The experiences that come with being a retired expat mean that, very quickly, we are put in a position when we learn more about ourselves. Characteristics that we learn to associate with those from other nations are usually quickly dispelled and, hopefully, we begin to learn more about people of other faiths, cultures and those …more

I just read an interesting statistic. The average US household uses 46 squares of toilet paper per person per day. Now based on the fact that the current US population is 313.9 million persons, that comes to about 14 billion squares per person per day – after adjusting downward for those persons who either use …more

One Saturday night earlier this year I waited backstage muttering “l’allodola” under my breath, while a young jazz musician with a bright white satin tie covered in musical notation chatted to me, clearly trying to cheer me up. “I’m really English,” he said in Italian, “aren’t you impressed by my Italian?” Applause drifted back stage …more

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As an expat and a dog lover, the way that dogs and other animals are treated in Spain often distresses me. As far as dogs are concerned, with the help from expats from other countries, much has been learned about animal welfare, and although the number of dogs abandoned each year remains at appalling high …more

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, if you had asked me a year ago what we would do when we retired, the reply would have been – travel. We have a history in this area. We’re Brits and have lived abroad in the USA, New Zealand, Australia, traveled throughout Europe, visited …more

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Why is STARTING important? If you don’t start, you’ll never finish. Thinking, analyzing, and planning are good, but lead nowhere without accompanying action. To get things done, you need to do, move, engage. How many times have you had a great idea that you never followed up on? The idea, without the follow-up, has no …more

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I’m a sixty two year old ex-pat Englishman living in an old house (which I am restoring) on an estuary in western France, I am also in the process of renovating an old 1960’s classic sailing boat. My life and my boat restoration activities are the subjects of two blogs which I try to keep …more

My friend sat before us like a sentinel guarding an important event. He was like I had always remembered him, regal, majestic, exuding an air of superiority as if he really knew that he belonged in this time and in this place. In fact, he truly did. March was his time to shine. It had …more

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