planning a year as a Gypsy
Jun 15th, 2013, 07:42 AM
#2
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It really depends on how much money I had. Most places wouldn't be much fun without enough money to live comfortably. It would also be a safety issue. Some countries have very interesting historical sites, but are politically unstable.
Are you talking about specific cities/towns or entire countries? Some small towns may seem nice for a week, but I'd get bored if I had to stay a whole month. For me it would have to be large cities, with opportunities for daytrips.
Are you talking about specific cities/towns or entire countries? Some small towns may seem nice for a week, but I'd get bored if I had to stay a whole month. For me it would have to be large cities, with opportunities for daytrips.
Jun 15th, 2013, 08:08 AM
#3
Hi Lee - I am considering doing something similar next year. I am planning to put my house on the market early next year, put what I haven't gotten rid of in storage, and become a nomad for a while. However, the ultimate objective is to pick a place to retire to in Europe, meanwhile revisiting some favorite places and seeing some new ones, so I won't be spending a month everywhere.
If I were doing what you ask about, I would be trying for a mix of town and country, Europe and Asia, and perhaps Australia/New Zealand. Definitely London and Paris, perhaps Budapest, the Alps - maybe in Austria rather than Switzerland, Sicily, a Greek island (probably north-east Aegean). Istanbul. For Asia I would have a hard time settling anywhere for a month, there's so much to see. Beijing (in a less polluted month!) - or maybe Chengdu instead. A hill town in India. Luang Prabang (but it's gotten rather touristy). Sydney. I might throw in a month in Chicago or San Franciso.
For my "where to retire to" places I'm considering Bath, Salisbury, Shrewsbury and York in England (don't think I can afford London). Lyon, Annecy, Pau, Bayonne, Aix, Toulouse in France. Lisbon (or environs) in Portugal. Graz or Innsbruck in Austria. (I have dual UK/US citizenship, so am not subject to Schengen limits.)
If I were doing what you ask about, I would be trying for a mix of town and country, Europe and Asia, and perhaps Australia/New Zealand. Definitely London and Paris, perhaps Budapest, the Alps - maybe in Austria rather than Switzerland, Sicily, a Greek island (probably north-east Aegean). Istanbul. For Asia I would have a hard time settling anywhere for a month, there's so much to see. Beijing (in a less polluted month!) - or maybe Chengdu instead. A hill town in India. Luang Prabang (but it's gotten rather touristy). Sydney. I might throw in a month in Chicago or San Franciso.
For my "where to retire to" places I'm considering Bath, Salisbury, Shrewsbury and York in England (don't think I can afford London). Lyon, Annecy, Pau, Bayonne, Aix, Toulouse in France. Lisbon (or environs) in Portugal. Graz or Innsbruck in Austria. (I have dual UK/US citizenship, so am not subject to Schengen limits.)
Jun 15th, 2013, 10:17 AM
#4
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you have understood my goal, perhaps because we are both selling what we have and looking for the next place.... interesting you dont mention anywhere in italy except sicly. i do an itlaian american blog and try to write about the places i visit.
this is an idea i have had for a long time and just decided to throw it out to the many forum for suggestions. the rules will be: if it gets dangerous i leave, if it is really, really horid i go somewhere else perhaps in the same country, i am willing to do the adventure but am not stupid (my readers may not agree. i like the towns you have selected in GB. i just returned from a split week in london/dover/cantebury and always enjoy the village life. But after asking many, many locals if a foreigner will fit into a village, they agreed NO. intersting..... if you consider a small town in Italy for your adventure, let me know, i can give you 5 or 6.
this is an idea i have had for a long time and just decided to throw it out to the many forum for suggestions. the rules will be: if it gets dangerous i leave, if it is really, really horid i go somewhere else perhaps in the same country, i am willing to do the adventure but am not stupid (my readers may not agree. i like the towns you have selected in GB. i just returned from a split week in london/dover/cantebury and always enjoy the village life. But after asking many, many locals if a foreigner will fit into a village, they agreed NO. intersting..... if you consider a small town in Italy for your adventure, let me know, i can give you 5 or 6.
