Sep 25 2008
Greece - one of the best countries to retire
Though it may not be as cheap as Spain and Morocco, Greece has still managed to capture the hearts of many to spend their retirement in its notable historical places. Though some historians have considered Greece as the smallest and less important nation in Europe, no one can still deny the fact that Greece is one of the best places to retire-with those known exciting and very alluring island on Piraeus, some parts of Athens, Cyclades, Dodecanese, Crete, Lesbos, Corfu, and many others.
Located in southern Europe, Greece forms an irregular-shaped peninsula in the Mediterranean with two additional large peninsulas projecting from it: the Chalcidice and the Peloponnese. The Greek islands are generally subdivided into two groups, according to location: the Ionian islands (including Corfu, Cephalonia, and Leucas) west of the mainland and the Aegean islands (including Euboea, Samos, Chios, Lesbos, and Crete) to the east and south. North-central Greece, Epirus, and western Macedonia are all mountainous. The main chain of the Pindus Mountains extends from northwest Greece to the Peloponnese. Mount Olympus, rising to 9,570 ft (2,909 m), is the highest point in the country.
The climate is predominantly Mediterranean. Hot, dry summers alternate with cold, rainy winters.
Surprisingly, Greece offers affordable but first class tourist destinations. For retirees who seek affordability but great comfort, Greece is recommended as one of the best places to retire. Internationally known beaches or resorts in Rhodes and Corfu allow tourists, visitors and expatriates to spend around $500 a month with much relative comfort and so much leisure.
Greece may be one of the best countries to retire because of its imposition law on taxes and the determination of the Greek government to be one of the best places to retire in Europe.
Food prices are low from bread to vegetables, which are all low-priced in any place-with Greek oranges about a penny apiece. Butter is cheaper than those in the United States. Almost everything is available at lower prices. And the bonus is, on the island of Rhodes, there are no import taxes, as part or most probably the result of a government measure to attract tourists and consequently as means of bargains for those who want to spend their retirement in Greece. No wonder why for the last two decades, Greece has been consistent in the lists of the best places to retire in the world.
Greek houses and apartments are cheap as well for it is not up to the American standards. Most of the local folks and residents are still dwelling in houses erected five hundred years ago.
Everyone will agree that apart from cheap prices this place unfolds many scenic spots with its charming island, pleasant people, and of course, the overlooking town of Rhodes, which is considered to be the most beautiful city in the world.
History or even Plato, Homer, Aristotle, and Sophocles would remind us that this city highly popularized in the epic Trojan War is indeed a beautiful place to live in. The walls that still surround it are in good shape or even strong enough to face another siege at this point in time.
What most tourists or visitors and expatriates would really like about Greece is the atmosphere of Rhodes being ancient and highly a semblance of the place or house of Gods. Its streets are still in cobblestones and you can find shops here were you could buy the best and durable kind of bread, wine and olive oil, and little taberna for a glass of beer or retsina wine.
Rhodes’ parks are more beautiful than they seem to be, with parks that surround the moats of the fortress walls are abloom with flowers all year around and are particularly heavily splashed with reds.
Greece has a government-funded healthcare system, and government policy and the provision of public health services are key drivers in the demand for medical equipment. The public sector accounts for 70 percent of total medical purchases in Greece, mainly by public hospitals.
This is just a small sample of what makes Greece a fixture on those “best country to retire” lists.
Summer is the perfect time to bring together family and friends to enjoy the outdoors. Dust off the grill, lay out a fresh blanket and enjoy delicious food while soaking up the sun with the ones you love.
That’s the advice of cleaning expert, author and television personality, Laura Dellutri, the “Healthy Housekeeper,” who outlines four [...]
Even though you’ve publicly sworn off New Year’s resolutions, privately you’ve vowed to make 2008 the year when you finally get organized. You hope to slim down those piles, file important papers and access them without the help of a search team, and finally get to all of your appointments on time.
The secret to your [...]
Tips from Shape Up Mom and Mother of 10, Kathryn Sansone
(ARA) – The holidays can be a joyous time of year. But, as the social calendar gets hectic, holiday menus are sorted, and shopping lists get started, it sometimes becomes challenging to get through the holiday season stress-free. In fact, according to an Opinion Research [...]