International Living Daily Postcards

Waves rolled and crashed along the bay’s rocky slopes. The steady roar would crescendo when the waves hit the breakwater, throwing a fine mist into the air. Despite the thunderous cacophony, the waterfront town of Komiža was peaceful and quiet. It was late January on the Croatian island of Vis, and the tourist season was still a few months away...

As if great wine, delicious food, picture-perfect towns brimming with history, and stunning beaches were not enough to make you want to move to Italy, now a low tax rate has been added to make the country even more irresistible. Earlier this year, the Italian government approved a new tax incentive for retired foreigners...

One of the benefits of retiring to Portugal is having access to their low-cost, public healthcare system. It was a Sunday afternoon as I entered the busy emergency room. I registered at the reception desk and within a few minutes I was called into a little room...

Having just arrived in Dublin, Ireland from the States, my husband, Jeff, and I had yet to figure out how to place a call. We asked an airport lounge employee for help, and she agreed with a welcoming Irish smile.

A recent survey reported that a single day in a hospital in the U.S. costs, on average, $1,514 (up to as much as $12,537), while in France it costs $853. An appendectomy in the U.S. costs $8,156 on average (up to as much as $29,426). The same procedure in France costs $4,463.