I love the people and the countryside!

Would hang out with my in-laws!

Already have homes there!

He bought an apartment in Florence 20 years ago.
Then we bought a building together two years ago.
And he inherited his parents home in Acri.

Florence is a real possibility. His youngest sister lives there and we are close - so I will have a built in playmate!

I have very wonderful memories of a couple visits there with my husband.

not ever leaving. It remains a possibility!

This tiny glitch they are having in their politics is just that. A glitch.

We are thinking Lyon. Paris, without all the tourists.

They are so down to earth and kind there!

and he loves it.

He's a teacher--from Kansas City area--and he's teaching in an International school
in Lyon.

Around Copenhagen, everyone speaks English, good for me because I'm bad at other languages . People are nice, especially the younger people. The weather can be crappy, but the summers are awesome.

My kids loved it there also. We moved when one was 11 and one was 5. They had so much freedom. My 11 year old was riding the train or taking the bus with a friend. All was good.

We are moving to Belgium on Sunday....can't wait to see what it's like there

Lol goodluck

I have packers here taking my stuff away...or at least some for now

Beautiful, interesting, but somehow less haughty than many other European countries. Lots of coastline if you like that.

But I like where I live now. Other than the governor (Rick Scott) but that can change.

I get on quite well in Paris, France - but kind of think it would be too rich for me.

It would definitely be in Europe somewhere. People in Europe seem to know how to stay relaxed and enjoy life. When you go to an open air farmer's market in Europe - the veggies, fruit, breads, etc purchased just taste different and more vibrant and flavorful than anything I purchase here.

It's actually the biggest medical products show in the world. It's expensive for us attendees to stay there during this show - because all the hotels raise their prices and all the rooms get booked. I tend to stay further into the city away from the exhibit halls and in the smaller neighborhoods in Dusseldorf. I find it very charming and it reminds me of the small neighborhood I grew up in on the southwest side of Chicago in the 50's.

Everything you need is available along the small shops in the neighborhood. No big box stores. All small one owner type shops. I didn't find prices outrageous - in line or a bit cheaper than here in the Chicago area. The people are all friendly and you get a sense of community.

I been in Dusseldorf around Christmas time - and every small neighborhood in Dusseldorf has their own Christmas Markets. The food is good and the German beer is great.

Dusseldorf isn't Berlin though. Berlin is one of my favorite cities in Europe. But with the cosmopolitan young rebuilding of Berlin - all the amenities of a big U.S. city - comes the higher cost of living. Berlin is an exciting city. You can feel the energy as you walk around the city.

I could live very comfortably in Dusseldorf and from time to time train into Berlin for it's cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Oh - that's the other thing I like about Europe. Most of the cities are walking cities and their public transportation is top-notch and affordable. Getting around Europe in general is easy. Trains can take you just about anywhere. I look forward to taking the trains in Europe because they are so well run.

Last trip out a mother and her two young daughters were in the train car that I was in. They were well behaved and the mother made them whisper so as not to disturb other riders. I was impressed.

That makes a little easier for me to understand what you mean about the prices.

Large concentration of Asians.
Which means sushi!
Not great sushi, but sushi nonetheless!

Can't have duel citizenship apparently?

Associated news item here :


The German government on Tuesday signed off on a draft law that will allow young Germans of foreign origin to have dual citizenship, a move that relaxes some of Europe's strictest nationality laws and will benefit the large Turkish community.

Current rules oblige children of immigrants from most non-EU countries to choose at the age of 23 between German citizenship or that of their parents' country of origin.

The dual passport issue has long rankled among the roughly three million people of Turkish origin living in Germany, just under half of whom have taken German citizenship.

The draft law approved by the government allows young people to opt for two passports if, at the age of 21, they can prove they have lived in Germany for at least eight years, gone to school in the country for six years, gained school-leaving qualifications here or completed vocational training in Germany.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/08/us-germany-citizenship-idUSBREA3713Z20140408

But they have dual parentage (my wife is German), so they are allowed to keep both for life. Plus they were born here, and DID live and go to school here until age 16. The younger one has moved back here for work, while her sister, who lived in Germany longer, has settled in New York City.

Actually it's technically a suburb, although I'm closer to the Düsseldorf airport than most of Düsseldorf. You can google Ratingen if you want, and I have this in my back yard:
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The Düsseldorf area is generally VERY expensive. It is a favorite of the Japanese, and the real estate section of the Saturday newspaper always says "Japanese companies looking for houses for their executives, any price."

