affordable

SACRAMENTO — President Trump was handed a golden opportunity to upstage Gov. Gavin Newsom in Newsom’s own state on an issue of critical importance to Americans everywhere. But Trump naturally blew it.

The governor and the Democratic-led state Legislature shined.

Trump was victimized by his own self-centered obstinance and inhumanity. And Republican congressional leaders were left looking embarrassed and wimpy.

The issue was housing affordability — the lack of it that is stifling the American dream of homeownership everywhere, not just in California.

In Sacramento, the Legislature lopsidedly passed an $11.25-billion bond proposal aimed primarily at providing government subsidies for building affordable housing. Newsom immediately signed the measure last week, just beating the deadline for getting it on the Nov. 3 election ballot.

“In California, we don’t turn away from the needs of our people,” Newsom boasted in a prepared statement, taking a veiled shot at Trump, his favorite political target.

This came just after both houses of Congress, with members working collaboratively in a rare bipartisan manner, overwhelmingly passed a landmark bill aimed at boosting housing supply. The measure removed regulatory barriers, upgraded federal programs and incentivized new home building.

A Trump “promise kept,” the White House proclaimed.

Whoops! The president then suddenly flip-flopped. He canceled a planned bill-signing ceremony, torpedoing the legislation, an opportunity to gain sorely-needed points for the GOP heading into the fall elections and a chance to outboast Newsom, arguably his most annoying political antagonist.

Trump said he wouldn’t sign the housing bill unless Congress approved his unrelated voter ID legislation, which has practically no chance of passage. The least of his concerns seemed to be struggling homebuyers and renters.

As of this writing, it wasn’t clear what Trump would ultimately do. Nothing ever is certain with him. Shocked and confused GOP congressional leaders even held back sending the president the bill, then ducked out on holiday recess.

At the California state Capitol, by contrast, the governor and legislative leaders were united, working off the same page and successfully negotiating a final agreement on housing help.

As icing on the cake for voters, $1.25 billion was added for the popular CalVet loan program for military veterans. Their home loans are repaid through mortgages, costing the state nothing.

But the remaining $10 billion would need to be paid off by taxpayers over 30 years — at an estimated $580 million annually, bringing the total bond cost to about $17.4 billion, including interest.

Putting this in perspective, the Legislature just passed a $352-billion state budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. Of that, $7.5 billion will go for retiring debt on $73 billion in bonds. And the state has voter authorization to sell $38 billion more in bonds.

During legislative floor debates, some Republicans objected to the additional borrowing.

“We’ve got record revenue, why do we need to borrow money?” asked Assemblyman David Tangipa (R-Fresno).

That was answered during the Senate debate by Sen. Christopher Cabaldon (D-West Sacramento), one of the measure’s principal jockeys.

Building affordable housing “simply is impossible, it can’t be done without this bond” to finance government subsidies, Cabaldon told colleagues.

Developers are subsidized so they can build at a cost that will result in affordable consumer prices, mainly rents in this case.

Some Republicans also objected to inserting the CalVet money for voter appeal. Assemblyman Carl DeMaio called it “window dressing.”

CalVet funds normally are acquired through very small, separate bond measures.

But in the end, only a few Republicans voted against the big bond, which was officially authored by the Assembly Speaker and the Senate leader to display political muscle.

To their credit, the Legislature and governor in recent years have been whittling away at regulatory obstacles to home building. But many cities still balk at rezoning residential neighborhoods to make room for new multifamily dwellings.

The bond proposal is mainly designed to generate affordable rentals for poor people. More money was added at the end for affordable student and farmworker housing.

There’ll be a separate bond proposal on the November ballot that goes in a different direction but doesn’t conflict. It would help middle class homebuyers. And that measure wouldn’t cost taxpayers a cent.

“Housing supply is not just about poor people. It’s not just about homelessness,” says the middle class initiative’s originator, former legislative leader Bob Hertzberg, a Los Angeles County Democrat.

His proposal would authorize $25 billion in revenue bonds. Like the CalVet program, those bonds would be repaid by homebuyers through mortgages — not costing the state anything.

Under the plan, a homebuyer could borrow most of the money needed for a down payment on a newly constructed single-family home or condo. Typically, a 20% down payment is required. Under Hertzberg’s proposal, 17% could be borrowed. Regular lending institutions would arrange the second mortgage.

To be eligible, a homebuyer’s income could not exceed 200% of the area’s median income. In L.A. County, that would be around $213,000 for a family of four, Hertzberg figures. The home would need to be the owner’s primary residence.

The November ballot will be bursting with state propositions — 14 in all, mostly very complex, running the gamut. Besides housing, there’ll be proposals for a billionaires tax, voter ID requirement, local tax limitations and fast-tracking of public works.

Voters could just throw up their hands and reject everything.

“At some point, voters are just gonna say, ‘I don’t know about all this stuff. There’s a lot of stuff,’” says Dan Dunmoyer, who heads the California Building Industry Assn.

California’s housing affordability crunch won’t be solved by just two bond packages. But they’d help.

We and all of America could also use some help from our seemingly unconcerned president, who enjoys free public housing.

What else you should be reading

The must-read: Newsom, California Legislature reach $351.7-billion budget deal
Money (That’s what I want): Controversial billionaire tax proposal will appear on November ballot
The L.A. Times Special: Here’s a clue about these mystery books: ‘Papa’ may be California’s next governor

Until next week,
George Skelton

—
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GREECE

Toes in the sea on Kastellorizo

Just 2km from the Lycian coast, Kastellorizo is much closer to Turkey than mainland Greece. Ferries from the Turkish beach town of Kaş, as well as Rhodes and other Dodecanese neighbours, dock at the island’s tiny harbour, lined with colourful neoclassical houses. One of them, an ochre-painted mansion with pistachio green shutters, is Hotel Mediterraneo, which is so close to the water that you can practically roll out of bed and into the sea from the ground floor suite.

Mediterraneo’s owner, Parisian architect Marie Rivalant, is one of many artists and creatives who have fallen for Kastellorizo’s sleepy charms. She took over the quayside pension 25 years ago, painting the seven bedrooms in sunny colours and layering them with rugs, cushions, antiques and artworks (if you like her bohemian style, there is a small shop at the hotel selling her finds). Breakfasts blend influences from her travels too: flaky Turkish börek pastries, Greek yogurt and freshly baked croissants, served on the terrace.
Doubles from €170 B&B, mediterraneokastellorizo.com

A shipshape foodie stay in the Dodecanese

In the 19th century, the Greek island of Symi grew wealthy on sponge-diving, shipbuilding and seafaring. This brought merchants, with silver, spices and sponges traded in a neoclassical building on the Kali Strata, a stone stairway that connects the harbour of Gialos with the upper village of Chorio.

Today that building, with its high-ceilinged historic grandeur, is The Old Markets hotel. In the bedrooms, antique maps, old globes, nautical paintings and silverware nod to its past life. There are only seven rooms and three suites spread between the old market and the neighbouring Captain’s Mansion, but the hotel has an outsized culinary reputation thanks to its rooftop tasting-menu restaurant, Agora, and huge Greek breakfast feasts of Symi orange blossom akoumia (rice doughnuts) and toasted tsoureki (sweet brioche-like bread). Like many islands, Symi is best explored by boat, bobbing from Agios Nikolaos beach to St George Bay and on to the monastery at Panormitis, before heading back to the pretty horseshoe-shaped harbour.
Doubles from £150 B&B, theoldmarkets.com

SPAIN

A ducal palace in northern Spain

Spain’s paradors – state-run hotels in heritage buildings – are windows into the country’s history, from Moorish castles to medieval monasteries. In the hilltop town of Lerma, in the Castile and León region, the imposing 17th-century Ducal Palace is now Parador de Lerma, a place where royals married, princesses were born and even Napoleon stayed (walk in Bonaparte’s footsteps in room 313).

