We Left the UK & Bought Abandoned Land in Portugal.

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Check out Hello Fresh by clicking the link: bit.ly/-FOG60 AND save 60% off your first box and 25% off your next 8 boxes with our code: FOG60

[@CampOutWest]

Starts singing....'here comes the sun' 🌞 welcome homeeee

[@magicwendy210]

l use to drive down to spain to see my partner, l miss the traveling through the french villages and then down through the stunning spanish scenery, sadly he passed away back in 2020 and l haven't been back to spain since, maybe l will again one day, thanks for your video it brought back traveling memories and happy times ❤

[@FrankieOffGrid]

❤️❤️

[@MyPlayHouse]

I was in Portugal last in May,, and when I went home to Denmark I brought the good weather with me.. so we had 1½ month of awesome weather,, and I was starting to question if I really needed a places in Portugal, with all this nice sun,,, But now we have had 1½ of normal Danish "summer" weather,, and I am just counting the days to get back!! 🙂

[@lw7240]

Aww glad u enjoyed your break in the uk. Save your tea bags, banana peelings and eggs shells darling. Split the teabags take out the leaves. Crush the egg shells and cut the banana peelings small mix together and add to compost. Plants, flowers and veg love it . Lisa xxx ❤

[@diannehalliday2165]

Those doggies still look like young pups, even though they couldn’t be, must be the fresh air and scenery and contentment. Well done you all.

[@sewingSue]

Try using a shade netting over your veggies in the hottest months, this will help with drying out and sun burn.

[@rachelfrees1268]

Welcome home. Glad you had a great visit with friends and family. Doesn’t it feel good to be back around a home that you two have invested so much in.🎉

[@wooden_branches]

A beautiful episode and how sweet is your dear niece Olive.

[@michelrosier468]

Yes! I feel a connection growing now since a fellow Dutchie has joined the team. Welcome Virgil 🙂🐔

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Cody would be a good name for a chicken 😅

[@sharondoust5002]

Thank you for taking us on your back home journey beautiful scenery all the way but there's nothing like home good wishes to you both love to Frankie and Diego a new rooster to the flock he looks like a white leghorn the girls are protected till next week

[@MichaelCastelli-v4s]

I've always said if you're glad to be back home, then you made the right choices. Welcome home.

[@2enti]

You all probably know this already but it's better to water plants right before sunrise and then right after sunset. 🤝🏽

[@lieuwina]

Glad you had a break and had some family time together. Love the name of the new rooster. Welcome back home. Have a lovely day.

[@rhys-stubbs]

It’s so funny hearing you talk about the weather in Wales and how cold you both were. My partner and I live in Spain and are visiting family in the UK too. I can’t believe how acclimatised we’ve become to the Spanish weather, we’re freezing here, it feels almost as cold as the last time we were here in December! I’m thoroughly missing the blue skies and warmer temperatures just as you said 😊

[@elainemcgran8828]

Get a bottle, get many many bottles 😊 fill up with water, put a hole in the lid, and stick it upside down in with the plants it slow waters the plants, and it does work. If you have someone droping over, leave a few aside, and as bottles empty, they can just replace them. When I'm away for over a week, I put plant food / tomato feed in the water

[@deborahwhite2339]

It must have been great to go back to Wales to see family and friends. But it is always nice to get home. There is always seems to be some degree of being torn both ways.🙂👍👍🇨🇦

[@LorraineinAustralia]

Oh dear.. I thought for one moment that you were going to retreat back to the UK.. Silly me, you were just teasing. Glad you are happy at “home” where you are❤️❤️❤️

[@rosbeaton637]

Lovely to have you back! What a great tomato crop despite lack of water, you must be thrilled. And of course the wattles thrived, they are so thirsty and denude the soil of nutrients, I am always removing them but, wow, are they persistent 😂

[@katiadp2145]

So happy for you two ,that you got to spend time with your families!!🇬🇷 🇬🇷

[@luisaleonardi666]

It's a pleasure to feel how happy you are coming back home, taking a look at the things you've left. Sure you're already thinking how you can fix everything. Nice to see you both back to your nice community. ❤

[@afrlala3593]

Totally agree on the weather love the sunshine 🌷 such a blessing.

