EU - low budget repatriation specific locations that aren't horrible

[simon43]

Copying JT's excellent thread about locations in the USA, how about destinations in EU countries for those of us who can settle in the EU visa-free?

Many years ago, I had a small house in the French Pyrenees.

It was a stone-built, converted barn, a bit like this:

It cost me about $20,000 USD to buy, had a huge bedroom upstairs with a roaring fire, kitchen, bathroom, lounge etc, all in a small and rural village.

Plus points:

- Very cheap property to live in, dead wood in the nearby forests for the fireplace

- The Pyrenean locals hated the French!

- The local food and wine was cheap and so tasty, smoked hams, mountain cheese

- The cross-country ski slopes were just minutes away

- The sunny side of the Pyrenees in Navarra were just 30 minutes away via the small tunnel though the mountains at St Lary

- Toulouse Airport was 90 minutes away by car

- The Atlantic and Med coasts and sea were 2 hours away

- Andorra duty-free was just 3 hours away by car

- Great mountain walking etc

Minus points:

Not many really... I can only think of the lack of female company available to a dirty old man such as myself.

Recently, I checked out the price of similar stone barns. One can still buy an unconverted barn for the same price as 20 years ago, probaly because of the lack of employment in that region, (all the young 'uns have moved to Toulouse to work).

[Henryford]

Looks great for a holiday but long term you would get cabin fever.

[simon43]

Looks great for a holiday but long term you would get cabin fever.

I had to check Wiki for that:

'Cabin fever is an idiomatic term for a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated and/or shut in a small space, with nothing to do for an extended period. Cabin fever describes the extreme irritability and restlessness a person may feel in these situations

A person may experience cabin fever in a situation such as being in a simple country vacation cottage. When experiencing cabin fever, a person may tend to sleep, have distrust of anyone they are with, and an urge to go outside even in the rain, snow, dark or hail. The phrase is also used humorously to indicate simple boredom from being home alone'

Well, for me, that certainly doesn't apply, especially since my current house in Thailand is considerably smaller than the French barn. I love being close to nature and the simple life, away from the city and rat-race.

Years ago I had a big house in England - you could fit my current house into the living room of that English house.

Cabin fever? No way!