So it's getting better right?

The answer is well you guessed it... No. More bad news. Oh yea... well we'll keep that for the new blog that I've not yet started but will... and damn it maybe that blog will make my millions as dear lord so much misfortune is just comical... comedy sells yea? It somehow just doesn't feel that funny. Funny tragic I guess more than Funny Ha ha

Positive things.... *deep breath* okay... Well in a few short weeks, at least some of us will be flying to Canada for a well deserved break.

In an attempt to paint a brighter future we've started flat hunting... with what money do you have to move you may ask... well that's another question entirely... HA! Humour me okay?

So we've seen a couple of places and my word, Barcelona certainly offers you up a large variety of "interesting" options. We found one with the main part of the flat on the principal floor and then with the master bedroom downstairs on the entrasuelo level. It was like a dungeon. For all ye who don't get this whole floor thing here in Spain... The entrasuelo exists in old buildings and I'm sure in the past was used for servents or just tiny tiny people as it's between the street level and the first floor. Principal flats are mostly the biggest in the building and I can only suppose where the rich people used to live. Mostly now they are split into wierd distributions in an effort to make the most money possible from the spaces... I really never though it was possible to re-create a 'basement' feeling here but oh yes.. it's possible. That one is defo a no go.

The next flat of fancy we went to see was a 'para renovar' job. Yes, another BCN concept all into it's self. You see the premise is that they bestow you the favour of renting you a flat and then you are expected to invest your own money into renovating it while you live there... It really defies logic, I mean if there were a few things to polish up or re-paint or something that's fine... but I'm talking flats that are hundreds of years old people! This one was big and the agency's initial proposal was to rent it for 950 a month for a 7 year contract with the premise that you will invest 30k in the flat during that time. I thought they must be insane. Plus they want you to pay 4k damage deposit on the flat (which is a ruin!). So we went to see it.... Turns out rotting and decrepid would be too kind to describe it. The place was straigth out of a horror movie. Fitting that it was Saturday and it was Hallowe'en when we saw it! I would estimate needing to invest at least 90k in that place to get it to a point where it was livable. I really want to know how they will find someone to rent it... maybe if you bought it for a song and then put in the hard graft then yes sure why not... but to rent it... when the shower room was put in somewhere around the time that indoor plumbing became possible (and hasn't been replaced since). I think people on the street could hear my slient scream of ... "oh my god no, not ever in my life would I take on a project like that"... even if they gave me 7 years of free rent. Barcelona... seriously what the bejaysuz is going on?

On the other hand there are lovely looking flats like this one... which we're I think we're going to see on Wednesday... if it's not already gone by then.. That's the other thing... the good ones are snapped up in a heart beat so it's not really condusive to 'window shoppers' like us...