When in Spain

British comedian Richard Marshall from Madrid Stand Up Comedy talks to me about the frustration and isolation we can face when moving to Spain. Richard shares with us how he’s used comedy as an antidote to overcome the anxieties of immersing himself in a new culture and language. We also had lots of laughs examining the little cultural differences we’ve noticed and we also attempt to compare the Spanish and British sense of humour. Yes, laughter really is the best medicine! Catch Richard at Teatro de las Aguas Madrid at his next show on March 14th. More info and tickets here msuc.webs.com Also check out the Madrid Stand Up comedy Facebook group and Richard´s Instagram As mentioned in the podcast episode, if you´re looking for a round-up of comedy that´s on in Madrid check out Madrid Live The When in Spain podcast is an independently produced show. No adverts, no sponsors, no media company backing. All episodes are available to listen to free. However, my time and resources for producing the episodes are not free. It comes at a personal cost. So if you enjoy the When in Spain podcast and don’t want to see it disappear please do consider making a small contribution to help support the future of podcast. Every listener donation, however big or small, is so valuable. For as little as $1 you can support When in Spain by becoming a Patron – and it only takes a minute. You can sign-up to become a When in Spain patron at https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain

Are you thinking of starting a new life in Spain but feel like you’ve left it too late? Do you want to break free of your routine and start a journey of reinvention, self-discovery and personal growth? Is it too late to change your life when you’re already in your 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond? This week I talk to Cepee Tabibian about these issues and doubts that many of us have when considering making a big change in our lives. We talk about starting a fresh and relocating to a new country a little bit later in life and examine the challenges and rewards that come with it. Cepee provides useful advice, insights and motivation for anyone and particularly women who are thinking about a new life in Spain. Cepee Tabibian is a social media strategist and community manager. In 2015, at the age of 35 she “hit refresh” and left a comfortable life in Austin,Texas for the unknown in Madrid, Spain. That one decision led her on a path of rapid personal and professional growth. Realizing there was a gap in the market for women “of a certain age” who wanted to radically change their life, she founded She Hit Refresh in 2017 to help other women like herself. Cepee also runs Madrid Blogger Network, Madrid’s largest community for bloggers and content creators and co-hosts CMXConnect Madrid, a community that brings together community leaders in person to connect and learn from one another. The When in Spain podcast is an independently produced show. No adverts, no sponsors, no media company backing. All episodes are available to listen to free. However, my time and resources for producing the episodes are not free. It comes at a personal cost. So if you enjoy the When in Spain podcast and don’t want to see it disappear please do consider making a small contribution to help support the future of podcast. Every listener donation, however big or small, is so valuable. For as little as $1 you can support When in Spain by becoming a Patron – and it only takes a minute. You can sign-up to become a When in Spain patron at https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain

According to the Madrid City Hall, El Ayuntamiento de Madrid the Spanish capital has 9,139 streets. This week I explore a handful of them with Spain travel consultant, Karen Rosenblum. No, we don’t walk all 9,139 of them, but on our wander around the Spanish capital between us we compile a list of our top 12 favourite streets. We chose the them based on their quirky character, physical beauty, interesting history and curious and amusing stories behind them. (Think famous writers peeing in dooways…!) Karen Rosenblum from San Francisco who has been living in Madrid for a number of years and has worked in the travel industry for more than 20 years – and Karen works as a travel consultant who puts together bespoke itineraries for anyone coming to visit and travel in Spain that take people of the beaten path. Check out her TravelSpain! Facebook group and her new website spainlesstraveled.com Our 12 favourite Madrid streets: Calle del Codo Calle de la Pasa Plaza de Olavide Calle de Meson de Paredes Calle de Olivar Calle Jorge Juan Calle de Velarde Plaza de Zerolo Plaza Pontejos Calle de Leon Calle de Embajadores Calle de Ibiza The When in Spain podcast is an independently produced show. No adverts, no sponsors, no media company backing. All episodes are available to listen to free. However, my time and resources for producing the episodes are not free. It comes at a personal cost. So if you enjoy the When in Spain podcast and don’t want to see it disappear please do consider making a small contribution to help support the future of podcast. Every listener donation, however big or small, is so valuable. For as little as $1 you can support When in Spain by becoming a Patron – and it only takes a minute. You can sign-up to become a When in Spain patron at https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain

