A Basque Diary: Living in Hondarribia

Most people go to Spain for the sunshine. Nobody moves to the Basque Country for the weather.

When British cartoonist Alex Hallatt decided to learn Spanish, she and her partner packed up their lives—and their dog, Billie—and moved to Hondarribia, a small medieval town on the French border near San Sebastián. They planned to stay a few months. They stayed two years.

A Basque Diary is the illustrated account of what they found there: a fiercely independent region with its own ancient language, its own extraordinary food culture, and its own very particular way of life. Month by month, Alex charts the festivals and the pintxos bars, the walking trails and the cider houses, the local markets and the Basque traditions that have survived everything history has thrown at them.

Packed with Alex's own cartoons and illustrations, and updated with new restaurant and bar recommendations from a return visit in 2023, this is not a conventional travel guide. It's a love letter to a place that got under her skin, and a practical companion for anyone planning to visit or live in the Basque Country.

Includes:

• a month-by-month guide to festivals and what to expect
• favourite bars, cafes and restaurants in Hondarribia
• day trip guides to San Sebastián, Bilbao, and beyond
• essential Basque phrases
• tips on transport, accommodation, healthcare and local life.

"Based on the strength of this charming little book, my husband and I decided to spend six weeks in Hondarribia. You could say this book changed our lives." — Amazon reader

Alex Hallatt was born and brought up in the West Country in England. She emigrated to New Zealand, where she met her partner, Duncan, and his dog, Billie. They spent two years living in Hondarribia, Spain and though they are back in New Zealand, they love to visit the Basque Country.