Each month, we bring you recommendations, odd notes, and useful tools to help you better navigate an interesting world.

Visit a 2,000-Year-Old Theater Where Miles Davis Played

a little slice of italy in france vienne is famous for its archaeological
A little slice of Italy in France, Vienne is famous for its archaeological sites and annual music festival.
©ARSSECRETA/iSTOCK

The aura of history hangs thick in the air, a sense of reverence permeating even the most casual of activities. Locals sip coffee sitting across from a 2,000-year-old temple dedicated to Augustus and his wife, Livia.

Alongside the arched remains of what was once the city’s forum block away, eager market-goers peruse tables filled with enticing cheese and produce. You’d be forgiven for mistaking this old-town core for a neighborhood in Rome.

However, this isn’t even Italy. Millennia ago, this was the heart of a bustling Gallic settlement the Romans called “Vienna.”

Straddling the Rhône River, 20 miles south of the French foodie capital of Lyon, modern Vienne is home to shops, museums, and churches, as well as cozy eateries and a Michelin-starred restaurant. But it’s renowned for its historical ruins, including a crumbling fortress that overlooks the centre-ville and the Théâtre Antique, a Roman theater still in use today.

Excavations date the construction of the theater to between 40 and 50 AD. Upon completion, it was one of the largest theaters in the Roman Empire, with capacity for 13,000 guests.

Built into the natural stone slopes along Pipet Hill, restored stone columns and statues decorate the face of the stage, while vaulted, arched corridors allow performers and patrons to stream through the grounds. With the fall of the Roman Empire, the theater was abandoned and lost to society, until it was rediscovered and excavated in the 18th century.

Just as the wealthy Roman gentry would have converged to enjoy plays and religious ceremonies, today visitors flock to Vienne to enjoy Jazz à Vienne, an annual jazz festival that runs over two weeks in June and July (this year it runs from June 28 to July 13).

The Théâtre Antique is the main venue for the festival, and concerts take place here every evening. But you can catch jazz gigs elsewhere in the city, too.

Over the years, the stage has hosted some musical greats, such as Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, and even Stevie Wonder. Beyond jazz, the theater also hosts operas and dance performances. —Tricia A. Mitchell

A New French Visa on the Horizon?

if you own a home in france
If you own a home in France, it may soon be easier than ever to spend six months in it.
©DENNISVDW/iSTOCK

There may be good news on the horizon for second homeowners in France. French senator Corrine Imbert wants to introduce a new “second homeowner” visa, applicable to non-EU property owners.

The proposal was put forth mainly to help some 86,000 British nationals who own homes in France, but are now limited to 90-day visits post-Brexit.

This potential new visa would allow second homeowners to stay in the country for six months out of every year, and the visa would be valid, and renewable, for five years.

The current system allows non-EU visitors to France to remain in the country for 90 days out of every 180 days visa-free. To stay longer (three months to a year), you need to apply for a temporary long-term visa. The key word being temporary—this visa needs to be renewed on an annual basis… and that means a ton of paperwork (passport, passport copy, proof of health insurance, proof of financial resources, proof of address).

This new proposal has garnered support from other French politicians, and should it be accepted, any non-EU homeowner (and to be clear, that includes U.S. citizens) will be able to apply and take advantage of it.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on this visa opportunity and will update you on any progress made. —John Wallace

Love at First Sip: A 4,000-Year-Old Whiskey

if you cant get enough of all things corn
If you can’t get enough of all things corn, you’ll want to try this Mexican corn whiskey.
©BEL WOODHOUSE

I just had the best whiskey of my life.

It wasn’t Irish. It wasn’t Scottish. It hailed from Mexico.

I get that when you think of Mexico and alcohol, you’d immediately jump to tequila, but don’t overlook this Mexican whiskey.

Nixta Licor de Elote is the world’s first maize whiskey liqueur, and owes its exceptional taste, to a 4,000-year-old Mesoamerican culinary process of preparing maize called “Nixtamalization.” It involves soaking dried kernels so they can later be cooked in an alkaline solution (usually limewater). It’s the same process that makes corn chips so addictive.

Nixta’s unique taste comes from 100% Cacahuazintle corn, an ancestral maíz with a high-starch and low-fat content, making it perfect for liqueur production. It’s harvested during a very short season after growing in the rich, volcanic soils in high valleys and foothills of the Nevado de Toluca volcano in central Mexico.

In a delightful cob of corn-shaped bottle (which should’ve been a dead giveaway to the taste) it was love at first sip. The first taste is like sweet roasted corn, with notes of caramel and vanilla. The corn and the piloncillo (a natural pure cane sugar popular in Mexican cooking) add a subtle sweetness while producing a very pleasant, mild aftertaste. Then, the delicious roasted corn flavor really hits. Enhanced as you exhale, it’s very satisfying and smooth.

Nixta is delicious, and like nothing I’ve ever tried before. I sampled and enjoyed it in several cocktails, but came to the conclusion that it’s best drunk neat. Just add a couple of ice cubes, give it a quick swirl, and prepare to enjoy the best whiskey of your life.

You can find Nixta on Amazon, or at La Europea liquor stores for $399 pesos ($20). —Bel Woodhouse

A New, Flexible Way to Learn a Language

Learning a foreign language can be a daunting prospect. Sure, group classes are plentiful, but more often than not, the teacher’s attention is split among so many students, that sometimes it feels like you’re basically on your own, wading through a turgid textbook. Plus, it can be tough to fit in classes around a full-time job.

iTalki is a website devoted to providing online, one-on-one language lessons with real native speakers, from over 150 countries worldwide. From Spanish and French, to Japanese, Korean and even Arabic, iTalki has quality, certified teachers for every language.

