Feasting on the Beach and a Fast Track to Finding New Friends

Dear Europe-lover,

I’m faltering already with my New Year resolutions, having had more than my fair share of those pastry treats I mentioned last week. And living in Paris, it’s so hard to walk past all those pâtisseries without being tempted—did you know that most of these cake shops change their displays on not just a seasonal but also a monthly basis? Fortunately, I live and work a fair distance from the best chocolate shop in Paris (I’ll reveal the address later) but there are plenty of other contenders for my custom nearby. I suppose I am getting some exercise by trying to speed past but… it’s not the real thing, is it?
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Fortunately I have other things to occupy my mind. As the French tend to send cards for New Year rather than Christmas, I still have a couple of weeks to write to all the friends and family that I haven’t gotten ’round to yet. That’s one of the benefits of living abroad: you can always plead local customs for any delays (Mother’s Day is a case in point—at least a month away from the U.S. and U.K. date here). You needn’t worry, however, as The European will keep you informed of what happens when.

I haven’t yet decided to take a leaf out of Pat Westheimer’s book and join a club this year, but you can read her recommendations for how to get connected in this issue of The European. Read on to see what Steenie Harvey warns about in the seaside resorts of Montenegro, find out how to spend Twelfth Night in Spain, and what the future holds for Dubrovnik.

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

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Feasting on the beach

by Michael DeSimone

You slip off your shoes and feel cool sand on the soles of your feet as your waiter arrives with a saffron-hued paella. “ Caliente,” he warns you, pointing to the napkin-wrapped handles of the scalding pan brimming with rice, chicken, and pork, topped with shiny black mussels, miniature striped clams, and bright pink langoustines. You order another bottle of the house white, a crisp, mineral-rich Verdejo, which sells for around 8 euros (just over $10). This is a national holiday, La Fiesta de los Tres Reyes, or Feast of the Three Kings, and after your luxurious but inexpensive lunch you only have to wander uphill to your magnificent villa with sea and mountain views and figure out what to have for dinner—if you’re still hungry after feasting like a king.

Catching candy
Here on the Costa del Sol, large extended families gather at beachfront restaurants called merenderos, to celebrate the Feast of the Three Kings—the Twelfth day of Christmas—over a midday meal. While the adults eat, drink, and enjoy each other’s company, their children play with their new toys—a modern variation on the gifts of frankincense, myrrh, and gold that were given on this day.

On the eve of this holiday, every city, town, and village holds a parade that winds through the narrow cobblestone streets, and everyone cheers and tries to catch candy as the three floats, each bearing a king, pass by accompanied by marching bands, baton twirlers, and children dressed as angels. Each parade will end up in front of the local church, and the kings will present their symbolic gifts to a real live baby wrapped in swaddling clothes in a living nativity scene.

Three surprises inside
Immediately after the parade, families rush home or to a restaurant to enjoy such delicacies as lamb chops grilled with rosemary, pork chops with bacon, and shrimp in hot garlic oil. After dinner, each family will enjoy a Roscon de Reyes, a layer cake filled with whipped cream and topped with a foil crown. Three surprises are baked inside—a bean, a small toy, and the baby Jesus. The finder of the toy gets to wear the crown, the finder of Jesus will be blessed all year, and the one who gets the bean has to buy the cake next year.
Life on the eastern edge of the Costa del Sol is just one holiday and fiesta after another. Whether you live right near the Mediterranean or inland a few miles, every month brings a different saint’s day or local festival. Unlike the overbuilt tourist Meccas to the west, many towns do not allow buildings of more than three stories, and it is hard to tell the difference between an 800-year-old Moorish mansion and a brand-new townhouse, built in the style of a traditional white village dwelling, or pueblo blanco. While housing prices have gone up consistently since the advent of the euro, the cost of everyday living—including bottles of good Spanish wine and delicious paella—is so low you will wonder how you ever afforded to live anywhere else.

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.

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Sleepless in Montenegro

by Steenie Harvey

Thumping drums, screeching guitars, insane wailing. It’s now after midnight and the deafening music is making my room’s window vibrate. Van Gogh, a Serbian rock band from Belgrade, is belting out live heavy metal music. I’ve an early morning meeting with a realtor in Petrovac and plan to be up at 6:30 a.m....