Disadvantages--the weather is often lousy, German bureaucracy is slow, unfeeling, uncaring, and often very nasty. A cop recently fined a one-handed bicycle rider for having his brake on the left instead of on the right, even though he didn't have a right arm. The cops DID refund the money and apologize after the local paper made a big stink about it, but still WTF?? I mean, OK, in New Mexico, they would have shot him dead, but this is not supposed to be New Mexico. It is VERY expensive to live here, so have a job lined up with a work permit, marry a German citizen, or bring an inheritance with you. Petty crime is up, and the cops are NOT in the slightest interested in going after the bad guys, and won't help much those who are victims. If you're getting a car, be prepared for sticker shock with both insurance and gas (like $7.50 a gallon upwards).

LEARN GERMAN. If you don't become proficient in German in Germany, your social life will be about as interesting as that of someone living in Dallas who only speaks German.

Advantages--most German cities are divided up into small communities and often strong personal bonds are formed. We have a group of friends with whom we all leave our house keys. The open air markets are wonderful, and the small shops really do make a place liveable--although greed is forcing them to close right and left. Alone in our town of Ratingen, greedy renters forced several of our favorite places to close, and put in national chains of cell phone stores, McTravel bureaus and insurance company outlets. VERY depressing. Public transportation is usually (though not always!) very reliable and frequent, though expensive. The city of Düsseldorf has some just delightful areas, and the outlying areas are mostly nice, too. It is VERY popular as a residential area, so if you have children and want them in a Kindergarten or school, start early on enrolling them. D'Dorf has a great airport and train station, and while trains are expensive, many airlines offer GREAT trips in and out of here to almost everywhere. BIG plus!!

Note--despite what some may say, there is NOT universal health insurance here. You have to arrange for your own health insurance if your employer doesn't specifically offer it (though if it is a German employer, I think they are required to). Germany has a patchwork system. If you make too much, you can be on the hook for as much as $20,000 a year out of your own pocket for health insurance. Most people do have it, though, but it is not automatic in many cases. Don't assume it is.

to live in NM! That's my goal for the future. Northern NM.

But everyone I know who has been there says it is beautiful. Valerie Plame moved there with her husband, Joe, after the Cheney/Rove debacle, and she said she loves it there.

This Fall I'll be in Santa Fe for a week. Hoping for some cold weather! L.A. is hot all year round.

After the German Rheinland, I'm ready for some heat!

As it is, from what I understand, I'm flying into a hurricane tomorrow. Of all the lousy luck!

My friend just flew into CA out of NYC just in the nick of time.
I spent some time in Germany near Frankfurt back in the 90s. Loved the weather, lol!

The Taunus hills outside town are like having a little Berkshire Mountains in your back yard.

If we get diverted to NYC or Montreal tomorrow, our whole first week of vacation will be off to one very lousy start.

I don't know why, but I don't like that city, ever since I first visited it around 1970. I've been back a number of times and haven't grown to like it any more.

The government is quite conservative; they decimated the arts there with their austerity budget; and I don't particularly like the people (and yes, I've met real Amsterdamers, been in their houses). I do like the new library there. So count me out for Amsterdam. Surprisingly, I'd prefer Rotterdam.

I guess I'd go to France or Belgium, if only because I speak the language, and lived in Paris for a while--though a long time ago. I also like Vienna and Prague, though I have no connections particularly. The food in Prague sucks, though ... so that would be a problem.

My family roots are in Hungary and what is now Belarus -- um, no thanks to both.

I think I'm in for Paris or Brussels.

now. My very young granddaughters, (age 5 1/2 and 3 1/2) speak both Dutch and English (as well as a bit of Spanish).. Family keeps a flat in Das Hague for holidays, but they also do B&B someplace in Belgium. They go every summer, while I house-sit for them while they're away. Every year. I think I'd like to go with them next year and get someone else to house sit.

and is coming back to the US on Saturday for grad school.

We went to Europe twice while he was there:

Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Berlin, London, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen.


Out of all those places, I felt most 'at home' in Vienna. Nice smaller city,
great transportation, not as expensive as many other places, and I thought
people were a bit more friendly.

Unless you speak French, I think anywhere in France would be tough.
LOTS of people speaking English in Vienna and Berlin.

I have family there and so meet that criterion for emigration to an EU country.

So any EU country...

(cause I hate Ireland's abortion laws and patriarchal attitudes....)

Meetcha there. For coffee and a pastry.

I don't think I have ever cried so hard in my life as when I had to leave there. I fell in love with the city. I never wanted to leave. I would give anything to be able to live there again.

They seem to be pretty together on people policies.

I stayed in Oslo and traveled over mountains to Bergen. I went on a boat in the Fjords!

I also loved my trip to Malmo from Copenhagen (Denmark). Denmark is great!

I so want to see them!