Jun 15th, 2013, 10:22 AM
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anyegr, all very good points, i have no idea what the budget shall be until i know the towns/cities. I am looking for suggestions now.
i have written on my blog how to try to travel for 100.00 US a day. far mare than a back packer but i am far past that stage in life.
right now the rules are: safe, has a train station in the town, is politically stable.....at the moment...
once i have an outline of places to stay i shall start to look for what is of interest in each location: something i can learn, where i might volunteer, etc
thanks for reading and contributing
i have written on my blog how to try to travel for 100.00 US a day. far mare than a back packer but i am far past that stage in life.
right now the rules are: safe, has a train station in the town, is politically stable.....at the moment...
once i have an outline of places to stay i shall start to look for what is of interest in each location: something i can learn, where i might volunteer, etc
thanks for reading and contributing
Jun 15th, 2013, 10:46 AM
#6
Thanks for the Italian offer, Lee, what's your blog? (Mine is listed in my profile.) Now you mention it, I would love a month in Venice! I liked Ferrara, and Castlerotto, and Bologna is reputed to be great for food, but somewhere smaller might be interesting, although perhaps not for a month.
I think for the UK village it depends on the village. There are a lot of places that are now commuting distance from London that will have more "strangers" in residence than formerly. And smallish towns shouldn't be such a problem. I want somewhere an easy train ride from London (although not necessarily commuting distance) with good restaurants and good adult education. And good public transport or everything in walking distance. And good health care, of course.
I think for the UK village it depends on the village. There are a lot of places that are now commuting distance from London that will have more "strangers" in residence than formerly. And smallish towns shouldn't be such a problem. I want somewhere an easy train ride from London (although not necessarily commuting distance) with good restaurants and good adult education. And good public transport or everything in walking distance. And good health care, of course.
Jun 15th, 2013, 11:24 AM
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ha, i think i have driven past Cary NC dzs of times while commuting to NJ from Atlanta!
You sound exactly like a man i met about a week ago. he moved to london from the USA (dual citizenship) volunteered at St Bartholomews where I had gone to do research for a story i wanted to complete: where a solo traveler can go to eat in london. I had been to st pauls cafe in the crypt, st martin in the field, mary le bow and SB was my last stop before i had to head home.... he was busy day and night with things to do.....perhaps our attitude changes when we live somewhere so full of things.....i feel that i am wasting all the great things to see if i sit in the park! but on this trip i stayed in a 'commuter' area Hammersmith. i had to be dragged off the river walk, think i went 3 miles each way! two days proved to me i could do the village: found all the local shops and would have tried the pubs if i had more time and nerve......when you get into your 'move' you should do a monthly post on what you are doing to get there, and where you are going.....so many of us out there, and I want to do it and if i fail i can always come back here and be shipped to florida until i die.......my new blog that i started on this trip is mature sol travel, my italian american blog is hometoitaly.com plz stay in touch with ideas
You sound exactly like a man i met about a week ago. he moved to london from the USA (dual citizenship) volunteered at St Bartholomews where I had gone to do research for a story i wanted to complete: where a solo traveler can go to eat in london. I had been to st pauls cafe in the crypt, st martin in the field, mary le bow and SB was my last stop before i had to head home.... he was busy day and night with things to do.....perhaps our attitude changes when we live somewhere so full of things.....i feel that i am wasting all the great things to see if i sit in the park! but on this trip i stayed in a 'commuter' area Hammersmith. i had to be dragged off the river walk, think i went 3 miles each way! two days proved to me i could do the village: found all the local shops and would have tried the pubs if i had more time and nerve......when you get into your 'move' you should do a monthly post on what you are doing to get there, and where you are going.....so many of us out there, and I want to do it and if i fail i can always come back here and be shipped to florida until i die.......my new blog that i started on this trip is mature sol travel, my italian american blog is hometoitaly.com plz stay in touch with ideas
Jun 18th, 2013, 11:11 AM
#8
I wouldn't want to live 12 different places in such a short period of time. I'd prefer to stay in one place for a year. Or maybe 2 places 6 months each. Moving/changing places 12 times holds absolutely no appeal for me.
