Hi, I'm Dan and I've just seen your advert about the flat....

After spending my night with 9 Germans in Sweat-ville, Spain, I began the hunt for my humble abode. Knowing where to start is half the battle but after raiding every Flatmate website related to Granada, I had a list of 10 suitable candidates. Now all I had to do was make the phone-call, simples. No, not at all. Even the first word you hear from a Spaniard on the phone is daunting. With 'yes' or 'speak' being their warm greeting, you really need to get your A-game on straight away. So off I went and tried to explain why they shouldn't just hang up on me! With the occasional set-back of someone not really taking the time to listen, or them telling me to call Miguel, their flat mate, it was relatively problem free!

With my confidence high that I can actually speak a bit of this language, I strolled out to view my first 3 apartments with optimism. They were grim. When you go into a flat that has windows coming apart with rust, and a kitchen that looks like it's from That 70's Show, you try to think whether you could imagine yourself living there. After I casually dropped the 'how much' question, Isabel kindly made my decision for me! On yer bike son! As it happened, she did exactly that and pottered off on her Vespa...

Introducing yourself to a Spanish Landlord/lady (or any Spanish person for that matter) is not the easiest of tasks for someone that couldn't look less Spanish if he tried. As soon as my mouth opens I get that look of 'I have no idea what you are asking me' - that is until I baffle them with grammatically perfect Spanish and that little bit of charm. Ye that very rarely happens but I try, and they appreciate that!


After being disappointed by all 3 of Isabel's flats, I was a little less chirpy going to my next viewing. This was with one that I had found on Facebook and so immediately appealed to me because it was someone who seemed to live in the 21st Century and not rely on plastering dodgy photocopies to phone boxes. Arriving at the flat, I was quite nervy but I was welcomed by Sara who seemed really friendly and showed me round. Aside from the bathrooms and kitchen, it was hard to imagine what it was going to look like with there being no furniture but the brand new flat screen TV in the lounge sealed the deal! So that was it, I was to be the new flatmate of three Spanish girls - couldn't believe my luck when she dropped it into conversation! I'm yet to meet the other two but I don't really care to be honest, how bad can it be?!