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Showing posts with label Canada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canada. Show all posts

Sunday, 7 July 2024

Travel Tips: The Best Destinations to Live in - Part Two

Welcome to Part Two of Travel Tips: The Best Destinations to Live in!

In my previous post, I wrote about the places I've lived so far, and what I liked and disliked about each of them.

And in this one, I'll be writing about the places where I'd most like to live, and also taking a look at the cities that have been judged to be the most liveable in the world.

To be honest, there are a lot of places around the globe I'd be happy to try living in for a few months or even a year, but when it comes to choosing somewhere to put down roots permanently, it's a much harder decision. Everyone has different preferences, and I'm pretty sure about mine at this stage. I know I'd like to live in a big, global city, preferably somewhere not too remote from other countries. It would also be nice to be located close to the sea, if possible.

Here are six places that I think fit the bill pretty well!


My Dream Places to Live...


London (or the surrounding area), UK



















Pros

- One of the centres of the world, both in terms of business and culture
- Lots of job opportunities
- A beautiful city, filled with incredible historic landmarks, modern skyscrapers and plenty of green spaces
- So much going on there - West End theatre is what excites me most, but there's something for everyone
- Close to mainland Europe - France, Belgium and the Netherlands are only a train ride away
- Huge public transport network
- Several airports make it easy to travel abroad

Cons

- Cost of living is the obvious one!
- Crowded and over-touristed

Why I'd Like to Live There

Hopefully, this will be where I live next! If my partner Claudio's visa application is approved, we want to make a go of things in London. We plan to work within the city itself, but we're thinking that we'll probably choose to live either on the outskirts of Greater London or a little further out. Living just outside London is not as expensive as one might imagine, and the extensive public transport network makes it easy to get into the city.

Growing up, I actually always wanted to live in London (and work as a musical theatre performer - that sadly didn't happen!), but then in my later teenage years, I became really interested in the idea of living abroad. And then as I got older, I was lucky enough to have some chances to both live and spend long periods of time in various foreign countries. I've really enjoyed all those experiences, and I hope that I'll have other similar opportunities in the future. 

But as a couple from two different countries, it's hard enough bureaucratically for Claudio and I to be able to live together in one of our own countries, let alone in a different one. London is quite a good compromise for me, as it's such a big, exciting, global city, and so different from the rest of the UK, that it kind of feels like being abroad.

Should Claudio's visa application be successful, we'll have 2.5 years in the UK. I hope that by the end of that time period, he'll have an Italian passport and I'll have an Irish one, so we'll have more options open to us. But I think we could potentially end up spending our lives in London - I feel a real excitement about the prospect of living there that I certainly didn't feel before moving to Bristol. 

Who knows what the future holds, but we're really looking forward to (hopefully) starting our London adventure very soon!



DACH region (especially Vienna) or Benelux region















Pros

- Better infrastructure and standard of living than in the UK
- Salaries are better aligned with cost of living
- Good work-life balance
- Central position within Europe makes it easy to travel all over the continent
- Lots of beautiful places to visit, from charming cities to lakes and mountains

Cons

- Not the best weather - either the same weather as England or very cold and snowy in winter, depending on the country/region
- Culturally a little less warm and welcoming than other parts of the world, so harder to integrate into

Why I'd Like to Live There

Along with the Nordic countries, the DACH and Benelux regions of Europe are considered to have some of the highest living standards in the world. While the Nordic countries are a bit too cold and dark for me, I think I'd be quite happy living somewhere like Austria or Switzerland. In fact, I did live in Austria before and made it through the winter more easily than I thought - it helps that the milder climate of the Mediterranean is only a train ride away!

Though I lived in a more rural area of Austria before, Vienna would definitely be my first choice of city in this part of the world. Other places that intrigue me are Geneva (speaking French rather than German would make life easier!), Zürich, Munich and Brussels (also French speaking).

However, Claudio is not quite so enamoured with the Germanic parts of Europe as I am. He has felt much more at home visiting the UK and France than visiting Sweden and the Netherlands, for example. So we probably won't end up living in this part of the world in the future, but I still think it's a nice option.



Spain (especially Barcelona)

















Photo by AXP Photography from pexels.com

Pros

- Warm, sunny weather most of the year
- Lots of nice beaches
- Good infrastructure
- Lower cost of living than in the UK
- More relaxed lifestyle

Cons

- Lower salaries than in northern Europe
- Very unwilling to hire foreigners
- Heatwaves in summer, which are getting worse due to global warming
- Many cities, including Barcelona, are very over-touristed

Why I'd Like to Live There

People have often suggested that Spain would be a good option for me and Claudio, as it's not far from the UK and it's a Spanish-speaking country, which would suit both of us.

