Uncovering the Charms of France’s Alsace Region
The northeastern French region of
Alsace is a land teeming with handsome fortresses and colorful half-timbered villages. Vineyards blanket the landscape as far as the eye can see, and the Vosges Mountains provide a gorgeous backdrop. Storks the symbol of Alsace keep things whimsical by building giant nests in prominent perches.
Things here haven’t always been so peaceful. Over the past few centuries, France and Germany have repeatedly fought over this swathe of land. Since Alsace has been ruled by both countries, the resulting culture and Alsatian dialect feel like a blend of the two.
5 Reasons To Move to Cuenca… And 2 Not To
1. You Can Live Like Royalty
I live like a queen. I live off my social security, on $1,800 a month. That budget includes having a maid and gardener and going out to lunch or dinner once a week. I don’t need A/C or heat. When it’s hot, I open a window. When it’s cool, I shut the window. If there’s an extra cold night, I light up my fireplace and drink a glass of wine while warming my feet. I buy three tanks of propane for $2.50 each to fire up my stove, water heater, and dryer which lasts me around a month. So, I save around $290 a month on electricity alone compared to what I spent back in the U.S.
Chasing Glamour and Grit in Unforgettable Naples
Glamorous and gritty, beautiful and brash, there is nothing shy about Naples. Often maligned and misunderstood, this is a city of faded splendor and unbridled enthusiasm that gets in your face with its vivacious, and often audacious, culture. In short, there is no half-way with Naples: You either love or hate it.
Neapolitans are flamboyant with colorful clothes and loud, animated conversations, along with an unabashed street culture, over-the-top hospitality, and a “love it or leave it” attitude. You’ll get the idea with about 10 minutes of people-watching at any corner in the tight web of streets in the city’s old town. An open-air theater plays out in daily life: a signora lowers a basket from a fourth-floor balcony on a rope for her groceries. Strings of laundry flap between the buildings like flags, a man and woman yell out a conversation between windows, and the scent of basil-tinged tomato sauce bubbles out an open door
From CPA in San Francisco to Yoga Instructor in Athens
I try to be measured when I talk about my life in Greece because I never want to make other people envious. But the truth is, I feel like I need to rub stardust out of my eyes every day when I wake up in my adopted country. I can’t believe how lucky I am.
My Day-to-Day Life
My one-bedroom, 750-square-foot home lies directly beneath the Acropolis, and I teach night yoga classes on my roof deck under the stars with an illuminated view of the Parthenon. It’s a magical setting, and I love that an entire community has grown around these classes. Locals and visitors alike participate, and last summer a new student told me, “I heard about your classes from my friend who lives in Barcelona.” I guess the word is getting out.
From Frozen North to Beach Life With a Mexican B&B
When it seems you’re ready to give up on your dream, one email can change everything. That’s what happened to Dave and Lesley Buckerfield, two Canadian B&B owners who now call Mexico home.
Dave and Lesley own Sin Duda Villas, a beachside B&B (and winner of a TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award) in a small Mexican beach town called Xcalak. Only eight miles north of the border with Belize, Xcalak (pronounced “ish-ka-lak”) is at the far southern tip of the Yucatán peninsula. This is the same strip of Caribbean coast where you’ll find the spring break metropolis of Cancún, resort-rich Playa del Carmen, and trendy Tulum. It was also one of Mexico’s first regions to reopen after the coronavirus lockdown.