The racial tensions behind Sweden’s idyllic facade

http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/6/sweden-refugees-racismstockholm.html

June 9, 2014 12:30AM ET by Sam Piranty

Last month, I went to Stockholm on a reporting trip. The city seemed idyllic: bicycles aplenty standing unlocked outside at night, Volvos with their doors open and engines running, and not a cigarette butt in sight. In trendy Hornstull, bearded bros high-fived each other over Brooklyn craft beers. But everyone, it seemed, was white.

I got chatting with some of these happy hipsters and asked where I might find some of the million Somalis, Kurds, Iraqis, Chileans and Syrians who began arriving in the ’70s seeking asylum in what many perceived to be a Scandinavian “paradise.” Ever since, Sweden’s immigrant population has largely reflected wherever there has been conflict or unrest in the world. “They live in the suburbs, at the end of the blue metro line,” Karl informed me, adjusting his sunglasses in the dimly lit bar. “Don’t go there now, though, it's pretty dangerous. They’re pretty angry, and it's nighttime; black people get pretty angry when there’s no sun.”

“Don’t you think that’s pretty racist?” I asked. Karl hesitated for a moment, shooting a look at his drinking companion before removing his Ray-Bans and turning back to me. “I’m not racist,” he said. “I’m Swedish.”

My time in Sweden suggested that Karl’s articulation of the apparent exclusivity of these two concepts was not an anomaly confined to late-night drinking. Sweden proclaims itself to be an inclusive and tolerant society despite its segregated cities, racial inequality and Islamophobia. But that’s false. One only has to look at the main entrance to the Central Mosque in the middle of Stockholm to see the remains of the swastikas painted on the doors. The rise of the far right, and the entrance of the Sweden Democrats into Sweden’s parliament, have created a space to further isolate those who don’t look “Swedish.” Twice in central Stockholm, when accompanied by two Swedish-born Somalis, I was told to go back to my own country. Recent statistics show a large increase in hate crimes against Muslims, Jews, African-born residents and the Roma community.

~ snip ~

and I worked in Brazil for a year so I sort of speak Portuguese.

So I'd probably go to Sweden.

I like Amsterdam, too.

Scotland is good to its people. Also try Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

Been there twice, and have alays felt drawn to it, even before visiting. My middle name is Elliott, so I may be a member of the Elliot clan. I know it is spelled in a variety of ways - Eliot, Elliot, and Elliott. Not sure about any significance of the number of "Ls" and "Ts".

I LOVE bagpipes and kilts. I even like haggis.

Their education system is great. They are lovely with old people. My relatives live in Ayrshire. My great Aunt used to live in Edinburgh. One of the best evenings I spent was cruising on Loch Lomond in a little boat. I would love to visit the Scottish Islands.

Very friendly people, English speaking, beautiful landscapes, progressive social policies, peaceful, settled culture, and my Scottish ancestors call to me from the highlands.

.....however, the Scottish accent is somewhat hard to understand sometimes! Also, different words for various things (as in England)! I found EVERYONE I met totally friendly and charming. Great wit, and music!

Any place with mountains and year-round cool weather sounds like heaven to me and they have gay marriage!

Love cool weather, mountains, and marriage equality. I guess Scotland's the place for me, too.

Ancestral home of the Redan.

It's beautiful down there.

Which European area is it in, exactly?

so it would either by Iceland or somewhere Scandinavian, preferably Norway.

it could be questionable.

You can cross a bridge between America and Europe: http://icelandreview.com/stuff/multimedia/2011/11/07/bridge-between-two-continents

Culturally, it had no inhabitants before the Norse settlers, so it's European. It's a member of the Council of Europe, the European Free Trade Association, the European Economic Area, and the Schengen (borders/customs) area, and had applied to join the European Union, but has suspended the application since people don't seem so keen.

And where I can worship the Old Gods at Their sacred sites.

I'm learning Spanish right now in central America, but I want to know if Spain would be a good country to live in...

i pick norway because i don't care for warm weather much.

Good literature? People like reading there?

i would assume it's probably higher than the US and probably UK.

but it's the type of country where you would probably enjoy many public places where you can just relax and read .

Well, Spain, sorta. Catalunya. Still Spain for now, anyway. Rather different from the rest of Spain. I lived with a Catalan family, so I learned to speak Catalan, which is now the official language there (I lived there under the end of fascist dictatorship, when schools, newspapers and television in Catalan were still forbidden).

I've been back quite a lot lately, but only in Barcelona. Madrid never did anything for me. I loved San Sebastain (Donostia) and Granada, but Grenada was too hot for me and Donostia got too much rain for my taste.

I could definitely see moving back to Barcelona if I had some reason to. It's one of the few places I frequently go for work where my wife has no problem at all coming with me.