Although I've been to Spain several times in my life (to Menorca, Málaga, Valencia and Madrid) and enjoyed all those trips, I've never loved it the way I have other countries, like Italy, for example. However, I've always felt it would be a good place to live - it's a country that has invested a lot in its infrastructure, so has very good public transport, among other things. Plus, I speak the language, and enjoy the warmer weather.

Though I've never been to Barcelona, it's the city in Spain that appeals to me the most as a place to live. (I did once take a connecting flight there, and saw the W Hotel and Barceloneta Beach (pictured above) while coming in to land at the airport - it looked amazing!) What I like about it is that it's a big, global city with some beautiful neighbourhoods to explore and plenty of great beaches. I really like the idea of living in a city right on the beach, and being able to go swimming and sunbathing after work!

However, although Claudio and I both applied for various jobs in Barcelona, neither of us managed to get even one interview. I actually spoke to a careers advisor about this, and she explained that Spain (followed by France) is probably the European country that is least open to hiring foreigners, particularly in the kinds of industries that we work in (marketing and finance). She said that our best bet would be to get our EU passports (easier said than done) and actually go out there and look for jobs within the country itself. Even then, it would be a challenge, as they would still choose to hire Spanish people in most cases.

Maybe a digital nomad visa would be a good option, but with our plans to live in London now pretty much set in stone, it's an idea we've put to the side for the time being.



France (especially Paris)



















Pros

- France is a beautiful country with many different types of landscapes, from snowy mountains to Mediterranean beaches, and Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world
- Known for its good food and cultural influence
- Good infrastructure compared to the UK
- Good work-life balance
- More relaxed lifestyle

Cons

- Not as efficient as countries like Germany (there are often train strikes, for example)
- Very bureaucratic
- Not very willing to hire foreigners

Why I'd Like to Live There

When I first started thinking about living abroad, France was the country at the top of my list. While studying for my GCSE in French, I fell in love with the language and culture, and dreamed of one day living in a cute apartment in Paris or a villa by the sea in the south of France.

Then I went off to study languages at university, and spent time in both the north and the south of the country for my Year Abroad, which I wrote about in my previous post. The French part of my Year Abroad was a bit of a mess - I wasn't able to get a decent work placement through my university, and so had to resort to finding more casual kinds of placement by myself. In summer 2017, I went to work as an au pair in the south of the country, and a year later, I started a placement at a holiday park in the north. For different reasons, both were pretty awful experiences, and I had to leave early. Both times, my mum quickly sorted something out for me using Halsbury Travel (now called Blue Stamp Travel) - in 2017, I did a language course in Montpellier, which I absolutely loved, and in 2018, I did two work experience placements and a language course in Rouen, which I didn't enjoy quite so much. Prior to that, I also spent a week in Paris, unsuccessfully looking for a placement and accommodation. 

The chaos of that year, and the fact that it was so difficult to find decent work, did make me a lot less enthusiastic about living there in the future. But then last year I started my current job, in which the work itself is based in France, although I work from the UK, and it made me start thinking again about moving back to France someday. And then in December, we had a wonderful trip to Paris, and I couldn't help dreaming about what it would be like to live there.

Unfortunately, France isn't much better than Spain for hiring foreigners, but I haven't quite given up on the idea just yet!




















Photo by Belle Co from pexels.com

Pros

- Great weather
- Beautiful beaches
- Huge country with unique flora and fauna
- Good base for exploring places like Southeast Asia, the South Pacific and New Zealand
- High standard of living

Cons

- Very difficult to emigrate to
- High cost of living (though salaries are also high)
- Very far away from most of the rest of the world
- Danger of climate-related disasters, like wildfires
- Spiders!

Why I'd Like to Live There

Again, as with Spain, I'm really attracted to the idea of living in a big city by the beach somewhere hot. (Sometimes I wonder why I ended up being born in a rural area in the west of England!) Sydney is the Australian city that appeals to me the most, but I also like the idea of living in Melbourne or Perth. Australia is known as the lifestyle capital of the world, and I definitely have this image in my head of living a really active, outdoorsy kind of lifestyle there and spending lots of time at the beach.

I think, if I hadn't met Claudio, I probably would have gone out there after university, either to travel around for a few months or to do a year's working holiday. In fact, we were thinking about doing a working holiday there together at one point, but unfortunately, Chileans have to be under 30 in order to get a working holiday visa (pretty unfair, given that British people can get one at under 35!). New Zealand would have been an option for us, but it doesn't hold quite the same appeal for us as Australia does, though I know it's a lovely place.

I once applied for a job that was based in London but which also had offices in Sydney, so employees had the opportunity to go and work out there for a few months if they wished. I actually feel that a position like that would really be the dream, perhaps even more so than actually living in Australia permanently. So it would be brilliant to land an opportunity like that sometime in the future!
















