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So many people here say that northern Europe is too structured, bureaucratic, and calm for them to live there. Personally, I don't see any problem with structure and stability when trying to find a place to live. What's with the preference for southern Europe here?
So many people here say that northern Europe is too structured, bureaucratic, and calm for them to live there. Personally, I don't see any problem with structure and stability when trying to find a place to live. What's with the preference for southern Europe here?
This preference that you perceive is more a romantic fantasy than reality.
By far on this forum more threads and posts are about core western and northern European countries than the southern tier.
Have not seen any favoritism towards southern Europe here, but if there was it would be for the same reasons in real life; that is the climate and general culture.
Northern Europeans have been going to southern parts for scores if not hundreds of years, even when this was just within their own country/territory. More so and or especially to escape the cold and often damp winters.
While southern Europe had long been known by other Europeans and a certain demographic elsewhere in the world (read wealthy) the book A Year in Provence really helped put the south of France on the map of even middle class persons. Tuscany was another place "discovered" by Americans and others that had been a well known secret by many Europeans for ages.
Paris, Rome, Berlin and even London all have their charms, but there is something about the south of France or Italy, Greece and so forth that is just timeless. If one could only have one choice; a home in either Paris or south of France, the latter would win every time.
So many people here say that northern Europe is too structured, bureaucratic, and calm for them to live there. Personally, I don't see any problem with structure and stability when trying to find a place to live. What's with the preference for southern Europe here?
Structured and calm - I guess you could call it that. Visiting Denmark know, I mostly find it small, clean, and well-regulated - like Switzerland without the mountains.
OTOH, I will say that Southern Europe takes the cake for bureaucracy. If you try to actually follow the rules in, for instance, Spain - you'll run from office to office and still, at the end of the day, be told that "Sorry, but for the permanent permit, the stamp should have been in green ink and be countersigned by the mayor in person, not a deputy". The locals may not bother, but they know which rules can be pushed and how far - you don't.
Whereas when I moved to Germany, the process went like you'd expect from Germans - sure, lots of office visits, but along the lines of "Good to see you. Mr. Dane, we have your file here. Please sign here, here and here, pay the fee with the cashier in the foyer, and the updated paperwork will be mailed to you at the end of the week", which it was.
There is Nordicism, a.k.a. the superiority complex of people of Northern Europe over Southerners also on a racial basis, but there's no "Southicism".
Figure that out.
I was under the impression that southern europe was not always seen in a good light on this board.
I feel western european mostly so I won't take part in this debate
It seems to me that America, Americans and Britain and the British tend to get the most 'bashing' on these boards.
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