Familiar no Centro de Granada

I had a great time staying with Veronica, Fernando and Alejo in Granada! Originally I booked to stay for one month but then I stayed with the family for another few weeks because I liked it so much.

I felt very much at home with the family - all my meals were included so I didn't have to worry about food and we ate dinner together every evening. We spent lots of time chatting - Veronica speaks very good English but only spoke Spanish with me to help me practise. She also gave me lots of advice and information for sightseeing and local amenities and let me know about all the events happening in Granada, which I wouldn't have heard about otherwise.

The flat was also very comfortable and clean, with a fast internet connection (which is not the case in some other flats in Granada). It is in a good area with the best tapas bars, shops, swimming pools, and a scenic route for running nearby.

I really enjoyed my stay at Veronica and Fernando. They are the greatest. They both are very supportive and will help if you are unsure about something (how to say this in Spanish, where are the best tapas… etc.). Alejo is just adorable, funny and LOVES to sing. Since this was my first trip abroad by myself I was nervous and unsure about how things would be. I was reassured after the emails and Skype meetings. Veronica was very helpful in showing me around and even went with me to the office for my residence card. It is a beautiful city and it is easy to get around with the bus. I found that my Spanish improved tremendously while living with them. Unfortunately, I fell ill and had to cut my study abroad by several months. During this very stressful event Veronica and Fernando were always with me. Their compassion and care were exemplary and genuine. I truly felt that I was a member of their family. They contacted my parents in Canada, providing information and assisting in their travel to Granada. I highly recommend this wonderful family. My experience and time with them will always be close to my heart. They have become lifetime friends and I know that my parents’ gratitude towards them is immense.

My stay with Veronica, Fernando and Alejo was very enjoyable; they are such a warm and kind family. They helped me a lot during my time in Granada, even before I arrived at their house! I learned so much about lots of different things including Spanish language, culture, history etc which was a really great experience. Veronica and Fernando also gave me a good insight into everything this wonderful city has to offer and they were always willing to help if there was something I needed to know or wasn’t sure about. They welcomed me into their family and I really felt at home which was important for me as I was in a city I was not yet familiar with. I also found Alejo to be so adorable- he always made me laugh with his singing and cute little conversations, he is a pleasure to be around and I will really miss him! When I first arrived at the house Veronica showed me around the local area and made sure I knew where all the important things were such as shops, banks and bus stops so I could make my way around the city without any problem and I thought this was quite useful. Within a few days I felt myself settling into the new lifestyle and culture. Veronica and Fernando also made me aware if they were events going on in the city and as I wanted to travel to other parts of Spain they recommended the best places to stay and the sites worth visiting. I especially enjoyed meal times with the family because we talked about lots of interesting topics and this really helped with my Spanish as well as become a positive cultural experience. Overall, I’m so glad I had the opportunity to stay with this lovely family and I would definitely recommend them :)

I had the most amazing time with Veronica, Fernando and Alejo. They are the sweetest family you could ever wish to meet. After emailing and skyping Veronica and Fernando before leaving home to fly to Spain I already felt at ease that I was heading to a safe, friendly and supportive home environment. Veronica talked me through all the things I was unsure about in terms of transport and daily living costs etc. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my exchange living in a flat with other students to have both that experience as well as with a Spanish family. Veronica even helped me go to flat hunting and gave me her advice on which ones would be good or bad and what to watch out for. We spoke in Spanish all the time and within my first two weeks I could already feel myself easing into the language. However everyone has down times when you're just tired or overwhelmed and need to speak in English, if this happens you can speak with Veronica in English and she is always really supportive. I also found because Veronica and Fernando are substantially younger than my own parents that we were more on the same page about most things. Although I think of them as my Spanish parents we also talk as friends and I felt I could really go to them to confide in, which is so important to have people like that when you are away from home and trying to get used to a new language, culture and environment. Anything you need help with from learning the bus routes (the stops are super close to the house) help with flat hunting (if thats what you want to do) to learning to understand more about the spanish culture and why the country runs the way it does etc, anything, they will help you out. If you are a musical person you will have a lot in common with Fernando, we spent a lot of time comparing and sharing music libraries which was a lot of fun. I was lucky enough to be staying there when Alejo turned two, what a fun day! He is the most precious, adorable and simply HAPPY kid you will ever meet. It is impossible not to fall in love with him and that especially made it hard to leave them, but i knew I could go back to visit :) My month stay with them was even better than I thought. I now have a Spanish family I feel I can visit any time I want and they always invite me home with open arms. I would recommend Veronica and Fernando to anyone who is thinking of trying the home stay experience in Granada. It is an amazing city that I love so much I never want to leave and with Veronica and Fernando supporting you, you are guaranteed to have a fantastic time. 5 gazillion stars plus plus plus and a hug and kiss for my favourite two year old Alejo. Muchisimas gracias por todo xxx