Finding accommodation in any European resort is tricky in peak season and Montenegro’s coast is no exception. Not wanting to risk bivouacking on a beach, I had tried to arrange hotel accommodation before leaving home. But few hotels have websites here—and those that did never deigned to reply.

A hotel room like a jail cell...
So I used a Montenegrin booking agency ( www.inmontenegro.com). The original plan was to stay in two or three locations. But the only available accommodation was in Slovenska Plaza in Budva, Montenegro’s largest resort.

Well, Budva was central enough for traveling up and down the coast. And we decided that, if the food turned out to be disgusting, we’d eat elsewhere. (I’m here with my husband and the agency insisted on compulsory half-board.) But I didn’t realize that Slovenska Plaza is a 'holiday village' as opposed to a proper hotel. Its 974 rooms and apartments sleep over 2,500 guests. And in summer, it’s full.

From outside, the white buildings with blue shutters aren’t unattractive. The complex is laid out with squares, tennis courts, and swimming pools. There are bars, pizza places, souvenir shops, a small supermarket, hairdressers, and even a dentist. But our poky room resembles a jail cell and has furniture to match: hard, narrow beds; a chipped table and two rickety chairs painted black; a tacky painting scrawled with graffiti about the Srpska (Serbian) Republika; five wire coat-hangers in the wardrobe. What’s more, there’s no fan, and the air-conditioning unit doesn’t work. The doll’s house-sized bathroom sports a primitive handheld showerhead and a matchbox-sized soap bar. Soap must be precious. Even though reduced to a sliver at the end of the week, no replacement ever appeared. (Shampoo? Buy your own.)

A lively location
For $101 per night for two people, I reckon we’ve been well and truly rooked. Service? The cleaning lady just throws in fresh top sheets every morning. I’ve never been in a hotel where I’ve had to make the bed before. Maybe things will improve next year—an Austrian hotel group has bought a 50% stake in the complex and plans a makeover. Downmarket, undisputably. Yet, for those seeking a lively location, Slovenska Plaza is undoubtedly ideal. It sits alongside the mile-long promenade leading from Budva’s main beach to the pretty Stari Grad (old town). But if you value tranquility, it’s the worst choice imaginable, particularly in July and August.

Writers who describe Montenegro as a “secret destination” have obviously never experienced Budva in high summer. At night, the promenade becomes a neon-flashing midway, heavy with the greasy smells of burgers and deep-fried donuts. It’s hard to walk for the heaving crowds.

Hawkers sell fake perfume, fake brand-name clothing, dubious cigarettes, and all manner of tawdry junk. Kids clamor for ice cream or to visit the scruffy fairground...to race go-karts...to cram themselves into Internet arcades to play games. (It’s virtually impossible to find a vacant computer to send an e-mail.) And endless bars try to outdo each other on noise level. Don’t plan on sleeping before 1 a.m. any night.

Further Reading:
Discover The Best Places To Sleep (Or Stay Awake All Night) Around The World
For some, a good hotel means a simple bed, decent service, and maybe a great location for sightseeing the next day. For others, a hotel is a destination in and of itself. Whether you’re looking for luxury, tradition and service…or a good bed at a great price…look no further…

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The fast track to finding friends and activities—in and around Lisbon

by Patricia Westheimer

The best piece of advice I received before moving overseas was to join clubs and groups as soon as I arrived. I balked at first: In the U.S. I was never much of a joiner as I had my teaching work, a tight group of friends, and all the social events that I wanted. But the wise friend who counseled me had lived overseas before and said, “When you get to a new country, you’ll want friends, activities, and some structure. Clubs provide all of this, instantly.”

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All nationalities welcome
In Portugal, where I have lived for the past 15 years, there’s a wide range of clubs and groups for the expat. In Cascais, a seaside suburb of Lisbon, Americans in Portugal (AmP) was established in 2000. AmP exists as a social group that holds lunches in Cascais every month or six weeks.

