# Where in Spain?



## m.van.adler (Feb 8, 2015)

Hi Everyone! 

Me and my husband are planning to move in a few months but we are not sure where to, so I'm hoping for some advice from you here on the forum. 

We are a Swedish/Swiss couple that are currently living in Edinburgh, Scotland. We have one big, lazy dog, but no children.

Our plan is to rent a property for about 1 year (I have read somewhere that in Spain it's normal with 11months contract?) and then, if we like it, we will look in to buying a property and stay in Spain full time or during the summer months. 

About us: We are around 40, have travelled a lot and lived in many different countries. 
We love cycling, go shopping and sit on cafés. We also love food and like to eat in restaurants, and to walk our dog. 
My husband trains martial arts so it would be great to find a place with some kind of gym for him. I would love to find some friends with 'girly interests' since I have spending far to much time with my husband for a few years  Scotland has not been the most social place we have lived so we miss socialising a lot! So we are looking for a place with a lot of other expats. 
We are currently trying to learn Spanish, but my God it's difficult! But we hope it will be a bit easier when we are in Spain. 

The places we have been thinking about are: Madrid - If it was near the sea, it would probably be perfect for us. But we want to live by the sea. 

Malaga - I'm worried it will be a bit quiet during the winter months? 

Barcelona - My worry with a city this big is that we need to live in the suburbs since our budget for rent is around 500-1000euros. And we want cycling distance to the city centre. 

Sitges- Seems perfect, but my worry is the same as Malaga, is to quiet in the winter? 

Valencia - Good size city but is there a lot of expats there? 

Any kind of advice would be very much appreciated! Kind Regards Madeleine


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

m.van.adler said:


> Hi Everyone!
> 
> Me and my husband are planning to move in a few months but we are not sure where to, so I'm hoping for some advice from you here on the forum.
> 
> ...


Hi there,
One thing you can do whilst you wait for people to post their comments is to search the forum for the places you've mentioned. All of them have been discussed in the past.
Personally I would not last long in Valencia due to the humidity which makes it very uncomfortable for me in the summer (but if you lived there you'd get used to it in the end). Barcelona is a cosmopolitan kind of place with a good mix of old and new, but does have the Catalan language thing and the Catalan independence thing which seems to absorb huge amounts of politician's time and public money.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

m.van.adler said:


> Hi Everyone!
> 
> Me and my husband are planning to move in a few months but we are not sure where to, so I'm hoping for some advice from you here on the forum.
> 
> ...



:welcome:

Please note that 11 month contracts are just about illegal! They should be 6 or 12 months for a long-term rental. Any shorter and they are considered holiday lets and the rental law doesn't apply.

Do NOT sign an 11 month contract please.


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## m.van.adler (Feb 8, 2015)

Thanks a lot for your answers!
I really appreciate it!

Ok, I will try to find my way around the forum and read about all the places. 
Is Valencia more humid than Malaga? Is it something with that coast that makes it more humid? Is it the same in Alicante then?

Great to know that 11 months contract is illegal!
What does it mean legally if something is considered a holiday let VS a 'normal contract'?
Do I need to consult a solicitor before we sign anything? 😰

Because we a new in Spain, I was thinking that maybe it's best to rent from a letting agent?

Thanks again.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

m.van.adler said:


> Malaga - I'm worried it will be a bit quiet during the winter months?


Malaga (the city itself that is, if that is where you meant rather than Malaga province) is not quiet during the winter months, the city has changed immeasurably (for the better) over the last 10 yearsand is now a vibrant, lively place all year round, but I would not say there is a large expat population living in the city centre.


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## m.van.adler (Feb 8, 2015)

Lynn R said:


> Malaga (the city itself that is, if that is where you meant rather than Malaga province) is not quiet during the winter months, the city has changed immeasurably (for the better) over the last 10 yearsand is now a vibrant, lively place all year round, but I would not say there is a large expat population living in the city centre.


Thanks Lynn! Ok, that's great to know.
In Malaga we have been googling about Marbella, Puerto Banus and Malaga (city).
If there isn't a lot of expats in Malaga city, is fluent Spanish kind of a must to be able to make friends and have a social life?


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

m.van.adler said:


> Thanks Lynn! Ok, that's great to know.
> In Malaga we have been googling about Marbella, Puerto Banus and Malaga (city).
> If there isn't a lot of expats in Malaga city, is fluent Spanish kind of a must to be able to make friends and have a social life?