[@karmenvuksic5638]

Enem I see Joao's eyes I feel warm in my ❤

[@FrankieOffGrid]

He’s a gorgeous boy ☺️

[@isnoo1]

I love you two!! You are living the dream - as hard as it may be at times.........

[@brightstar789]

Your life is beautiful in Portugal, I love your videos, you both live a simple life & appreciate it with your lovely animal family 😍

[@meglange3595]

Welcome "home"!! Carissa, your joy in your adopted home and country just makes me smile 😊. You two "fit" there so wonderfully. So glad the garden held up, and the kitties look very well also. I agree with you on the warmth and sunshine being better than cold and gloominess. It's always a compromise, giving up some things you love and miss for others that you love even more. Thank you, as always, for allowing us a glimpse into your lives in these lovely, peaceful videos. Looking forward to all that's ahead. Have a great week. 🥰🌿♥️🌿🥰

[@maureenlowther7621]

Thanks for sharing your journey back to Wales. Bet you are glad to be back home after the bad weather in the UK. The tomatoes survived well considering the dry conditions.❤️❤️

[@heidihughes8806]

So nice for you to see family & friends, but it's always a nice feeling returning home to where you now call home. The garden looks a bit bedraggled Carissa, but with some tlc, and lots of watering, i'm sure it will be revived. It nice seeing the countries you travelled through to get back.😃❤

[@junehitchcock170]

You both are courageous and realistic. Not many youngsters could settle into a life of hard domesticity with few modern comforts and the social life. You are an inspiration and demonstrate what can be achieved with focus and hard work.

[@gretaknight6662]

I hope you brought back supplies of all you favs, keep the faith I love watching you and uncle nick sharing skills, you make me smile!! X

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Of course! Orange squash, brown sauce, English mustard, Brandon pickle! Some Welsh Ale and Cornish cider 😅

[@claudia_ese8788]

beautiful video! loved how happy you were to come “home”, Carissa. whilst listening to the pouring rain here in Germany, ii remember that you struggled with the heat last summer, but obviously you adapted to it way better now. and as Iwan said: you have a great community there.happy for you that the garden survived pretty well.

[@carolbulmer8253]

Hi, Carissa and Iwan. I’m glad that you were able to visit Wales. I’m also glad that you’re home❤️ I loved to see Diogo running on the beach… he’s a happy boy. It looks like your garden survived nicely… you have a lot of tomatoes. Will you be canning them? It’s lovely that you have a supportive community to look after your homestead while you’re away. Your chickens were well taken care of by Andrea and Nick… they even gave you a new one… Vergil❤️ See you next week❤️❤️

[@moniquevelasco20]

So glad you guys got a break to visit family in Wales. The veggies look good. It’s great to get back home. Love and be safe!😘🤗🌼🇻🇪

[@denisemeredith2436]

Brrr it is cold across the border in England too. It looked bitter in North Wales too. I love your videos because of the blue skies which I havent seen for over a month here. It is so cold today that I have given in and put the central heating on. Your garden has survived remarkably well and now you will know what to grow next year. Congratulations on getting a rooster - your ladies will start getting broody soon and you will have chicks. Please can you waft some warmth in our direction, we would be most grateful. Hope you have a great week.

[@annar6430]

Yes Crumpets..warm with crisp edges,dripping with butter 😊. I have recipe and the metal shspes. Great to see Diogo on the beach. ❤🌺🦋🐠🇯🇲

[@FrankieOffGrid]

They’re the best!

[@sansthing630]

It is so nice to see that you are both happy with the choice you made, despite whatever problems have arisen. Feeling that you made the right decision moving to Portugal is very positive and I wish I´d done the same 20 years ago - in my late seventies I´m afraid I´ve missed the boat!

[@irislozinsky3960]

So glad you love your decision to move to Portugal!

