City Living or Rural Paradise?

Dear Europe-fan,

Seems like Paris is finally getting the (arguable) benefits of global warming: temperatures here have been an unseasonal 55°F (13°C), making the winter sales something of a sauna experience. I wonder if anyone will get any wear out of those thick overcoats or fur-lined boots in the next month or so… Still, the weather doesn’t interfere with personal appearance—I’ve seen women in impossible stiletto heels and short skirts picking their way through the snow on the way to work without batting an eyelid.

Personally, I love city living—the traffic, fumes, bright lights, and easy access to shops and culture—­­but I know it isn’t for everyone. In this issue of The European, I’ll take you to an attractive, rural life somewhere else on the continent, and you’ll get a glimpse of snowy peaks in this week’s unusual restaurant review. And for fellow city slickers, there’s a reminder of why an address in this capital can make sense, and a report of a city trying to reduce the number of tourists… Intrigued? Then read on.

Bests,

Leigh Fergus
Editor, The European

P.S. For more news and views about Europe, keep an eye on our Europe website at www.internationalliving.com/europe

P.P.S. If you have any comments or queries, please send them to theeuropean@internationalliving.com

______________________________________________

Ten good reasons to move to northern Portugal

by Leigh Fergus

Escaping the consumerism of the south of England, my parents have hidden themselves away in northern Portugal. Shunning the golf courses and country clubs of the Algarve and Lisbon area, they prefer to get back to the land and enjoy a more natural rhythm to their day. I spent a week with them in December and found the lifestyle a perfect antidote to the pressures of that end-of-year holiday period. Trouble is, they’ve sworn me to secrecy, so I can’t reveal the exact area they’ve claimed as their own little piece of paradise.

But I can give you a few reasons why, if I was more of a countrified person, I’d move there in a heartbeat…

1. Property and the cost of living are much cheaper than in the Algarve (a full set menu for two, with good wine and coffee, can be as little as 12 euro—or $16, and small rural cottages can be found for under 50,000 euro—or $65,000).
2. The landscape is green; endless pine, eucalyptus, and walnut trees as well as the usual olive trees cover the hills here.
3. It’s safe—the neighbors really look out for each other, and will for you if you settle here.
4. The weather—frosty nights in winter, but still bright sunshine and gloriously blue skies during the days, and hot summers with the cool of the forest to retreat to.
5. It is still remarkably un-commercial and rural—no global chains or shopping malls for miles and miles. The only sign of Christmas was a nativity scene on the main square of the nearest town.

6. The wildlife: crested tits, rare red squirrels, buzzards, wild strawberries, and budding mimosa.
7. The people—welcoming without being intrusive; friendly—and patient with visitors who have only minimal Portuguese.
8. Remote—the mountains are a natural screen to Spain, and it can take up to 11 hours to get from certain areas to Paris by public transport.
9. The peace, quiet, and clean air—the lack of heavy industry and major traffic make this a very healthy choice.
10. The food—this is the home of real hearty peasant fare: thick pork, cabbage and bean stews, braised beef, tasty roast chicken, and sonios: tiny doughnuts often flavored with the zest of fragrant local oranges. Perhaps not so healthy after all…
Real Estate
Lapis Lazuli, tel: (+351) 239-455773; e-mail : sales@lapis-lazuli.co.uk; website : www.lapis-lazuli.co.uk
Rustic Portugal,website: www.rusticportugal.com

Further Reading:
You can own a second home in Europe--somewhere you would want to move into right now--for less than $25,000

I've seen hundreds of properties in dozens of destinations all over this grand continent... in France, Italy, Greece, Spain, and Portugal...plus a few places you may never have considered. Family homes...city apartments...vacation cottages...investment opportunities...a villa by the lake...a house on the beach...a chalet in the mountains...Somewhere in Europe the perfect second home is waiting for you. Find out where, now.

______________________________________________

How to have fewer tourists

by David Block

Zagreb is a mixed Croatian blessing, a treasure that has yet to be overrun by large-scale tourism. This compact capital offers bustling street- and night-life and encompasses more museums than many other European cities. But how long can that charm and vivacity survive?