It would certainly widen your options, but you are likely to find a lot of Spanish people there who speak English to a greater or lesser degree, and very many who are keen to improve their English for career reasons so will be only to pleased to talk with you!


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## m.van.adler (Feb 8, 2015)

Lynn R said:


> It would certainly widen your options, but you are likely to find a lot of Spanish people there who speak English to a greater or lesser degree, and very many who are keen to improve their English for career reasons so will be only to pleased to talk with you!


 Thanks Lynn! I will spend some time with my 'friend' Rosetta Stone tonight And every night after that.....  

Life will be a lot easier and more interesting if I can speak and understand everyone. But I guess we need to start our Spanish life around other expats. I'm worried about not having a social life, and I love Brits to much not to have them around me


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

How about the Canary Islands, mild winters, not too hot summers, year round tourist season, lots of ex pats from many nations, plus the cost of living is cheaper.


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## m.van.adler (Feb 8, 2015)

Hepa said:


> How about the Canary Islands, mild winters, not too hot summers, year round tourist season, lots of ex pats from many nations, plus the cost of living is cheaper.


 Ohh.. Hepa I'm so sorry but I didn't like the Canary Islands at all. I have been there 3 times and it's not for me. I think I would feel a bit trapped on an island.

I know it's a great and popular place for expats. Thanks for your answer Hepa!  Madeleine


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

m.van.adler said:


> Hi Everyone!
> 
> Me and my husband are planning to move in a few months but we are not sure where to, so I'm hoping for some advice from you here on the forum.
> 
> ...


I am probably not the best qualified person to give advice on this subject because I live in an area that is the exact opposite to what you are seeking: inland, roughly half way between Alicante and Valencia, and in a remote mountain location with no immediate neighbours. But, for what it´s worth, my recommendation would be the outskirts of Alicante city, somewhere along the Costa Blanca coastline. Alicante itself is a lovely, small but lively city and there is a regular tram service that runs all along the Costa Blanca coastline connecting major resorts such as Denia and Benidorm with the busy city centre. This is a beautiful area and there are heavy concentrations of British, German, Dutch, Norwegian (especially in Alfaz del Pi, near Benidorm) and Belgian expats. Further south in Alicante province is Torrevieja, which also has a large Swedish community, so this may be of interest. For learning Spanish, I have tried them all, but the best course I have discovered is Marcus Santamaria. You pay a small monthly fee to download the lessons from his web site (Synergy Spanish Systems | Frustration Free Spanish Solutions) and, with the aid of an MP3 player, you can listen while going for a walk or driving. The lessons are slow-paced, frustratingly so at times, but for me it has been the best form of learning, other than face-to-face with a good Spanish teacher. Hope this information is helpful.


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## m.van.adler (Feb 8, 2015)

The Skipper said:


> I am probably not the best qualified person to give advice on this subject because I live in an area that is the exact opposite to what you are seeking: inland, roughly half way between Alicante and Valencia, and in a remote mountain location with no immediate neighbours. But, for what it´s worth, my recommendation would be the outskirts of Alicante city, somewhere along the Costa Blanca coastline. Alicante itself is a lovely, small but lively city and there is a regular tram service that runs all along the Costa Blanca coastline connecting major resorts such as Denia and Benidorm with the busy city centre. This is a beautiful area and there are heavy concentrations of British, German, Dutch, Norwegian (especially in Alfaz del Pi, near Benidorm) and Belgian expats. Further south in Alicante province is Torrevieja, which also has a large Swedish community, so this may be of interest. For learning Spanish, I have tried them all, but the best course I have discovered is Marcus Santamaria. You pay a small monthly fee to download the lessons from his web site (Synergy Spanish Systems | Frustration Free Spanish Solutions) and, with the aid of an MP3 player, you can listen while going for a walk or driving. The lessons are slow-paced, frustratingly so at times, but for me it has been the best form of learning, other than face-to-face with a good Spanish teacher. Hope this information is helpful.


Thanks a lot Skipper! My husband has suggested Alicante, he was there many years ago and loved it. 
If Benidorm has a busy city centre, is that also a good option?
Or is Alicante 'sea side' better? 

I will definitely look into the Spanish online course!

Thanks again!


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

m.van.adler said:


> Thanks a lot Skipper! My husband has suggested Alicante, he was there many years ago and loved it.
> If Benidorm has a busy city centre, is that also a good option?
> Or is Alicante 'sea side' better?
> 
> ...


