We're off............

A place for general discussion
Forum rules
Be Nice. NO POLITICS
Post Reply
User avatar
Icefever
Admin/Donated to SS
Posts: 1597
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 6:37 am
Location: West Mercia

We're off............

Post by Icefever »

............ To Albania that is...........

At last, I've found time to login....this last couple of months have been the most insane time of our lives.

I retired last Friday after nearly 60 years of being a trucker..... Mrs Ice and I have been mulling over where we would like to finish up in our retirement.
Not Spain thank you, maybe Portugal ??? Somewhere warm that's number 1, somewhere where our pensions will let us live comfortably #2

One Sat morning I was up at 0400 as usual after 60 years of alarms....made a cuppa and turned on the pc, popped in a search for info on maybe the right place for us and low and behold.....Albania???

No way I thought, it's full of mafia, but when you think about it, they are all over here :lol: now lets be serious....the government over there have done wonders in cleaning the whole shabang up...in fact it's supposed to be one of the safest places to live .

Ok it all looks great on a video but let's dig a lot deeper, so crime is very low, the cost of living is also very low, no council tax so that will save us £170 a month. A 2 bedroom home with all electric runs about £20 per month, water costs around £15...at the present time we're paying £140 for elec per month... can't remember the water at the moment.....don't get me started on all the other crap we have to pay out for.

Over the last month or so I've sorted out the paperwork we need to retire there, all I need to do next is send the paperwork to be legalized.....we've spoken to an immigration lawyer yesterday who will work out the timeline for our application. We're well over halfway of clearing all of everything we own can't take it with us, get the money in the bank ;)

Mrs Ice's car will go next week, my car will last until the 3rd week of March as we are planing to fly the end of the month...my only sorrow is I can't take my beloved Icebot still, I've looked at shipping it out but the cost is too great....so if anybody out in still land is interested let me know.

ps....I'm not giving up :shock: Albania is the home of Raki and I've been looking at acquiring a still...so I''ll still be lurking about now I'm retired I'll have a whole lot of time on hands...watch this space.


Ice. 8-)
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
-Benjamin Franklin
User avatar
Mash
Admin/Donated to SS
Posts: 8396
Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2019 7:25 pm
Location: In front of PC.

Re: We're off............

Post by Mash »

Ice

Soooo pleased for both of you. You must keep in touch.
Wishing you all the very best

What a brilliant topic for a regular blog.... 😁😁😁👍
To Gin-finity and beyond !
User avatar
Moss
Admin & IT Bod
Posts: 1915
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2019 6:00 pm
Location: Up North
Contact:

Re: We're off............

Post by Moss »

Hope you are both very happy!

I have been once, about 20 years ago, and can’t remember a single thing about the place!
Have you tried turning it off and back on again?


Vir prudens non contra ventum mingit.

If it’s broken, it might be my fault, is my responsibility and there is even a slight chance I can fix it 😳
User avatar
Icefever
Admin/Donated to SS
Posts: 1597
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 6:37 am
Location: West Mercia

Re: We're off............

Post by Icefever »

Cheers guys....I'll still be around, as soon as we're settled I shall be on the hunt for a still, apparently making grog for oneself is ok no one will bother you, it's only if you get to big and too clever.

If it is a lot easier to be open about stilling I may have a go at doing a blog ?? who knows.....I've started a channel on Youtube it's about the paperwork and what has to be done to get a retirement visa, I started off just a couple of weeks back, I've done 5 shorts and one vid....learning as I go I find now I'm retired I have the time :o

If interested, take a butchers any ideas let me know it's all new to me :lol: :lol: :lol:


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqfpxw ... NAb1MWlomQ

Ice.
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
-Benjamin Franklin
User avatar
Salar6
Valued Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:12 pm

Re: We're off............

Post by Salar6 »

Moss wrote: Wed Feb 11, 2026 7:19 pm Hope you are both very happy!

I have been once, about 20 years ago, and can’t remember a single thing about the place!
Albania or Happy?

Sorry couldn't resist it :lol:
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”― Socrates
User avatar
Salar6
Valued Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:12 pm

Re: We're off............

Post by Salar6 »

I hope you have a peaceful and happy retirement. I can't get the better half to go to France never mind Albania.
If you happen to rent out your garden shed for weekend tutorials I'd be very interested lol. I travelled to many places during my years in the merchant Navy and loved meeting folks in the little back of beyond places finding the folk accepting of our intrusions.
Will be following your Youtube and have subscribed for the forthcoming adventures of TinTin.
Bon Voyage.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”― Socrates
User avatar
Moss
Admin & IT Bod
Posts: 1915
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2019 6:00 pm
Location: Up North
Contact:

Re: We're off............