[@anniemac3075]

Lovely video, the music you've made yours is so peaceful it suits you guys down to the ground. Great to see you feeling so good about your Portuguese home, it takes a while to settle in to something so different from Wales but you got there & it's obvious from your faces (& words!) you're so happy to be back . ❤🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@elainecrawford6891]

Beautiful video. Thank you for sharing your travels and your home with us. Love your furbabies! 🐕❤

[@lindagage7315]

Nothing like coming back home! Also nice to see family! Love the music!

[@ruthconstantino6861]

Good strategy to escape the heat, reunite with fam & friends, take in good convo, gain perspective, have your fill of chill, and return to your adopted home to take up your passions again. Your home grown produce is wonderful to come home to. As is your chickens + Virgil, pups, and small herd of cats.

[@robine916]

Time to convince friends and family to move to Portugal!

[@lauriewhitlock8137]

I totally get loving the sunshine. It’s so important for one’s mood. We live on the coast of British Columbia Canada we’re it is cold and rainy for the long winters. We live in Arizona in the winter in a small town. We love the desert.

[@deehalpern8988]

There’s no place like home. Love your videos with such lovely music too.

[@sandramorton5510]

Your vegetables look fabulous, beautiful scenic ride, thank you for sharing.

[@peterwhite9261]

Welcome home, Carrisa and Iwan. I'm glad you got away, and it was great to see your neice again. The garden held up well considering being away for 2 weeks. Welcome Virgil to the family. ❤

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Thanks Peter!

[@michelebushnik2874]

So happy here that you were able to visit dear family far away. Welcome back to your glorious home

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Thank you so much!

[@annhydeArtist]

Such a good idea having a cockrill, he will keep the girls in order. 🐓

[@pattin1392]

Love seeing the names of things ❤

[@barbaranielsen2888]

I am happy that you are at pease with you decision to leave all you knew and move to Portugal. I loved all the scenery you shared with us!

[@PensionersinPortugal]

Having done that journey so many times, I felt like was riding along with. Wales is so beautiful, you have the best of both worlds 😊

[@FrankieOffGrid]

We’re very lucky! Hope you guys are alright after the fire! Has it calmed down now? We can’t see it from ours anymore

[@PensionersinPortugal]

It's moved on, unsure if it's fully out, the app hadn't been updated last I looked!! Friends further up the road ( over 30mins drive) were still on alert, but our sky is almost clear now. Thanks for your thoughts x

[@FrankieOffGrid]

We’ll give your video a mention in next weeks video ❤️

[@DW_woodworks]

Good video, i thought the comparison between Portugal and wales was really good. I hope to follow in your footsteps in the near future, good luck on your journey.

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Thanks! Good luck to you too!

[@HeidiPriest]

Hope you did a big shop while back in the Uk, we always knew uk was not where we want to spend the rest of our lifes and like you........🌞 summer is not much fun unless you have a air-condition house working on it. Glad it went a ok this time, unlike your last try😢

[@FrankieOffGrid]

We did, the crumpet stash is dwindling though so we need to learn to make them. Hope you’re surviving the summer okay x

[@janmccann8081]

Land is so expensive in the UK. And getting permission for smallholdings is also very hard, I believe. I understand the pull of North Wales and your friends and family there. But it's not so far away, and what you're doing in Portugal is really lovely. The space, the peaceful landscape, even the heat! I would love to have done something similar when I was younger. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Thank you so much for watching! You’re right about land prices in the uk.. it’s crazy.

[@dianerayburn1728]

Crumpets are fairly easy to make. A bit fiddly, but worth it. :)

[@FrankieOffGrid]

We’re going to give them a go!

[@junco477]

Thanks for the reflections on the "sanity" of your decision.

[@lgrigg5439]

I'm glad❤ you have made the right move

[@mesutozsen903]

Eline emeğine sağlık bu güzel video için kolay gelsin hayırlı işler....👍👍👍👍

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Obrigada!

[@JudySnyder-dv5ld]

I like your garden.