Join me and journalist, Fiona Govan from The Local news website as we eat our way through a Menú del Día – Spain’s great value fixed-price lunch menu which you can find in pretty much any restaurant in Spain, although often tourists and visitors are not sure what it is or what it includes. Find out about one of Spain’s traditional foodie phenomenons as we talk about the format of El Menú, what it usually includes and how much it usually costs. We also examine some intriguing history behind El Menú del Día which was originally introduced for tourists by General Franco’s government in the 1960s. We also talk about the future of the lunchtime tradition and ask the question is its future safe in the wake of many family restaurant closures across Spain. Also stay tuned to hear an interesting anecdote about why paella is sometimes included in a Menú del Día on Thursdays… Qué aproveche! The When in Spain podcast is an independently produced show. No adverts, no sponsors, no media company backing. All episodes are available to listen to free. However, my time and resources for producing the episodes are not free. It comes at a personal cost. So if you enjoy the When in Spain podcast and don’t want to see it disappear please do consider making a small contribution to help support the future of podcast. Every listener donation, however big or small, is so valuable. For as little as $1 you can support When in Spain by becoming a Patron – and it only takes a minute. You can sign-up to become a When in Spain patron at https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain

Did you know that Spain´s Lottery is the second oldest in world? Did you know that Spaniards bet a whopping 1.9 billion euros each year? And did you know that one of the most popular lotteries in Spain was set-up by General Franco to help people who had been blinded during the Civil War? Join me in this episode as I put gambling in Spain under the microscope. Yes, betting is big business and there LOTS of way to gamble in Spain. I´ll be looking at the numerous Lotteries, Bingo culture and of course Casinos and exploring the surprising history behind the evolution of gambling in Spanish society during the Franco regime and beyond. I try to make sense of all the different lotteries as I head out into my neighbourhood in Madrid to buy my first ever lottery ticket. I chat to the seller for ONCE La Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (The National Organization for Spanish Blind People) who explains all the lottery ticket options available – and yes it was confusing! The When in Spain podcast is an independently produced show. No adverts, no sponsors, no media company backing. All episodes are available to listen to free. However, my time and resources for producing the episodes are not free. It comes at a personal cost. So if you enjoy the When in Spain podcast and don’t want to see it disappear please do consider making a small contribution to help support the future of podcast. Every listener donation, however big or small, is so valuable. For as little as $1 you can support When in Spain by becoming a Patron – and it only takes a minute. You can sign-up to become a When in Spain patron at https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain

This week the Madrid comedy scene and a look at bilingual sense humour and how Spanish life inspires comedy, all brought to you by professional funny people Tricia Audette and Juan Dávila from TYF Comedy. In this episode Tricia and Juan talk about how life in Spain as a non-local (Tricia is from Canada) and local provides the perfect inspiration for much of their comedy material, think mistranslations, mispronunciations and general misadventures. They also share how they got into the Spanish comedy scene from studying accountancy to working as a police officer and talk about what it’s like to work as a comedian on the Madrid circuit. Tricia talks about her upcoming English language comedy show at Madrid’s Chocita del Loro comedy club. It’s called Live Story: Comedy Shorts in English with shows on 21st January 2020 and 4th February 2020. Tricia will be performing sketches and improv with her partner Fernando García Torres and the show’s directed by Juan Dávila. Tickets available here. TYF Comedy on Facebook & Instagram Juan Dávila on Instagram DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1

