Europe is a product of history; America is a product of philosophy. Or so the saying goes.

It’s part of what draws us to the Old World. Europe has a deeper sense of history than the Americas. It’s irreversibly different. And we’re inescapably drawn to it as a result.

Europe’s essence is hard to find these days. It’s starting to resemble the New World more and more. The French eat McDonald’s, the Irish have McMansions, and European children know more about Hannah Montana than they do about Heidi.

The real Europe—a place of history, fiercely local communities and la bella vita—may be an endangered species, but it hasn’t totally disappeared. It’s there…if you know where to look.

So, in the current issue of International Living magazine, we’ve set ourselves the challenge of rediscovering Europe as it’s meant to be. The Europe of cobblestone streets, small village markets, and 1,001 types of cheeses…and the Europe of real value.

To start our search we sent our Europe expert, Steenie Harvey, to Portugal’s Alentejo region, where she’s encountered medieval castles, sleepy hill towns, and rental properties from as low as $360 a month (page 20).

And our real estate expert, Ronan McMahon, has unearthed ways to profit from the transformation of Portugal’s under-the-radar coast, the Costa da Caparica (page 6).

We’ve been busy exploring the New World, too. On page 30, Lee Harrison reveals his top three picks for beachfront Brazilian living. And on page 26, Panama resident David Dell explains why Volcan is the country’s most affordable retirement destination…

Read all this and more in the March issue when you subscribe to IL magazine right now.

William Bonner
Founding Publisher, International Living