So I'll caveat this by saying we were a couple of Australians living in the UK and one of the big differences we noticed between Australia and the UK is just how damn clearly delineated the seasons are in the UK. In Australia they all kind of smudge into one another while in the UK it's really very clearly 4 very distinct phases of the year.
One of the byproducts of this is that we found UK winter in London to be pretty damn hard to get through. London is an incredible city and there's a lot to love about it, but the winters are honestly a fucking slog. We discovered that UK winters are way more tolerable if you have the opportunity to get out into the countryside with proper gear and just enjoy the natural beauty as much as possible. It a cliche, but there is something delightful about a big walk in the cold that ends at a country pub with a good meal and a roaring fire.
Bristol in particular is a beautiful city for a number of reasons.
Decent sized - so there's always something to do and jobs and conveniences are available (at least pre-Brexit)
Amazing music pedigree - still good for live music and some incredible bands came out of Bristol and surrounding areas.
University town - so good nightlife and fun things to do.
The river Avon - it's a river town which allows for lovely walks and natural beauty
Decent hospitality - Coffee in the UK is often seen as a fucking crime scene by Australians but there are decent independent cafes here and there in the city
Engineering history - The man with the best name in the world Isambard Kingdom Brunel was an incredible engineer from Bristol who left his mark in a number of ways (not least the extraordinary Bristol suspension bridge which we lived almost directly under)
It's just really beautiful - things like the pastel painted houses along the hills of the city make it incredibly picturesque
If we are selling Bristol I need to add one more to the list.
- Bristolians are a big part of what makes Bristol an amazing and 'gert lush' city.
It was the most laid back and enjoyable place I have lived in my time in the UK largely because the people around me were also super welcoming and open-minded.
Neighbours, work colleagues, random people in pubs/concerts, many are still long term friends.
The University openness ethos permeates the city i suppose, but it was kind of the closest I felt in a large city to the 'village/community experience'.
On your 2nd paragraph, I love in London and go hiking every now and again. What about London made it hard to get to the country? 30 mins on the train and you're out there!
It's just a question of ease. Where we lived in Bristol (Hotwells) we were exactly 28 minutes walk from Queen Square in the center of the city where I worked and 29 minutes in the other direction to Ashton court estate which is a deer farm and 340ha estate owner by the City of Bristol.
Granted this photosphere [1, best on desktop, not mobile browsers] is not the view you would have whilst walking around, but it does evidence some sheep-accessible urban environs
Curious, because of geography? architecture?