In this episode I take you with me as I escape the winter blues and head to Las Palmas on Gran Canaria with Karina in search of winter warmth for the New Year. I meet up with Gran Canaria-born photographer and all-round Canary Island expert, Alex Bramwell to explore what Gran Canaria and the other Canary Islands have to offer. Alex tells me about the Islands´history, the best beaches to visit, the most dramatic hiking routes to take, and what food to try. We also touch on Gran Canaria´s economy and of course one of the world´s biggest carnivals which takes place every February on the island. Alex runs a website dedicated to all things Gran Canaria, so if you´re planning a trip to the island check out this wealth of information about what to see and do including Alex´s photography and videos. www.gran-canaria-info.com/en/ Join the accompanying Gran Canaria Info Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/GranCanariaInfo/ The When in Spain podcast is an independently produced show. No adverts, no sponsors, no media company backing. All episodes are available to listen to free. However, my time and resources for producing the episodes are not free. It comes at a personal cost. So if you enjoy the When in Spain podcast and don’t want to see it disappear please do consider making a small contribution to help support the future of podcast. Every listener donation, however big or small, is so valuable. For as little as $1 you can support When in Spain by becoming a Patron – and it only takes a minute. You can sign-up to become a When in Spain patron at https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain  

Since living in Spain I’ve discovered new kitchen contraptions, I’ve used household items that I never used in the UK (mop & bucket comes to mind) and developed an affection for dated furniture, confusing door bells and bidets. I’ve got used to literally hanging my laundry out in public, albeit clean of course! But I still miss a good wall to wall carpet when winter arrives. Having lived in five different properties during my years in Spain I’ve noticed many interesting little idiosyncrasies of apartment living in Madrid. In this episode I look at the differences between Spanish homes and homes in the UK and USA. The When in Spain podcast is an independently produced show. No adverts, no sponsors, no media company backing. All episodes are available to listen to free. However, my time and resources for producing the episodes are not free. It comes at a personal cost. So if you enjoy the When in Spain podcast and don’t want to see it disappear please do consider making a small contribution to help support the future of the podcast. Every listener donation, however big or small, is so valuable. For as little as $1 you can support When in Spain by becoming a Patron – and it only takes a minute. You can sign-up to become a When in Spain patron at https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain Muchisimas gracias!

Are you thinking about making the move to Spain? Wondering where to live and how to buy or rent a property? Do you want to look for work or retire to Spain? If the answer is yes to any of these questions then this episode is for you. I chat with Molly Piccavey who runs the award-winning Spain blog Piccavey.com and also works as a relocation coach. Molly has spent more than two decades living and working in Spain and she explains all of the important factors to consider ahead of a permanent or long term move to Spain. In the episode we talk about finding property to buy or rent and potential hidden expenses, how to choose a part of Spain where you’ll enjoy living, finding work, paperwork, healthcare options, learning Spanish and adapting to the Spanish lifestyle. You can find Molly’s blog and more information about her relocation coach service at piccavey.com If you’d like to contact Molly directly about her relocation service email her at [email protected] DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1  

I talk about the Madrid restaurant scene and foodie community in the Spanish capital with Eat Out Madrid founder Valentina Ruffoni. Eat Out Madrid is a Facebook community where food fans can share their personal reviews, recommendations and photos. I talk to Valentina about Madrid’s restaurant scene, dining culture and culture shocks and favourite foods we miss from back home. DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1

I talk to Lisa Sadleir who runs the Family Life in Spain blog about the practicalities of moving to Spain with children. Lisa has spent more than 20 years in Spain and has raised her own two children here and she’s also helped many other families make the move. We examine all of the factors to consider when relocating as a family including which type of school to choose, state, private or bilingual. We run through the Spanish State education system and look at the pros and cons for the different schools available. Lisa also shares her advice for helping your children integrate into Spanish culture and community and gives some tips for making the transition as stress-free as possible. Lisa has also written a book called Moving to Spain which you can find on Amazon here. She also runs her own house finder service and relocation consultancy for anyone thinking about moving to the Málaga area of Spain. movetomalagaspain.com DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1

The great Spanish city face-off. Yes, it’s the question so many people ask – which city is best, Madrid or Barcelona? And it’s a difficult question to give a definitive answer to! To help me compare these two amazing Spanish cities I speak to Daniel Welsch who has the great privilege of actually living in both cities simultaneously. Qué Suerte! or Que Sort! After living in Madrid for 14 years Daniel recently relocated to Barcelona when his girlfriend landed a new job there. But that doesn’t stop him spending a week or two each month in his beloved Madrid. Daniel has recently had an article published on this very topic on Lonely Planet. He’s also well-known for his Chorizo Chronicles blog, looking at Spanish life as an expat. Together we look at the pros and cons of both cities and examine, culture, people, work, food and livability along with Daniel’s favourites places in each. Are you a Madrid or Barcelona person? Also check out Daniel’s English learning resources at aprendemasingles.com his YouTube Channel and podcast. DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1

