I finished applying to spend half my summer in Santander, Spain, at the University of Cantabria. Santander is on the *very* northern central tip of Spain, and the campus and housing districts are both 15 minutes away from beaches by foot. Half of my stay (assuming I get in, but it's promising) will be quiet since it's typically near finals time for Spanish students, but the last half will be party time, so the balance is damn near perfect. The climate is very green, temperate, and a mix of rainy and sunny, similar to Ireland and England. But it gets better.
Air transport is cheap in Europe. Real cheap. Thankfully, there's a (new?) airport in Santander, and round-trip flights to many other major European cities are 30 Euro. This is where it gets even better. It won't be impossible to go see London, which is freakin' great.
Even better? Top Gear's summer season will be just starting as I'm there, so they will be taping while I'm there. The studios in Surrey aren't far from London. Yes, kids. My plan is to go to my personal Mecca: the Top Gear studio.