[@leighdavidson443]

A fantastic construction of your journeys! I mean the telling of events; but moreover the ‘Journey of Mind’ is evident in your “Home to Home” travelogue. What IS HOME… On one hand I can hear the WELSH accents in this video (as anyone does when they get “home” Flip side to see the excitement of “home” being seeing the watering and chickens. BTW you sound so much more confident and in your element in the garden than your starting videos! You are Home! “You Got This”

[@denisemastromina7821]

I have just watched the news in the UK saying lots of fires in Portugal. I do hope you are all ok.

[@FrankieOffGrid]

All okay here thanks Denise, one of the fires was quite close to us but no real cause for concern. We’ll touch on it in next weeks video.

[@juanitakauffman6336]

Thank you for another great video.

[@gloriawaters1455]

Hi Carrissa and Iwan who wouldn't love to do what you have both done, I would have loved to do the same but I'm 86 years young 😂😂but I am living your dream so thanks ❤

[@taniakeldin]

Ewan, other possible names for your (additional) critters...Jota and Koop.

[@livinginthealgarveportugal3357]

Hope you guys are keeping safe and are away from that big fire 🌻 much love from all of us down south 🌞🇵🇹💫

[@FrankieOffGrid]

We are, fortunately. Others are not so fortunate, check our Pensioners in Portugal latest video, pretty shocking!

[@annalinekennedy1027]

Welcome back.

[@filipar949]

Thank you for adopting Virgil, thanks on behalf of all the Dutchies watching 😆

[@FrankieOffGrid]

🤣 I hope he’s up to the job!

[@DavidJenkins-m6n]

Hiya you two .hope the fires are not close to your selves there ..please keep safe .Dave .

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Hi Dave! Thanks for the thought! We’re all good here, we’ll touch on it in the next video.

[@marybates2201]

What a great narration at the start. The 2 countries have never seemed so vastly different as they did on the video. Your own little hone wherecyoyr hearts are is definitely Portugal, but you still appreciate your roots hone. There you have the 2. Heart home and root home. I lost so much veg when i was in hospital butthat was the rain bringing theslugs and snails out. My tomatoes are doing well as are my potatoes and onions. Question for you, coffee beans...any recommendations please? X

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Thanks so much Mary! As for coffee beans.. Where are you based?

[@marybates2201]

@@FrankieOffGrid Leicestershire England, hence why asked x

[@FrankieOffGrid]

If you google Seibiant Coffee and click the coffee section you’ll see our list - our personal favourites are either African beans or the Espresso Blend by Dragon Roastery. I think we have a discount code. I’ll try and find it for you.

[@FrankieOffGrid]

FOG10 gets you a 10% discount

[@marybates2201]

@@FrankieOffGrid thank you so much. I will order something now x

[@petefoti1041]

Welcome home

[@arjanvogel6444]

Thanks for your wonderful vid 😇💟💟💟 Love and bless you guys in divine light. there was a big fire by the village of the pips but they are all okay but shocked maybe send them some love and also the Portugal project but he rejected his vid so I could not see what happened there so hoping for the best.

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Yep we can see the smoke from the fire, it’s a big one I don’t think they’ll get under control today. I think Jasper is sharing on his Instagram if you wanted to keep up to date 💛

[@arjanvogel6444]

@@FrankieOffGrid thanks for sharing this with me what is his Instagram account.

[@FrankieOffGrid]

It’s Jasperzwarts

[@paulaohanlon5990]

Rubbish month (weather wise) to come home … earlier had been so much better. I’ve been binge watching your journey over the last few weeks … such a brave decision you made and amazed at all you have tackled and got through with little resources! You’re a hard working pair and I’m sure you will reap the benefits of your hard work in a few years time and life will hopefully be a little less strenuous 🤣 Although there’s always something to do. Fingers crossed for warmer weather on your next trip home 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 😃 Hwyl x

[@infour44]

Apologies If already asked but did your mini-Quinta have a habitation license? Obrigado & diolch!

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Yes we were pretty adamant that it came with one when we bought it. Diolch i ti!

[@michelebushnik2874]

I need to ask if you ever soaked your nastursium seed overnight and if they grew in shade, partial sun?

[@sandpiper1237]

We are thinking about buying a small holding with a renovated house, is it safe to leave them empty 3 months a year?