60 years ago, Benidorm was, I´m told, one of the prettiest towns on the Costa Blanca, but in my opinion it is now an over-commercialised concrete jungle with hundreds of ugly high-rise tower blocks. In the height of the summer the beaches are overcrowded and at night the centre is noisy and full of drunks. There are, however, hundreds of bars and clubs catering for all tastes, so if this is your thing there is probably no better place, although I think it´s fair to say that the resort caters for down-market tourism! Alicante has fabulous beaches close to the city centre and there are some beautiful resorts either side of the city that are peaceful and not too over-developed. Personally, I love Playa San Juan, which is still predominantly a Spanish resort, but I´m a boring old codger looking for peace and quiet and many younger people would probably say it´s not lively enough! The good thing about this stretch of coast is that the tram service connects the resorts to Alicante city so you can easily travel between the different towns.


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## m.van.adler (Feb 8, 2015)

The Skipper said:


> 60 years ago, Benidorm was, I´m told, one of the prettiest towns on the Costa Blanca, but in my opinion it is now an over-commercialised concrete jungle with hundreds of ugly high-rise tower blocks. In the height of the summer the beaches are overcrowded and at night the centre is noisy and full of drunks. There are, however, hundreds of bars and clubs catering for all tastes, so if this is your thing there is probably no better place, although I think it´s fair to say that the resort caters for down-market tourism! Alicante has fabulous beaches close to the city centre and there are some beautiful resorts either side of the city that are peaceful and not too over-developed. Personally, I love Playa San Juan, which is still predominantly a Spanish resort, but I´m a boring old codger looking for peace and quiet and many younger people would probably say it´s not lively enough! The good thing about this stretch of coast is that the tram service connects the resorts to Alicante city so you can easily travel between the different towns.


That's really helpful Skipper!Thanks a lot! 
Down market is not my thing. Quality over quantity is more what I'm after.
I do like to have people around me, but it's a big plus if they aren't drunk teenagers (or adults behaving like teenagers) on a budget holiday.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Check the recent thread on Nerja/Frigiliana, a few km east of Málaga city. No shortage of British and other northern Europeans, and plenty to do, but still recognisably Spanish and surrounded by beautiful scenery.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

If I was starting again I would look around Puerto de la Santa Maria or Vejar area. Lots of good restaurants and not overcrowded with expats. Frigiliana seems very British to me. They are worth a visit.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Isobella said:


> If I was starting again I would look around Puerto de la Santa Maria or Vejar area. Lots of good restaurants and not overcrowded with expats. Frigiliana seems very British to me. They are worth a visit.


Yes, I could happily live in El Puerto. Plenty to do, great beaches and good rail links to the rest of the country. Lots of Americans around, because of proximity to the military base at Rota. 

Vejer is pretty for a visit but I couldn't live there. It is definitely dead in winter. Too many holiday homes!


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## m.van.adler (Feb 8, 2015)

Thanks a lot!
I really appreciate all help.
I will have a look at those areas!


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## mickbcn (Feb 4, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Hi there,
> One thing you can do whilst you wait for people to post their comments is to search the forum for the places you've mentioned. All of them have been discussed in the past.
> Personally I would not last long in Valencia due to the humidity which makes it very uncomfortable for me in the summer (but if you lived there you'd get used to it in the end). Barcelona is a cosmopolitan kind of place with a good mix of old and new, but does have the Catalan language thing and the Catalan independence thing which seems to absorb huge amounts of politician's time and public money.


"Barcelona is a cosmopolitan kind of place with a good mix of old and new, but does have the Catalan language thing and the Catalan independence thing which seems to absorb huge amounts of politician's time and public money."?????.
Learn catalan language is a problem? the same problem if you go to live to Poland,or if you go to Danmark with the danish, and for the public money..is OUR money and for we the majority of catalans its ok, however we expend very few money for the independence, not as the spanish media say.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

mickbcn said:


> "Barcelona is a cosmopolitan kind of place with a good mix of old and new, but does have the Catalan language thing and the Catalan independence thing which seems to absorb huge amounts of politician's time and public money."?????.
> Learn catalan language is a problem? the same problem if you go to live to Poland,or if you go to Danmark with the danish, and for the public money..is OUR money and for we the majority of catalans its ok, however we expend very few money for the independence, not as the spanish media say.


