Originally Posted by
dgasmd
Southern Italy. Far cheaper than the US, awesome food and wines, great life style for the money spent, easily accessible form many larger cities nearby, far cheaper real state than the rest of Italy, great beaches and areas to ride. Drawbacks are: not very english speaking oriented as the rest of Italy, a few years behind in high technology use, not so affluent as the rest of Italy.
My wife and I will probably retire to a coastal town along the Tyrrhenian Sea in Calabria. She was born and grew up there, and is a graduate of the University of Rome. I've been many times and agree with your evaluation. Look near Lamezia Terme:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamezia_Terme . The city is on the sea and a major airport is very close. The area has some splendid scenery, the famous Amalfi coast is a short 3 hour drive. The weather is like Ventura, CA.
A little known fact is that Italy is the #1 destination for relocating retirement-aged people. Food, climate, scenery and cost of living are primary draws.
Michael