Although I've been to Italy once or twice and speak the language, I really don't know much about living there at all.

Iceland, Norway or the Netherlands for reasonably sane government, although the far right is now gaining traction in the latter. Xenophobia sells.

France for the language and the food, probably Strasbourg, where part of my family is from.

Norway.

Alternatively, Corsica, but they have a rule you have to be resident for five years before you can buy real estate because the locals were getting priced out. My niece did offer to "take one for the team" on that one. Generous of her.

Get back to my roots, ya know.

Whichever is closest to the equator and warmest seas. Because livable warmth and high humidity is more important than anything to me

Also, the further south you go, the better off you'll be as the oceans warm. Climatologists are predicting that storms will form earlier in the Atlantic, which means they'll have more staying power as they loop over to middle and northern Europe

They don't start wars.

And usually more.

Thanks to CERN

Despite all the problems they're having I love that country.

that would make things easier. And I've enjoyed the time we've spent in Krakow as well as the countryside village her grandmother lives in.

I don't think we'll ever do this, but it would make the most sense for us if we ever did.

Nt

Spent some time there and thoroughly enjoyed it. I lived in Germany (Bavaria) for a couple of years, and I would rate it a close second.

Might be able to find some shirttail relatives in either place.

I understand the language and love the people and their health care system.

Confoederatio Helvetica

The best of Italy, Germany and France all rolled up in one not so big Alpine Paradise

Can't beat the trains

or the scenery


England if that didn't work

LOL.

Please correct.

It has everything I like except enough sun. I suppose there would be regular trips to the mainland.

Fits my pacifist beliefs, beautiful country, and I recently traced my ancestry back there.

Most beautiful place I've ever been.

but I'd live in Monte Carlo in a second if I could afford it.

(sorry - I replied to Switzerland by mistake - although I would also consider that beautiful country!)

Since I speak French and studied in Paris as a student.

But having said that, I wouldn't agree if it were some regions of France - for example, Alsace-Lorraine makes good food and wine, but the people are kind of racist, IMHO. Burgundy is one of the most naturally beautiful regions of France, and with also terrific gastronomic delights, but not much going on there, for a single person.

If I were moving to Europe, it'd be one of the popular cities - London, Paris, Berlin, or my personal favorite, Marseilles. I've been to about a dozen European countries, and let's let it suffice to say Italy is not one of my favorite places, nor is Poland. (Though of course, everywhere you go possesses some parochial charms; you just have to look for them.)

I was shocked to see anyone pick that city in France or Europe for that matter. I found that to be the dirtiest and nastiest city in Europe. That proves that we all have different opinions of places. I would never return to the city much less live there.

It's funny sometimes, but the places I like best are frequently places that nobody else likes, lol. That must be due to my weirdness, but love it there I did.

Enjoy when you get back there!!!!!

Along the Mosul or Rhine River, near Saarbrucken, from where my ancestors left to immigrate to the US in 1710.

Mosul is in Iraq

Too much of that nice white wine.

..To that other America that Barack Obama seems to be the president of. You know, the one where there was an economic recovery? And where there is apparently a middle class that he mentions so much.

because that's my ethnic background and I was just there last week

And when you get older, they don't want you unless you have family there. Mine are all long gone, but I have friends in Norway, Wales and Sussex.

in my fantasy.....

Somewhere in southern England, where my ancestors came from. I have made one visit to that wonderful kingdom, and it felt like coming home.

I still have some distant relatives there, and the language is supposed to be pretty close to english, at least as far as grammar.

Of course, not going to move there - I love Oregon, and I got over the whole "grass is always greener" thing years ago. People are pretty close to the same wherever you go. I would like to visit someday.

where health care is a basic human right. But probably one of the Scandinavian countries as they make the best use of tax dollars with services to the citizens as opposed to spending most of the tax money on the US war machine.

They definitely spend their tax money on social issues, but you will be paying 60 percent to the nation and another 15 to the local. Then you have the VAT and sales Tax. Plus everything is expensive. However, if your ideal is to help others then those countries are for you. As long as you can live on 25 percent before buying a thing then you are good to go. For example, my pension is 4,000 a month so I have about 1200 euros to live on. Gas is 8 dollars a gallon AT LEAST.

for bustaid and they sell it to you dirt cheap!

Not in any specific order....even South of France. 😃

Even though I've only been to one of those four (Italy) I love the southern Mediterranean culture. And the men. Yes, I'm that shallow!

Don't stone me people, I'm happily married! Even if I do occasionally have impure thoughts involving Cristiano Ronaldo, a bottle of wine and a secluded beach

But I am single . 😃