everything that I can do now. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronchitis

 

Just when was it that this turned into a medical forum? 🙁

 

Andy and other Irish people! Should I deal with government matters in Dublin or in the city I'm heading to, like Sligo? 

 

 

 

Edited May 25, 2019 by Ed Rooney

[Allan Bell]

Just had a quick look into hey fever in general in my concern for you Edo. It probably will not help you as it depends a great deal on what it is that causes your hey fever attacks but if you can have a look at  https://www.health24.com/Medical/Allergy/News/which-are-the-best-places-on-earth-for-allergy-sufferers-20180111  it might give you some ideas.

 

Hope it is of help and I am very sorry your move to Spain did not turn out as you thought or would have wished.

 

I am in a similar situation in that I am going to have to move from my current residence in the next eighteen months and am looking where to go. I will remain in the UK and probably within England to take advantage of our NHS service, for as long as it may last. Also it will not be necessary to learn a new language, unless I move to Liverpool. It is also necessary to keep in mind the areas which are not too costly in terms of house prices so that means moving north as Cambridge and south are too expensive. At the moment staying in the east side of the country looks favourite over the wet west. Then again I need to think about the flood areas from rising sea levels. Also crime figures in certain areas are causing a little concern.

On top of all that I am expecting to go into hospital in the not too distant future for a minor operation and will not be able to drive for some time after or carry/lift heavy weights.

Sheesh! Help! Not really people as this is Edo's thread. Just letting him know he is not alone.

 

Allan

 

EDIT: Posted this before seeing Edo's last post.

 

Edited May 25, 2019 by Allan Bell

[NYCat]

Oh my. I send my good thoughts to both of you in case they will do any good. I think self-diagnosis can be tricky. Maybe viral maybe not. I sure would see a doctor given how dangerous pneumonia is for us old people. At least take your temperature, Edo.

 

Paulette

[Ed Rooney]

Gee, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles, Allan. 

 

Yorkshire seems a very positive area to be these days. I can't go there, but you should consider it. From your link, it looks as if Western Ireland on the Atlantic will be good for allergies, Sligo now rather than Galway. 

 

Allergies are very annoying, but what I'm suffering from now -- bronchitis -- can be a serious illness. I'm not running a fever, Paulette.

 

Edo

[aphperspective]

3 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

I'm way past concerning myself with allergy or asthma.  The mucus I'm producing (now a very thick white to light yellow) is a sure sign of bronchitis. And as it says in my attached link, 90% of bronchitis is viral so it would not be helped by antibiotics. I'm doing everything that I can do now. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronchitis

 

Just when was it that this turned into a medical forum? 🙁

 

Andy and other Irish people! Should I deal with government matters in Dublin or in the city I'm heading to, like Sligo? 

 

 

 

Ed most matters are dealt with by the county major town or city, but if you go on the HSE web site to get an initial contact number for information. They will be very helpfull and steer you in the right direction as to who you need to talk to and relevant form filling. hse.ie. If you have worked in Ireland before you will already have a PPS number, plus the department of employment and social protection will need to be contacted. But start of with that initial phone call.

Cheers

Andy

[Ed Rooney]

Thanks, Andy. That's what I thought -- local control.

 

I've never worked or lived in Ireland. I lived in Oxfordshire in the '80s on my Irish passport. I didn't but I could have voted. 😀

Edited May 25, 2019 by Ed Rooney

[Marianne]

Edo & Allan hope you are both feeling better soon.

 

Edo, three bits of advice - first, see a doctor, if bronchitis goes into pneumonia, not only do you risk your life, but you will feel exhausted for months after you recover. The first time I had it at age 9, I still remember being wiped out after missing an entire month of school. I had been the fastest bike-rider among my friends, and turned into the slowest for what seemed like forever. For all of you over 65s  (or those like me with compromised health who are younger), there are two pneumonia vaccines that you get a year apart. One is Prevnar, forget the name of the other. I had the first 3 years ago, the second 2 years ago, and my health insurance here in the US covered it at 100% (needed pre-cert from my MD since I was in my late 50s then). 

