The metal and coal mining industries are gone and so is the pollution they created. Of course it rains quite a lot, but no more than in other places in Britain. Swansea is located at the entry to the Gower peninsula, one of the first areas in Britain awarded the status of the area of outstanding natural beauty. Gower is famous for its unspoiled nature, woodlands, Norman castles, cliffs and bays with sandy beaches. It is a centre of water sports.
Walkers love numerous paths, climbers like cliffs.
If you like mountain walking, then Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains are only an hour travel from Swansea. There is a particular atmosphere about Swansea that I find very enchanting but, at the same time, quite hard to explain. There are various sources of research money for which you can apply or for which we can apply together. More advanced researchers can apply for five year advanced fellowships - there are no citizenship restrictions on those. The European Commission is another popular source for post-doctoral funding.