“What should I order at a taverna?” might be the question I have been asked most by family and friends and friends of family and friends who come to Greece. Since people usually want to know about the warm season (which is roughly from May to October), I will focus on some of my favorite summer specialties which are served at most Greek tavernas (classic Greek eateries) across the nation. The Greek taverna meal is all about variety. The focus is often on the appetizers and sharing is usually encouraged for both mains and starters. Salad and Appetizers Village bread (Horiatiko psomi) This crus ..read more

On the 9 April, Spain’s Minister for Housing, Isabel Rodríguez, announced the government was taking the first steps to eliminate the Golden Visa. This visa was a popular choice for non-European Union residents who wanted to gain residency in Spain by making an investment of 500,000 euros or more in a property or business. Sean Woolley There are fears that scrapping the Golden Visa will put off potential buyers from outside the EU from investing in property in Spain. But, Spanish property expert Sean Woolley from Cloud Nine Spain says that although it’s certainly made life a little tougher fo ..read more

(Editor’s note: This post about thin film technology is part of our Tech Tuesdays series. Dispatches covers tech because so many of our highly skilled internationals are engineers and entrepreneurs. See the end of this post for career opportunities in the thin-film industry.) Lost in the buzz about AI, quantum computing and the metaverse, an emerging technology coming out of High Tech Campus Eindhoven is far more likely to change your life sooner, and for the better. The technology we’re talking about? Thin film. Earlier this year, that technology was front and center at the “Thin Film Inn ..read more

British expats of the world, pat yourselves on the back. You’ve left behind a country that is heading somewhere it hasn’t been in global terms since the Black Death was plaguing most of Europe. After confirmation that Britain did indeed enter recession at the end of last year, we’re expected to believe fantastical speculation from 10 Downing Street that the country will “bounce back” in 2024. Who will produce the magical trampoline to springboard such remarkable bounce-back-ability remains to be seen. Especially given that the closures of Scunthorpe Steelworks and Port Talbot Steelworks have b ..read more

A friend of mine recently declared that the cherry blossom season in London was officially open – she wasn’t wrong – and that she would thus refuse to wear any kind of coat or jacket before next September at the earliest. Though I find her resolve ambitious, I too have been embracing the warmer air and the feeling of freedom that adds a quirky saunter to people’s walk. London feels alive again and it’s about time we got back to exploring its every corner. I know people who have lived here their whole life and still take Sunday trips to visit specific neighbourhoods, shops or markets. That’s ..read more

If you are looking for an Parisian experience that tickles your funny bone and gets your feet tapping and your booty grooving, you are reading the right post, my friend. What’s better then eating a delicious meal with a great group of friends, and ending the evening by dancing the night away on top of tables? I find it to be the perfect balance between going out for a meal and going clubbing: you essentially get the best of both, in one place, and Parisians know how to do that well. Here’s the Top 5 hottest festive restaurants of the City of Lights, buckle up! PS: bear in mind that festive d ..read more

(Editor’s note: This is the first post in a series about Europe’s emerging tech hubs. Hubs will be ranked by multiple metrics including number of Unicorns and exits, investment levels and special visas for talent. Terry Boyd also contributed to this post.) Despite perpetually trailing the Americans, Europe has a lot of tech hubs including Eindhoven, Berlin, Munich, London, Amsterdam and Stockholm. But those cities are maxed out, with critical housing shortages and tight labor markets. Just having the talent to build your startup or scale-up increasingly is an issue. About 75 per of employers ..read more

If you have read any of my previous posts, you probably know that I have a very expensive hobby: visiting as many restaurants and cafés as I can in every city I visit. Coming back after spending one year out of Lisbon, I realized that there were many new places to visit in town. And so, my journey started to find the best new places and create a curated list of my favorite must-try cafés and restaurants in Lisbon. Plus, writing this post was very exciting as I even had the chance to talk to some of the people behind these tasty projects.  Just Velvet Website I Follow them: @justvelvetl ..read more

There’s no doubt that we are spoilt for choice when it comes to beach time in Greece. One of the blessings of this relatively mild climate is that the Greek beaches can be a year-round destination, not just for swimming but also for water sports, walking, castle-building, picnicking and so on. Here are some of my favorites: Skinias Beach Outskirts of Athens This sandy seashore holds wonderful childhood memories for most Athenians (including me). Skinias is a relatively short drive from the city, yet it feels light years away. Towards the middle and end of this idyllic shoreline, Skinias is l ..read more

(Publisher’s note: This post on the Portugal Golden Visa Program is sponsored by Get Golden Visa.) What is Portugal Golden Visa? For non-EU nationals, the Portugal Golden Visa program, sometimes referred to as the residence permit for investment activity (ARI), is a residency-by-investment program. With the Portugal Golden Visa Program, you can enter Schengen countries without a visa and obtain Portuguese citizenship in five years. Portugal is a cost-effective, safe and secure nation with excellent health and education systems and a high standard of living. Portugal started the initiative in O ..read more