He was not tall.
For Keith Richardson, a retired teacher from Southern California, the seduction of a new life in Italy depends on a specific state: Nary a McDonald’s or Starbucks in appearance.
These global chains, for him, reprinted the American trade spread he sought to leave behind, he told CNN Travel in an interview.
After a meticulous search, he settled in Nardò, a quiet city in Puglia, the rural region forming the Italy’s Boot heels, where he won a history house for part of the US awards – embracing a slower, more authentic existence.
Richardson, who spent decades in the education system before retired in 2015 as a high school district administrator, had long been amazed by Italy.
His passion for the languages - honored while teaching Spanish at a university – withdrew him in the country, where he traveled bilaterally, exploring his regions by rent.
By 2023, his concentration narrowed to Puglia, precious to her unspoiled beaches and low -key charm.
“Puglia is definitely the place to live and invest in, if you are looking for that coastal lifestyle Dolce Vita,” he told CNN.
An exiled friend linked him to a US-based real estate consultant in Puglia, who led him towards Nardò, a less known gem in the Salento area, without American Fast-Food exit.
“I give her a list of houses I like,” Richardson said. “She suggested including Nardò because I told her that I didn’t want to be nowhere near an McDonald’s or Starbucks.”
After browsing the lists online, he zeroed on a double two -room two -bedroom, two bedroom, once servants’ servants in Palazzo Tafuri preserved.
The house, built with the signature of Puglia Golden Pink Stone, was completely renovated the barbed limestone walls, a fireplace and decorated stellar ceilings. Listed with $ 153,000, Richardson made a bold action.
“The house was ranked for 138,000 euros ($ 153,000) but I negotiated and paid € 100,000 (€ 111,000).
“I was willing to pay more, but I started at 100,000 euros to see that sellers would oppose the offer.”
They did not make it and the deal was sealed in March 2024, days after it arrived from Orange County.
For Richardson, the purchase was a theft compared to the strict real estate of southern California.
“Homes in southern California within 3 miles from the coast, in such a desired area, would cost around $ 700,000 to $ 1.4 million,” he noted.
His only modifications were a permanent roof for patio and bamboo intimacy screens, small expenses for a property he sees as an extraordinary value.
Nardò’s appeal lies in his underrated elegance and distance from mass tourism. Far from Italy’s hot spots, it offers proximity to the crystalline beaches of the Salento coast, often called “Maldives, Italy”.
The historic city center of the city, with its large churches and decorated Palazzo, surrounds the new home of Richardson, steps from the living terraces of Piazza Salandra. The introduction of land flow, without the steep steep stairs to Italy’s oldest properties, added practice for his pension years.
The lifestyle in Puglia arouses nostalgia for Richardson.
“He is remembering southern California in the 1960s,” he said. “I remember as a child passing through orange orchards to go to Disneyland, Riverside, Santa Barbara.”
He appreciates the region’s affordability, chemical -free products and stage olive trees, along a quiet ethic that he describes as the “Domani (tomorrow) attitude.
Richardson’s journey to Nardò reflects a broader trend of Americans seeking affordable, idyllic attraction abroad. Puglia, with its warm winters and authentic villages, stays away from saturated tourist regions such as Tuscana or Vicice.
“Beautiful coastal beaches and stripes, photographs of cities and cities, great weather (even in winter), and not full of tourists found throughout Tuscany, Virice, Milan and Rome. In fact, most tourists tend to be Italians or other Europeans.
For now, Richardson shares his time between Nardò and California, where he remains close to his old parents.
“My parents are currently living and I want to speak a few months out of the year near them,” he explained. In anticipation of a visa, he plans to extend his stays in Italy, though not yet forever, enjoying the balance between the seas of Puglia and his home.
“I have fallen in love with the Italian lifestyle and Domni’s attitude. There is no need to worry because there is always a donan. Without worries, it will take care of Domni, so for now, let’s only have a coffee and look at people walking,” he said.
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