Two guidelines only
The group has only two guidelines: English is the main language spoken, and all events are non-smoking. Most lunches have speakers on topics ranging from banking to local politics and local and international security. The atmosphere is informal, no neckties are worn, and friendships are made easily. The lunches vary from 50 to 80 people and are attended mainly by Americans, Portuguese, Brazilians, and British—all nationalities are welcome. The club’s Director, Don David Price, and other active members, also help newcomers in their search for housing and other essentials, such as information on insurance, health care, and visas.

The American Club of Lisbon (ACL) was founded in 1974. ACL creates a welcoming environment for active members of the business community to meet and discuss themes of current interest. The club has invited speakers including presidents, prime ministers, mayors, business leaders, and front runners in business, educational, and political fields. The club currently has an international membership of 550 with 80% Portuguese and 10% Americans represented (the remaining 10% represents other nationalities). The Club’s administrator, Anne Taylor Grave, says, “Since most of our members are comfortable in both English and Portuguese, speakers are asked to speak in one of these two languages, preferably in their mother tongue.”

Forging new friendships
International Women of Portugal (IWP) was established in 1991. While English is the language used by the club for its day-to-day communications and business, over 30 different nationalities are represented within the membership (currently at 300+). The group holds a monthly luncheon and a monthly coffee morning with special fundraising events throughout the year—ample opportunity to meet new people and forge new friendships. A Janela (the window) is the club’s monthly magazine, full of activities ranging from a book club to canasta, fitness walks by the sea to arraoilos rug making.

If the idea of making friends or finding activities holds you back from moving overseas, you can put your worries aside in Portugal. You’ll find instant company, activity, and fun in this sunny Iberian country.

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The Future of Dubrovnik

by Iva Zaja

Dubrovnik as a destination and cultural “brand” is almost more recognizable than Croatia itself. The historical city has evolved from a timid and undervalued place of interest into one of the hottest tourist destinations to date.

Much in demand
Land prices within the walls have risen dramatically from 700 DM in the late ’90s to as high as 5,000 euros per square meter ($6,600 per square yard) for renovated properties in the heart of the Old Town, proving just how much in demand Dubrovnik really is. But specialist Croatian real estate agents such as Croatiansun are still able to locate good value properties that allow room for capital appreciation as Dubrovnik’s popularity continues to grow.

Over the next 10 years, Croatia wants to control the pace of development in Dubrovnik, and to choose what is best for the culture, economy, and growth of this stunning area. The mayor, Dubravka Suica, has two main aims for the city, namely, to make it a high-quality, non-mass tourism destination, and secondly, for Dubrovnik to become the country's university center (the university will be based in the Old Hospital, close to the Old Town, with student residences to be built in nearby Montovjerna). Plans are already in place for the first objective, and the city is all set to create golf courses, new hotels, new roads, and to improve the infrastructure—and a 25.2 million-euro conversion of Gruz port into a state-of-the-art Mediterranean passenger port is in the pipeline.

Improved choice of accommodation
In the Old Town itself, the Dubrovnik fish-market has returned to its original home in Peskarija, the Old Town walls will be illuminated at night, and night visits will be offered. The city is trying to attract other hotel chains such as the Hyatt to follow in the Hilton's footsteps, which last year renovated the Imperial Hotel in Pile, and is also looking to improve villa rentals.

There has been considerable foreign investment in this sector. Paul Keppler, Managing Director of Croatiansun, comments, “Reacting to the high demand for holiday rentals, investors and second home purchasers alike have been seeking property opportunities in the Dubrovnik area. Dubrovnik is well serviced by the nearby airport, it has a rich cultural environment, and the Old Town maintains its historic charm making it an incredibly popular destination.”

By developing tourism and education, Croatia hopes to preserve its heritage as well as lead Dubrovnik towards a successful future. However, the only way to experience the changes in Dubrovnik is to take a trip yourself. Come and relax and dine in the local cafés, explore inside the old walls, and certainly make the most out of the glorious Adriatic coast. Croatiansun offers bespoke inspection trips to Dubrovnik allowing you to find your own Croatian property as well as soak up the culture and natural environment that Dubrovnik offers in abundance.

For further information contact Croatiansun, tel. +385 1-4898-010; e-mail: info@croatiansun.com; website: www.croatiansun.com.

Further Reading:
Croatia: The Owner’s Manual
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