I have a flick through the best of Spanish TV to bring you 14 of my favourite TV shows and series. I’ve rounded up a bunch of programmes that I find entertaining, useful for learning and practicing Spanish and that have given me an insight into Spanish culture, society and history. Put your feet up and join me as I have a zap though some lunchtime trash TV and then sit down to review a selection of drama, comedy, history and reality TV shows that I’ve really enjoyed over the last couple of years in Spain. All of the shows I talk about can be found on Spain’s terrestrial TV networks and their associated websites and of course Netflix. Has anyone seen the remote? Here’s a list of links to the Spanish TV networks: RTVE La 1 http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/tve/la1/ RTVE La 2 http://www.rtve.es/television/la-2/ Antena 3 https://www.antena3.com/ Cuatro https://www.cuatro.com/programas/ TeleCinco https://www.telecinco.es/programas/ La Sexta https://www.lasexta.com/programas/ TeleMadrid http://www.telemadrid.es/programas/ Netflix España https://www.netflix.com/es/ DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1

Road trip number two of 2019. Join us for as we holiday across Spain’s Costa de la Luz. First stop, Cádiz, one of my favourite Spanish cities. I describe the faded grandeur of this once-powerful city, soak up the atmosphere of its squares and streets and contemplate the city’s history and geography. Then on to Conil, a bustling resort with a beautiful but windy beach popular with young Spaniards. From there we head to Vejer de la Frontera, named as one of Spain’s most beautiful towns. Then we beach hop between Zahora and Barbate (A favourite haunt of General Franco). Next stop El Puerto de Santa María to meet friends eat sea food and admire El Puerto Sherry, followed by a long drive via Sevilla heading west to the Doñana National Park and our base, El Rocío, famous for its horses, brotherhoods and annual pilgrimage. Last stop, a day trip to Portugal and Faro. Phew! Vaya viaje! DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1

This week I explore the vegan and vegetarian food scene in Spain with vegans, bloggers and full-time travellers Sam and Veren. Sam and Veren run a sustainable vegan travel blog, alternativetravelers.com and have spent time living, working and travelling and of course eating vegan in Spain. They’ve recently published The Madrid Vegan Guidebook and have put together extensive vegan city guides for Madrid and many other Spanish cities. We talk about becoming vegan, what the vegan and vegetarian food scene is like in Spain and how it’s evolving. Of course, Sam and Veren share some of their favourite vegan restaurants in Madrid and beyond and talk about some of their favourite chefs and meals. We met up to record the interview in their favourite vegan cafe, Chilling Cafe, in Madrid’s Malasaña neighbourhood. DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1

Lots of sights and sounds from Murcia as I make a last minute trip to the region in southeast Spain. Using Murcia city as our base we explore the city of Cartagena and its Roman Theatre ( The second largest in Spain), wander around the city’s harbour and go for seafood. Back in Murcia city I look at the beautiful and architectural eclectic Santa Iglesia Catedral de Santa María, walk through the city’s park, The ‘Huerto de los Cipreses’ and contemplate the sounds of the cicadas and the city of Murcia and the region too. We also hit the coast and explore the ‘calas’ or coves and beaches of the region, finishing our road trip in Bolnuevo where I examine the unusual rock formations reminiscent of the region’s badlands. DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1

Author, Kate Boyle talks about her novel Happy as a Partridge – Life and Love in Madrid. Kate spent two-and-a-half years living and teaching English in Madrid. Kate recounts her own experience of living in the Spanish capital which inspired her to write her first book whose protagonist is Evie Fuller, a girl approaching her thirties looking for a change of scene and renewed zest for life. Kate shares the ups and downs of finding herself in Madrid after winning a competition, what made her stay for much longer than planned and what eventually took her back to her native London. Along the way Kate offers her insights on Spanish life, culture shocks, her days teaching English to a group of mechanics and what she misses about Spain. If you’d like to buy a copy of Happy as a Partridge check out the links below, mentioned in the podcast. Amazon Madread Kate’s webpage DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1  

