Living Differently. . .expat style

As I walked across the two-lane highway leaving The Scout shopping at the garden store while I popped into the blood lab to make an appointment, I was reminded - again - of how differently these two boomer-aged Americans live in rural Greece.

Our view of the Taygetos Mountains - rural Peloponnese

I mean how often do you just pop into a blood lab to make an appointment in the U.S.? Or 'pop in' anywhere for that matter to conduct business? Or would you walk across a main north-south highway for any reason?

Home for the last eight years: Peloponnese, Greece

Living in Greece's southwestern Peloponnese for the last eight years, you'd think we'd be taking this expat lifestyle - a rather laid-back and unhurried one - for granted by now.  Far from it!  We still regularly marvel at how it differs from the one we lived in the Seattle suburbs of the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

Long time readers know that one of the drivers of our move was to 'live differently'. We were tired of the growing anonymity of suburban daily life. We'd become patient numbers and birthdates in medical facilities; we pumped our own gas at stations and checked ourselves out at grocery stores - we missed the 'humanness' of interactions of daily life. We'd sat for too many hours on congested freeways that linked us to our work and our friends.

Our village, Agios Nikolaos. Photo credit

Our decision to live differently in Greece came after several vacations here. We liked the climate, the people, the culture and the lifestyle. There wasn't any long, drawn-out retirement plan involved in the decision. Basically, we were like so many other recent newcomers to the area known as the Mani: we liked the 'village vibe' and we wanted more of it. 

Living walking distance from the fishing village, Agios Nikolaos, overlooking the Messinian Gulf, and surrounded by olive groves, certainly provides a great backdrop for a different way of life. I've picked a few snippets from the last couple of weeks to illustrate some of the everyday differences:

In the Moment Living

The village blood lab

Let's begin with the blood lab. I just decided after months of procrastination, that I should get my cholesterol checked. We don't have all those annual senior citizen wellness screenings like the US; instead, the onus is on the individual to keep track of your health.    

I could have had it tested on the spot, but I hadn't fasted the required 12 hours beforehand, I duly 'fasted' and returned the next morning. At check-in there was no requirement to show government issued ID nor to repeatedly tell them my birthdate as is required at our health care provider in the States. 

Reception area Falireas Medical Laboratory in Stoupa

However, noting that two years had passed since my last visit, they suggested I have a full blood screen. And I can assure you that it wasn't for the purpose of making extra money as the full screen, which I opted to have, cost only 35 euros/$41US. I had missed their October special, a blood osteoporosis test for 25 euros, regularly 91 euros, or I'd have had it done as well.

Falireas Medical Lab in Stoupa

An hour and a half after the blood draw I received the results via email. Had anything been seriously amiss, it would have been noted on the report, and I would have then made a call to our village doctor for an appointment and likely she would have seen me that same day.

Slow Lane Living

I hang clothes and The Scout stacks wood - living differently!

The blood test illustrates both the speed and ease of accessing health care, but it also shows my developing relaxed approach to life. Things for which I would have once sought immediate solutions for or answers to, just don't get done.

Take my clothesline. It was almost brand new, having just been strung in January. Out of the blue it snapped last Saturday afternoon, dumping several pieces of clothing into the flowerbed. By the time it broke, the hardware store was closed for the weekend. (Many retail stores still close on Sunday in Greece.) 

Come Monday morning we learned they didn't have clothes lines and they recommended the supermarket down the main road a few kilometers. 

'I am not doing laundry for a couple days, no need to make a special trip,' I heard myself telling The Scout, despite the fact we are less than two weeks from departing for a trip and I will need to wash and dry some clothes between now and then and rain is in the forecast. However. I'm adapting to the Greek approach to such problems: it will get done when it gets done, fixed when it gets fixed.

Traffic outside Seattle, Washington

While on the topic of the slow lane, I must again, sing the praises of traffic in this world compared to that of the big city.  They say a picture speaks a thousand words, so note the Seattle traffic we encountered on our annual visit back to the States and the contrasting slow down we had going to dinner in a nearby village last weekend.  Bet you can guess which we prefer.

On the road to Platsa - traffic jam

New Challenges ~ New Solutions

We've not yet adapted to the free roaming wild animals that like to do damage to our grove, garden and property.  Wild boars have taken aim at the groves, while kunaves (think marmot-like animals) have hit the gardens. Jackals are attacking cats and dogs throughout the valley. The only solution longtime Greek locals have offered us is to buy a gun and take aim -- trust me, we haven't yet shifted our lifestyle that far yet.

