Steenie Harvey
Articles by Steenie Harvey
St Tola goat’s cheese and organic leaves with a tomato, basil and vodka jelly…roast hake on a risotto of pearl barley with a truffle salsa. For a story about eating and drinking stops along Ireland’s river Shannon, the Purple Onion gastro-pub in Tarmonbarry is definitely worth including.
A blue sky, blue-water scene is unremarkable in the tropics. But this is Europe. I’m in southern Spain, on Murcia’s Costa Cálida—the “warm coast.” Whoever thought up the name wasn’t exaggerating. Summer temperatures soar above 90 F, and there’s an annual dose of at least 320 days of sunshine. On the coast, spacious furnished rentals are $508 to $635 monthly.
“What do I wear in bed?” mused Marilyn Monroe. “Why, Chanel No. 5, of course!” Perched in the hills above the Côte d’Azur in France, Grasse has been the world’s perfume capital since the 17th century. The countryside around this Provencal town is where the jasmine and roses that go into the country’s famed luxury fragrances are grown and harvested.
Not needed: coat, scarf or sweater. But some sun-block would be welcome. Early December and the afternoon temperature is nudging 70 F. Sunbathers are on Isla Plana’s beach, and children are building sand-castles. I can even see swimmers.
Today, my office is a hotel balcony on the Cote d’Azur in southern France. There’s a view of a palm-lined promenade and the glittery Mediterranean—it’s as forget-me-not blue as the sky. Back home in Ireland, my neighbors are enduring unexpected April snow showers.
Not everything is yet labeled “Made in China.” Throughout the world, artisans still produce handcrafted objects of desire that carry serious mark-ups when resold in North America and Europe. And if you like something, chances are other people will like it too.
Steeped in history, culture, and year-round sunshine, one European country tops many expats’ wish lists. A big draw is the low cost of living. Markets are laden with inexpensive fresh fruits and vegetables—even vegans would be hard-pressed to get through $15 worth of produce a week. Staples like olive oil are cheap—$3 will get you a liter.
Wine has been produced in Jumilla and neighboring Yecla since the proverbial mists of time. If you’re a frequent wine-drinker, you’d make some serious savings living here. At less than $1 a bottle, it’s very nearly as good as free…
There’s a hidden Italy that’s as rich in castles, art towns, and vineyards as the country’s more familiar locations. Even glorious Tuscany contains secret spots—places where the living is sweet and homes remain affordable.
From Paris to the provinces, French living is all about quality living. Superb food and wine, a rich and varied culture, access to the world’s best health care – and lovely homes to buy or rent. And it’s all less expensive than you perhaps realize.
Blessed with golden beaches, late-night cities and wonderful food, Spain is a bargain. Enjoying mainland Europe’s best winter weather, the south basks in Mediterranean sunshine. But the less-discovered north also has its temptations.
Why travel writing is the best job in the world. It’s a fun way to fund your new overseas lifestyle—and it’s so easy to get started.
The fastest, easiest way to get paid to travel. How to quickly break into print, so you can be cashing in on perks sooner than you imagined. No experience necessary.
There’s a hidden Italy that’s as rich in castles, art towns, and vineyards as the country’s more familiar locations. Even glorious Tuscany contains secret spots—places where the living is sweet and homes remain affordable.
From Paris to the provinces, French living is all about quality living. Superb food and wine, a rich and varied culture, access to the world’s best health care – and lovely homes to buy or rent. And it’s all less expensive than you perhaps realize.
Blessed with golden beaches, late-night cities and wonderful food, Spain is a bargain. Enjoying mainland Europe’s best winter weather, the south basks in Mediterranean sunshine. But the less-discovered north also has its temptations.
Why travel writing is the best job in the world. It’s a fun way to fund your new overseas lifestyle—and it’s so easy to get started.
The fastest, easiest way to get paid to travel. How to quickly break into print, so you can be cashing in on perks sooner than you imagined. No experience necessary.
Getting paid to drink beer in Berlin, Germany—it’s so much fun being a travel writer! The first beer of the night, a sparkling wheat beer called Kristall Weizen, cost a very reasonable €2.10 ($2.79). Around 30 minutes later, I ordered a second. This time, it cost $2.52. Snigger if you must, but it was thrilling to get the timing right and save 27 cents.
Firmly in Spain’s sunny south, between Andalusia and Valencia, Murcia is one of the country’s autonomous regions that gets overlooked in the dash elsewhere— usually farther south to the Costa del Sol or north to the Costa Blanca.
When it comes to lifestyle and location, it would not surprise me if one European city rarely enters your thoughts: Berlin, Germany’s capital.
Five years into my expat life, I look forward to downsizing. In fact, I recently bought a small, manageable, lock-and-leave property in Guanajuato, in the Colonial Highlands.
There’s a hidden Italy that’s as rich in castles, art towns, and vineyards as the country’s more familiar locations. Even glorious Tuscany contains secret spots—places where the living is sweet and homes remain affordable.
From Paris to the provinces, French living is all about quality living. Superb food and wine, a rich and varied culture, access to the world’s best health care – and lovely homes to buy or rent. And it’s all less expensive than you perhaps realize.
Blessed with golden beaches, late-night cities and wonderful food, Spain is a bargain. Enjoying mainland Europe’s best winter weather, the south basks in Mediterranean sunshine. But the less-discovered north also has its temptations.
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