Have you ever been on holiday and asked yourself: “I wonder could I live here some day?” Maybe it happened when you were enjoying a galette and cider in a Breton crêperie; browsing the colourful array of frutas y verduras in a Barcelona mercado; drying on the rocks after a warm swim in a Greek cove, or feeling the cool of an Adriatic breeze from atop Dubrovnik’s majestic old walls.Spain was by far the most visited EU country by Irish people last year, with almost 3 million trips, Central Statistics Office data shows. This is followed by France (more than 1 million trips) and then Italy and Portugal (more than 800,000 trips each). Greece (185,000) and Croatia (120,000) are also regularly chosen destinations. With almost 21,000 Irish-born people living in Spain and an estimated 15,000 in France, we tracked down six people who may be able to answer that niggling question when on holiday: What is it like to live here? Asturias, SpainSinéad MacMahon, from Co Wicklow Sinéad Mac Mahon, who lives in Asturias, Spain I’ve been living here for 14 years after buying my house in a rural village 20 years ago. I teach English in an after-school academy that is a half an hour commute from home. I’m living the dream here: I grow vegetables, I have a few horses, some chickens, cats and a dog. I’m very much immersed in village life with the locals, making chorizos and sidra (cider). I came here with hardly any Spanish, and now I speak the local dialect. [ I live in Amsterdam and I fantasise about Irish supermarketsOpens in new window ]I love the quality of life. I eat out two or three times a week with friends. There are beaches and mountains nearby for activities, and incredible gastronomy. The healthcare here is second to none. Here it feels as though the country belongs to the people. We party at fiestas in summer, drink and dance on the streets until dawn, and then the council cleans up and it’s ready for the shops to open by 10am. There’s just lots to do that doesn’t involve spending money. My only regret is that I didn’t move here sooner. Barcelona, SpainCiarán Harrison, from Rathgar, DublinCiarán Harrison, from Rathgar, Dublin, and his girlfriend Regina I had come to a crossroads as most young Irish people do: either move to Australia, or do something else. The majority of people I know went to Australia. But I wanted something closer to home and that was more of a culture shock. So I picked Barcelona – and this is my third summer here.It’s a very liveable city: sun-soaked, with a slower pace of life. Catalans really know how to enjoy the present. I feel like this can be lost in Dublin sometimes. Here everything is social and outside. Nobody is really in a rush. The daily quality of life is exceptional. Barcelona takes entire avenues and plants them with trees. What I pay in rent here for a three-bed apartment would be a pipe dream in Dublin. We also got a small dog, and you can bring pets almost everywhere. Why would I leave? I work in the tech hub district Poblenou with a modest salary in the investment field, mainly looking at the United Kingdom and United States markets. My Irish accent comes in handy. There is a good group of Irish already in the city. Language can be an issue, but there are many options for learning Spanish and Catalan.I met my Mexican partner here and, as much as I love Ireland, it doesn’t have a place for me right now. Toulouse, FranceAoife Dulohery, from Cork I moved to Toulouse in the south of France late last year for a job opportunity. Like many Irish people, I work in the pharmaceutical industry. I was charmed by the prospect of a warmer climate, a new culture, to revive my Leaving Certificate-level French and, crucially, to be able to afford to rent an apartment by myself. The weather here is incredible. In summer people are out until 10pm, even with children running around plazas or playgrounds, while parents socialise nearby with a glass of wine – although, due to recent heatwaves, it feels more of necessity than choice to lead a nocturnal life, as temperatures can reach highs of 41 degrees during the day.Even in winter there is a huge amount of light, which is something I didn’t know I was lacking. You can see the snow-capped outline of the Pyrenees, and it is only an hour-and-a-half drive to a ski town.There really are bakeries on every corner, as well as fruit, veg, cheese and wine shops. Convenience isn’t the goal in France, but effort, quality, and knowing where to find the best produce matter.A three-course lunch is the standard in our work canteen. Fresh pastries are brought in by team members – just because. An invitation to an “apero” or