What sort of work and where specifically are you in Europe? For instance if you are in London and have some skills from the last 10 years and work experience I would think getting contracts or permanent would be fairly straightforward.

If you can build up a contact network you'll have a greater chance of finding something interesting with people you like. This is where LinkedIn comes in handy.

Yes you may have to wait a long time if you are focussed on a particular company or work area.