Jun 18th, 2013, 02:18 PM
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I go to Europe and avoid the countries where my dog couldn't come without a long time in quarantine.
Really, like suze. I'd want to live in one place for a year and take the cats too.
Saddled with pets
Really, like suze. I'd want to live in one place for a year and take the cats too.
Saddled with pets
Jun 23rd, 2013, 09:51 PM
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If I could live in 12 different Places for a month at a time, I will go in the Panama City Beach Florida. because that,s my Favourite place. I will also take a room in the Beautiful Resort near Beach. where i can see the beauty of Nature and Beach also.
Jun 24th, 2013, 12:46 AM
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If you're planning to travel as a gypsy, does that mean you are planning on funding your trip by petty theft and scams?
Answering your questions, my 12 destinations in no particular order would be:
1. Costa del Sol
2. Marrakesh
3. Stornoway
4. Faroe Islands
5. Istanbul
6. Portland, Oregon (USA)
7. Falkland Islands
8. Odessa
9. Reykjavík
10. St. Johns, Newfoundland
11. Ulaanbaatar
12. Almaty
Answering your questions, my 12 destinations in no particular order would be:
1. Costa del Sol
2. Marrakesh
3. Stornoway
4. Faroe Islands
5. Istanbul
6. Portland, Oregon (USA)
7. Falkland Islands
8. Odessa
9. Reykjavík
10. St. Johns, Newfoundland
11. Ulaanbaatar
12. Almaty
Jun 26th, 2013, 08:54 AM
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I'm not sure just exactly what the purpose of your initial question is lee.
If you want to determine whether a place is somewhere you would want to live long term then a month is simply not enough time to do that in. The following may be of interest to thursdayd given his/her intention to retire somewhere.
Having spent reasonably signifigant (6 months or more) time in several different countries it is my experience that things happen in stages. After 3 weeks you may have found out a few basics; after 3 months you may think you have things figured out; after 3 years you probably do have things figured out and start to become somewhat accepted locally.
Having met many people who moved to another country I can tell you that around 50% were gone within 2 years and 90% within 5 years. That's personal observation, not statistically provable data but I think it is probably pretty universal as I gained that impression over many years and in various countries.
Based on these observations my advice to anyone considering a move to another country and especially in retirement is to not BUY anything (a home, a business, etc.) until after the 'honeymoon phase' has passed. That generally covers the first 2 years. There is no way to know if you will 'stick' or not except to try it. But if you do not 'stick' then what you do not want is to be stuck owning something that you then have to try and sell to move on. This is especially true in any of the popular areas for retirement. Locals always know when a 'foreigner' wants out and offers to buy are made accordingly. ie. low offers.
In all my years living in various desirable retirement locations I have never once seen someone leave with more money than they came with.
If you want to determine whether a place is somewhere you would want to live long term then a month is simply not enough time to do that in. The following may be of interest to thursdayd given his/her intention to retire somewhere.
Having spent reasonably signifigant (6 months or more) time in several different countries it is my experience that things happen in stages. After 3 weeks you may have found out a few basics; after 3 months you may think you have things figured out; after 3 years you probably do have things figured out and start to become somewhat accepted locally.
Having met many people who moved to another country I can tell you that around 50% were gone within 2 years and 90% within 5 years. That's personal observation, not statistically provable data but I think it is probably pretty universal as I gained that impression over many years and in various countries.
Based on these observations my advice to anyone considering a move to another country and especially in retirement is to not BUY anything (a home, a business, etc.) until after the 'honeymoon phase' has passed. That generally covers the first 2 years. There is no way to know if you will 'stick' or not except to try it. But if you do not 'stick' then what you do not want is to be stuck owning something that you then have to try and sell to move on. This is especially true in any of the popular areas for retirement. Locals always know when a 'foreigner' wants out and offers to buy are made accordingly. ie. low offers.