Amazingly enough, there are foreign people who don't realise that Catalonia operates under 2 languages, so some people are surprised that they will be in contact with 2 languages and that if they have children their children will be taught in 2 languages making their existence trilingual. I didn't say it was a _*problem*_ though.
As for the funding of leaflets, flags, meetings, tv ads it's all coming out of someone's pockets, isn't it? Anything that is spent on the Independence issue could be spent on improving else something somewhere, and we're talking about a considerble amount of money.
However, I don't say that that was a _*problem*_ either, but I did think they are 2 issues which are important enough to mention


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## mickbcn (Feb 4, 2013)

The milions of flags that you see in the last 11 of september was paid for the people not for the government like the hundreds of buses buses for go to this concentrations,is funny when i listen and see some newspapers and tv's saying that the people receive tickets for the lunch for free and the buses was free.. haha some spaniards are desesperate they believe that if we see their lies our wish for the independence will stop, poor stupids ,they still thinking that is the president Artur Mas and our politicians who dirige this movement,this is wrong WE the citizens of Catalonia are who want the independence from Spain as soon as possible.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Hi Madeleine,

If Madrid would be perfect for you were it not inland, then I would assume that it is city life that suits you best. In that case any of Malaga, Valencia and Barcelona are probably very suitable.

I enjoy visiting Barcelona very much. It has architecture which is much more impressive than you will find in Madrid and many quite different areas in which you might find the mix of features you're looking for. Sadly, although a fantastic place to visit, I wouldn't want to live there. It is packed crooks and thieves so you can rarely relax when it comes to guarding your possessions. And then there's the nationalists, never a pleasant bunch of people, I'm sure you've met a few if you live in Edinburgh. Should you be lucky enough to get chatting to some locals, chances are they'll end up ranting about politics. It's a shame, it was a very different place a decade or so ago.

Valencia and Malaga aren't packed with expats but places outside but nearby are. If it's important that you have a lot of expats around you might instead think of coastal towns outside of but close to the cities. There are many nice places close to both Malaga and Valencia where there are plenty of expats.


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## m.van.adler (Feb 8, 2015)

Horlics said:


> Hi Madeleine, If Madrid would be perfect for you were it not inland, then I would assume that it is city life that suits you best. In that case any of Malaga, Valencia and Barcelona are probably very suitable. I enjoy visiting Barcelona very much. It has architecture which is much more impressive than you will find in Madrid and many quite different areas in which you might find the mix of features you're looking for. Sadly, although a fantastic place to visit, I wouldn't want to live there. It is packed crooks and thieves so you can rarely relax when it comes to guarding your possessions. And then there's the nationalists, never a pleasant bunch of people, I'm sure you've met a few if you live in Edinburgh. Should you be lucky enough to get chatting to some locals, chances are they'll end up ranting about politics. It's a shame, it was a very different place a decade or so ago. Valencia and Malaga aren't packed with expats but places outside but nearby are. If it's important that you have a lot of expats around you might instead think of coastal towns outside of but close to the cities. There are many nice places close to both Malaga and Valencia where there are plenty of expats.


Thank you so much for your very helpful answer!
And yes, you are right, I prefer big cities.
But not so big that I need to live in the suburbs.
Edinburgh has been a very negative experience so I need to get it right in Spain 

I have been looking online on 'long term rentals' in Valencia today, but it seems difficult to find unfurnished apartments?


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## ABERAFON (Aug 15, 2014)

HI M. Van. Adler,

Malaga is getting to be a cosmopolitan city. It is also a beautiful city and I would not worry too much about the language so long as you are learning, if you get stuck many in Malaga speak very good English. To the east of Malaga is some very beautiful countryside and busy villages which would also give you some of what you want and have strong ex pat communities that are well integrated into the Spanish life. As for the climate, my wife has trouble with hot weather as she is a red head but she copes very well in the Malaga province. I would certainly go and have a look. To the west of the city would not be for me, too much glitz but that is just me.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Here's one for you 

MIL ANUNCIOS.COM - Extramurs SAN JOSE DE CALASANZ en Valencia



m.van.adler said:


> Thank you so much for your very helpful answer!
> And yes, you are right, I prefer big cities.
> But not so big that I need to live in the suburbs.
> Edinburgh has been a very negative experience so I need to get it right in Spain
> ...


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## m.van.adler (Feb 8, 2015)

ABERAFON said:


> HI M. Van. Adler, Malaga is getting to be a cosmopolitan city. It is also a beautiful city and I would not worry too much about the language so long as you are learning, if you get stuck many in Malaga speak very good English. To the east of Malaga is some very beautiful countryside and busy villages which would also give you some of what you want and have strong ex pat communities that are well integrated into the Spanish life. As for the climate, my wife has trouble with hot weather as she is a red head but she copes very well in the Malaga province. I would certainly go and have a look. To the west of the city would not be for me, too much glitz but that is just me.