Several works by the great poet of Spain’s Golden Age, Lope de Vega, were first performed in the central covered courtyard surrounded by colonnaded galleries. The Duke of Lerma was also one of the great collectors of his time, and the parador is lined with moody oil paintings, Flemish tapestries and works by contemporary Spanish artists. The vaulted restaurant dishes up local favourites such as roast suckling lamb and Burgos cheeses. Nearby, the Arlanza wine region turns out muscular reds – try them at Bodega Palacio de Lerma.
Doubles from €124 room-only, breakfast €22, paradores.es

A hillside retreat near Barcelona

Set above the Costa del Maresme, the romantic manor of Can Casadella is a peaceful escape from Barcelona’s summer throng and just half an hour away. Magda and Josep allow visitors to have the run of antique-filled sitting rooms, cosy library and colonnaded terraces, where a hammock swings in the breeze. Outside, the old pond has been turned into a natural swimming pool, and there are orchards of orange, lemon, fig and almond trees. Freshly squeezed orange juice is served at breakfast, alongside homemade lemon and rosemary marmalade, breads, local cheese and sausages.

The nine large doubles and twins have original tiled floors and wooden beams, some with sea views and their own terraces. It’s enough to check out of the world for a few days, but Magda can also organise cooking workshops and yoga in the garden, and recommend hikes in the Parc de la Serralada Litoral next door or the best beaches a short drive away.
Doubles from €132 room-only, breakfast €12, cancasadella.com

A colourful hideout in Andalucía

Cortijo Genesis, a reimagined farmhouse, opened its doors last summer outside the whitewashed village of Gaucín, 40 miles west of Marbella. There’s a retro, Palm Springs-esque glamour to the pink scalloped parasols and wrought iron loungers in the garden, and the interior is just as colourful: a rainbow-painted ceiling in the reading room, a yellow-tiled kitchen and five bedrooms inspired by semi-precious stones – citrine, cornaline, morganite, lapis lazuli and aventurine.

Belgian co-owner Valentina Geyer is a reiki practitioner and equine therapist, and there’s a strong wellness focus, with meditation zones, yoga and pilates retreats, reiki healing and equine coaching. Much of the food is homegrown and homemade, with eggs from their hens, honey from their beehives, and herbs, fruit and vegetables from the permaculture plot. Good fuel to explore the hiking and biking routes through the hills nearby, or simply dip in and out of the swimming pool.
Doubles from €180 B&B, cortijo-genesis.com

FRANCE

A quieter side of the Côte d’Azur

Halfway between the hip grit of Marseille and the glitz of Saint-Tropez, Hyères is one of the quieter corners of the Côte d’Azur and known as Hyères-les-Palmiers for the thousands of palm trees that grow along boulevards and gardens. Part of its sleepy charm (and why it has stayed that way) is that its old town lies not on the beach, but a couple of miles inland, looking down on the Med from a hilltop perch.

It’s here that the Lilou Hotel opened a couple of summers ago, giving a Haussmann-esque building a fashionable twist, with cream and ochre paintwork, poplar burr wood furniture and rattan touches. There’s a slip of a pool outside and the restaurant dishes up coastal plates of bouillabaisse croquettes, tuna crudo and langoustine risotto. Down on the coast, l’Almanarre beach is a beautiful curve of sand popular with kite- and windsurfers. And just offshore are the islands of Porquerolles (home to a contemporary art institute and white sand beaches) and Port-Cros (a wild and rugged nature reserve) to explore.
Doubles from €145 room-only, breakfast €22, lilouhotel.fr

A seaside spa hotel in Brittany

On the blustery Finistère coast, a 45-minute drive east of Roscoff, the Grand Hôtel des Bains in Locquirec has a timeless New England air with its shiplap panelling and jaunty stripes. The chic decor is thanks to late owner Dominique van Lier, who edited a Belgian interiors magazine and tastefully transformed what had been a stuffy spa resort. The Marine Spa is still a huge draw, with massages, magnesium therapies and beauty treatments from Breton skincare brand Thalion. There’s also a sauna, hammam and warm indoor pool with knock-out views over Baie de Morlaix.

Most bedrooms have sea views, and there are beaches to walk to either side of the hotel’s rocky promontory, from tiny coves to the sweeping sands of the Baie de Locquirec. While the look here is East Coast US, the food and service are decidedly French (oysters, roasted lobster with seaweed butter) and the hotel also owns Brasserie de la Plage on the quayside for a change from the white-tablecloth dining room.
Doubles from £198 room-only, i-escape.com

An artist’s resort in Normandy

Claude Monet painted the luminous cliffs of Étretat more than 50 times during the 1880s, capturing the ever-shifting light on the white rock faces and dramatic sea arches. There are views of those famous chalk beauties from Le Donjon Domaine Saint Clair, which is set high above the Normandy seaside resort. One of the hotel’s bedrooms is named after Monet, while others honour novelists Guy de Maupassant, who lived in Étretat for part of his childhood, and Gustave Flaubert, a frequent visitor.

Less than three hours’ drive from Paris, Étretat is a popular spot with French tourists in the summer, who flock to the Alabaster Coast for locally caught seafood at waterfront bistros and the pebble beach between the cliffs. Built in 1862, Domaine Saint Clair is an imposing castle-style house with an idiosyncratic charm: bedrooms are tucked up and down little staircases and there is an open-air Jacuzzi atop the tower. There’s also a heated outdoor pool, a petit spa and a cocktail bar, which harks back to the town’s golden age.
Doubles from €190 room-only, breakfast €25, hoteletretat.com

Basque elegance in Biarritz

With its imperial palace on the headland overlooking wetsuit-clad surfers catching the waves, Biarritz has a funny duality of belle époque grandeur and salt-crusted beachiness. But it works. A few blocks back from the beach, Hotel Saint-Julien has a similar mix of elegance and ease. The typical 19th-century Basque house, with a whitewashed facade and painted shutters, has good bones – high ceilings and original wooden floors.

More recent updates have given an easy breeziness to the 26 bedrooms, all slightly different but decorated in muted colours with vintage furniture – the top floor has views over the rooftops to the sea. There’s a homely chambre d’hôte simplicity, and the restaurant has a rotating cast of visiting chefs and pop-up residencies. Restaurant Anema (until October) serves a daily changing menu of whatever is freshest from the fish market – on balmy nights bag one of the tables on the terrace.
Doubles from €180 room-only, breakfast €19, hotel-saint-julien-biarritz.fr

Chic Cannes at less haute prices

Cannes turns on the full red-carpet sparkle for the film festival each May, but with its superyacht-filled marina and beach clubs, it is a prime people-watching spot any time of year. The French Riviera town is known for palatial institutions such as the Carlton, Hôtel Martinez and Le Majestic, but a short walk from La Croisette, the newly opened Hôtel Lepoussin gives Haussmann-style glamour at less haute prices. There’s a mid-century feel to bedrooms, with sunny yellow textiles and wide curving wooden headboards; downstairs there’s an honesty bar in the lobby and a dinky plunge pool.