[@FrankieOffGrid]

I think it depends on the location.. I would certainly invest in security.

[@lifeontheround]

"Make sure to unlike and unsubscribe" 😂 by Olive.

[@junehitchcock170]

May I asked how much petrol you have to use to drive from Portugal to Wales (for anyone who is thinking of doing that journey by car to Portugal) and the time to drive there. Thanks.

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Thanks June! We’re loving the process so far! We have a Renault Scenic and it took two full tanks to get from here to Calais and then maybe 3/4 of a tank to get up to North Wales. The van was nearly double that. As for the time it takes, that’s mostly dependent on how long you’re comfortable driving for each day, we try and do three days of 10 hours.

[@geofftidy8745]

Love watching your episodes, until this one😫😫 finding out you have named your chickens after Liverpool players. I suppose i could name our little flock (in France) after Chelsea players but after the last season we would have to frequently change them😂😂😂.

[@FrankieOffGrid]

🤣🤣

[@paulacunha6792]

LAR DOCE LAR😊

[@anderslindberg5761]

Virgil Van Iwan

[@kaydwyer6926]

Did the dogs get car sick? ❤

[@FrankieOffGrid]

No they’re both really good while travelling - I think they’re both each other’s support animal 😅

[@assuncaomeireles198]

Excelente vidio foi muito bom passar uns dias no seu pais. A sua horta está optima tem muitos tomates faça doce de tomate para o inverno é uma delicia para barrar o pao. Gostei muito daquela galinha branca oxalá que ponham muitos ovos.A sua sobrinha peque nina é adoravel. Agora em agosto vai estar muito calor ponha ar condicionado. Bem vindos e voltem sempre gosto muito de vocês ❤❤ 🐓🐓🐔🐔🐈‍⬛🦮

[@wendybeirne8597]

Great video as usual. How did Diego get on travelling? My partner named our one golden retriever Ozil after Aresnal player. Football mad boys 😂 3 years how time has flown by. You've certainly made the right decision to move aboard. Unfortunately, this country you work hard for not much these days. I wished I did it years ago, like I wanted to. Massive mistake. Take care both ❤

[@Neilhuny]

Great to see 'unlike & unsubscribe' Olive again: she's quite a character! The very famous 'girl firestarter meme' is all grown up - you can find her story online - but Olive at 1:27 is an absolute shoe-in! Admittedly, you need to burn your sister's house down for the full effect but I'm sure Olive is up to the challenge 😂😂😂

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Haha she really is! Hope you’re well Neil!?

[@Neilhuny]

@@FrankieOffGrid Enjoying life. Happy as a pig in ... Alpedrinha?

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Those are some happy pigs! 🐖

[@brigid6609]

Do you have licence to live all year round on the land? As these buildings are not registered as residence.

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Yes we do have a habitation license, an urban article on our deeds and this is our registered living address for all year round.

[@russellgodwin9361]

Can you send your route through France Spain and into Portugal

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Hi! Yes of course.. so we got the eurotunnel obviously to Calais, then from Calais to Tours, Tours to San Sebastián via Bordeaux. San Sebastián to Burgos, Burgos to Guarda which basically gives you a choice of routes into Portugal. We used toll roads which totalled about - €100 give or take (for a small car) we’ve done it in the past without tolls which adds a good 5 hours but a lot more enjoyable. Hope this helps.

[@russellgodwin9361]

@@FrankieOffGrid Hi , thanks for your reply, would you be able to give me the scenic route also, as I will have plenty of time to stop over in nice villages/towns. Thanks

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Absolutely.. so we go from Calais to Fontainebleau (the town itself is significant - Napoleon lived there) there’s a village called Grez sur Loing which is beautiful. You can then follow the Loire river to Tours. The coastline from there passes through La Rochelle down to Bordeaux (you can stop in the medoc area if you want to see some vineyards) the area around Arcachon is beautiful, a beach called Petit Nice in particular. In Spain we either stay in San Sebastián or we visit a hot spring in a town called Arnedillo which is in the Rioja region. These are some of our favourite spots in Europe so hope it works for you!