Thanks a lot for your answer!
It sounds perfect that the expats are integrated with the Spanish life! That's exactly what we're looking for!
I think I would love the glitz though... 
Thanks again!


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## m.van.adler (Feb 8, 2015)

Horlics said:


> Here's one for you  MIL ANUNCIOS.COM - Extramurs SAN JOSE DE CALASANZ en Valencia


That's really kind of you! Thanks a lot!

I love that everyone are so helpful on this forum


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## mickbcn (Feb 4, 2013)

Horlics said:


> Hi Madeleine,
> 
> If Madrid would be perfect for you were it not inland, then I would assume that it is city life that suits you best. In that case any of Malaga, Valencia and Barcelona are probably very suitable.
> 
> ...


He,he,he.


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## ABERAFON (Aug 15, 2014)

m.van.adler said:


> Thanks a lot for your answer!
> It sounds perfect that the expats are integrated with the Spanish life! That's exactly what we're looking for!
> I think I would love the glitz though...
> Thanks again!


HI M. Van. Adler,

It is just my opinion and I may be wrong but when I said glitz I was being diplomatic and trying to be kind, It is nice to visit the glitz but if you want to live there it can be too much, It can be friendly enough and I did know a few people that way on and they were lovely but I think they would agree that it is a bit posey and the nearer you get to some of the more tourist/populist places the worse it can be, just west of Malaga it is fine but a few miles further away and as my late mum used to say about it 'there is an aerial on the chimney but no telly in the lounge' It can be a bit too much ex pat as well, some really lovely marinas though.


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## m.van.adler (Feb 8, 2015)

ABERAFON said:


> HI M. Van. Adler, It is just my opinion and I may be wrong but when I said glitz I was being diplomatic and trying to be kind, It is nice to visit the glitz but if you want to live there it can be too much, It can be friendly enough and I did know a few people that way on and they were lovely but I think they would agree that it is a bit posey and the nearer you get to some of the more tourist/populist places the worse it can be, just west of Malaga it is fine but a few miles further away and as my late mum used to say about it 'there is an aerial on the chimney but no telly in the lounge' It can be a bit too much ex pat as well, some really lovely marinas though.


Thanks a lot ABERAFON!
I think we need to visit that area to get a feeling for it. 
But I totally understand what you mean. (I have a friend in Monaco, a 1 week stay every summer there is enough for me) 

We have today decided to start our Spain-journey in Valencia since it's not too far (?!!) for my husband to transport all our furnitures from Scotland. And during our first year in Spain we can visit all the areas we are interested in and decide from there where to buy a property/flat.

It's so difficult to sit in the cold Scotland and decide on a place in Spain so we decided on Valencia just to start somewhere. From Valencia we can drive to the South, North and East to discover the country more.

I feel so super exited about this move! I understand it will be challenging but it will be better than our life Scotland 

I will probably have a gazillion question to you all on this forum about moving to and living in Spain. 

One step at the time... 

Madeleine


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## ABERAFON (Aug 15, 2014)

I wish you all the luck in the world, Madeleine, in your quest for the perfect place. I think it is a good idea to do the journey through Spain. We did that, we started in Costa De Lux and moved around, we liked the Valencia area but we had a friend there who always felt that it was just a touch too cool for him in January and February, but we still were considering it until we turned up in Nerja and went from there into the hills behind it and as they say the rest is history, just fell in love with the area and in the same week bought land that had planning consent and set the wheels in motion to start building.

All the best


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## m.van.adler (Feb 8, 2015)

ABERAFON said:


> I wish you all the luck in the world, Madeleine, in your quest for the perfect place. I think it is a good idea to do the journey through Spain. We did that, we started in Costa De Lux and moved around, we liked the Valencia area but we had a friend there who always felt that it was just a touch too cool for him in January and February, but we still were considering it until we turned up in Nerja and went from there into the hills behind it and as they say the rest is history, just fell in love with the area and in the same week bought land that had planning consent and set the wheels in motion to start building. All the best


Thank you so much!
It's really great to hear that you have found your place in Spain. I really hope to be in the same position in a few years.
It will probably be a bumpy ride, but I will try to be patient 

Madeleine


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