Keep the costs down further by skipping the beach-club fees and head instead to the public Plage Macé or Plage de la Bocca, stocking up on a picnic from the Marché Forville first. Or nip across to the Îles de Lérins on the ferry, exploring quiet coves, coastal walking trails and the fort where the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask was imprisoned.
Doubles from €135 room-only, breakfast €19, lepoussinhotel.com

PORTUGAL

A royal resort on the Portuguese Riviera

In 1870, King Luís I chose Cascais, 20 miles west of Lisbon, as his official summer residence. Aristocrats followed his lead to the Atlantic coast, building Italianate villas and ornate mansions, and turning the former fishing village into a fashionable resort. The Pergola Boutique Hotel was Cascais’s first hotel when it opened in 1985, transforming two chalets into an elegant 15-room retreat, the facade decorated with hand-painted tiles. Rooms are filled with art and antiques, and in the garden is a restaurant run by the team behind Lisbon favourite Café de São Bento.

The hotel is only a two-minute walk from the station, and arriving by train is easily the loveliest approach, with the line hugging the coast all the way from Lisbon. While Cascais still has a refined air, the coast is rugged and breezy – walk the boardwalk by the sea to neighbouring Estoril, catch a wave on the sandy stretch between Estoril and Carcavelos, or hike over cliffs to remote Praia da Ursa.
Doubles from £199 B&B, mrandmrssmith.com

Rococo grandeur in the Algarve

This incredible rose-coloured palace – now Pousada Palácio Estoi – was built in the 19th century by the Viscount of Estoi, with more than a passing nod to Versailles. Outside there are immaculate French-style gardens with clipped parterre hedges, statues and fountains, while inside is full-throttle Louis XV: ceilings frescoed with cherubim, ornate plasterwork, giant gilt mirrors and huge chandeliers. The 63 bedrooms, on the other hand, are a curious minimalist counterpoint, housed in a new wing that flanks the palace – slick and white like a visual palate cleanser from all that bling.

The extension is also home to a spa, with hammam, saunas and treatment rooms, and the restaurant dishes up Portuguese fish stew and Algarve orange tart in the old palace kitchen. From here, it’s a 20-minute drive to Faro, where boat trips depart for the lagoons, pristine beaches, birdlife and barrier islands of the Ria Formosa natural park.
Doubles from €122 B&B, pousadas.pt

ITALY

An artist’s guesthouse in Piemonte

Italian-Canadian artist Bruno Billio knows hotels – he spent 18 years as resident artist at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto. But now his creativity, which spans installation, sculpture and design, comes to life in a new way at his four-bedroom guesthouse, La Giardina, which opened this spring in the hills outside Turin.

It’s a handsome conversion of a 12th-century convent, and deeply personal too, with rooms named after family members and a wedding picture of his parents in the sitting room. Billio’s sculptural installations (found objects bound in vibrant thread; porcelain figurines dipped in black rubber) and original paintings by other artists grace the guesthouse. There are views towards the tall peak of Monviso and the Alps, with vineyards and hill towns just beyond the estate’s gates.
Doubles from €140 B&B, lagiardina.com

A nonna’s house on Lake Como

Alessandro and Andrea Motti’s grandmother was born in this house in the village of Laglio on Como’s western shore, and when the brothers were little they used to play with the chickens and rabbits in the garden overlooking the water. Now they’ve turned their nonna’s old home (and the neighbouring one) into a charming bed and breakfast, Cà Spiga. All eight bedrooms have lake views, and a breakfast spread from the family’s deli, Da Luciano, is laid out on the terrace each morning. Recently they have started serving Sunday lunches in the garden too, with dishes from local bistro La Piazzetta in Cernobbio.

Alessandro is full of tips to sidestep the Como crowds. Follow his lead and drive to the beach on the northern part of the lake at Domaso, before lunch at Osteria Aquila d’Oro in the Valle del Dosso del Liro, finishing at his favourite cocktail bar, Lo Scalo in Cremia.
Doubles from €225 B&B, caspiga.it

Views to the lighthouse in Puglia

Jutting out into the Adriatic, the Gargano peninsula, the spur to Italy’s boot, is a place of dramatic white limestone cliffs and sandy beaches, rugged mountains and deep forests – a wilder, quieter alternative to southern Puglia. At its very tip, the whitewashed town of Vieste is a place Italians flock to in summer for its clear waters and medieval centre.

In a historic building overlooking the marina, Tra Cielo e Mare has just six rooms, all decked out in white and wood. Three have balconies overlooking the sea, and breakfast is served on the terrace with views towards the lighthouse, which sits on its own little island. Spiaggia del Castello, a sandy stretch framed by the huge Pizzomunno monolith is 15 minutes’ walk from the hotel. And the whole peninsula is part of the Gargano national park, which is crisscrossed with cycling and hiking trails.
Doubles from €190 B&B, welcomebeyond.com

Prices are for late June/early July and were correct at the time of going to press

The ferry from Salerno to Amalfi town was set to take about 35 minutes, and we were debating whether to risk the windswept top deck, fearful our packed lunches might fly into the Tyrrhenian Sea. (My father and I were taking a pragmatic approach on our Italian holiday, opting for light midday meals to save space for the primo and secondo courses at dinner, and ample lemony desserts.)

As our ferry sped across glittering water, we admired the views as the Amalfi coast unfolded, incandescent with charm. But we could also see the crawling traffic on the narrow roads that cling to the cliffs. That could have been us, up there in one of those toy-sized rental cars, squeezed between a tourist coach and a fed-up local leaning on their horn. Thankfully, we were on a boat instead, sea breeze in hair and coffee in hand.

The Amalfi coast has a reputation that draws tourists from all over the world. It seems everybody wants to see this string of sorbet-coloured towns, to wander the narrow streets where houses climb the hills like stacked blocks, and to sip limoncello while gazing out across the impossibly bright, blue waters. But as eager as I had been to experience these famous graces, the idea of white-knuckling it on hairpin turns in a Fiat 500, inches from certain ruin, didn’t seem like my idea of fun. That’s when an Italian friend gave me some priceless advice: stay in Salerno – it’s a nice town with good restaurants, and you can do all your excursions via public transport from there.

Salerno is tucked just under the Sorrentine peninsula and about half an hour south of Naples on the fast train. It’s an ideal base for jumping on trains to inland attractions such as Pompeii and Paestum, but also for catching ferries to every destination along the Amalfi coast, as well as Capri and Sicily. What’s more, Salerno is a more affordable base than the honeypot towns of Positano or Ravello, where accommodation and restaurant prices are around double what you’d pay here.

Originally a Roman colony, Salerno was reshaped by the Normans in the 11th century. It’s a pleasant and relaxed town to wander, its wide and luxurious promenade dotted with palm trees, benches and street performers. What it lacks in Amalfi glamour, it makes up for with a more authentic tableau of local Italian life. (After a day of eating overpriced ice-cream from hollowed-out Amalfi lemons, we found Salerno’s lack of performance refreshing.)