Food consultant, journalist, and man-about-Zagreb René Bakalovic hopes the future of Zagreb is not in mass tourism. “We don’t want to measure visitors in millions. We want upscale tourism. When we first got noticed by tour operators, one of the first things we did was to hold a symposium called ‘How to Have Fewer Tourists.’ We tried to take on board the lessons of the destruction of the Spanish Costas and, more recently, the tripper invasion of great East European capitals. I suppose I’m protective of my beautiful city and it upsets me to see hundreds of tourists milling through without understanding its history.”

Part of the problem is the city’s mixed heritage. Trg Bana Jelacica, the city’s center and main square, is named after the Croatian hero who defeated the Hungarians in 1848 and is celebrated by a monument. But Mr. Jelacica might not recognize this part of the city today, as diagonally opposite sits a squat monstrosity built during the socialist regime in the 1950’s that can’t be pulled down—because it’s over 50 years old and is listed.

Lidija Anic, from one of the country’s leading tour operators, Hidden Croatia, asks, “Does the city spend money on restoring many of its wonderful but crumbling buildings? Or should it take the cheaper route and knock them down to build characterless modern blocks? It’s a battle between developers and traditionalists. We’re the latter and continue to plough our profits back into the country. That’s how Croatian tourism will best survive and prosper: for the good of everyone.”

Another example of the curious juxtapositions that are part of the fabric of this city is in the cathedral. St. Stephen’s was built on the foundations of an 11th-century church, then reconstructed with twin neo-Gothic spires in 1899. Inside is a massive chandelier from a hotel in Las Vegas, installed in 2004. The topic keeps Zagreb’s café habitués arguing to this day about its aesthetic merits.

A short uphill stroll away is the 13th-century Stone Gate ( Kamenita vrata) featuring a painting of the Virgin Mary that miraculously escaped the great fire of 1731. Further on are the Presidential Palace, with colorful guards, the Croatian Parliament, and St. Mark's Church, housing works by Ivan Mestrovic, Croatia's most famous sculptor.

With any remaining breath, it’s worth climbing the Lotrscak Tower for a panoramic view, but watch out if you’re there at precisely noon, when a loud gun is fired. It used to sound as night fell, to warn citizens back into the city to avoid brigands. An enjoyable route back to the lower city is via the hundred-year-old funicular railway. Who needs mass tourism?

Further Reading:
Croatia: The Owner's Manual
If you’ve dreamed of a Mediterranean-style villa with views of the sea... an alternative to Provence... or Tuscany... or Spain’s Costa del Sol... dream no more. We've discovered it...the last great stretch of affordable European Coastline.

____________________________________________

Mountaintop tables

by Eroica Fedder

Interlaken is a city in the middle of Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland region, lying below the towering Alps and between the rivers Thun and Brienz. It’s a popular base for some of Switzerland’s extreme Alpine activities such as hang gliding, paragliding, mountain climbing, glacier hiking, and even bungee jumping. But my main interest in coming here was access to the Schilthorn Piz Gloria, a mountaintop restaurant that gained its fame from the 1968 James Bond film On her Majesty’s Secret Service.

The journey to the restaurant is an all-day event if you want to take your time and enjoy the views. Or you can do it in one and a half hours without detours along the way. I chose the former and headed to Schilthorn by various stages of cable car.

The cable cars can hold up to 100 vertigo-free passengers, offering stunning views of the Alp valleys thousands of feet below and the snowy peaks above. The first stage is to Mürren, a small mountainside village that claims to be car-free. The next leg of the ascent to Birg brings you to uninhabited mountainside where you must switch cable cars for the final ascent to Mount Schilthorn and the Piz Gloria Restaurant.

The restaurant is literally on the peak of the Schilthorn, but has a warm, inviting feel to it: On my visit, it was 14o F (-10° C) outside, but inside it felt as if I were at home with a roaring fire. The restaurant can feed 400 guests, but it’s difficult to concentrate on the classic food: the most amazing aspect of this mountaintop dining area is the ever-changing view. Inside are two revolving platforms, powered by solar energy, so the mountain peaks rise all around and it seems the snowy caps are just a leap away.