 

Second, I used to suffer from terrible hay fever beginning in my teens. In my 30s I was seeing an acupuncturist after losing the hearing in one ear for the resulting pain, and he suggested that he could help my allergies too. 2-3 treatments and I was allergy-free for 4-5 years. Since then, when it starts to aggravate me, every 4-5 years, I get two treatments and I am good to go for another half decade. I am squeamish and am petrified of needles, but acupuncture has been a life-saver for me for so many ailments. The Chinese knew what they were doing millennia ago. I've read articles that said that it shouldn't be considered "alternative medicine," since it  has the highest success rate of any kind of treatment. Also, the needles barely pinch. When I go for my back, neck and shoulder every 3-8 months depending on how things are going, I fall asleep and wake up refreshed. 

 

Third, think about Columbus, Ohio. My daughter ,whom you were trying to help find an apartment for back when she was at NYU, moved there from Brooklyn 4 years ago, after 5 years in NYC, so I've spent quite a bit of time there. Ohio State is the largest university in the country, healthcare there is top-notch, the people are very friendly, it is a very liberal and well-run city, has one of the best-educated populations in the US, all the benefits of a university town, a vibrant arts community (and their ASMP section has a monthly pub night), and most important for you, has awesome restaurants (and this is coming from an Italian who grew up in NYC, so you know you can trust me where food is concerned). She was living on a fellowship from the University in a great part of town called Clintonville. You could walk everywhere from there - she was renting half of a two-family house (which she could easily afford on her own on that small stipend - and there were lots of places she could have found for a lot less) and right down the block you were in the city with restaurants and buildings mostly only about 4-5 stories higher so kind of like parts of the upper East Side before the white brick buildings took over (there's a downtown with high-rises, but much of the city is more like the outer boroughs only you are still in the city so everything is close by) . (There was also a great camera store on her corner). The busses run frequently. It is so much less expensive than New York. In fact, about 6 months before she got married, she was considering buying a house with the money she had managed to save up. She's now out in a suburban area with baby and hubby and still just a short way from the University (I miss her old neighborhood, and if my husband ever retires, I'd move to her old one). There's also an area called Dublin that is quite nice (and one called German Village - lots of wonderful breweries). I'm sure she'd be happy to give you advice on areas and recommend her favorite restaurants. It has a lovely small-city vibe (everywhere seems like a small city when you come from NYC like we do). And it has a micro-climate, so the tornadoes don't hit them. She's a very liberal young New Yorker and she loves it there. 

[aphperspective]

2 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

Thanks, Andy. That's what I thought -- local control.

 

I've never worked or lived in Ireland. I live in Oxfordshire in the '80s on my Irish passport. I didn't but I could have voted. 😀

No worries Ed

One of the bits of paper you will need and cannot apply until your in country is PPS card and PPS number. That card and number will be asked for when ever you are interacting with any state agency. Its a bit of a bind of form filling etc but essential for you.

[John Rodgers]

Hi Ed,

A lot of places rent out via word of mouth in Ireland as the tax is very high on rentals income. There is a decent enough Hospital in Oranmore and it really doesn't rain as much as people think, although on saying that the odd summer can be cold and miserable. 

  Not sure about editorial but in regards to general photography the Maamturks and that whole area is one of the most beautiful spots in the world. I have lived in the UK and a few places in the USA and while Ireland certainly has its problems there is no other country in the world I would rather live.

[Ed Rooney]

Lots of pride of place with the Irish, it seems. I like that. 

 

But you sound as if you are talking about car country, John R. I'm on foot.

 

Yeah, Andy -- a PPS number!

 

Marianne, thanks for the Columbus tip. 

 

 

[John Walker]

Looks like there's a regular bus service from Oranmore town centre to Galway and a rail station.  Might be an answer?

[Ed Rooney]

I've decided on Sligo. Sorry if I have not been clear. 

 

[John Mitchell]

14 hours ago, MizBrown said:

 

Try the Orizaba area under the Volcan Orizaba.  It's beginning to get the relocation hustlers, but not excessively yet.  Orizaba the town is one of the Magical Pueblos, and seems to have a decent economic base.   Couple of other high elevations towns around it.

 

If what I've read is accurate, Lake Chapala is extremely polluted and the children in lake communities are having some serious health problems.   Report out from the University of Guadelajara or something like that. 

 

 

Yes, Lake Chapala reportedly has serious pollution problems. Also, the lake has been shrinking for decades. It's not a healthy scenario.

 

Thanks for the Orizaba tip. I've seen snow-covered Orizaba Volcano looming in the distance during travels in the state of Veracruz. It's an inspiring sight. However,  I've never visited the town of Orizaba. No plans to move to Mexico at the moment. Canadian healthcare is too precious to lose at this stage of the game. Maybe I'll get to Orizaba one day, though.