Dad and I got a holiday rental on the edge of the historic centre, near Salerno Cathedral, which houses the relics of Saint Matthew. We wandered in one morning and were surprised to find that although the duomo is on the modest side, the crypt is a real showstopper, with intricate marble details from top to bottom. The town is also home to the Schola Medica Salernitana, which dates back to the 9th century and was the pre-eminent source of medical knowledge in its heyday, before closing in 1811. Today, the adjacent Garden of Minerva botanical terrace is the city’s most picturesque attraction. Its organising principle is the four humours of man (the Ancient Greeks theorised that our temperament and health are dictated by a balance of blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile). That’s certainly something to think about while wandering the gardens, where the plants are labelled according to which “mood” they affect.

But Salerno is all about the food for me, most notably the glistening, black squid ink pasta dish I ate at La Botte Pazza and still salivate over months later. The menu, scribbled on a tiled wall, described the dish simply as spaghetti mare. The wine came out of taps in the wall, and the buzzy atmosphere only got louder as the evening progressed. The bonhomie was all the more welcome after spending the day wandering among the ghosts of Pompeii (40 minutes up the coast by train), which was buried in ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago.

Another worthwhile rail excursion is to Vietri sul Mare – the first town in the string of pearls that make up the Amalfi coast, and the only one that can be reached by train. We hopped on an eight-minute service out of Salerno for a wander through the town famous for its colourful ceramics, but also because I wanted to swim – Salerno’s seafront has a nice promenade, but beach lovers are left wanting.

You can swim in Amalfi town too, but the beach in this more famous spot was already getting busy when we visited in late March. As much as I enjoyed Amalfi, I felt relieved to be there early in the season – its narrow streets weren’t built for crowds.

Vietri sul Mare is sleepy in comparison, and I was thrilled to find a peaceful stretch of sand, where I changed quickly under the arches before running in for a bracing dip in the turquoise water.

For Dad, who takes a dim view of anyone who goes in the sea in March, Paestum was more of a highlight. After speeding south for about half an hour, the train dropped us off in the middle of nowhere, by a gravel road that promised a 10-minute walk to the ruins of the once-great Greek city. We were in our element now – at Paestum, visitors can wander about freely as the approximately 27-hectare (66 acre) site unfolds, with the occasional noticeboard sharing a story of what used to be here, but mostly leaving it to your imagination.

Paestum’s crown jewels are the three temples looming large and golden in the landscape; they are about 2,500 years old yet very well preserved. Dad was pleased to find a working model of Archimedes’ screw, an ancient hydraulic tool for elevating water, while I was tickled by the Tomb of the Diver, with its fresco of a gentleman diving into a pool, starkers.

Osteria Canali gave us our last meal in Salerno, and again we had the pleasure of being surrounded by local people in an inviting neighbourhood taverna. The regional menu was rich with aubergine and mozzarella, and then came the main course of baccalà – a piece of white fish with figs, wrapped in paper and simmering in its own juices. More creamy Amalfi lemon desserts to finish, of course, and we figured we should try the limoncello as well – when south of Rome, right? But as much as I like a citrus tang, this was finally too much lemon for me.

Choosing Salerno as our base opened up a different side of the Amalfi coast, allowing us to come and go by boat and train without the stress of traffic jams and impossible parking situations. We only missed a train once, but another came along half an hour later, and while we waited there was nothing to worry about except where to go for ice-cream.

Intercity trains run from Naples Central to Salerno and take about 35 minutes (€9.50). Regional trains from Salerno central take about 40 minutes to Pompeii (€2.80); 30 minutes to Paestum (€3.40); and eight minutes to Vietri sul Mare (€1.40). Timetables at trenitalia.com. Several ferry companies run year-round services from Salerno to the towns along the Amalfi coast. The Travelmar passenger ferry sails direct to Amalfi town from Salerno’s Concordia terminal (35 minutes, €26 return). Plan your journey with FerryHopper

The Retirement Abroad Index 2026 has ranked 20 countries across five key areas including healthcare, cost of living and visa accessibility – and the results may surprise you.

While you might be drawn to these sunny spots for a holiday, have you ever considered they could be the perfect place to spend your retirement?

As Brits approach retirement age, plenty contemplate purchasing a property in well-loved retirement havens such as Spain and France, but there are warmer, more affordable locations that could offer greater advantages, according to the latest figures.

The Expatriate Group, a specialist provider of international health insurance serving expats and retirees globally, has published The Retirement Abroad Index for 2026. The study assessed 20 countries, evaluating them across five crucial categories, including healthcare, visa accessibility, health insurance requirements, cost of living, and community and integration.

Drawing from these essential factors, it’s evident which destinations emerged as frontrunners for retirees and which have fallen in the rankings, with some surprising contenders.

Lee Gerry, director of Expatriate Group, said: “Retiring abroad has never been more achievable, but the decisions that matter most – healthcare access, visa routes, and the reality of day-to-day costs – are often the least well understood.”

“This index is designed to cut through the noise and give people an honest, data-led picture of where the real opportunities are.”

The top destination for retirement, according to the index, was the Philippines, with a Special Resident Retiree’s Visa that ranks among the most accessible globally. It requires a fixed deposit of roughly £11,000 for those receiving a pension.

What’s more, it achieved impressive marks for affordability and anticipated integration, which, combined with its tranquil beaches and stunning scenery, makes it an idyllic spot to enjoy your retirement years.

The second choice is perhaps less of a shock, as it’s certainly more familiar to Brits, though still not typically considered the top pick: Thailand.

The nation boasts several well-established and vibrant cities, each providing a flavour of its rich culture, but most prominently, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket all feature internationally recognised private hospital networks.

Thailand secured a perfect 20 out of 20 on the scoring index, excelling in the healthcare category alongside Spain and France. Regarding visas, their Non-Immigrant O-A Visa demands coverage of at least $100,000, approximately £74,000, per policy, per year, as a visa requirement.

The third country, which may surprise some retirees, is Colombia, offering one of the most straightforward retirement visa routes among the 20 destinations and, remarkably, achieving a cost of living score of 18 out of 20.

According to their findings, the report indicates a retired couple can generally enjoy a comfortable lifestyle in Medellín, the capital of Colombia, on roughly £1,000 to £1,500 per month. In contrast to most British cities, it boasts reliably warm weather and possesses a lively atmosphere that’s difficult to match elsewhere.

Portugal emerged as the first European nation to feature on the list as an ideal spot to spend your golden years, claiming fourth place. Joint fifth went to Sri Lanka and South Africa, while Malaysia and the UAE shared sixth position, before Mexico secured a solid seventh spot.

While Spain continues to be among the most favoured destinations for British retirees, it didn’t appear until eighth on the list, achieving 18 out of 20 for healthcare, though it was let down by the cost of living and visa complications.

It also shares eighth place with Indonesia, which is cherished for its relaxed way of life and renowned for its strong emphasis on wellness culture. Packed with stunning beaches and particularly attracting visitors to Bali, it has climbed to the top of countless people’s bucket lists as a must-visit destination.

Coming in at number nine is Panama, followed by Qatar. Panama has made headlines in recent years for its ‘Pensionado’ programme, which offers a generous range of discounts designed to make retirement far more affordable.

The scheme also requires retirees to demonstrate a lifetime income of just £738 or so per month, with an extra £184 for each dependant.

Due to several countries sharing identical scores, the top 10 is actually made up of 13 nations in total. These are:

• Philippines
• Thailand
• Colombia
• Portugal
• Sri Lanka
• South Africa
• Malaysia
• UAE
• Mexico
• Spain
• Indonesia
• Panama

OUR Spotlight On column gives you the lowdown on what to see and do in some of the most popular holiday destinations – as well as some lesser-known areas.

