Travel

One of the many remarkable things about Provence—the magical, sun-drenched corner of southern France—is its markets. While many places have farmers markets, Provence has something closer to a way of life. Nearly every town has its own market day, often following traditions that stretch back hundreds of years. The result is that, if you are so inclined, you can visit a different market every day of the week. That is exactly what we have done during our extended stays just outs

One of the great joys of spending extended time in Provence is discovering places that somehow exceed all expectations. For us, Uzès has been exactly that sort of discovery. A friend recommended it to us and, while it appears in every guidebook to southern France, we were wildly surprised by just how lovely it is. Charming, manageable in size, easy to navigate, and full of character, it feels like the sort of place that deserves far more attention than it receives. Then again

One of the joys of slow travel is the freedom to take a last-minute detour. During our two-week stay in Heidelberg, we decided almost on a whim to spend a day in Baden-Baden. Thank goodness we did, because it turned out to be one of the highlights of our time in Germany. Our only regret? Not staying longer. At a minimum, we should have spent a night. In hindsight, Baden-Baden is the sort of place that deserves a week—a place to settle into rather than simply visit. For us, Ba

Somewhere in the fog of memory lies the story of how we first discovered HomeExchange. I cannot recall whether it was a recommendation from a friend, an article we stumbled across, or simply one of those internet rabbit holes that occasionally leads to something wonderful. What I do know is that for the past three years it has become the cornerstone of our retirement travels around the world. One of the great gifts of retirement is flexibility. We have the freedom to stay pla

I love lap swimming and so the challenge in our many travels throughout Europe is navigating finding and using lap pools. But the reward, beyond working off all the calories from the bakeries we find irresistible, is to enter into an entirely local activity where each country, and sometimes each city, has its own customs and rules. Some general observations and corresponding tips after swimming laps in various towns in the UK, France, Greece and Germany: Expect to be flexibl