Image by Nextvoyage from pexels.com

Pros

- High standard of living
- Very friendly and welcoming people
- Lots of amazing areas of natural beauty

Cons

- Very long, cold winters

Why I'd Like to Live There

Though I haven't bothered to get my passport yet, I'm actually a Canadian citizen, because my mum was born there. Funnily enough, she only has an Irish passport now, and we have way more family roots in Ireland than in Canada, yet I don't automatically have Irish citizenship. I used to think it was much more unique and interesting to be Canadian than to be Irish, but since Brexit, I've definitely changed my mind about that!

Having said that though, I know I'm very lucky to have the option to go and live in Canada if I wish, and it is something I've considered. In summer 2010, we went on a family holiday to Toronto, Montréal and the Niagara Falls, and I absolutely loved it. The people there are the friendliest out of every country I've ever been to, and it's such a beautiful place. The only thing that puts me off are the winters!

I do think that if life doesn't work out as planned for me and Claudio in the UK, Canada will most likely be our next destination.


The Most Liveable Cities in 2024


1) Vienna, Austria
2) Copenhagen, Denmark
3) Zürich, Switzerland
4) Melbourne, Australia
5) Calgary, Canada/Geneva, Switzerland
7) Sydney, Australia/Vancouver, Canada
9) Osaka, Japan/Auckland, New Zealand

The 10 cities listed above have been chosen as the most liveable in the world in 2024. It's interesting to see which places are objectively judged to be the best to live in. A lot of them are ones that I've already mentioned in this post, which I suppose makes sense.

But at the end of the day, it's hard to tell how good a place is to live in unless you've actually tried living there yourself. That's why I'm looking forward to moving to the London area and seeing what life is really like there. I'm hoping it will be just as good if not even better than I imagine!


Check out the rest of my travel tips here!

Sunday, 28 February 2021

Travel Tips: My Top Ten Nature Destinations

I've realised it's been a month since my last post, and the time certainly hasn't passed quickly... This third lockdown has felt interminable, and I can't wait for it to be over. And although I've been keeping busy working, studying for a further teaching qualification and making some updates to this blog among other things, it seems like every day is the same at the moment.

Now, more than ever, I'm really missing travelling and exploring new places. But given that any kind of travel is off limits at the moment, all we can do is dream and reminisce. So that's why today I'll be writing about the most incredible places of natural beauty that I've been lucky enough to visit.

I love visiting cities, and have previously written about some of my favourites. However, I also really enjoy seeing different types of natural scenery, and that's something I'm looking forward to doing again when it's possible. But as we're still waiting for that day to come, I'm going to make a list of my favourite nature destinations for future travel inspiration!


The Niagara Falls, Canada and the United States


Image by Pixabay from pexels.com

In 2010, I went on an amazing holiday with my family to my mum's birth country, Canada. While we were there, we stayed in the cities of Toronto and Montréal (where my mum was born) and we also went on a day trip to see the Niagara Falls. There are actually three waterfalls that make up the Niagara Falls: the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side (pictured above), the American Falls on the U.S. side, and the Bridal Veil Falls, also on the U.S. side. We sailed around them on the Maid of the Mist boat ride, which was a spectacular (and very wet!) experience. It's truly one of the most incredible places I've ever been to, and I'd love to go back there one day.

The Atacama Desert, Chile



















The Atacama Desert is the world's driest non-polar desert and is mainly located in the far north of Chile, with some parts extending into Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. I visited the area with my boyfriend Claudio in January 2019 and was really impressed by the variety of nature to be found there, both in terms of landscapes and wildlife. For me, one of the most beautiful parts of the desert was the Altiplano (pictured above) with its volcanoes and lagoons. We were lucky enough to see vicuñas there! I also really loved Laguna Chaxa, a lagoon on a salt flat where lots of wild flamingos live!

Read more here!


Valle del Elqui, Chile



















Another beautiful place in the north of Chile is Valle del Elqui, located in the Coquimbo region. This green valley surrounded by the Andes mountains is known for the production of Pisco, Chile's national alcoholic drink. It's also famous for being the birthplace of the Nobel Prize winning poet Gabriela Mistral, and for being one of the best places in the world for stargazing. I went there on a road trip with Claudio in November 2019, and we had a great time exploring the area. It's a very peaceful and enchanting part of the world.

Read more here!