This week we’re shining a spotlight light on Kotor Bay in Montenegro, one of Europe’s most spectacular yet underrated seaside escapes.

The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey recently visited Montenegro.

She said: “The country’s coastal resorts are all stunning, sitting on the turquoise waters.

“But Kotor Bay is a must visit – even if just for a quick stroll around the town.

“One of the most unusual spots is the Kotor Cats Museum, based on the many animals that roam the streets.”

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MUST SEE/DO

Kotor Old Town is the bay’s beating heart, with cobbled alleys, Venetian palaces and fortress walls.

Then a short walk along the waterfront towards Dobrota takes you past a public lido, stone swimming platforms and little cafés right on the water – a calm stretch that’s also one of the safest spots in the bay for an easy sea swim.

A short hop around the bay, Perast is impossibly picturesque, with its baroque houses and tiny islets.

From the harbour, small boats take about ten minutes to reach Our Lady of the Rocks, the postcard-pretty church sitting on its own artificial island.

The historic Ladder of Kotor rises directly behind the Old Town – a zig-zag mule trail with big views the higher you go.

Or head further inland to Lovcen National Park, where the road climbs towards the Njego Mausoleum and its 360-degree mountain panorama.

The Vrmac Ridge trail, between Kotor and neighbouring Tivat Bay, is another great option, an old military road with superb views over both sides of the coast.

Tour operator Untravelled Paths can fix up guided trips taking in everything from honey farms to white water rafting on the Tara river.

HIDDEN GEM

One of Montenegro’s quirkiest experiences awaits at the Underwater Kraken Wine Cellar.

This unique winery ages its bottles underwater for a flavour like nothing on land. Bottles are lowered roughly 20 metres to the seabed in metal cages and left to age for about a year.

Travellers can join a guided dive to racks of barnacle-covered bottles on the seabed, then sample the results back on shore.

BEST VIEW

The bar Monte 1350 crowns the upper station of the new Kotor-Lovcen cable car, its terrace looking straight down over the bay and out towards the Adriatic.

Visitors can sip a cold drink while watching the sunlight shift across the bay or stay to catch the sunset.

RATED RESTAURANT

Galion is Kotor’s standout dining spot, with one of the most romantic waterfront settings in Montenegro.

The glass-walled restaurant juts out over the water, giving diners views of the bay while they enjoy fresh seafood and local wines.

Perfect for a special evening without the hefty prices of other Med hotspots.

BEST BAR

Evergreen Jazz Club is a cosy, dimly-lit spot with exposed brick walls and live music ranging from acoustic sets and blues to Balkan fusion.

Its great-value drinks are enjoyed by friendly locals and travellers.

HOTEL PICK

Klinci Village Resort on Lustica peninsula is a peaceful spot with rustic charm, sea views and Montenegrin hospitality, with rooms from around £80 per night.

For something more budget-friendly, Hotel Vardar in Kotor offers comfortable rooms and a prime location near the Old Town from around £60 per night.

Hundreds of Bolivian residents are braving near-freezing temperatures to queue for affordable chicken in La Paz, due to more than a month of food shortages.

Spiked prices and protester blockades have affected access to food and medical supplies in the capital.

PAULTONS Park has announced it will open its very first watercoaster next year.

The new attraction will be an addition to Valgard: Realm of the Vikings and it will be one of the biggest rides ever built in the theme park.

Called Serpent’s Curse, the watercoaster will be 471-metres long, with top speeds of 44mph and will open next spring.

For ride enthusiasts the details say that it will have ‘a lift hill, fast-flowing twists and curves, and a dramatic plunge into a final splashdown.’

Talking about the new ride, Paultons has said it will be one of the ‘biggest rides ever built’ at the park.

This isn’t the only new addition, as another second water ride will open at Valgard too – although it already exists at the park.

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Seal Falls, the junior mini log flume water ride will be re-themed and relocated to new land.

The ride will be renamed ‘Little Serpents’.

James Mancey, deputy managing director at the park, said: “We always have a surprise or two up our sleeve, and Serpent’s Curse is potentially our most exciting reveal yet.

“We’re working with the world-renowned MACK rides to bring their fantastic water coaster to the UK.

“The speed and exhilaration of the coaster with such a dramatic finish into the water makes for something really special that works brilliantly within the Viking theme.”

Paultons Park in Hampshire is considered one of the most affordable in the UK.

Entry tickets cost £46.75pp.

There are 10 exciting rollercoasters to enjoy as well as the well-known Peppa Pig World.

Sun Travel worked out that while the entry cost is steep, children under one-metre-tall go free.

And the cost per rollercoaster, if you ride them all, works out to £4.68.

In May 2026, Paultons Park opened its new world, Valgard: Realm of the Vikings, which cost £12million to build and has its very first inverting rollercoaster.

The ride called Drakon, has been called the ‘crown jewel of Valgard’.

The new land also has a swing ride and Middle Ages themed ‘feast’ dining.

You can find out more about Valgard from Head of Sun Travel (Digital) Caroline McGuire who visited when it first opened.

Finding affordable hotel accommodation in Europe’s coastal hotspots in summer can be a challenge, especially if you’d rather not settle for a soulless budget chain or youth hostel. Whether it’s a grand old hotel on the French Riviera that oozes faded glamour or a charming guesthouse on the Amalfi coast, we’d love to hear about European seaside hotels that feel special without blowing the budget.

The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet wins a £200 voucher to stay at a Coolstays property – the company has more than 3,000 worldwide. The best tips will appear in the Guardian Travel section and website.

Keep your tip to about 100 words

If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words we will be judging for the competition.

We’re sorry, but for legal reasons you must be a UK resident to enter this competition.

The competition closes on Monday 8 June at 10am BST

Have a look at our past winners and other tips

Read the terms and conditions here

If you’re having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here.

For centuries, outsiders have been lured to the radiant hills and valleys of Andalucía, not least the Moors of north Africa who left such an impact on the land and culture. More recently, an influx of northern European aficionados has fostered a string of seductive, small-scale guesthouses to join some idiosyncratic Spanish-owned properties. These are idyllic, tranquil settings in which to de-stress and recharge, hike, ride, cycle, cook, swim or simply stargaze – the rural skies here are blissfully free of light pollution. Nor are cultural highlights ever far away, whether in Granada, Córdoba or Seville.

