The greatest fear of the modern age might just be wasting time. We feel it keenly. It weighs us down. Clocks chime, smartphones beep, places to go, things to do. As the master juggler of work and family, hobbies, and professional life, it’s a fear that affects the average American more than other people.
All this clock-watching gets us nowhere in the end of course. The greater fear ought to be not “wasting our time” wisely.
Less traffic. Less corporate America. Less punching a time clock. That’s what Tim Little wanted. And it’s why he began a new life on a sailboat among the islands of the Aegean Sea. “I discovered how affordable it can be.” For instance, “staples could be purchased fresh for 30% to 40% less than what I paid for them in Florida grocery stores.”
You’ll have a healthier approach to time in Europe. In the off-the-radar French haven Tuula Rampont calls home, expats happily embrace the local concept of doing nothing with your day but enjoying yourself. Tuula explains how her leisurely morning walks through the market often turn into long and pleasant lunches. Last year this place was named “the sunniest city in France” and expat couples can live here on $1,800 a month.
Barcelona is another spot for idling over a meal with wine under the Mediterranean sun. Linda and her husband Kurt moved there nearly four years ago and spend plenty of time in the city’s many art museums. “We consider our living expenses to be minimal. Since we own our own apartment, our regularly occurring expenses (minus groceries and entertainment) average about $860 a month. Back in Texas, we were used to property taxes consuming a huge portion of our monthly paycheck; in Barcelona, property taxes average around $66 a month,” writes Linda.
Perhaps no one savors time quite like the Italians. For a true “dolce vita” lifestyle, the best spot is Puglia. Tucked into the heel of the Italian boot, it’s hidden, though growing in popularity with savvy expats. You won’t have much to worry about except where to eat or what adventure to go on next. Living costs are just $1,600 a month.
—Eoin Basset, International Executive Editor
When my husband Kurt and I step out the door of our 1882 modernista (Catalan art nouveau) building, we enter a grand world of art and green space blessed by a warm, Mediterranean climate and surrounded by incredible landscapes, from beaches to mountains.
“Now straighten your shoulders, arch your back slightly, and raise your arms above your head to meet in the Namaste pose.” My toes curl to grip the sand beneath my feet as I straighten up and go into the pose as instructed.
Sitting at a cliff-side table overlooking the white-washed old town of Polignano a Mare, my husband Bryan and I marvel at how it manages to stay on its rock and not slide into the water below.
With so much coastline, Puglia has plenty of seafront towns to choose among. Many are seasonal small towns that serve sun-seekers who come in the summer.
Last October, I took an extensive 10-day scouting trip to Spain’s Costa del Sol. One place high on my scouting list was the town of Estepona. This is where subscribers of my Real Estate Trend Alert have locked down townhomes for just $189,000.
From satellites orbiting hundreds of miles above the earth, it looks like a piece of tin foil in the sand…a square of shiny aluminum that marks the beginning of a massive shift in energy and industry for one North African country.
Ask anyone to name a famous clock and most people will say Big Ben. Big Ben is, in fact, the nickname of the great bell that chimes inside the Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster, London. It’s an iconic landmark much loved by tourists taking selfies. Big Ben first rang out in 1859. It’s the largest four-faced chiming clock in the world. Fortunately, you can find much smaller (but equally decorative) clocks to add an infusion of history to your home…and the chance to profit from appreciation of a collector’s item that will never go out of fashion.
When you ask Michael Elder what drew him and his wife Karen to retire to Costa Rica’s Central Valley, the answer is very simple. “We just wanted to go somewhere different,” he says. “It’s not that we wanted to leave anything, like too hot or too cold.
As a trained chef, Alastair Porteous knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. “I have always wanted to open an upper-end bistro, but the costs of doing it in Canada made it impossible.”
With towering, awe-inspiring mountains, beaches of soft white sand facing the Pacific, cloud forests teeming with exotic bird life, and the ruins of long lost civilizations, Ecuador has much to offer for the adventurous hiker.