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In this week’s travel news roundup, we share what five Americans discovered when they left the United States for a new life in Europe. Plus, Mongolian throat singing, Portuguese big waves, and the timeless romance of Greek vacations.
Packing your bags and moving to a new country is an appealing dream for many, but relocation always involves a delicate balance of pros and cons. CNN regularly speaks with people who have achieved it. Here are what five Americans who immigrated to Europe had to say about how Europe fared.
Paula Dreyfus, a retiree who moved from San Diego to the Portuguese city of Porto five years ago, likes being able to afford to take several vacations a year and eat at restaurants multiple times a week. She finds the locals “so warm and lovely” and loves that she feels safe enough to walk alone at night.
The downside, she says, is bureaucracy and learning a new language. “Nothing is perfect.” read more.
Jeffrey Davidson and Walter Zak were approaching 60 years old when they decided to move from Florida to the Peloponnese region of Greece.
“We lived in make-believe land,” Davidson says of her former home near Walt Disney World. “Now we stumble upon thousands of years old ruins in every direction.”
They love the “wonderful chaotic energy” of Greece, but admit that the transition would have been more difficult had they left it until later in life, as they “still have a lot of time to learn.”
“We still have problems with earthquakes and wildfires here,” Zak says, “and Greece will still be a little colder than usual.” read more.
In an article for CNN subscribers, Emily and Robert Tour told how they moved to Switzerland more than a decade ago after Emily was offered a job in Geneva.
According to Emily, although she arrived with a foothold in the world of work, her first year was “horrible”. She found it difficult to adapt and make connections.
“There is no welcoming committee,” Robert agrees, adding that Swiss people tend to “keep to themselves.”
But now they are happy and settled and believe that an outdoor lifestyle of hiking and swimming is the perfect environment to raise their five children. Read why they changed their mind.
Wrapping passengers with duct tape and zip ties during the flight
A disruptive passenger was restrained with flexible handcuffs and duct-taped to his seat as an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Newark was diverted and made an emergency landing in Baltimore on Thursday.
Last week, an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Newark was forced to divert and make an emergency landing in Baltimore after a misbehaving passenger was restrained with flexible handcuffs and secured to his seat with duct tape. Watch the incident in this video.
Last month, a Delta Airlines flight was diverted due to a crew member becoming ill. The pilot said he was not feeling well and needed to go to the hospital, so the flight to Boston landed in Detroit.
In July, a shocking incident in which some passengers were sucked out through a broken window made global headlines. Michael O’Leary, the outspoken chief executive of low-cost airline Ryanair, this week disputed the accounts of those injured, but admitted it was “certainly a case of being sucked into the window in very dramatic circumstances”.
live long and prosper
Japan’s “Edo-style” running becomes a hot topic
Katsunori Ohba studies how the Japanese ran hundreds of years ago, and his unusual technique has since become an internet sensation.
Two men on opposite sides of the world are urging people to stay active as they age.
A 91-year-old man has become the oldest hiker to complete the 2,193-mile Appalachian Trail between Georgia and Maine, becoming a social media star in the process.
Dale Sanders, the trail’s namesake, Gray Beard, was born in 1935, two years before the trail was completed, and holds numerous age-related records, including being the oldest person to paddle the entire length of the Mississippi River.
In Japan, Katsunori Oba, a 61-year-old relatively plump snapper, has become popular for his unusual style of long-distance running. According to him, it may have been the way Japanese people ran hundreds of years ago during the Edo period. Look here.
In the six-part CNN original series “Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta,” Gupta travels the world searching for the secret to living a longer, healthier, and happier life. CNN subscribers can stream here.
How Europe’s giant canyons and Atlantic storms create epic surfing
Nazaré, Portugal is home to some of the biggest waves in the world. The reason lies beneath the waves in the form of Europe’s largest underwater canyon.
Nazare, Portugal is home to some of the biggest waves in the world and attracts surfers from all over the world every winter. The reason lies in the shape of Europe’s largest underwater canyon, deep beneath the surface. Check it out here.
A major technological debut. weather milestones. A memorable moment.
What do you remember about that week?
He thought he would never see his 1985 Greek vacation again.
Then he felt a tap on his shoulder.
You’ve never heard it sung like this.
Take note of where you can witness unique musical traditions.
This was the hottest American summer on record.
More to come.