after-work drink is extended for anything as minor as meeting a deadline, and it really is only one drink.The bank of La Garonne in Toulouse, France My commute involves the clean, efficient metro and the “teleo”, a public cable car. There are cycle paths everywhere, and these are just as busy as the roads. The city feels lived in and used and not just somewhere you travel to in your car. People live in the city, including above shops and restaurants. . [ A Gaeilgeoir in Paris: ‘I have spoken more Irish this year than I have since my Leaving Cert’Opens in new window ]You never see coffee cups in people’s hands as they go about their day. French people haven’t developed the need to drink coffee while performing another activity. The coffee is the activity. It should be enjoyed in situ. There is nothing else to do in that moment but feel tranquil.Padua, ItalyClodagh Olive Wright, from Saggart, DublinClodagh Wright, who moved to Italy 35 years ago and settled in Padua I’ve lived here for 35 years. I came as an au pair and met my husband, an Italian soldier. We moved to Padua where we raised two chilldren, who received great schooling.I love the lifestyle; you know summer is coming and can plan beach visits because it will be sunny. The Italians are a bit depressed in the winter, but in summer they are smiling and laughing. This is our fourth heatwave this summer. It’s hard, but May and September are beautiful, with sun on your face. The healthcare is great, and the city is spotless and green. The prices here are reasonable: €1.50 for a cappuccino, unlike €4.50-plus in Dublin. Despite being fluent in Italian, I don’t have too many friends. The women and society are very family-oriented, and I’m very independent. But the friends I do have I really like. I love going home to Dublin, but I’d never move back. It has changed too much. Athens, GreeceSandra Dillon, from Kerry Sandra Dillon and her family in Greece, where she has lived for 20 years I’m originally from Kerry, but I’ve lived in Greece for almost 20 years. I’m an English teacher married to a Greek man with two adult sons. I live near the centre of Athens, and the public transport is amazing. I don’t drive and I never feel the loss of it. The health service here is really well-run. I love the lifestyle and food, being able to sit outside and eat late in the evening. But it is getting more expensive for us locals in recent years. It can even be difficult to book a table. Property has also gotten very expensive. The people are so warm and friendly when you get to know them. In the beginning they can be a bit wary, but when they see you are friends they will invite you out. [ Is there a version of me living in a French village who pronounces croissant ‘kwassun’?Opens in new window ]What I miss about Ireland is the green, and walking on the beaches. You’d be mad to walk on the beach in the daytime heat in Greece, and the beaches are full of sunbeds and bars with music. An empty Ballybunion beach, where you can hear the sound of the waves and the seagulls, is amazing.Dubrovnik, Croatia Kieran Kelleher, from Ennistymon, Co Clare Kieran Kelleher, from Co Clare, who raised his son in Croatia I moved to Croatia with my family in 2001, having lived in Australia and Asia for 20 years. I met my Dubrovnik-born wife while working in Singapore, and this eventually brought me to the Adriatic. Our son Liam was brought up traditionally in Croatia, not unlike Ireland in the 1970s, with a strong sense of family, community and lots of freedom. I manage Croatia and Montenegro international business for real estate firm Savills. I have seen considerable change in Croatia since first arriving. It’s moving in the right direction, but sometimes not as quickly as I’d like. I love Croatia’s slower pace of life, the simplicity, and the unique Croatian concept of “fjaka”, meaning enjoying the moment. Here in Dubrovnik, people experience two different sides of the city – and each is wonderful. There’s the tourist season, when the streets are full of visitors, and our season, when life and the streets are quieter. Life here is not without its challenges. The language is difficult to master, but it can be conquered with persistence. Guinness is €10 a pint, but the local pivo is €4 most places. Being Irish has helped me to feel at home in Croatia, where community and hospitality are important. Are you Irish and living in another country? Would you like to share your experience in writing or by interview? You can use the form below, or email abroad@irishtimes.com. Irish Times Abroad submission guidelines here. 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