In all my years living in various desirable retirement locations I have never once seen someone leave with more money than they came with.
Jun 27th, 2013, 07:44 AM
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Both. Your UK countrymen in places like Spain and Turkish occupied Cyprus and your US countrymen in places like Costa Rica and Panama.
You're looking at retiring thrusdaysd. I've been 'retired' (financially independent) for 25 years now. Believe me I know all about the topic of living in other countries.
For example, you mention France. Are you aware that in some towns and villages in France where many expats chose to retire, they are not welcomed at all by the locals. Having your car key scratched is all too common as a means of locals expressing their dislike of all the foreigners coming in and buying up property making it difficult for young first time homebuyers.
If you leave your home vacant in Costa Rica without paying someone to watch it for you, it is entirely possible to return and find 'squatters' have moved in. To get them out then becomes a big legal battle.
In Spain, people have bought their dream villa only to then discover that either the land title was not clear and someone disputes their ownership or that a road/street is going to be built that goes right through their swimming pool and there is nothing they can do about it.
In Turkish occupied Cyprus, people are buying older houses or new houses on property that belongs to a Greek Cypriot who had to leave when Turkey occupied the island. That ownership battle is going to come one day as well.
There are so many things people don't know about the pitfalls of buying in a foreign country. For some unknown reason, when they look at buying it is like they leave their common sense at home. They don't do their due diligence and even when some do try to, they don't know what it is they should be looking for. They trust that things work as they do back 'home'. They do not. They trust that the lawyer they hire to handle the transaction knows what to do and will act in their best interest. They may not.
Going back to the simple France example thursdaysd, how would you know if something like that applies to say Aix and you should avoid it? You won't know.
I'm not trying to discourage anyone from trying living in another country thrusdaysd, I'm just offering some personal observation based on 25 plus years of having seen it all happen.
I lived in the UK for 6.5 years(99-06) (I was also born there). The issues I would point out there are not property related, they are weather and culture related.
From my perspective of living in other countries, the weather sucks.
The youth culture is far more depressing than in most of N. America. Getting drunk every Friday night is a common goal, far more than I ever experienced in N. America. Contrast that to say Greece where a drunk teenager is something I never saw in 7 years of living there. Crime, apathy and low self-esteem are rampant in the UK.
I don't regret my 6.5 years in the UK. I had my reasons for being there that long but after the first couple of years I was quite clear that I would not be staying longer than needed. There were simply far too many better places to live.
You're looking at retiring thrusdaysd. I've been 'retired' (financially independent) for 25 years now. Believe me I know all about the topic of living in other countries.
For example, you mention France. Are you aware that in some towns and villages in France where many expats chose to retire, they are not welcomed at all by the locals. Having your car key scratched is all too common as a means of locals expressing their dislike of all the foreigners coming in and buying up property making it difficult for young first time homebuyers.
If you leave your home vacant in Costa Rica without paying someone to watch it for you, it is entirely possible to return and find 'squatters' have moved in. To get them out then becomes a big legal battle.
In Spain, people have bought their dream villa only to then discover that either the land title was not clear and someone disputes their ownership or that a road/street is going to be built that goes right through their swimming pool and there is nothing they can do about it.
In Turkish occupied Cyprus, people are buying older houses or new houses on property that belongs to a Greek Cypriot who had to leave when Turkey occupied the island. That ownership battle is going to come one day as well.
There are so many things people don't know about the pitfalls of buying in a foreign country. For some unknown reason, when they look at buying it is like they leave their common sense at home. They don't do their due diligence and even when some do try to, they don't know what it is they should be looking for. They trust that things work as they do back 'home'. They do not. They trust that the lawyer they hire to handle the transaction knows what to do and will act in their best interest. They may not.
Going back to the simple France example thursdaysd, how would you know if something like that applies to say Aix and you should avoid it? You won't know.
I'm not trying to discourage anyone from trying living in another country thrusdaysd, I'm just offering some personal observation based on 25 plus years of having seen it all happen.