If you’re planning on making the trip, be sure to consider the weather. If rain is forecast your views are likely to be spoiled. Fortunately I was able to enjoy the mountainside during my ascent and dinner before my view of the Alps faded as fog moved in. It was an eerily beautiful sight, watching the mountains slowly disappear behind the incoming storm.
Further Reading:

158 Ways To Satisfy Your Appetite Around The World
Slow Food…Fast Food...Traditional Fare…Exotic Delicacies…Quixotic Ambience…Erotic Aphrodisiacs…Affordable Lunch Spots…Opulent Seven-Course Black-Tie Affairs…Rest assured, one click and you’ll never eat a dull meal again…

______________________________________________

Living in Paris: capital real estate

by Susie Hollands

Two years ago, Laurie Pike, a 39-year-old fashion editor living in Los Angeles, and long-time Francophile, decided to buy a second home—in Paris. “I was an au pair when I was 18,” she says, “and while my maman was a true French nightmare, I knew that I wanted to come back to Paris, get my own place, and be queen in my own castle.”

Berard Kelleher, 52, runs a mixed business conglomerate out of Cork, Ireland, but he loves the Marais quarter of Paris so much that he had to get his own place in this magical city. “Paris is one of the only places on the planet I really feel I am my own person.”

Quite a number of Americans and Brits and others make their way to Paris only to find that they long for a place of their own here. Everyone has a personal story for wanting to live in Paris and it’s my job to find him or her the right place, or le bon appart’ (the best apartment). Bonapart Consulting is on the ground in Paris with a global Anglophone client base from across the U.S. and Europe that want to buy their own homes or set up long-term rentals.

I work closely with them to find and acquire the place they have always dreamed of: that cozy den overlooking Sacré Coeur or the Eiffel Tower, or a more spacious apartment hidden away in a hip neighborhood like Oberkampf or the Bastille. These days prices can begin at as little as $150,000. Compared to the U.S., mortgage rates are low, making the acquisition of an apartment in Paris less of a headache.

Laurie Pike found her dream in a small studio for only $150,000 in the 18th arrondissement, a stone’s throw from the Sacré Coeur and the cool cafés of Montmartre. “I put in a neat chandelier to add elegance,” says Laurie about her 270-square-foot apartment. And she now rents out her place for 450 euros a week to completely cover her mortgage (for her home loan, I put her in touch with the team at France Home Finance, website: www.francehomefinance.com ).

It’s a great life—living in your own place in Paris or renting it out to cover the cost of purchase. And with fresh croissants a minute’s walk away, la vie est belle.
For more information contact Susie Hollands, Bonapart Consulting; website:
www.bonapartconsulting.com/
Laurie Pike's studio in the 18th arrondissement can be seen at website: www.ruenobel.com

Further Reading:
Your New Life in Paris is your guide to planning and making the move, a hands-on reference of what to expect and how to go about it...warts and all. Use the hard-earned knowledge and in-the-trenches experience of those who have gone before you to make the process of moving to the world's most popular city a whole lot easier.
Soon you could be browsing through the contemporary art galleries on rue Louis Weiss...sunbathing alongside the Canal Saint-Martin...or relaxing on a terrace with your aperitif while you watch the city go by.

To start receiving your own copy of The European, click here or forward this e-mail to a friend so they can sign-up to receive The European delivered directly to their in-box!

• Keep The European coming to your mailbox.
  If you enjoy reading The European, help us out by "white-listing" our service...before its delivery is interrupted by clicking here or confirming your subscription here.
  Find out more about IL Conferences, Seminars, and Tours in Europe here.
  For a list of IL's Local Offices and Real Estate Contacts around the world, click here.
  Advertise with IL, online or in print, here.
• To tell us anything write to: theeuropean@internationalliving.com.

Unsubscribe or Change of Address:
Want to cancel The European? Click here.
Email Address Change? Click here
IL Print Subscribers:
To cancel or for any other subscription issues, write us at:
International Living
Order Processing Center
Attn: Customer Service
P.O. Box 968
Frederick, MD 21705
________________________________________
Copyright 2007, Agora Ireland.
11 rue du Chevalier de St. George
75008 Paris, France
+33(0)1 49 27 01 00
email: TheEuropean@InternationalLiving.com
website: www.internationalliving.com/europe

Nothing in this e-mail should be considered personalized investment advice.
Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions,
they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular
investment situation. No communication by our employees to you should be
deemed as personalized investment advice.