Starry nights at Casa Mimi

Near Gérgal, in the eastern mountains bordering the Sierra de los Filabres, this Belgian-owned bed and breakfast has three charming rooms with ample outside space, views and a pool. Although isolated, it has unbeatable access to regional highlights including Europe’s only desert, which surrounds the old film studios of Tabernas; Almería’s stupendous fortress; and the wild beaches of Cabo de Gata. A lesser known lure is the Calar Alto astronomical observatory, one of Europe’s largest, perched on a nearby mountaintop, where night visits are available. Mediterranean dinners (€25) at Casa Mimi are on request and use seasonal produce, guaranteed by these former restaurateurs, Priscilla and Ben. The entire property of four bedrooms can be rented.
Doubles from €70 B&B, casamimi.net

Hiking and biking from Hostal Pampaneira

Time-travel to old-school Andalucía in Las Alpujarras, the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Almost 50 years old with local furnishings to match, this modest, 15-room family hotel overlooks the steep, whitewashed village of Pampaneira on dizzying bends high above Órgiva – an enclave for alternative lifestyles. Centuries ago, the Berbers developed farming in the area and Pampaneira’s intricate layout. The restaurant cooks hearty mountain produce in the form of stews and roasts (pork, lamb and kid goat) with vegetables from their allotment, their own olive oil and local wine. Cliff climbing, mountain biking, horse riding, guided treks and excursions to the snowy slopes of 3,479-metre Mulhacén (the highest mountain in the Iberian peninsula) are all on offer for the active, while peerless Granada lies to the north.
Doubles from €42, triples €50, breakfast €10, hostalpampaneira.com

Embrace nature at Casa Olea

This converted farmhouse hides in a stunning, secluded valley north of the delightful baroque town of Priego de Córdoba in central Andalucía. Over the years, the owners, Tim and Claire, have fine-tuned comforts and activities while upping the impressive environmental credentials. Six stylish rooms crown a restaurant with panoramic views over the river, olive groves, woods, two Moorish watch towers and a bronze age hillfort. The large pool is where to relax after self-guided hikes, cycling (bike rental and navigation app available) or birding from a hide. The coup de grâce is a gourmet dinner (€36) cooked by Claire, laced with the property’s own olive oil. And there is the opportunity to stargaze as Casa Olea is certified as a Starlight hotel. Midway between Granada and Córdoba, serious sightseeing is also on the agenda.
Doubles €154 B&B (two-night minimum), casaolea.com

On top of the world at Finca Serrato

Hidden down a dirt road in the Montes de Málaga near Colmenar, about 50 minutes from Málaga, the finca offers three apartments and two double rooms in the farmhouse or outbuilding. All have an attractive, understated aesthetic, some with woodburning stoves, air-con, kitchen facilities and private patio. A small pool has far-reaching views. The youthful French-Spanish hosts, Zélie and Nico, prepare delicious breakfasts, snacks and tapas, sourcing local ingredients. An hour away is Antequera and the surreal rock formations of El Torcal – an entrancing setting for hikes.
Doubles from €68, apartments from €77 (two-night minimum), breakfast €9, airport transfer €60, fincaserrato.com

Gourmet dining at Finca Las Encinas

With only three bedrooms, you could call this guesthouse intimate, but that impression changes when you’re under the pergola overlooking the pool and see a rippling sea of olive groves prized for their oil. Foodies should make a beeline here as Welsh chef Clive is passionate about Andalucían cooking, conjuring up fabulous seasonal dinners as well as cooking classes. The cosseting finca lies in a hamlet of La Subbética, a semi-mountainous region between Córdoba and Granada, with the Iznájar reservoir (for watersports) and castle just down the road. Maki, Clive’s Japanese wife and a knowledgable enthusiast of the region, accompanies guests to bodegas, olive oil mills and cultural hotspots. Cosy rooms are thoughtfully decorated, and Clive’s organic vegetable garden boosts the menu.
Doubles from €80 B&B (two-night minimum), dinner €33, finca-las-encinas.com

Serenity at La Dehesa Experience

Rest up in luxury glamping style in the heart of the Sierra Morena north of Córdoba, famed for Iberian pigs snuffling acorns beneath the oak trees. Scattered over the dehesa (fertile pasture for cattle and horses) are six wooden cabins raised on platforms with one or two bedrooms, a kitchen and a plunge pool outside. An alternative is the “tubbo”, a spacious transparent tube, all the better for total immersion. Slickly designed interiors contain fridges full of Andalucían wine and local gourmet produce, binoculars, and a telescope in some suites. Here, you are on your own and totally private, although the efficient staff are always on call to deliver breakfast, lunch or dinner (€35) and even offer massages. This is the ultimate retreat for total serenity, for romance and for immersion in nature.
Doubles from €189 B&B, ladehesaexperiences.com

Eclectic retreat at El Molino del Abuelo

At this transformed water mill, you will be warmly greeted by two brothers and their mother. The family project (the mill was set up by their grandfather – the abuelo) is an eco-friendly bubble in the village of Montecorto, just 20km west of Ronda. Out front unfolds the verdant Sierra de Grazalema, renowned for hiking, biking trails, birding, and sprinkled with classic pueblos blancos. Raúl and Florentino have curated an eclectic oasis of vivid colour and quirky craft and artworks – including murals by their sister. Five rooms, two pools, a shared kitchen for making snacks and a prolific garden of organic vegetables and fruit trees are all there, but number one is the gurgling stream which lulls you to sleep. Breakfasts are bountiful, so luckily yoga and bikes are options, along with tips on local sights.
Doubles from €70, breakfast €7.50, adults only, elmolinodelabuelo.es

Walking wonders from Molinos de Fuenteheridos

In the Sierra de Aracena of western Andalucía, near Aracena, this 17th-century flour and olive mill has been converted in contemporary style to offer 10 huge, well-appointed rooms with luxury en suites. The mill room itself is now an atmospheric common area with plentiful seating lit by Moorish lamps. Outside, extensive grounds include lush gardens, a large saltwater pool, a smaller freshwater one and a river that nourishes fig, walnut, chestnut and apple trees. It is a picture-perfect area for hikes, coupled with Aracena castle, spectacular grottos and Museo del Jamón – a 15-minute drive away, and the bars and restaurants of Fuenteheridos within walking distance. Not least, the cultural riches of Seville beckon, a 90-minute drive away.
Doubles from €99, breakfast €7, molinosdefuenteheridos.com

Fiona Dunlop is the author of Andaluz – a Food Journey through Southern Spain (Interlink Publishing)

IF you’re dreaming of plunging into hot tubs, wrapping up in fluffy robes and sipping glasses of bubbly by the pool – we’ve found some deals for you.

We’ve scoured the internet for UK getaways to luxurious spa hotels for ridiculously affordable prices.

From countryside estates with four-poster beds and manicured gardens, to swanky city-centre hidden sanctuaries, we’ve found a wide range of dreamy escapes.

Here are the best budget-friendly spa staycations you can book right now – with prices from a budget-friendly £42pp.

Woodland spa retreat for two at the 4* Abbey Hotel in Worcestershire

Enjoy a break at the four-star Abbey Hotel Golf & Country Club in Redditch, Worcestershire – a countryside escape just 15 miles south of Birmingham.

This charming hotel sits on a sprawling 175-acre estate, plus you have an indoor pool, sauna, steam room and hot tub to enjoy.

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This Wowcher deal lets you pick from a one or two-night stay, with breakfast and use of the spa facilities included.

Wowcher offer a one-night stay with breakfast and use of the spa facilities starts at £89 for two, and a two-night stay from £185.

Coastal Spa break at the 4* Beaches Hotel & Spa in North Wales

Treat yourself to a spa break in Prestatyn, North Wales, at the colourful coastal retreat The Beaches Hotel & Spa.

On this spa break you can chill out by the indoor pool and enjoy the seaside scenery, plus you can upgrade to include a treatment package such as a hot stone massage or cooling foot treatment.

You also get £25 dining credit per person, so you can enjoy an evening meal in the hotel’s cosy restaurant, or a traditional afternoon tea.

Nearby you can wander coastal paths and dip into souvenir shops in the picturesque seaside town.

Wowcher offer a night’s stay for two with spa access for £99, or you can add on a treatment for each person for a break that will cost £199 total.

