![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/santorini-20260804125111745.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n Two years ago, Jeffrey Davidson and Walter Zak hadn\u2019t even set foot in Greece. But the couple, who were previously based in Orlando, Florida, are now happily settled in the Peloponnese region and can\u2019t imagine ever leaving.\n <\/p>\n
\n Now retired, Jeffrey and Walter love being surrounded by Greece\u2019s rich history and what they describe as the \u201cwonderful chaotic energy\u201d of the European country.\n <\/p>\n
\n They spend their days either relaxing at their home in the coastal town of Akrata, where they\u2019ve lived since April, exploring the local sites, or taking day trips to nearby cities such as the Greek capital Athens.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe lived in the land of make believe,\u201d Jeffrey, 62, tells CNN Travel of their former home near Walt Disney World and other US theme parks.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cNow we stumble over ruins that are several thousand years old in every direction.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n The couple first met around 32 years ago.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe kind of knew that we were soulmates,\u201d says Jeffrey. \u201cAnd we\u2019ve been together ever since.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
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\n They both worked in hospitality and built a happy life in Florida, where they lived together for three decades, but as they approached their twilight years, the couple were ready for a new adventure.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe always thought about moving abroad,\u201d says Walter, 57. \u201cNot to get out of the US, but just to experience something different.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n He goes on to explain that they had traveled a lot together and loved meeting people from different cultures and backgrounds.\n <\/p>\n
\n In fact, they originally had their hearts set on relocating to one of their favorite vacation spots, the Caribbean island of St. Martin, which is home to Maho Beach, where planes fly incredibly low over the sand.\n <\/p>\n
\n But the cost of moving to the destination and the threat of hurricanes ultimately led them to rule it out.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe still have issues here with earthquakes and wildfires,\u201d concedes Walter. \u201cBut you at least have places to go, when you\u2019re on an island it\u2019s a little different.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Although Walter is of Greek heritage, Greece wasn\u2019t really on their radar as a potential place to retire to until they took their first trip to the European country in 2024 to celebrate their 30th anniversary.\n <\/p>\n
\n The couple went on a 10-day cruise around the Greek islands and also visited Thessaloniki, the city where Walter\u2019s grandfather was born.\n <\/p>\n
\n While they were only in Greece for two weeks, they both fell in love with the country and wondered what it would be like to live there.\n <\/p>\n
![\"Jeffrey](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ancient-theater-of-epidarus-1.jpg\")
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\n \u201cWe liked the pace,\u201d says Walter. \u201cWe liked the people. We liked what we saw.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n However, he stresses that \u201cone trip does not make a life,\u201d and they wanted to make sure that relocating to Greece actually made sense for them before taking the plunge.\n <\/p>\n
\n When they returned to the US, Walter \u201cstarted digging into things,\u201d to see if it was financially feasible. They then discovered that they were eligible for the Greek Golden Visa, which allows non-EU nationals to secure EU residency through real estate investment \u2013 the minimum investment ranges from \u20ac250,000 to \u20ac800,000 depending on the location, property type and size.\n <\/p>\n
\n Around a year after their visit, Walter casually asked a stunned Jeffrey if he wanted to retire early and move to Greece.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cHe told me we would move to Greece as soon as I sold my Corvette,\u201d says Jeffrey. \u201cAnd I did within a week. And then everything else started falling into place.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Of course, it wasn\u2019t just the car to consider. The couple also decided to sell their three-story townhouse and \u201cpare things down quite a bit\u201d in terms of their belongings.\n <\/p>\n
\n Although they considered basing themselves in Thessaloniki, after looking into other potential spots, they decided that Akrata in the Peloponnese region, a rugged peninsula situated in southern Greece, would suit them best due to the warmer weather\n <\/p>\n
\n They went on to buy a home in the village of Platanos sight unseen for \u20ac400,000 (around $461,000).\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe are Florida boys in our blood. So Greece will still get a little colder than we\u2019re used to,\u201d admits Walter.\n <\/p>\n
\n Once the purchase of their home was complete and all of their affairs in order, the couple had to break the news to their friends and family, who were largely unaware of their plans.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cThe biggest emotional piece is really the family and friends component,\u201d says Walter.\n <\/p>\n
\n Thankfully, it turned out that they had nothing to worry about, as \u201cThey were like, \u2018Go. Do what you want. Whatever. We\u2019ll see you soon,\u2019\u201d recalls Jeffrey.\n <\/p>\n
\n In April, the couple set off to the airport together with 10 suitcases, sending the rest of their belongings in a shipping container.\n <\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/view-from-our-home.jpg\")
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\n While they had some issues along the way, Jeffrey and Walter arrived in Athens safely, and drove to their new home with the \u201cbiggest smiles\u201d on their faces.\n <\/p>\n
\n Moments after pulling up at their new property, Jeffrey says he sat on the grass outside and exclaimed, \u201cI cannot believe that we live here. This is the most amazing thing I\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Although they were overjoyed to be in Greece, there was also \u201ca little bit of trepidation\u201d about starting over in a place they had only briefly visited.\n <\/p>\n
