![\"St.](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/73be2fd5bdd6d83f1d0b4a50473f0b75.jpeg\"\/)
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St. John at Kaneo is an Orthodox church overlooking Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia. – momo11353\/iStock Editorial\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel\u2019s weekly newsletter<\/a>. Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay.<\/p>\n In our roundup of travel<\/a> stories this week: how Paris\u2019 first female mayor transformed the city, Japan\u2019s iconic vending machines hit troubled times, plus why more and more Americans are moving to Central and Eastern Europe.<\/p>\n North Macedonia: beyond the big three<\/p>\n Most visitors to Europe focus their trips on France, Spain and Italy, but there are an impressive 44 UN-recognized countries in the continent to explore.<\/p>\n For example, North Macedonia<\/a>, a dramatically mountainous destination directly north of Greece, is worthy of more tourist attention. There\u2019s its landscape of lush green slopes and snow-topped crags and its deliciously diverse cuisine, with the array of dishes on a table changing from one valley to the next. It\u2019s blessed with a sunny climate too, which helps make the vegetables fat and juicy and its vineyards\u2019 wines robust and plentiful.<\/p>\n Immigration experts are reporting a growing interest from American clients in relocating to lesser-trodden European destinations such as Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland, Albania and Estonia.<\/p>\n While perennially popular countries such as Italy<\/a> and Portugal are tightening immigration regulations, many other places still offer enticing options for relocation. People who\u2019ve made the leap told CNN how it\u2019s going<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now \u2018Searching for France\u2019<\/p>\n She\u2019s tasted Mexico\u2019s finest dishes and now her eyes are set on France.<\/p>\n The CNN Original Series, \u201cEva Longoria: Searching for France,\u201d begins Sunday, April 12 at 9 p.m. ET\/PT, with episodes streaming on the CNN app the next day.<\/p>\n Longoria will journey through France exploring the rich history of the country\u2019s cuisine and how it became the global standard for fine dining.<\/p>\n In our food and drink coverage here at CNN Travel, pan bagnat and croque monsieur are two of the French masterpieces to make it into our list of the world\u2019s best sandwiches<\/a>, alongside worthy contenders from Vietnam, Mexico, South Africa and New Orleans.<\/p>\n Sandwiches, burgers and pizza are the most popular take-out foods in France, which, despite being the birthplace of haute gastronomy, is also in the middle of a fast food boom<\/a>. The switch is being led by Gen Z, one industry expert tells CNN. \u201cWhen you\u2019re 25 today, you\u2019ve been immersed in McDonald\u2019s since you were a baby.\u201d<\/p>\n La vie Fran\u00e7aise Anne Hidalgo was behind a clean-up operation to make the Seine swimmable in time for the Paris Olympics in 2024. – Olivier Dijiann\/iStock Editorial\/Getty Images<\/p>\n During her 12 years as mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo transformed the French capital, pedestrianizing streets, cleaning up the Seine and making boulevard cafes fume-free.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a notably improved experience for tourists, although Parisians themselves are divided on the complex legacy<\/a> of the city\u2019s first female mayor, who bowed out of office last month.<\/p>\n Deep in France\u2019s rural south, far from the hubbub of the capital, artist MB Boissonnault tells CNN she\u2019s enjoying a tranquil existence far from the \u201cescalating insanity\u201d of her previous life in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Venice Beach.<\/p>\n Priced out of her rented home and studios and exhausted by what she describes as the \u201cgentrification\u201d of her longtime neighborhood, she and her husband moved to the tiny village of Saissac<\/a>, near the Pyrenees, and Boissonnault became a first-time homeowner in her late 50s.<\/p>\n Japanese vending machines<\/p>\n Japan\u2019s ubiquitous vending machines<\/a> are an iconic symbol of the country, but companies behind the convenience-dispensers are struggling. CNN\u2019s Hanako Montgomery takes a look at the possible reasons behind the industry\u2019s decline.<\/p>\n In case you missed it<\/p>\n Is it cheaper for Americans to ski in Europe?<\/p>\n CNN\u2019s Anna Cooban breaks down<\/a> lift tickets costs and travel expenses.<\/p>\n A record-breaking flyby. A fragile ceasefire. A prison sentence. <\/p>\n What do you remember from the week that was<\/a>?<\/p>\n Tourists in Chile are diving 65 feet to get a bottle for dinner. <\/p>\n Organizers say the seabed offers the perfect conditions<\/a> for aging wine.<\/p>\n How Angola rebuilt its food culture after decades of war. <\/p>\n From scarcity to pride<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Anne](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/b35fe3bf10eea1769b83fcfc32230547.jpeg\"\/)
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