We've developed arm muscles with the digging we've done to repair damage. Yet, sometimes the critters throw us a curve that requires some new solutions:

New skills - new solutions!

After finding piles of insulation under HiHo Silver, our trusty RAV, we realized it was being harvested from the thick pad affixed to the underside of the hood over the engine, a pad that serves for heat and noise reduction.  To replace the pad replaced would be the simplest solution but also is a costly one at 250 euro/$300US. and we know it would soon be harvested as well.  

As they say. necessity is the mother of invention, and we turned to our trusty roll of high heat duct tape to repair the damage at least temporarily. These aren't skills he learned in law school nor I in journalism classes but there is a certain feeling of satisfaction when completing the challenge!

It's Not for Everyone

 

Night out in the village. . .a quiet night out in the village

Rural village life isn't for everyone. Neither is expat life. Or living and trying to function in another culture.  We've had many tell us they couldn't live with the uncertainty of water shortages and power outages. They wouldn't have the patience to deal with all the comes with living differently. Others visit and count the days until they can embark on an expat adventure of their own here.

Lastly, writing differently . . .

More Greek tales (and tails) coming soon!

I've been out of the 'blogosphere' for a while as I am trying to teach myself some new skills in the world of online writing and publishing. I knew the time had come when in September, we who use Google Blogger as the writing and publishing platform, learned in a roundabout way that Google had divested itself of that division. Another company had taken it over. Yet another company had taken over the domain rights (that means, in my case, TravelnWrite).  I quickly took steps to purchase the rights to TravelnWrite.com, but I am a bit uncertain about the future of blogging in general.

The shift in Blogger came at the same time many of you were saying you wanted more tales of expat life and our vagabonding adventures.

So, as part of my new learning curve I posted my first article last week on Substack, another popular online writing/publishing platform.   There I am writing as Jackie Humphries Smith.  Subscriptions (signing up to receive the articles in your inbox, just like here) are free.  I will continue to write on both platforms in the foreseeable future about our travels and expat life in Greece, but the articles will differ.   

Take a minute, click on my name and check out my first article there.  

I hope to see your name among the subscribers there as well as here. And if you are one whom already subscribed, many, many thanks to you! And I promise you all I won't overfill your inbox!

As always, thanks for your time - both in reading TravelnWrite and for checking out my Substack writing as well!

In the Blink of an Eye

 'We've got all the time in the world!' was The Scout's mantra after we closed the door to our workaday world; now, nearly half a lifetime ago. Travel beckoned. So many places to explore and we had years ahead of us in which we could accomplish the task. 

Yes, we had all the time in the world.

All the time in the world

Yet, in the blink of an eye, the stack of filled travel journals has grown; the years and decades filled with travel adventures have flown.  I can't recall the last time he used that phrase.

Living on Borrowed Time

Sunset clouds Manson, Washington

Our activities while in the States included The Scout's high school reunion. It was there that I heard him remark, 'We are all living on borrowed time, aren't we?' His comment was in response to the news that, yet another longtime friend had passed. Within the span of a few weeks this summer, we've quite suddenly lost three good friends. Each was a well-traveled, active 70-something, seemingly healthy person who had suffered a fatal heart attack.  

Sunset in the Mani, Greek Peloponnese

Living on borrowed time. Is that the new mantra? I actually spent a few sleepless nights pondering that thought and others: Were we too old to travel? Had we become too old for our expat way of life?  How old are we anyway??  

So, what is 'borrowed time' anyway?  Its definition is 'to exist or function longer than the expected; death or failure has been postponed not prevented.'  

Are we living on it? Statistically speaking, The Scout wasn't that far off base.  

In 2025 the average life expectancy in the United States is 79.4 years, up 0.18% from last year.  Males come in lower at 75.8 years and females, slightly better at 81.1 years. We are both in our 70's.

Our Greek village, Agios Nikolaos, Peloponnese

I then checked life expectancy in Greece, hoping this Mediterranean diet and lifestyle might give us an edge. And it does. . .a bit! The average life expectancy back in 2023 (the latest data I could find) was 81.5 years.  Men fared better at 81.9 years and women at 85.2 years.

The Third Phase/Third Act

The 70-somethings in Cambodia

As you might have surmised by now, none of that was very uplifting. So, I took a more philosophical look at where we are; a place some refer to as the Third Phase of Life. It is defined as the time between leaving the working life and before advanced old age. It is a time for pursuing hobbies, traveling and spending time with friends and family.  Now, that was a bit better way of looking at it. 

