Continental Drift: Vienna Waits for You
In today’s edition: how a European Masters Degree could open doors for the whole family, Portugal has “no plans” to end Golden Visa program, the lost spas of Slovenia, and more…
Editor’s Letter
Vienna has always had a knack for patience. It doesn’t rush to claim (or reclaim) titles or outshine its neighbors. So when The Economist placed Copenhagen at the top of this year’s Global Livability Index, the spot Vienna had occupied for the previous two years, the city responded in character: with composure and restraint. Publicly, anyway.
As the Billy Joel song goes: Vienna waits for you. Don’t worry. It still does. In cafés that haven’t changed in decades. In parks where the pace is deliberate. In the sense that life is not something to be optimized, but observed. And lived.
Our lead story this week echoes that spirit. The EU’s Erasmus Mundus Master’s program offers more than a graduate academic credential. It’s a gentle reshaping of one’s trajectory. Students study in multiple countries, across shared campuses, often with full funding. It’s a reminder that education, too, can move at a thoughtful, expansive pace.
Some places, and some choices, show their appeal quietly, rather than declare it. As I learn each time I visit the city, Vienna is one of them. And maybe that’s the whole point.
Until next week. Begin Anew! And Live Fully!
—L.A. Fatzinger
Salzburg, Austria / 18 June 2025
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New On ORVIA\VIVRE
For American Students, a European Master’s Degree Could Open Doors for the Whole Family - Orvia\Vivre - June 18, 2025
The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s programs are unique in structure and generous in support. Each student studies in at least two countries, earning degrees from multiple top-tier European universities. Many receive full scholarships that cover tuition, living expenses, and travel.
The Moment the Honeymoon Ends: Living Europe Beyond the Postcard - Orvia\Vivre - June 16, 2025
So, when does it get good? Exactly at the point you stop seeing yourself as an observer in the production and become a cast member in it. When you keep the key you’re sliding into the door of the place that is finally your own. Instead of turning it back to the AirBnB host.
In Other News…
![boats docked near seaside promenade]](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1555881400-74d7acaacd8b?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyfHxwb3J0byUyMHBvcnR1Z2FsfGVufDB8fHx8MTc1MDI4MjczOXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080 "boats docked near seaside promenade]")
“No plans” to end Golden Visa in Portugal - The Portugal News (Portugal) - June 18, 2025
Almost two years after golden visas ended for real estate investment, the Portuguese government is considering changing the residency permit program in order to attract more foreign investment and international talent.
Could Europe bring in top research talent from the US amid the US’s funding cuts? - Euronews (Belguim) - June 18, 2025
"We believe that diversity is an asset of humanity and the lifeblood of science. It is one of the most valuable global goods, and it must be protected," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in May in a speech delivered at La Sorbonne University in Paris.
Wish you were here: the lost spas of yesterday - The Slovak Spectator (Slovakia) - June 18, 2025
In 1723, Matej Bel, a polymath of note, listed 137 spa towns and baths in Slovakia. Today, only 22 remain.
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Editor/Commentator L.A. Fatzinger
Research/Technical Delilah Necrason