Month: April 2025
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Health Care Overseas
You often hear politicians touting “the US has the best health care system in the world”, usually as a preface to explaining why there is no need to improve, or even worse, why they want to cut funding for social programs. You also hear disparaging comments about health care in “socialist hell-holes”, again arguing against…
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Learning Italian and Buying a Villa
The second season of “Travels with Jim and Rita” continues with an inspiring conversation with travel writer Linda McCarley, who shares her remarkable journey toward establishing a home in Italy. Linda’s story begins with her earliest travel memories at just three years old, when her Scottish-born parents took her from Canada to visit relatives in…
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A Pleasant Surprise – Seville, Spain
When we were originally planning our spring 2025 trip, we were not thinking about Spain at all. Our primary goal was the UK and Ireland, but our late-March start meant it would be a little too cold to enjoy. So instead, we decided to stay a couple of weeks in the Algarve region of Portugal…
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Why Not Take a Cruise?
Cruising represents one of the most versatile and value-packed ways to explore the world, offering travelers the perfect blend of comfort, convenience, and adventure. While cruises sometimes get dismissed as superficial travel experiences, our recent conversation with veteran cruiser Babs Dearmond revealed why these floating resorts might be the smartest way to see multiple destinations…
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The Transformative Power of Women’s Travel
The transformative power of travel has been a recurring theme on our podcast, and our recent conversation with Sonja Thayer of Rom-Soul Escapes provided remarkable insights into how women-focused travel is reshaping the landscape of global tourism. As certified yoga teacher, lifelong traveler, and retreat organizer, Sonja has created a unique niche focusing on women’s…
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Mistakes Were Made
In our last post, we were finishing up in Lagos, Portugal and ready to move on to Sevilla, Spain. We were packed, and just relaxing until it was time to order a Bolt to take us less than a mile to the bus station. What could go wrong? Well, it all started about 11:45am. Our…
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Three Nights in Lagos, Portugal – Part 2
For our second and last full day in Lagos, were were up and at ’em and ready to call a Bolt for a ride out to the Ponto da Piedade. The ride out cost just €3.65, which seemed to be the base rate. Every rideshare we ordered, no matter how near or far, was €3.65.…
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Three Nights in Lagos, Portugal
Well, we are finally on the road again! Our trip started off smoothly enough. No problem getting an Uber to the Knoxville airport, and we were there in plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely dinner before heading to our gate. A short flight to Dulles, a long walk to our new departure gate, and…