Then I found an article that completely pulled me out of the blue funk my research had put me in:

70-something American expats in Greece

In Psychology Today I found this age referred to as the Third Act in the Theatre of Life. With fewer life minutes in front of us than behind, it is a time of intentional and joyful living. A time of gratitude, joy and acceptance. Insights deepen. It's a time filled with opportunities to thrive and flourish.

And the article concluded, 'It is where the richness of the life story lies.'  

How about that as a counter to 'borrowed time'?!

In the Blink of an Eye

In the blink of an eye, we've reached an age where we don't have all the time in the world anymore.  With fewer days ahead, we'd better be making the most of them.

Ready. Set. Pack and Go.

We'd been planning to step up the travel anyway after obtaining our Greek residency permits last July. We've outfitted ourselves with new - tiny - backpacks that comply with some of the low-cost European airlines' (Ryan Air and Easy Jet) carryon requirements. We'll be using those airlines and backpacks once our Kalamata airport reopens for the 2026 travel season. There's a lot of Europe still to be explored. 

Alaska Airlines goes international with new livery

We rejoiced at the recent announcements from our old favorite US regional airline, Alaska Airlines, that it is going international in 2026 with direct flights between Seattle and Rome and Seattle and London.  We will have new options for returning to the States. . . hopefully for a few more years yet!

Oceania's 'Indian Ocean Opus' is coming up 

We've given ourselves permission to splurge a bit on travel if it means getting to places we might otherwise never see. And we did just that on a cruise that will take us from Cape Town, South Africa to Singapore.  We will spend the month of December on board the Oceania Sirena visiting ports of call that we've only dreamed of:  Reunion Island, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, among them. 

I'll add that with a nod to 'borrowed time', we are this time buying travel insurance for the cruise. . .a sure sign that our travel mantra has changed.

Dame Patricia Routledge

It's taken some time to write this one and while I've been drafting and rewriting, it happened that a beloved English actress and singer, Dame Patricia Routledge, passed away at age 96. In an interview she gave at age 95 she recounted that many things she'd tackled in her later years, learning a foreign language, pursuing painting and other such endeavors among them.

And in the blink of an eye, she nailed it when she said, 'Growing older isn't a final act - it can be life's most exquisite chapter if you allow yourself to bloom once more.'

With that, I will close for this time around and as always thanks for the time you spent with us today. Happy and safe travels to you and yours.  

A Stranger in a Strange Land

 Often times while back in the 'home country' I find myself feeling like a stranger in a strange land. 

Beebee bridge over the Columbia River on the way home

That which should be the 'old, familiar', simply isn't. 

Apple orchards along the Columbia River between Chelan and Wenatchee

I blame it on not so much how this area has changed, but how we have changed. Without fanfare or notice, we've shifted our behaviors and routines to that which lets us live comfortably in a different culture and country. 

So, returning to the old familiar ways of doing things often requires a bit more thought as we refresh our behaviors to function the American way.  It really is much like learning new behaviors when we began our expat experience in Greece. 

Science fiction type cloud formation in Central Washington State

I borrowed the title of a 1961 science fiction book by Robert Heinlein, A Stranger in a Strange Land, for today's post.  While his novel was about a human raised by Martians who returns to earth and transforms the culture, my tale is simply about expats returning to their home country and adapting to the 'different' ways things are done here. 

It Is the Small Things

Tumble weeds and traffic lights take some getting used to

Take for instance, making a right hand turn on a red light. I recently stopped at a red light and then waited for it to turn green so that I could make a right-hand turn.  As it did, I remembered such turns are allowed here on a red light after a full stop. In Greece they are not. I'm certain the drivers behind me were happy when I finally figured that out, but no one honked their horn nor shook their fist at me! I just hope I am as kind to visitors driving in Greece who haven't yet figured out the rules of the road. 

Our Greek mobile phone company has joined with TMobile and that merger required that a new app be installed on our Greek phone.  A few weeks before we left, I simply stopped by the store in Kalamata (our go-to big city) and told 'my boys' there that I needed the new app but that my attempts at installation and getting it to work had failed. I call the retail sales staff 'my boys' because they are young, know me on sight, and help me with whatever problem I bring to them. Five minutes later we fist-bumped (our terms of endearment between customer and clerk) and I was on my way with new app installed and functioning.

Spent a few hours here figuring out mobile banking apps

In contrast, The Scout and I spent a morning this week trying to figure out how to install, then make operational, a banking app that would allow us to make credit card payments from another banking app. The app being installed was for a bank that doesn't even have retail outlets within hundreds of miles and calls to customer service left us more frustrated than when we had originally placed the call for help. Each bank's customer service rep suggested we call the other bank's customer service. 