Post by Moss »

Salar6 wrote: Thu Feb 12, 2026 8:20 pm
Moss wrote: Wed Feb 11, 2026 7:19 pm Hope you are both very happy!

I have been once, about 20 years ago, and can’t remember a single thing about the place!
Albania or Happy?

Sorry couldn't resist it :lol:
Both!
Have you tried turning it off and back on again?


Vir prudens non contra ventum mingit.

If it’s broken, it might be my fault, is my responsibility and there is even a slight chance I can fix it 😳
User avatar
Icefever
Admin/Donated to SS
Posts: 1597
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 6:37 am
Location: West Mercia

Re: We're off............

Post by Icefever »

Salar6 wrote: Thu Feb 12, 2026 8:28 pm I hope you have a peaceful and happy retirement. I can't get the better half to go to France never mind Albania.
If you happen to rent out your garden shed for weekend tutorials I'd be very interested lol. I travelled to many places during my years in the merchant Navy and loved meeting folks in the little back of beyond places finding the folk accepting of our intrusions.
Will be following your Youtube and have subscribed for the forthcoming adventures of TinTin.
Bon Voyage.
Cheers Salar6....it's all a waiting game at the moment, we're in duck mode right now...looks all cool on the surface ....paddling like buggers down below... :D :D


Ice.
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
-Benjamin Franklin
User avatar
Icefever
Admin/Donated to SS
Posts: 1597
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 6:37 am
Location: West Mercia

Re: We're off............

Post by Icefever »

For those that are interested, the final 2 pieces of legal paperwork were delivered yesterday by a courier. It's now starting to look like it's going to happen at last, next job on the to-do list is to book BA LHR to TIA for around the 6'ish of April, we'll have Easter with the family and then we're off.

Ice. 8-)
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
-Benjamin Franklin
User avatar
Mash
Admin/Donated to SS
Posts: 8396
Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2019 7:25 pm
Location: In front of PC.

Re: We're off............

Post by Mash »

I know. I can smell you from here 🤣🤣
To Gin-finity and beyond !
User avatar
Corn Cracker
Valued Member
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2025 9:07 pm
Location: S.E Texas

Re: We're off............

Post by Corn Cracker »

Awesome, congratulations!!
If the creek it were corn liquor and I's a large mouth bass, I'd drink that sucker dry and tell the trout to kiss my ass
User avatar
WelshGin
Valued Member
Posts: 2379
Joined: Tue Dec 28, 2021 7:54 pm

Re: We're off............

Post by WelshGin »

I empathise with you.

For me and my good lady wife., back to Aberystwyth. Only 2-3 years, when my grandchildren have finished their secondary education and have moved on.

Good Luck.
WelshGin.
Still Dreaming.
User avatar
Icefever
Admin/Donated to SS
Posts: 1597
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 6:37 am
Location: West Mercia

Re: We're off............

Post by Icefever »

The OP was Feb 11 2026....we got away on the May 8.

At the last minute I discovered a discrepancy in my licence, on the rear expiry date was 7/3/28, on the front 7/3/26.

Not sure how that was, I think it had something to do with my HGV side of the licence... because of my age that section only ran for one year.
To make sure I phoned DVLA, I said about the difference in the dates, they could see it on the pc screen but could not come up with an answer.
Afer talking to another person it was suggested that I should renew just to play safe.

I sent the paperwork off the same day, we had 4 weeks so no worries, they say 2 or 3 weeks on the website. How wrong was that we had to fly on the 8th nothing we could do....so we left with no licence. Having redirected the post to family it turned up 7 weeks later.

On the Albanian front all is on track, applications are in now just waiting on approval, we have an apartment on the sea front 50 yards from the beach.
I will be looking for a still ASAP, I've been told around £150 should get a nice one...and yes one of the first things I did was to buy a bottle of Raki...and yes it's ok in small amounts :lol: :lol:

That's all for now.

Ice.
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
-Benjamin Franklin
User avatar
WelshGin
Valued Member
Posts: 2379
Joined: Tue Dec 28, 2021 7:54 pm

Re: We're off............

Post by WelshGin »

Well done. Please keep informing us of your adventures.
WelshGin.
Still Dreaming.
User avatar
Mash
Admin/Donated to SS
Posts: 8396
Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2019 7:25 pm
Location: In front of PC.

Re: We're off............

Post by Mash »

Well done fella. Best wishes for you both.
To Gin-finity and beyond !
Post Reply