 

Now back to all things green and Irish...

 

 

[Allan Bell]

21 hours ago, NYCat said:

Oh my. I send my good thoughts to both of you in case they will do any good. I think self-diagnosis can be tricky. Maybe viral maybe not. I sure would see a doctor given how dangerous pneumonia is for us old people. At least take your temperature, Edo.

 

Paulette

 

Thank you for your thoughts Paulette. My situation is not as bad as Edo's though and my thoughts are with him also.

 

 

 

21 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

Gee, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles, Allan. 

 

Yorkshire seems a very positive area to be these days. I can't go there, but you should consider it. From your link, it looks as if Western Ireland on the Atlantic will be good for allergies, Sligo now rather than Galway. 

 

Allergies are very annoying, but what I'm suffering from now -- bronchitis -- can be a serious illness. I'm not running a fever, Paulette.

 

Edo

 

Thanks Edo. Yes Yorkshire is a nice area but not surprisingly property is quite pricey there too and the winters can be severe depending on which part of Yorkshire you or I might be in.

At the moment Lincolnshire is looking favourite.

 

15 hours ago, Marianne said:

Edo & Allan hope you are both feeling better soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Marianne.

 

Allan

 

 

[Martin P Wilson]

Edo

 

My hopes are that your health recovers soon.

 

I appreciate you have ruled out the UK but as an Irish citizen my understanding is that you would qualify for most rights from day one, including health care in the UK. See this Irish Times article or Citzens Advice. The habitual residence test is probably not needed for healthcare for an Irish citizen and anyway that should be straightforward as you have no other home, speak English, have an income to support yourself and an Irish paspport that gives you the right of residence and to work if you wished. As an Irish citizen established as habitually resident in the UK other social benefits, like free bus pass (I use mine all the time)  or winter fuel allowance will probably also be available.

 

As far as I am aware there is no requirement for an ex-pat British or Irish passport holder to have paid tax in the UK to access healthcare, would be needed for a UK pension of course.

 

As Allan has mentioned, living costs can be a lot lower in the Midlands, North, Wales and Scotland than in Londown and the South of England. Obviously there are still unaffordable hot spots all over the UK. Returning to Oxford would probably be too expensive. Bear in mind that the pound is weak against the dollar at the moment so your savings/ US income will go further, for the moment anyway.

 

I hope you get yourself sorted soon. All the best

 

Martin

Edited May 26, 2019 by Martin P Wilson

[Ed Rooney]

Look at this! The rents I mean. Hmmm. 

 

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Liverpool

[Allan Bell]

3 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

Look at this! The rents I mean. Hmmm. 

 

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Liverpool

 

Yep! Liverpool is one of the hotspots.

 

Allan

 

 

[Betty LaRue]

Good luck.

Edited May 26, 2019 by Betty LaRue

[Allan Bell]

4 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

Look at this! The rents I mean. Hmmm. 

 

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Liverpool

 

Apart from zero, and if you don't mind me asking, what is the maximum rent you would like to pay per month in GBP£?

 

If this is too personal please just ignore it.

 

Allan

 

 

[Ed Rooney]

I'm paying 700 euros a month rent in Seville. I would like to pay 550 to 600. I would be content in a furnished studio or 1 bedroom. Don't want to share a bathroom. My present lifestyle is a bit odd. I don't eat dinner. I have been doing 16/8 intermittent fasting for some time. I lost 70 lbs. and reversed diabetes 2.

 

My age will work against me when trying to rent a place. 

 

I'm not secretive with you or most people in the forum, but the forum is open to anyone, so I don't like giving specific numbers. 

[Shergar]

6 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

I'm paying 700 euros a month rent in Seville. I would like to pay 550 to 600. I would be content in a furnished studio or 1 bedroom. Don't want to share a bathroom. My present lifestyle is a bit odd. I don't eat dinner. I have been doing 16/8 intermittent fasting for some time. I lost 70 lbs. and reversed diabetes 2.

 

My age will work against me when trying to rent a place. 

 

I'm not secretive with you or most people in the forum, but the forum is open to anyone, so I don't like giving specific numbers. 

You are going to be stuck in your home for weeks during the UK winter, have to deal with icy wet streets while freezing  your nuts off  and your heating bills will screw you. How about Morocco Ed. Its on my list.