We figured it out on our own. . .finally.

Gift certificate to Elli's restaurant in our village

They don't routinely 'do' gift certificates or cards in our rural area of Greece. So, when we request such an item from our favorite restaurants in the village, a handwritten gift certificate is created by the owner or manager.  Sometimes they are written on a piece of cardboard or paper, sometimes in a blank greeting card, but in each case, they are hand-written, signed and usually decorated by hand-drawn hearts or 'x's' for kisses.

While I was telling a friend here about a frustrating transaction - or lack thereof at a local eatery here - I was told the story of a failed attempt to get a gift certificate at an area winery because the computer was down.  The purchaser suggested that perhaps a hand-written gift certificate could be generated.  Oh, no! It wasn't possible because then it wouldn't be in the computer system. They lost that sale.

Dining at the bar in Yakima eatery

During our stay I made a quick overnight trip to my hometown for an afternoon gathering of my long ago 'cub reporter' friends.  That evening, I dined at a restaurant offering the normal array of American food: burgers, salads, sandwiches and the like. Dining solo I sat at the bar instead of taking up table space. I found the contrast in behaviors between Greece and here pretty striking.  In Greece, I'd have spoken or been spoken to by others who came in and sat at the bar. The greeting usually leads to a conversation.  Here, to a person, the diners sat down with mobile device in hand and began scrolling through it the moment their bottom was planted on a stool. No communication or interaction took place.

Robot service at Yakima restaurant

Then I heard a mechanical voice behind me saying, "Welcome to Bob's! Your waiter will be here shortly to serve you.' I turned to find that a robot, a little gremlin sort of creature, was delivering food orders to the tables.  (Thankfully, a waiter/waitress was still required to actually put the meals on the table.)  Had I sat at a table, though, I might have had a better chance at striking up a conversation with the mechanical gremlin than with the humans at the bar. 

On the Flip Side

Along the Columbia River - we took water for granted before

It has been extremely nice to turn on the faucet - any faucet in the house - and have a stream of clear, drinkable/useable water come gushing forth.  That is a luxury that I bet most Americans take for granted. We used to, before moving to Greece where water quantity and quality is always questionable. There we buy commercially bottled water for home cooking and drinking.  Having a readily available and unlimited supply of water does take some getting used to!

We buy by liter and pay in euro currency in Greece

The gasoline prices in Washington State are significantly higher than the national average and our friends here are quick to tell us about their dislike of them.  However, when we go to fill up and find a price of $4.50 a gallon, we rejoice.  In Greece we are paying just over $8US a gallon.

Manson, Washington where packages are delivered on Sundays

It is amazing to order from Amazon and have my order arrive the next day, two days at most.  Two weeks would be considered a rapid delivery in Greece. (When you live in rural areas -- as those in which both our homes are located and where retail shopping consists of hardware and grocery stores -- you rely on Amazon and similar online shopping sources.)

College football fest while we are back in the States

And, of course, it is great being able to watch American football as it is being played in real time took some getting used to as well.  We don't have a television in Greece and even if we did, football would be shown in the middle of the night as we are 10 hours ahead of the US west coast. 

Our time here is drawing to a close and we'll soon be back in our Peloponnese world.  I'm certain that for a time we'll be pausing to get our bearings as we go about our daily routines in that world. Being a stranger in a strange world really isn't so bad. . .you might give it a try sometime.  Maybe you already have, if so, tell us about it in the comments below or shoot us an email. We love hearing from you!

It may feel a bit strange at tunes, but is definitely beautiful

Until the next time, thanks for the time you've spent with us and safe travels to you and your family!

It is a New Day!

The bus no longer inches its way along the waterfront. During our early years here, watching its slow creep between buildings and tables was a great source of entertainment. 

Those were the days - back in 2016

For years, almost as regular as clockwork, the long-distance bus from Kalamata made two stops in the village, one at each end of the harbor three times a day. Its trip between the two gave many a visitor a start as they looked over their shoulders and realized they were seated just inches away from the behemoth bus.

The bus no longer runs this route through the village

A waterfront rehabilitation and resurfacing project marked the end of the bus run through town. After the work finished this year, the harborside eateries expanded their street seating areas, and the bus remains relegated to the main highway, with a single stop now at the south end of the village.   

Pleasure craft fill the harbor in summer

The harbor along which the bus once traveled is this time of year filled with pleasure craft. We've noted that during the last few summers our small fleet of traditional wooden kaiki, fishing boats, have been relegated to a small section of the harbor to make space for the influx of recreational boats.

