Now that I finally have an income, thanks to Social Security and
a good lawyer, I face the question "What to do with the ten or so
remaining years in which I can expect reasonable health, a modest income,
and an inability to work, 'cept maybe in the burger-flipper sense?"

What does a 62-yr-old premature retiree do with hisself?

I've always wanted to retire to Europe.  Winters north of the alps
have modified that to "retire in southern europe".  Awright, so
how do you go about finding a workable place, access to prescription
drugs, good net connection, local culture I can live with, etc?

Obviously you don't make a guess from abroad and commit to it sight
unseen.  So here is the plan...

Start out as an almost normal (for me) traveller, only focus on
possible retirement places.  Spend more than just a few days in each.
Eschew hotels; rent rooms or apartments by the week or month, get a
feel for what life in each of a number of places might be like.
Eventually settle in for longer stays at a time.

That just might work.  I'm not paying rent or mortgage back home,
so the equivalent money can go toward a slow-floating existence abroad.
A rotating retirement might stretch out quite a while before settling
into one place.  (Maybe even north of the alps in Summer. :)

So where to start? And when?  Shoulder-season on the coast of Croatia.
Split is a big enough and cosmopolitan enough city that there should be
a niche or two somewhere to fit into.  I'll use the opportunity to
explore Dubrovnik and other coastal/island places I haven't been yet.
I'll also be within striking distance of Italy (an overnight boat
ride) or Greece (ditto).

So that is the plan.  I have a plane ticket to Rome leaving Sep 16th.
(Anybody know a good way to spend an 8-hr layover in Dublin?  Prolly
means time for 5 hrs or so in town.)  I have ferry schedules from Italy
to Split and Dubrovnik.  (Amazing what you can find on the net :)
I have yeach yourself books w/ CD for Italian and Croatian.  (My
fragmentary Slovene actually gives a head start with Croatian. After
those two, it is amazing how easy Italian looks.)

Last intriguing possibility:  I may qualify for Italian citizenship!
A news article recently said that the main requirement is paternal
father and great-grandfather who are Italian citizens.  C'est moi!
I must get off my nalga and write to the consulate in S.F. about
this.  Dual citizenship would be cool! Might even get me into
Italian medicare, thus avoiding the need to fly home for US medicare.

So-o... it *is* a big, partly scary, ol' adventure coming up.  Will
it be successful?  Only one way to find out. At least I won't be
vegetating around, kicking myself for not having the hair to try
(I'll even be well-positioned if I need more dentistry. :)

cheers,
Jeff
"What the hey - it's a destination!"
	- Howard the Duck

cheers,
Jeff