I lived in the UK for 6.5 years(99-06) (I was also born there). The issues I would point out there are not property related, they are weather and culture related.
From my perspective of living in other countries, the weather sucks.
The youth culture is far more depressing than in most of N. America. Getting drunk every Friday night is a common goal, far more than I ever experienced in N. America. Contrast that to say Greece where a drunk teenager is something I never saw in 7 years of living there. Crime, apathy and low self-esteem are rampant in the UK.
I don't regret my 6.5 years in the UK. I had my reasons for being there that long but after the first couple of years I was quite clear that I would not be staying longer than needed. There were simply far too many better places to live.
Jul 3rd, 2013, 04:23 AM
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I don't know how someone could actually "live" for a month anywhere 12 different times. A month is just a long vacation you could not possible know a place that well in a month. I love the concept of traveling around though and if I had the money I would love to do it myself. Poster is not really speaking of purchasing propery--Improviser certainly puts a different spin on the entire idea of living elsewhere.
I love the "reality' check on the "Honeymoon" is over. This is very typical when going to a new place. There is a honeymoon phase that can fizzle quickly in time.
I love the "reality' check on the "Honeymoon" is over. This is very typical when going to a new place. There is a honeymoon phase that can fizzle quickly in time.
Jul 3rd, 2013, 07:02 AM
#20
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I am an advocate of 'slow travel' diann24. The name is misleading really. The idea of slow travel is that you try as much as possible to live in a place for as long as you are able to be there. It can be as short as a week. But you do not stay in a hotel. You rent an apartment or house, go grocery shopping, take local buses etc., spend your time in the immediate area within walking distance. A week in one small village can be enough to get a feel for that village. The travel part is extremely limited other than getting to/from the place where you will live. You spend all your time interacting with locals, not other foreigners.
For example, I lived in Antibes in the south of France for a summer one year. Although I had accomodation on a boat in the harbour I chose to rent a small studio in town (Studio Perl) which is a student residence most of the year. In 5 months I rarely went outside of Antibes. Even in 1 month you would have a different feel for the place than someone staying a few nights or a week. The staff in the bakery get to know you when you come in every day to buy your baquette for example and greet you accordingly. The couple who own the favourite little local restaurant you find give you a complimentery drink or dessert and ask what you have been up to.
I have found 2 keys to becoming accepted quickly in a place. Find a watering hole (bar) that suits you and visit every evening. You don't have to drink a lot, one or two is enough. Sit at the bar, not at a table where you are isolated. Say little if anything the first night, ask the bartender a question about something local perhaps. I like to find a bar with a pool table and on the second night ask someone local to have a game. A pool table is a great icebreaker. By the third or fourth night you will be known and included in conversations.
Do somewhat the same with a restaurant. Bar and restaurant owners love repeat customers and your 'loyalty' is not to be underestimated. Going to different places every night like a butterfly to flowers will not get you what sticking to one will do.
For example, I lived in Antibes in the south of France for a summer one year. Although I had accomodation on a boat in the harbour I chose to rent a small studio in town (Studio Perl) which is a student residence most of the year. In 5 months I rarely went outside of Antibes. Even in 1 month you would have a different feel for the place than someone staying a few nights or a week. The staff in the bakery get to know you when you come in every day to buy your baquette for example and greet you accordingly. The couple who own the favourite little local restaurant you find give you a complimentery drink or dessert and ask what you have been up to.
I have found 2 keys to becoming accepted quickly in a place. Find a watering hole (bar) that suits you and visit every evening. You don't have to drink a lot, one or two is enough. Sit at the bar, not at a table where you are isolated. Say little if anything the first night, ask the bartender a question about something local perhaps. I like to find a bar with a pool table and on the second night ask someone local to have a game. A pool table is a great icebreaker. By the third or fourth night you will be known and included in conversations.
Do somewhat the same with a restaurant. Bar and restaurant owners love repeat customers and your 'loyalty' is not to be underestimated. Going to different places every night like a butterfly to flowers will not get you what sticking to one will do.