Remodeling the old souvlaki place for a new eatery opening soon

While the excitement caused by the passing bus is gone, harborside dining and sipping has flourished.  There's still a nice mix of old traditional Greek tavernas with modern day entertainment hotspots. New places have opened; old places have modernized. This time of year, expanded roadside seating areas, leave just enough room for delivery vans and emergency vehicle access. 

Sunday night in the village

Three retail stores -- two selling clothing and a local products gift shop -- are now operating seasonally on the harbor road. A decade ago, there were no such stores here.

It is a new day in the village. 

Agios Nikolaos, is a fishing village in the heart of the southwestern Peloponnese olive growing country. It is where we make our expat home. It is still a charmer, but it's definitely a new day in the village as it is far more upscale than it was when we arrived a decade ago. 

A new day means a new road in the village

The harbor road itself is a reflection of the change. The once cracked, patched-up ankle-breaker asphalt surface has been replaced with a smart cobblestone design complete with streetlights and garbage/recycle cans installed at regular intervals. We didn't have such refuse collection before as several locals pointed out, there was no one to empty them when they were full.

New streetlights and garbage cans line the harbor front

I am delighted to report that we even have a person who collects the garbage from those cans now! 

Souvenirs from the villages

Similar improvement projects have taken place in our neighboring villages, Stoupa and Kardamyli giving each a much-needed boost. 

And in recent years the village shops have begun stocking logo tourist items. A decade ago, souvenirs were somewhat scarce in these parts. Now they even carry the village name! 

It is a new day in the neighborhood.

Just down the street from us - a new home in the grove

There's been a construction boom in recent years in our slice of the Messinian Mani. Olive groves once created a silvery green carpet below and above our hillside location. Now it is more a colorful patchwork quilt of red-clay roof tiles, gray- and brown- stone homes, and several swimming pools of a brilliant blue accent color. 

3.5 million euro village home is on the market

The housing market is flourishing and homes for sale can now carry hefty price tags, some reaching into the millions of euros. One recently renovated home in the heart of Agios Nikolaos is on the market for 3.5 million euro, (that's just over $4 million in US dollars).

Another home just down the road from us

There are eight new homes within a few minutes' walk of our Stone House on the Hill. I've often described our neighborhood as a little United Nations with the fabulous mix of nationalities represented by the homeowners. It appears that great mix will continue with the new residents joining our 'hood. 

Gigantic power poles installed on our road

With the new home construction comes the need for improved infrastructure.  For the last several weeks, the power company has been installing new mega-sized power poles and lines along our road to increase capacity.  (And, yes, that has meant power cuts to get the work done.)

New road and parking lot surface at Pantazi Beach

The road and parking areas near a number of beaches in the area have been resurfaced this summer.  Word on the street is that our Pantazi Beach parking lot - once a dirt surfaced, potholed place, will be striped and trees will be planted along the riverbank that it abuts.   

It is a new day in the Mani.

Agios Nikolaos harbor from To Limeni Restaurant

Tourism isn't new to our area, but it is expanding. Europeans have been coming here for decades - they understood and were caught in Mani Magic long ago. Rick Steves, the US travel guru, has led sold-out group tours to the area for years. The Liokareas family, just to our south, produces an award-winning olive oil. They have recently begun hosting Olive Harvest tours to the area, that include hands-on olive picking and celebrating at an oil pressing party.

 

Sunset jazz at the Patrick Leigh Fermor house

The Kardamyli Jazz Festival, was a fledgling event when we arrived. A decade later it has expanded from its 10-day spring celebration to include an additional fall festival of music as well.  The West Mani Summer Music Festival fills July and August with musical events at locales throughout our area.

West Mani Sports Festival - photo credit: Bert Robertson

The Taygetos Challenge, marking its 14th year, continues to offer its hundreds of participants a number of racing options including a 40-kilometer race with a 2,500-meter vertical ascent up the side of a mountain. This last weekend another sporting event marked its debut, the West Mani Sports Festival, drawing hundreds of participants to swimming and running events.

Our Mayor in Dubai at the Arabian Travel Market

This year our West Dimos Mani (our municipality) has been a prominent participant in a tourism event aimed at the Chinese market as well as having been a presence at a Travel Market International Tourism Fair in Dubai.

It is a new day and a most exciting time in our slice of Greece.  Those of you who haven't yet visited the area should definitely give a trip here some consideration. Those who've been here should return - what was good when you were here has gotten even better!

That's it from a sunny, warm Greece.  Thanks for the time you spent with us and hope you'll be back for another serving of our slice of Greece! Safe travels to you and yours~