Luxurious 4* spa escape to Cadbury Hill near Bristol

Enjoy an escape to DoubleTree by Hilton Cadbury House, a beautiful restored 18th century building overlooking a large shimmering pond.

The four-star hotel is surrounded by beautiful landscaped grounds, which are perfect to explore on a sunny afternoon walk after relaxing in the spa.

The award-winning spa has a swimming pool, sauna, hot tub, thermal suite and gym to make use of during your stay.

Wowcher offer a one-night stay for two with a welcome drink of bubbly, breakfast, and full access to the spa facilities from £84, working out at £42 per person.

Or you can upgrade to a two-night stay from £214 total.

4* Countryside retreat at Greenwoods Hotel & Spa in Essex

Enjoy a stay in the peaceful village of Stock in Essex at the countryside Greenwoods Hotel & Spa.

Here you can unwind in the indoor pool, relax in the hot tub, and enjoy a soothing sit-down in the steam room or sauna after making the most of the hotel’s fitness suite.

Afterwards you can return to a cosy bedroom with a large comfy bed and glamorous decor.

Wowcher offer one night’s stay for two including breakfast and access to the spa facilities from £169, or you can upgrade to two nights from £319 total.

City centre spa retreat at the 4* Leonardo Royal Hotel Tower Bridge, London

You can’t get much more central than a stay at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in London’s picturesque Tower Bridge.

This swanky city hotel has its own gym, swimming pool, spa and sauna – plus you can add-on treatments like body wraps, massages and anti-aging facials.

Groupon offer a one-night stay in a superior king room for two including access to the spa from £128 total.

Countryside spa break at the Hogs Back Hotel & Spa Farnham, Surrey

This grand countryside retreat in Surrey has traditional rooms with four-poster beds, a stylish restaurant and a luxurious spa.

This spa has everything you need, including a large indoor pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub and fitness centre.

Nearby you can visit the impressive Hampton Court Palace, or spot rare species at the British Wildlife Centre.

Groupon offer one night’s stay for two, including breakfast and access to the spa facilities, from £89 total.

Prices correct at the time of publication.

Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip – With a weary expression, Saja arranges her few belongings inside the tent her fiance, Mohammed, has prepared for their wedding in just a few days.

There are two thin mattresses instead of a proper bed, a small cooking corner fashioned from wood and tarpaulin, and a makeshift bathroom that Mohammed also built from scraps of wood and plastic sheets.

The couple, Saja al-Masri, 22, and Mohammed Ahliwat, 27, got engaged a year ago while their families were displaced. They are still living in a camp in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, forced into displacement by Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Saja agreed to a modest dowry, but even that will only be paid by Mohammed in instalments.

Yet even this “simple beginning” has become unbearably expensive for Mohammed and many young men in Gaza, who are expected to shoulder the majority of the costs in Palestinian culture when they get married.

“I bought the tent for 1,500 shekels [about $509], the wood cost me around 2,500 [about $850], the tarpaulins exceeded 2,000 [about $679], and a simple bathroom cost another 3,000 [about $1,019],” Mohammed tells Al Jazeera. Before the war, apartments had previously been available for rent for between $250 and $300 a month.

“It’s not enough that I’m starting my life in a tent under harsh conditions, even this is unbearably expensive,” adds Mohammed, who works odd jobs like selling bread and canned goods or repairing bicycles.

“Everything I earn barely covers food and water. I tried to save a little for the wedding, but prices are so high, as if I were preparing a luxurious event.”

Before the war, Mohammed lived in a large seven-storey house in Bureij in central Gaza, and owned a fully furnished 170-square-metre apartment.

“When I remember my apartment in our home that was destroyed in the war, I feel deep sorrow … My brothers and I each had fully prepared apartments before marriage.”

“We had stability, and we owned poultry farms that supplied several areas in Gaza,” he says bitterly. “Today, I’m getting married in a tent.”

As for the wedding venue, Mohammed rented a small space that had been used as a cafe, unable to afford a wedding hall.

“A friend helped me rent this small place … for 1,500 shekels [$509],” he says. “It’s not a small amount considering how simple the place is. Wedding halls cost more than 8,000 shekels [$2,717].”

Mohammed’s situation is not exceptional in Gaza. Many weddings are now held in tents, with only the most basic preparations, amid soaring prices and a collapse of basic living conditions brought on by the war and the accompanying economic crisis.

Unemployment in Gaza has reached 80 percent, according to the Gaza Ministry of Labour, and poverty rates have risen to 93 percent.

Incomplete preparations

Saja holds back her tears as she listens to her fiance.

What should have been the happiest moment of her life feels incomplete, and she has nothing to offer to ease Mohammed’s burden.

She understands the situation can’t be helped, and has tried to remain calm. But the difficulty in finding an affordable wedding dress broke her.

Dress shops have quoted her incredibly high prices to rent one – more than 2,000 shekels ($679) for one night.

“Everyone says crossings, goods, and coordination are expensive, so everything is overpriced,” Saja explains.

In an attempt to solve this, Mohammed brought a modest dress from an acquaintance “just to make the wedding happen”, placing her in what she describes as “a painful choice”.

“When I tried the dress yesterday, I felt so sad … I burst into tears. It was worn out, torn at the edges, and outdated,” Saja says, her voice breaking.

“I slept last night with tears on my cheeks … but there’s nothing we can do. This is what’s available.”

She points to the yearlong wait to have the wedding, after postponing it repeatedly because preparations were incomplete.

“The situation doesn’t improve … it only gets worse. Every time we say let’s wait, nothing changes. So we decided to get married next week,” says Saja, who studied graphic design for one year before the war forced her to stop.

Since then, she has been displaced with her family on a long journey that began in Beit Hanoon, in northern Gaza, passed through Gaza City, and ended in Deir el-Balah.

It’s not just the dress that worries her. Beauty salons charge nearly 700 shekels ($238) to prepare a bride.

“They tell us cosmetics are very expensive and unavailable, electricity and generators cost a lot, fuel is expensive … everything is expensive, and people like us are the ones who pay.”

“What did we do to deserve this?” she says.

No taste of joy

Saja’s mother, Samira al-Masri, 49, interrupts gently, trying to console her, saying the conditions are the same for everyone in Gaza, where the majority of Palestinians have been displaced from homes destroyed by Israel, and more than 72,000 have been killed since October 2023.

“I married off four of my daughters: Ilham, Doaa, Ameerah, and now Saja, during the war, without joy,” Samira says, her voice trembling.

“Each wedding felt like a tragedy to me.”

“They all started their married lives the same way … in tents, with almost nothing.”

Samira describes her deep sadness at being unable to celebrate her daughters properly or give them the wedding they dreamed of.

“As you can see, there aren’t enough clothes, no proper items for a bride … no suitable dress, not even a wardrobe or a bed,” she says, while helping Saja arrange her few belongings.

Mohammed adds that bedroom furniture now costs between 12,000 and 20,000 shekels ($4,076 and $6,793) – before the war, the sets had cost around 5,000 shekels.

“Unbelievable prices, and there’s barely any goods in the market. We settled for mattresses on the ground.”

No signs of improvement

In Gaza, weddings are no longer joyful occasions; they are painful experiences repeated over and over.

Despite her natural desire as a mother to celebrate her daughter and give her a dignified start, Samira finds herself powerless, unable even to ask more from the groom.

