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The beach isn’t something that comes to mind when you think of Athens. But I love to swim and couldn’t imagine spending winter in a place without a warm beach to go swimming. Glyfada—the Greek capital’s seaside offering—is an absolute stunner.
I really thought this far into the 21st century we’d all have personal jet packs and be flying our way around town. Instead, I pretty much rely on my car. And I don’t love driving. One of the best things about being in Lagos, Portugal, is that we’ve been able to walk just about everywhere—supermarkets, produce markets, restaurants, and the beach.
I sit listening to the soft sounds of nature and enjoying the lush green scenery of the little mountain town I now call home, reflecting on the best decision I ever made. It's hard to believe it's been 11 years since my wife Kathy and I, our daughter and our only grandchild (at that point in time) moved to Ecuador.
Imagine rice fields in various shades of happy green sectioned off into neat squares. Add a cluster of Thai people, standing in the water with their pants rolled up. All of them are wearing wonky straw hats to shade them from the glorious sunshine. It’s a postcard image. This is exactly where Bonny Mayer found herself on her first trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Most people think of the Greek islands when they are considering their optimal beach experience, but the reality is that greater Athens, sometimes referred to as the Athens Riviera, can go toe-to-toe with some of the finest beaches in Mykonos, Milos, or Crete. Below is everything you need to know to enjoy a day by the sea near the nation’s capital.
Being able to work from anywhere made my journey possible, and yet I could see its conclusion approaching fast. When setting off, I’d planned on traveling for a year, then selling the camper upon my return to summertime Michigan, when buyers would be interested in taking over the camper I’d stripped and renovated the year before.
Mexico has long been a favorite destination for retirees and other expats from around the world, although fellow North Americans from Canada and the U.S. make up the bulk of the foreign population. Here are some examples of places you can live in Mexico at various budget levels.
We were the lucky winners of a contest sponsored by International Living magazine last year, to spend a month in Portugal as a trial retirement, and report on what it would be like to retire in the Algarve area along the southern coast. Our home base for the month of October is in Lagos, a city of around 22,000 people about 187 miles from Lisbon.
Lagoa, with a population of 26,000, is both a city and municipality in the Faro district of southern Portugal. A typical Portuguese village of white-washed buildings, narrow cobbled streets, and tiled plazas that glow with sunshine year-round. The existence of man in Lagoa dates to pre-historic times, evident by the standing stones...
This country offers up a lot of options—beaches, valleys, hilltops, a world-class lake. It can be tricky to figure out where in the country to settle. So, here is my short list—my top five picks for the best retirement towns in Costa Rica.