[@russellgodwin9361]

@@FrankieOffGrid Thanks for your reply, given it’s my first road trip I want to do the scenic route, will follow the route you have given and hopefully be in Portugal within a week of setting off from the UK…. It’s time to find a bolt hole in Northern Portugal!!!

[@FrankieOffGrid]

You’ll love that route, if you’re in a van there are plenty of free stopovers. There’s an app called Park4Night. Highly recommend the vineyards 😉

[@JuztMarkz1]

Just wondering what did it cost to buy the rest off the house and land that wasnt included 1 hand 😉

[@FrankieOffGrid]

We bought the original piece for €10k, then the second part for €15k.

[@JuztMarkz1]

@@FrankieOffGrid ive been looking into something similiar but need to hire a lawyer the paperwork seems a bit dodgey i cant figure out if its legal or not to actually live on the land permantly

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Make sure to ask to see the documents before signing anything.

[@JuztMarkz1]

@@FrankieOffGrid important rule in life I never sign anything before its read thru and fully understood 😀

[@portugal1969]

👍

[@mikeduda3173]

When do you plan to start work on your bedroom

[@FrankieOffGrid]

It was due to be soon but we may be changing our plans for it… we need to speak to the local authorities about planning permission

[@mikeduda3173]

@@FrankieOffGrid good luck. I know it can be a long process

[@FrankieOffGrid]

The original plan wouldn’t have needed any extra planning but we’re going to cost up adding an extra floor. We’ll keep you posted

[@mikeduda3173]

@@FrankieOffGrid how exciting for you. Can't wait.

[@AlongThePathsOfNature]

👌🙏

[@coby6417]

👏🍀🌟👍💐

[@iansmith6086]

Nice commentary, but weren't you worried about coming across as smug. It's cold and wet in the united kingdom and very crowded .Maybe the overcrowding has something to do with the quarter of a million portuguese living in britain who seem to be able to put up with the weather....😂😂

[@FrankieOffGrid]

I hope it didn’t come across as smug, just grateful for something we’ve at times doubted. And just offering insight into our experience for anyone else wanting to make the move ☺️

[@HeidiPriest]

No smugness charisma, ignore them, everybody has a choice❤ and you two done the right one, who the heck can afford the the Uk right now

[@CampOutWest]

​@@FrankieOffGridyou could NEVER come across smug ❤

[@ChristineKelly1000]

Amazing how negative people perceive positive people as smug.😊❤

[@iansmith6086]

@@ChristineKelly1000 It's amazing how some people think... Or maybe they don't think... You're a prime example... Also you obviously don't know how youtube works because any comment helps this channel.

[@Noniinthebush]

Stay in wales. So much nicer.

[@FrankieOffGrid]

If you like rain 😅

[@Noniinthebush]

@@FrankieOffGrid well where I live in Australia, rain is pretty rare so I expect we are a bit like central Portugal really. I love the green of the UK lol but if it rained every day I might get sick of that too ha ha

[@FrankieOffGrid]

There’s an interesting statistic - In Wales we average 300 days of rain per year, here in Portugal we get 65 days but our average annual rainfall is the same. When it rains it pours!

[@FiuMcFadyen]

But how did the cats fare in the two weeks that you were away …..disappointing ….barely any mention about them in the whole video as if they didn’t matter 😂😂😂😂

[@FrankieOffGrid]

They were fine 😄

[@ТАтУ-и1хБ]

👍👍🇷🇺🇷🇺❤️

[@sonny19369393]

No friends to take care of things?

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Don’t understand you, sorry?

[@judithtaylormayo]

Ewan, I consider you a blond. What is this with a black beard?

[@FrankieOffGrid]

I am 100% not blonde 😅

[@CampOutWest]

​@@FrankieOffGrid😂😂😂😂

[@sunwolfgang4092]

Nice veggies survived 👍👍👍😘😘😘😂😂😂

[@sunwolfgang4092]

Every one can make fish and chips.👍😂😂😂😘😘😘

[@FrankieOffGrid]

Not the same as a chippy though!