“The situation is not normal … I can’t pressure him or ask what he did or didn’t bring. Everyone knows the situation … we’re all living it.”

Her worries extend beyond her daughters to her 26-year-old son, who is approaching marriage.

“I put myself and my son in the groom’s place: What does he have? Nothing. The same situation. Every time I see the costs, I step back from arranging his marriage.”

Amid this reality, Samira expresses deep sorrow for young men and women trying to marry today.

“I pray God helps them … our days were much easier … even the simplest costs have become unaffordable.

As her marriage shifts from a moment of joy into a heavy confrontation with reality, Saja tries to hold herself together despite having no real options.

She admits it is not easy, but Mohammed’s presence next to her gives her strength.

“Sometimes, I feel it’s a miserable beginning … but when I see Mohammed with me, I overcome my sadness,” she says with a faint smile as she looks at her future husband.

There are few signs that circumstances will improve anytime soon for the couple. Still, they try to achieve a balance between harsh reality and fragile hope.

“I feel things will stay the same, as is written for us,” Saja says, “moving from one tent to another.”

OUR Spotlight On Column shines a light on both the little known and the much loved holiday destinations.

This week we’re talking Singapore, including some hidden gems and new hotels.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.

The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey recently visited.

She explained: “I didn’t expect to love the city as much as I did, but I loved how safe and clean it felt compared to other major cities.

“It’s the kind of place where you’ll never struggle to find amazing food, no matter what your budget it.

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“Make sure to look up too – most buildings have living walls or rooftop gardens as strict rules mean any new structures must replace greenery it builds on.”

Here are some of our other top tips if you fancy a trip to the stopover city.

MUST SEE/DO:

The most fun way to get around the city is with a Singapore Sidecar (sideways.sg) where you are driven around by experienced riders.

With options of different tours, one of the best takes you everywhere from the finance district to the huge murals of Yip Yew Chong, who depicts scenes of traditional Singapore.

The tours include numerous photo stops, and the guides know all the answers to any questions you might have too.

Wait for night to fall and then hop over to Garden by The Bay to watch the light show of the famous trees.

HIDDEN GEM

The neighbourhood of Joo Chiat is no longer a hidden gem, after being named one of the world’s coolest neighborhoods.

But tourists often skip over Tin Yeang Restaurant, despite it being a great place to mingle with the locals.

It’s loud, its busy, but you can learn a lot about the culture while enjoying prata (crispy pancakes) with fish curry for just a few pounds.

It’s right by the multicoloured Peranakan houses too, so you can explore the mix of Chinese and Malay heritages afterwards.

BEST VIEW

When it comes to gardens, Singapore goes up by putting them on top of skyscrapers. 

And the best free view is found at Henderson Wave Bridge, the highest footbridge in the city,

Join the other joggers and dog walkers to get views of both the city and nature, without paying a penny.

RATED RESTAURANT

Keng Eng Kee is an institution of a restaurant.

Family-run for more than 50 years, sibling Paul, Wayne and Jia Min are joined by the rest of their relatives when it gets busy.

Plastic bibs are supplied (and needed) for the most popular dishes, the chilli crab, a well as the marmite chicken. Unusual, but salty and delicious.

Make sure to book, as they can easily serve up to 800 tables a weekend.

On a budget? Don’t forget Hawker Chan, an indoor market food hall where you can get Michelin meals for less than a fiver.

BEST BAR

If you only go to one bar, it has to be Jigger + Pony, often named one of the best in the world.

Think speakeasy interiors and pretend magazines that disguise the menu, peppered with articles of the bar’s history.

The Clover Club is a must but staff are also on hand if nothing takes your fancy, to mix something up for you.

You’ll find yourself spending hours there, with fantastic music and service encouraging you to stay late into the night.

HOTEL PICK

Mama Shelter‘s first hotel in Asia, the new opening last year is bringing French flair to Singapore.

The 115 rooms include an unusual two-person bunk option, the perfect option if staying with friends.

Mama’s restaurant is just as fun with eclectic interiors and live music. Try the Szechuan Crispy Chicken and a Ms Violet cocktail (followed by a hungover coffee at Mama Kiss cafe).

Rooms cost from £120 per night. See mamashelter.com.

BRITS will soon be able to bag a bargain as easyJet is launching new flights to a sunny African destination for less than £37.

The budget airline will launch new flights to Morocco from the UK this winter.

The routes will include one from Newcastle to Marrakech starting November 3 and operating two times a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The flights for this route are already on sale and cost from £36.99.

And then there will also be a new route between Birmingham and Agadir, with flights coming on sale this spring.

In the meantime though, the two destinations will reach temperatures of up to 36C this week.

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Flights to Marrakech cost as little as £19 per way for the remainder of April, and for Agadir, flights cost as little as £15 per way for the remainder of April.

What to do there

Marrakech is known as the ‘Red City’ thanks to its iron-rich coloured buildings and is home to bustling souks and palaces.

For example, you could head to Bahia Palace, which is a 19th-century building with 160 rooms and beautiful mosaics.

Make sure to see the courtyard which spans across 1,500-square-metres and is paved with Italian Carrara marble.

Jemaa el-Fnaa is then the main square in the city and during the day boasts a market.

From the square, you can also venture to Souk Cherratine known for leather goods and Souk Haddadine, home to a number of blacksmiths.

If you fancy a bit of an adventure, head to Agafay Desert which is about 45 minutes away.

It is a top spot for seeing an orange-glowing sunset and going on quad-biking adventures.

When visiting the city, make sure to stay in a riad, which is a traditional courtyard house that has been converted into a boutique hotel in Morocco.

Lisa Minot, The Sun’s Head of Travel, has visited the city and said: “Tourism is booming in the city and while the streets are as colourful and chaotic as ever, the influx of visitors has brought some gorgeous new bars, restaurants and stunning hotels.”

Marrakech will reach temperatures of up to 35C next week.

On the other hand, if you fancy visiting Agadir, you can explore a six-mile beach.

Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey said: “At Taghazout Beach, hordes of eager surfers took to the sea before I’d even finished my morning coffee.

“As a novice surfer, I opted to watch those riding the waves, while my companion made friends with the stray dogs and hawkers selling Moroccan breads.”

After a stroll along the beach, make sure to visit Souk El Had, which is one of North Africa’s largest markets with over 6,000 stalls.

And over at the Medina, you will find a number of artisan workshops selling traditional Moroccan items including colourful carpets and pottery.

Last month the destination was named the most affordable break for this summer.

According to loveholidays, a week in Agadir would cost as little as £33 per person per night between June and August.

Agadir will reach temperatures of up to 36C next week.

Easyjet will also offer package holidays to both destinations from both UK airports too.

News of the new routes comes as the airline officially launched a new permanent three-aircraft base in Marrakech this week.

It marks the airline’s first-ever base in Africa and has created 100 new jobs.

Kenton Jarvis, CEO of easyJet, commented: “We couldn’t be happier to launch our base in Morocco for our 20th year of operations in the country and to mark the milestone of 20 million passengers flown over that time.

“This is a milestone for our development in the region, providing more travel opportunities than ever before for our airline and holidays customers, while contributing to the local economy through tourism and the jobs we are creating.”

In other destination news, these are the most family-friendly destinations for 2026 – including affordable hotels with rooftop pools and kids’ clubs.

Plus, here are the seven holiday destinations Brits are booking instead of other spots due to ongoing Iran conflict.