June 29th, 2015

Living and Working in Spain

by Alex Hallatt

As fans of the Arctic Circle Facebook page (Arctic Circle Facebook page) may know; the boyf, dog and I have moved to Spain for a year to learn Spanish. We are living in Hondarribia, in the Basque Country, on the border with France.

Our flat is to the left of the old gateway

We had to throw caution to the wind to get the flat, as there are very few available at this time of year (everyone wants to live near the sea in the summer). We signed half-understood contracts for the year long rental and for the bank account we needed to pay for it. It should be worth it – I’m enjoying the lifestyle already.

Billie doesn’t know he’s posing next to a kennel – by the shopping mall

Billie and the boyf are settling in well

paddleboarding on the Bidasoa River

My swimming pool: complete with fishing boat

It’s fun to learn the language and also the different ways of doing things. It took ages for me to get a key to use the communal compost bins, as I went from tourist office to town hall and finally to a recycling centre out of town. But I’m now the proud owner of a compost key – vital, as we don’t have so much as a balcony, let alone a garden.