Kathleen Peddicord’s Top 19 Travel Tips Whether you’re moving to a new country or taking off on a two-week holiday, here are 19 things you should know before you go:1. Take two debit cards and two credit cards. Your credit card company will assure you that you’ll have no trouble using your card overseas if … Read more
1. Patience… the kind of patience you learn doing time… The other day I stood at the counter of a small grocery shop in Panama City watching as the young man on the other side of the counter tried to tally up my purchases. One item I’d presented was missing a price tag, so the … Read more
You know May is on the way when the bluebells appear in the woods along the road to Lormes. They overflow onto the verges and compete for attention with delicate white stitchwort and red campion. Truly tricolore, just in time for the Presidential Election in which John and I are not allowed to vote (whatever … Read more
Apples to apples. That’s the principle to keep in mind when comparing costs, both for living and for buying real estate overseas. Readers write in to take issue with our costs references every day…“Restaurants in Panama are 35% more expensive than restaurants in the United States,” wrote one reader recently, after having visited Panama. Another … Read more
Benvenuti and Welcome to all my Lovely Followers, If you are new to this column I should tell you that each month I reflect back on the previous one, which in this case is March 2017. My aim is to bring you lots of fun things and not too many serious ones.Despite the fact that … Read more
Stretches of the Dominican Republic’s sandy coast, including in Puerto Plata and Punta Cana, for example, have been catering to tourists for a decade and longer, and it shows. These resort towns could be Cancun or any other resort town in any other country. But that’s one face of the Dominican Republic…The Samana region is … Read more
Google is generally recognized today as the answer to every question, but there are exceptions to that Internet Age fundamental and one of them has to do with shopping for real estate overseas.As you launch your foreign property adventures, your first instinct may be to google a direction, to surf around online for country agents … Read more
I’m sure many of us, as expats, relate to this scenario. You dreamed of retiring and living overseas, and finally your dream became a reality. The excitement was palpable, as was the thrill of having something new to focus on. I know, because as a serial expat, I’ve been there, watching as I and others … Read more
The U.S. dollar is still going strong against the euro and other currencies, making this a great time to be thinking about reinventing your retirement in some of the world’s most appealing spots.In several places, including Algarve, Portugal; Pau, France; Abruzzo, Italy; and Medellin, Colombia, your U.S. dollars will stretch farther than in the U.S. … Read more
Here in France, April Fools are called Poissons d’Avril . Children try to stick a paper fish on the back of an unsuspecting person. While nobody seems to know why fish would be associated with April 1, many think it refers to the zodiac sign of Pisces. Do we really, cosmically speaking, care?Adults enjoy spoof … Read more