Algarrobo, Chile



















One of the most popular seaside towns in Chile is Algarrobo in the Valparaíso region. It's known for being home to one of the world's largest swimming pools, but it's also famous for its nature and wildlife. Interesting sites to check out include the wetland nature reserve Parque Humedal El Membrillo, and El Canelillo beach, which is surrounded by a pine forest. But my favourite place has to be Islote Pajaros Niño (pictured above), an island where different species of birds live, including pelicans and Humboldt penguins! It's possible to take a boat trip around the island to see them relatively close up - an amazing experience!

Read more here and here!


Cajón del Maipo, Chile



















Just a short distance away from Santiago, you can find Cajón del Maipo, a very scenic area in the Andes mountains. It's the perfect place to get away from the noise and crowds of the city for a while and enjoy some time in nature. The most famous part of the area is Embalse El Yeso (pictured above), a huge reservoir filled with bright blue water, which is a stunning sight to see. Cajón del Maipo is also a great destination for seeing wildlife, as plenty of wild ponies and goats live there!

Read more here!


The Maule Region, Chile



















As you can tell by this list, Chile is one of my favourite places for seeing nature! Maybe I'm biased as it's where I used to live and where I'll be moving back to as soon as possible, but it's undeniably one of the best countries in the world in terms of diversity of landscapes. One place I enjoyed visiting while I was living there was the Maule region in the south-central part of the country. Here I saw Laguna del Maule (a lagoon with a volcano underneath), Cascada Invertida (an inverted waterfall), and many eye-catching rock formations. I'd definitely like to return to the region in the future to see some more sights there.

Read more here!


Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve and Siete Lagos, Chile



















The final Chilean destination featuring on this list is an area in the Valdivia province of Los Ríos region in the south of Chile. When I was studying in Santiago, I took a trip to Huilo Huilo Biological reserve and the Siete Lagos (seven lakes) circuit, which was one of the most memorable parts of my Year Abroad. Here the scenery (and the weather!) is so different to the centre of Chile, and is almost the polar opposite to the north of Chile. It's hard to believe that the Atacama Desert is in the same country! The landscapes in the south are much greener, with lots of lakes, forests and waterfalls to admire, including the incredible Salto del Huilo Huilo (pictured above).

Read more here!


The Lake District, England, UK



















Probably the closest thing to the south of Chile in the UK, is the Lake District national park in the north of England. Obviously you can find plenty of lakes here, including Lake Windermere (pictured above), the largest English lake. But what surprised me when I visited last year was that there were also several forests and waterfalls, which I really enjoyed seeing. It wasn't an area that I'd particularly thought about visiting before, and I actually only ended up going there because of the pandemic keeping me in the UK. However, I liked the holiday a lot more than I expected to. It's a very tranquil and picturesque place.

Read more here!


Montanejos, Spain



















In both 2015 and 2016, I went to Valencia, Spain to study at a language school in the city. On the second occasion I was out there, I went on a day trip with the school to Montanejos, a small town in the Castellón province of the Valencian Community. It took about an hour and a half of driving on twisty-turny roads through the mountains to get there, and by the time we arrived, I felt very sick! But the horrible journey was worth it, because it was a great place to spend the day. There were beautiful clear blue pools created by hot springs, and the area was surrounded by mountains. Actually the water from the "hot" springs was in fact cold, but that didn't matter, as it was the height of summer and very hot. I had a very relaxing day there, swimming in the pools and taking in the amazing scenery.

Lake Jasna, Slovenia



















During my gap year in 2014, I went on a family holiday to Lake Bled in Slovenia, a really picturesque part of the world. One day we went on a trip to Austria, where we visited the Kärnten region. (Little did I know that three years later I would end up living there!) We had a great time exploring what, at the time, was a new country for me, and then on the way back to Bled, we stopped off in the small Alpine town of Kranjska Gora, just over the border. Close to the town are two artificial lakes known as Lake Jasna, which are surrounded by imposing mountains. It was a beautiful place that somehow managed to stand out in a holiday filled with beautiful places.

Read more here!



In conclusion, spending time in nature is so important, especially in today's modern world, and I think this is something that many of us have come to appreciate over the last year. Unfortunately, it's not currently possible to go and explore new areas of natural beauty, but it's definitely something we can look forward to in the months and years ahead. I've already written about my dreams of seeing nature in countries like Australia, Costa Rica, Turkey and Norway, and I'd also love to visit places such as the Iguazú Falls, the Galápagos Islands and Torres del Paine when I'm back in South America. Hopefully I'll be able to tick off at least one or two items on the list later this year!

In terms of travel in general, there's been some positive news recently in the UK. If the situation continues to improve, non-essential travel around the country will be allowed from April 12th. It will be really nice to have that bit of freedom back again and to be able to explore places old and new. But for the time being, I'll be continuing writing posts like this one, until I can travel again. The first thing I have planned is to get to London to sort out my work contract and visa, and explore some of the outdoor areas there!

Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!