Renting A Home As A Retiree In Panama…Dining Out In Languedoc, France
“In response to your alert, I’ve ordered the kit from your Panama conference last month. I have also gotten the health insurance information recently marketed. It’s much appreciated.
“My concern is that the conference may have been targeted toward investors and buyers, which I am not and probably won’t be in the future. So I’m wondering how valuable the information will be to someone primarily interested in zeroing in on the ideal location for retirement.
“I will be a renter, not a buyer, and as a retired person, with only a fledgling interest at the moment in a business enterprise. Will this information in your conference kit equip me with the facts I need to isolate the one or two suitable places for me? I don’t want to be inundated with information I can’t and won’t be able to use at the expense of some hard facts about the areas in the highlands.
“So far, everything I’ve seen from your publication is top-notch, and I will be planning a visit in the next six months with an eye on making a longer-term stay prior to settling down, if all goes well.
“Thanks for any heads up you can give. The pictures look like the conference was well attended and fun!”
— Ron W., United States
I’d say that most of the information included in our Live & Invest in Panama Home Conference Kit will be helpful and worthwhile for you, dear reader. You’re right–we’ve included a great deal of material in this package. Much of it is to do with health insurance, taxes, visas, residency, learning Spanish, finding a rental, banking, figuring your cost of living, etc. All of this will help you make your decision about where in Panama you might want to settle.
Yes, some of the material is targeted to the investor and would-be real estate buyer. But don’t be intimidated. Dive in. And get in touch again if you have further questions.
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“Let me just tell you: The 3-course US$12 lunch your correspondent reported on recently is certainly a lie. I have lived in France for 29 years, and the truth is this: There are some hot dog stands where you could get a lunch (that is, a hot dog) for less than US$12. Period. A lunch normally costs US$60 to US$100 per person. Yes, it was cheaper 20 years ago, but never US$12. Not even in the countryside, more than three hours drive from a major city, can you eat for US$12. It’s either a myth or distant history.”
— Henri S., France
Correspondent Lucy Culpepper rebuts:
“First, my apologies. I meant to write 12 euro, not US$12. So we’re talking about US$16, more or less, depending on the exchange rate.
“And that figure I stand by.
“Yes, this is an average price. You won’t find lunch for this price at every restaurant in every town in the region of France I was reporting on (Languedoc). But you won’t have to go far to find it, either (certainly not three hours outside town!).
“Frankly, I’d say it would be impossible in Cessenon-sur-Orb, in the Languedoc region of France, to pay US$60 to US$100 per person for lunch. Please, dear reader, if you know such a place, I’d like to have the name so I can go see it for myself. What a menu that must be.
“Today, I took my sister out for lunch to a very attractive brasserie. The lunchtime menu was 9.90 euro. It included a salad with toasted camembert, a small steak, fries, and a green vegetable, as well as bread, a glass of wine, and a coffee, with a small chocolate. I’d call that a full, proper lunch–certainly not a hot dog.
“Last week my parents ate out at a canal-side restaurant. They had a 4-course meal for 15 euro per head. I have eaten many 3-course meals in the Languedoc region for 12 euro per person. An example included a lunch of salad, chantarelle mushroom omelette, creme caramel, bread, and a glass of wine. “I’m not a fan of hot dogs. And, even if I were to have one for lunch, I’d never pay US$12 for it.”
