Crete, without the hiking!
We really like Crete, although itâs been sad to see how built up itâs become since our first visit in '87. Our last trip (2018 IIRC) saw us taking a walk across some very rocky fields and hills down to a small bay on the west end that turned out to be rather crowded.
I think if we were to live there weâd either want a house up in the hills above Lasithi, or on the south west side where itâs quieter.
I loved Tenerife when we first went there in 1975 and stayed in the north. Hired a car and drove to Los Christianos which consisted of a few shacks, odd houses and fishing boats and nothing much else. Now I see it on a place in the sun programmes and think how lucky we were to see it back then and its not a place I would ever return to now. For me, I think I would like the edge of the Scottish Highlands around the Invernesshire region going towards the west coast.
We love the area in the foothills of the Pyrénées. Mountain views, and rivers inland, plus the sea and fishing villages of the spanish Pays Basque coast.
If they werenât so cold and wet it would have to be the west coasts of Wales, Ireland or Scotland but, given that they are, it has to be Australia. I only came back for a holiday and by a freak of circumstance was unable to return.
Wherever it was it would have to be close, very close, to the ocean. I canât believe I ended up here, much as I love the Dordogne, especially as I was âescapingâ from Nottingham which is about as far as you can get in the UK from the coast. I love early morning sea swimming, which is why all the holidays we had from here were always in the Vendee.
Lots of places getting closer to the ocean year on year.
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Not in my timescale I donât think. 
Of all the over developed resorts on the costa brava Tossa de Mar has managed to retain much originality thanks to it coastline geography.
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Another vote for Greece (specifically Crete) - it was high on my retirement âpossiblesâ list along with France pre-Brexit, but now the Greeks expect you to have an income of âŹ30,000 or over as a non-EU retiree, and property prices in Crete are also an issue.
Or if money was no object I would go back to Turks and Caicos where I lived for 7 years and still have friends - but property prices there are astronomical, the cost of living is quite high because most food is imported, and you really have to have private medical cover.
And itâs a long way away!
So France is in pole position on economic, lifestyle and social grounds!
That prompts me to remember staying in Begur a couple of years ago, and exploring the area. Walking along the coastal path, which I must say is delightful, we came across this lovely little cove, and the bonus was that it had a great fish restaurant with great food and a great view. Do like that coastal area of Spain, but you need to pick the right time to visit to avoid the heaving masses!
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My wife is Chinese, so naturally weâve been to China many times. Donât believe the western propaganda rubbish on the internet about China, as itâs a fabulous place. Anything you want to buy is infinitely cheaper than youâd pay in the west. The people are very welcoming, food is fresh and cheap, medical is instant same day treatment and at least equal standard to that in France. Property can be pricey in the cities, but no more so than the main cities in France. Transport links are exceptional, modern & fast and the size of the country offers coastline, desert, mountains, forests and aeons of history. Especially for me there are now loads of motorcycle clubs with Triumph, BMW, Harley, Honda & many others.
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I was there in 1985 and although we hadnt handed it back then it very nearly made me quit work and stay.
Iâm sure parts of China are fabulous and if you have money then the lifestyle can be great. However I had a work colleague with a Chinese wife, who had some of her friends âdisappearedâ by the state police for 6 weeks or more, regardless of the fact one of them had small children. Not all of it is propaganda.
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Thats alright then. What aboutâŠ
Slave labour in the Uyghur concentration/re-education camps
Flooding the rest of the world with fentanyl
Land/territory grab in the south china sea, and in Africa via its belt and road policy
Covid
Ripping off anything possible
State control of everything
EtcâŠ
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I take it youâve been there & seen all this?
A friend of mine who founded a banking business was doing a deal with Sanpower for financing, it was during the time they owned House of Fraser around 5 years ago, and this happened to the guy he was dealing with. Vanished for months. Nearly sent the bank to the wall as the deal was at a very advanced stage so the money was almost the only option and when it didnât appear it was a very nervous moment. After much investigation from him and his team he discovered that the guy had been invited to âspeak to the powers that beâ for 3 months as part of the crackdown on Chinese companies investing in certain industries, banking being one, and when he eventually reappeared and got in touch he was a shadow of his former ebullient self and just apologised and said they deal couldnât progress. He retired, or was made to retire, almost immediately after and that was that.
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Yes, I have been to China. Iâd rather believe verified western "propaganda " than anything coming out of china. Are you denying, for example, the Uyghur re-education camps? Or the Tiannamen Square massacre?
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I lived in Hong Kong in and off between other Asian postings for over 30 years. Until 2019 HK was a âbrother of a different motherâ in China.
Over time I visited different areas throughout China. The geography is majestic in places and financial gain at speed has had enormous impact on that as well as in cities. This comes at a price that may not be immediately apparent to a euphoric observer.
In China there are lovely people and venal people, as anywhere. Wearing a uniform helps identifying the latter but it is those without that you really have to be wary of. And the ubiquitous CCTV. Everyone learns to hide what they truly think and feel.
I love Hong Kong and its now beleaguered Cantonese people and wish for them a safe and free future. Wishing earnestly, but without hope.
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Noam Chomski labelled the USA as the worlds biggest terrorist organisation and the UK has aided them every step of the way. My point being that no governments are free of dirty deeds, but it is how such actions affect the daily life of the countryâs population that matter to those that live there. With 1.3 billion souls there will always be those elements or factions in China that want the country to be run in a different way and I believe it also depends upon how politically motivated one is to condemn or want to affect change. Personally, I have no interest in politics, so abiding by the laws and rules of the country allows me and mine to have a good life, but this doesnât satisfy everyone and for its own nefarious and commercial reasons the west chooses to vilify China through a propaganda war in which I have no interest whatsoever. So, do I enjoy China, yes. Could China be better, yes, but so could many countries. Be careful what you wish for.
Letâs also not forget the most appalling treatment of animals - no country is quite as disgusting whether itâs the Yulin dog meat festival or bear bile farming to mention just 2 revolting practices.
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