The appeal of the Hérault in the south of France
Often overlooked for the more popular Dordogne or Charente by international buyers, the Hérault offers the best of both rural France and seaside resort towns.Read more...
Basic Guide to Spanish Politics
Spain is in the midst of political turmoil that could directly affect British rights post Brexit. With elections coming thick and fast, read our guide to Spain’s big issues and main political parties That old Chinese curse “May you live in interesting times” seems about right for the political situation in Spain right now. It’s easy to forget that Spain only really became a modern democracy in the late 1970s after Franco died in 1975 – do you remember footage of the attempted coup in 1981? – and for local people it is a right not to be taken for granted. If you’re new to Spanish politicRead more...
The new Normandy conquest
950 years ago on 14th October, the Normans defeated the English army at Senlac Hill in Sussex. These days the traffic is the other way, as the British pop across the Channel to grab a piece of the lovely towns, pretty houses and beaches of NormandyRead more...
Portuguese house price rises: steady, slow, sustainable
The two key themes of the Portuguese property market today are shortage of supply and increasing demand. For people with a financial stake in the country, that adds up to a good thing.Read more...
Five Wonderful Things About Living in Portugal
While no country is a utopia, living in Portugal comes quite close! Our writer in Portugal would like to offer five great reasons to join him When I first moved to Portugal, I had a clear idea in my mind of what things would be like. As with so many events in life, nothing turns out exactly as predicted, but the fact remains that there are many factors that make a life in Portugal a very pleasurable one. Here are five things that really stand out in my mind:Read more...
Rural living Italian style
With eight acres of land to care for, each season nature brings something new and beautiful to discover in the Italian countryside.Read more...
Grape expectations – buying a vineyard
Imagine owning a country house in Italy with your own vineyard, sitting on your terrace, overlooking your own fields, with a glass of your own wine. You could be, explains our writer in Italy.Read more...
Making friends and influencing people, French style
Greetings and goodbyes can be awkward affairs in Britain. In France they have this down to a fine art, including the required number of kisses.Read more...
Costa Blanca valleys offer value and rustic charm
Little wonder England manager Sam Allardyce bolted to his Spanish home last week – it’s in a part of Spain with stunning natural scenery where switching off comes with the territory.Read more...
The 20 best international schools in Europe
If only the best is good enough for your little ones, where is Paris’s answer to Eton, Madrid’s version of Harrow? Here are the best European schools beyond our shores. Even better, some of them are free. FRANCE 1. Lycée Henri IV LOCATION: Paris PUPILS: Day school accepting pupils from 13-18 FEES: Free ALUMNI: Jean-Paul Sartre, Guy de Maupassant, Sir Christopher Meyer (British Ambassador to US)Read more...
100 days of Brexit
What has happened since Britain’s historic and unexpected decision to leave the European Union?Read more...