[jcon40]

Friends of ours who live in Switzerland call Italy “Europe’s Mexico” and say it’s a common reference.

[Menehune56]

Friends of ours who live in Switzerland call Italy “Europe’s Mexico” and say it’s a common reference.

There's also the pithy quote attributed to Napoleon: "Europe stops at the Pyranees."

[pierrem15]

Richelieu said, "Africa begins at the Pyrenees."

Of course, the Brits used to say, "WOGs begin at Calais."