It's almost identical, but with better weather and we can afford petrol.

I've been here for more than ten years now. It really is beautiful, and the opportunities to explore Europe have been incredible. But Switzerland is a notoriously unfriendly country and maintaining friendships here is work. Plus our parents are ageing, we miss being close to family, and I especially miss living by the ocean. Going back was always a possibility as an early retirement plan - it's also too expensive to retire in Switzerland.

Mountains and meadows are nice for a while, but driving six hours in the era of carbon footprint reduction to get to a warm bathtub (the Mediterranean) gets a bit stale.

(I might have some strong opinions)

Hiya, yes it’s a big area and only a few Lemmy’ists. Many years ago, there was a sub at "the other place" named Bay of Islands. Tried to contact the owner/mod to take it over, but never had any reply. Ah well.