\n Reflecting on their first few weeks in Akrata, home to the Ancient Theater of Aigeira, a 3rd-century BC Hellenistic monument with a horseshoe-shaped seating area, the couple began what they describe as an endless journey of \u201cfiguring things out.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n This included getting new cell phones, installing an internet connection in their home, buying a new car and even finding out where to buy propane gas.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cEvery day was like, \u2018What did we learn today?\u2019\u201d says Walter. \u201cWe\u2019re still doing it.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n In hindsight, they feel that they made the move \u201cat a good age\u201d when they \u201cstill have a lot of learning time,\u201d as things might have been much harder if they were in their 70s.\n <\/p>\n
\n They bought their home fully furnished, so it felt like \u201cliving in somebody else\u2019s Airbnb\u201d until their shipping container of belongings arrived, and they were able to add their own personal touches.\n <\/p>\n
![\"Walter,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nafpaktos.jpg\")
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\n While their property is secluded and they don\u2019t really have neighbors, they say they\u2019re warmly received by locals whenever they venture out into town and people are always thrilled to hear that they are full-time residents of Greece rather than \u201cpart-timers.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cThe locals light up, because they\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, you\u2019re really embracing Greece,\u2019\u201d says Walter. \u201cAnd when they hear I have some Greek blood in me. It\u2019s like, \u2018You\u2019re Greek.\u2019\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Although they spend a lot of time cooking at home, the couple also love eating out, and go to a handful of local restaurants frequently \u201cbecause the service is amazing,\u201d says Jeffrey.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cThe people recognize us as soon as we walk in the door,\u201d he adds. \u201cAnd they\u2019re like, \u2018Come right over here. We\u2019ve got the best table for you.\u2019\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Jeffrey and Walter also appreciate the fact that servers \u201cdon\u2019t force you out\u201d and dinner can last several hours.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cEverything you see around you is forcing you to slow down,\u201d says Walter. \u201cIt\u2019s very nice, and it\u2019s kind of forced relaxation, which we need after years of \u2018How quickly can you eat dinner?\u2019\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n However, adapting to the later restaurant opening times has been a challenge.\n <\/p>\n
\n They recall how they\u2019d turn up at restaurants at 7 p.m., and staff would look at them strangely, as Greeks tend to eat dinner much later.\n <\/p>\n
\n The couple have also had to get accustomed to the daily Greek siesta, known as mesimeri, when businesses are usually closed between 2 to 5 p.m. as well as the fact that \u201ceverything\u2019s pretty well shut\u201d on Sundays.\n <\/p>\n
\n While it seemed like they were \u201caliens in a different world\u201d in the beginning, Jeffrey and Walter started to feel more settled after a few months, particularly after making some Greek friends.\n <\/p>\n
\n There are few foreigners in their town, and the couple say that this suits them fine, stressing that they didn\u2019t want to live somewhere with a \u201chigh concentration of Americans\u201d as it would feel like they\u2019d never left the States.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe wanted to embrace the Greek culture,\u201d says Jeffrey. \u201cAnd have a much calmer way of life here.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
![\"They](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/greek-lessons-fun.jpg\")
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\n They\u2019ve tried to pick up the Greek language and recently took a week-long course in Petra, situated on the island of Lesbos. But picking it up has been harder than they expected and feels \u201clike going back to grade school all over again,\u201d says Jeffrey.\n <\/p>\n
\n They\u2019ve been able to get by as \u201calmost everybody speaks English, especially the younger generations,\u201d he adds.\n <\/p>\n
\n Jeffrey and Walter are determined to improve and try to practice speaking Greek as much as they can, particularly when eating out.\n <\/p>\n
\n Even after four months in Greece, they say they still feel incredibly lucky to be living there. There\u2019s little they enjoy more than relaxing at their property, which consists of a main one-bedroom, one-bathroom home and a one-bedroom guest apartment with full facilities and a \u201cbeautiful view of the Gulf of Corinth.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt was the perfect location. The perfect price, and it just has worked out beautifully for us,\u201d says Jeffrey.\n <\/p>\n
\n Jeffrey and Walter haven\u2019t returned to Florida since they left back in April, but they\u2019ve already had visits from loved ones and enjoyed being able to spend time with them without feeling rushed.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt always seemed like we were just helter skelter go, go, go when we were in the United States,\u201d says Jeffrey.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe were either taken up with going to visit family, or trying to go to the grocery store, or trying to meet up with friends\u2026\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt was kind of crazy at times. Here it\u2019s such a much more laid-back way of life. You get to \u2018slow down and smell the roses,\u2019 like they say.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n They can\u2019t ever imagine going back to live in the US permanently, but \u201cnever, never say never,\u201d says Walter.\n <\/p>\n
\n Jeffrey seems to be keeping a less open mind, joking, \u201cHe can go. I\u2019ll stay.\u201d\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two years ago, Jeffrey Davidson and Walter Zak hadn\u2019t even set foot in Greece. But the couple, who…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":363289,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,30,29],"class_list":["post-363288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363288","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=363288"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363288\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/363289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=363288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=363288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=363288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}