Best of all, there’s no rigid schedule to adhere to, and no subscription model. You book a class when you and your desired instructor both have the time, usually in 30-, 45-, or 60-minute slots.

There are even specialized class models tailored to your individual needs:

• General conversational skills

• Preparing for working abroad (presentations, business focused discussions)

• Reading and writing in your new language

It’s also relatively inexpensive, with prices between $10 and $15 for an hour session, although some of the more professionally minded, specialized lessons can cost $25-plus.

If you’d prefer a group setting, iTalki also offers classes of for two to six students. Rates for these classes are a bit lower and start at $5 per class. — John Wallace

A MOVE TO PORTUGAL WILL REDUCE MY TAXES

portugals algarve has become a hotspot
Portugal’s Algarve has become a hotspot for retirees and digital nomads.
©EUNIKASOPOTNICKA/iSTOCK

I can already taste the Sagres beer, the pastel de nata custard pastries, and the ginjinha cherry liqueur…

I’m now about three months away from relocating to Portugal from Prague, where I’ve spent the last five years as a Czech resident and digital nomad.

The Czech Republic was the first stop on my journey to building a permanent life in Europe.

But when I moved to Prague in 2018, I was single. Now I’m married, and my wife, who grew up on the Black Sea, wants to return to life by the waves. And so, off to Portugal we go, using the country’s new D8 Digital Nomad visa as my entry into the country.

The process of applying for this visa is simple and straightforward, though certainly time-consuming because of all the notarizations and apostilled documents you must provide.

But I know the process is going to be worth the effort because of the lifestyle we’ll have in Portugal—and because of the tax regime I can use to legally lower my global tax rate to less than 15%.

I’ll have more in International Living soon on the process of pursuing a D8 visa, as well as the strategy that allows me to pay such a small tax rate. Stay tuned. —Jeff D. Opdyke

See More When You Travel… With Extended Layovers

Several major airlines are aiming to turn the inconvenience of changing planes into a special treat with new extended layover plans.

Recently, my wife and I booked a flight from Barcelona, Spain to Washington D.C. on TAP Air Portugal. Our flight involved a seven-hour layover in Lisbon, Portugal, which would make for 20 hours of travel time. Not ideal.

However, TAP offered us the option of staying in Lisbon for two to 10 days before taking the last leg of our trip. Instead of seven hours moping in the airport, we chose to spend four nights exploring Lisbon. Not only did we manage to break the long travel time up into two flights of reasonable length with comfortable departure/arrival times, we even got the fare for about 18% less than our original flight.

TAP even offers exclusive layover rates on a variety of other things—like discounts on travel pass cards, and up to 50% off at participating local restaurants, hotels, and guided tours in two of Portugal’s top destinations, Lisbon and Porto.

It isn’t the only airline that offers these extended layover deals. Copa Airlines offers one to seven days in Panama City if you’re flying to Central or South America. If your destination is the Middle East, check out Etihad Air for stopover deals in Abu Dhabi of one to four nights.

To find these deals, you’ll need to go to the airline’s official website. Searching for flights on a third-party site like Expedia or Kayak won’t give you the option to check if your flight is eligible. —Jim Santos

Turkish Delights in a 1,500-Year-Old Subterranean Cistern

for a truly unique dining experience
For a truly unique dining experience, Sarniç offers a menu inspired by Istanbul’s past.
©KATHLEEN EVANS

Immense stone aqueducts once riddled the length of the city of Constantinople, ferrying water through the eastern Roman Empire’s capital like lifeblood through veins.

The water that supplied the city was housed in enormous, underground cisterns—impressive structures bearing regal Roman architecture. Over 70 such cisterns were constructed in the mid-6th century AD.

However, as the Byzantine Empire fell, and Constantinople became Istanbul, many of these cisterns fell into various states of decay, abandoned to time.

But today, one cistern is not only open to the public, but also offers a fine dining experience that you won’t soon forget.

In Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district (known as Old Town), this particular cistern dates back to 542 AD, and was constructed during the reign of Justinian I with the purpose of supplying the nearby Great Palace of Constantinople (which was restored in the 1980s and now exists as another restaurant).

Walk through the historic lobby of Sarnıç Fine Dining Restaurant, and you step into a world that is quite frankly extraordinary.

As you descend the cistern’s grand stairway, you enter the lavish 1,500-year-old structure with giant illuminated Roman columns and a mesmerizing domed ceiling. It took my breath away. Ornate chandeliers adorn the ceiling, creating a warm down-lighting, while chic, geometric floor designs perfectly compliment the stone walls.

The menu is inspired by a combination of Byzantine/Ottoman palace foods, along with staples of Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisine and a small selection of European and vegetarian choices. My husband and I started with a soft but subtle Turkish red wine (Turkish wines are award-winning and quite delicious) and the Aegean style artichoke and fava bean duo.

For our mains, my husband chose the braised lamb shoulder with Ottoman style traditional rice—you’ll find lamb on every menu in Turkey—and I opted for the grilled salmon; perfectly seasoned, tender, and beautifully presented. To finish off a flawless evening, a shared crème brûlée and a Turkish coffee was just the ticket.

Sarnıç also features live music nightly (except Mondays) with a violinist and traditional qanun—a stringed instrument believed to have been invented by a Turkish scholar called Farabi in the 10th century.

Portions are small and prices are more akin to those of the U.S. for fine dining. But this is a unique experience and was worth every Turkish lira.

Be sure to book far in advance (you can do so on their website), as the experience is quite popular, and for good reason. —Kathleen Evans

Next Article NEXT UP What Will Be Europe’s Next "Breakout" Spot?