@daverobev - Climate doesn't matter. I'm giving up climate for other things. Of course I'll pick the new language, but it's not a requirement that I (or my GF) know it upfront. Programmers can find English speaking jobs easily. So the "big things" are not unknown to me. Also, not having good healthcare is much worse than some grafitti. And mind you, we have all kinds of hatred here. I am part of the Turkish minority and have had it much worse over the years. Western Europe is *much* more tolerant.
What I am interested in is the "small" stuff. Like how exactly are Mustachians doing there.
Ok - well, I have a friend who works for a UK company as a programmer but lives near Clermont-Ferrand in France. Mind, he lives miles away from the city, up a mountain, and grows a large chunk of his own food - his place was about 100k Euros I think. He's the reclusive type (as am I), but man does he have a nice place now. I mean - for a hermit, right? It's not plush carpeted whatever.
So. Housing in France is not expensive (except Paris, med coast I spose). There are plenty of ex-pat communities. The food is good, and reasonably priced. You have a lot to choose from - ocean, sea, mountains. But the food is good.
My mum lives a couple of hours away from there, too. It's lovely. She has a cellar to go into when it gets too hot (no a/c needed). Lovely rolling hills. But obviously there are plenty of bustling cities that are not Paris or on the med - which is, I presume, what you'd like.
UK - choice of climate - south west is wet but warm, south east drier. Lots of pubs... oh hold on, there's no point me doing this, seeing as I'm in Canada... totally different set of differences.
I would say *good* healthcare in the UK. I support the NHS wholeheartedly. Not as good as France, but good. Lots of diversity between the cities, and most have a good train link to London.
Bit crowded though, mind. 'Specially the south east.
Scotland is lovely but cold and, most importantly, dark in the winter. One nice thing about where I am in Canada is that the winters while f**king freezing are often bright and blue. Wales is also lovely (assuming you're not round the industrial south).
Ireland.. lovely! But wet. Great place - I lived on the south coast, in a little town called Kinsale, for a bit. Not too far from Cork, the second city. Cork is cooool beans man.
Hmm, I spent.. two days in Budapest and was quite taken with it. So.. Hungary, at least to check it out.