An episode dedicated to that quintessential Spanish delicacy, jamón. When visiting Spain it’s a must-try tasty treat. I meet food guide Margit Sperling at Hermanos Benito Jamonería in Madrid’s Mostenses Market. With the help of ‘Jamonero’ José Ignacio Benito we sample Ibérico ham and Serrano ham and compare the differences. Margit gives useful advice on what and where to buy jamón and we look at the production process of the different types of Spanish ham and touch on the history of heating pork in Spain. After sampling a few slices we wander around the municipal market to see what else is on offer and reflect on the history and significance of Spain’s neighbourhood municipal markets. If you’re interested in a food tour with Margit please check out her webpage walkandeatspain.com DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1

What do the Spanish words Hasta, Loco, Barrio, Aceite, Moreno, Ojalá, Chaleco, Tarea and Fideo all have in common? They’re all Arabic origin words that have been absorbed into the Spanish language. Spanish has some 1,000 Arabic roots and about 3,000 derived words, so nearly 4,000 in total, that’s 8% of the Spanish language. In this episode I’ll be exploring the influence of Arabic on the Spanish language with the expert help of David Bowles who’s a linguist, writer and university professor at the University of Texas Río Grande Valley. David explains how Arabic percolated across the Iberian peninsular and how Arabic and Mozarabic gave way to modern Spanish words. He also walks us through the history of the Moorish presence on the Iberian peninsular for 700 years. David share with us some of his favourite Arabic loanwords and describes their evolution and transformation and we also stumble across some other curiosities of the Spanish language. If you’d like to see more of David’s work check out his Twitter, personal website and articles on Medium via the links below: David’s personal webpage: davidbowles.us Twitter @DavidOBowles Articles on Medium medium.com/@davidbowles DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1

I speak to Susan Solomont about her new book Lost & Found in Spain – Tales of an Ambassador’s Wife. When Susan’s husband, Alan Solomont was appointed US Ambassador to Spain under President Obama, she left her career in philanthropy, her friends and family to join her husband for three-and-a-half-years in Madrid. In this episode Susan tells me about life at and the US embassy in Madrid and its inner workings, how she found a new identity in Spain and how she created a purposeful role for herself by creating the Women’s Leadership Network for Spanish women in business. Susan also recalls when she met Rafa Nadal and spent Semana Santa with Antonio Banderas. We also talk favourite places in Spain and of course food, and Susan shares her experience of dining at El Bulli – twice! Check out Susan Solomont’s webpage: www.susansolomont.com Get a copy of Susan’s book Lost and Found in Spain – Tales of An Ambassador’s Wife: https://amzn.to/2LAhxiF   DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1

Giving everyone two kisses, mixing up Spanish and English, drinking coffee in glasses, wearing flip-flops indoors, being more stingy when tipping and buying everyone a drink when it’s MY birthday. All things I never used to when I lived in the UK! These are just a handful of habits I’ve picked up since living in Spain. In this episode I talk about these habits and many more that I’ve adopted after years of living in Spain. Some of them have come easily others, not so much! It’s all part of becoming Spanish! DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

In this episode I talk to Adrian Flude, an avid walker of El Camino de Santiago, Spain´s famous pilgrim route to the city of Santiago de Compostela. Adrian has walked El Camino no fewer than seven times and is something of an expert on The Way of St James. We explore the history of the Camino, talk about some tips and tricks in preparing and walking, describe the different routes to walk and the pros and cons of each one. As well as his personal insights Adrian also talks about Soul Camino, personal transformation journeys and spiritual retreats that he runs along the Camino de Santiago. For more info on Soul Camnio check out the webpage here: https://soulcamino.com/ FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN… WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]      

This week I’m talking all about el vino, Spanish wine. To help me explore the world of Spanish wine I’ve enlisted the help of wine lovers, wine experts Luke Darracott and Roque Madrid. In the episode I head along to their wine shop called Madrid & Darracott where we talk about the history of Spanish wine, the various regions and D.Os, styles and general wine appreciation. We talk a little about what to try, how to order and where to go if you want to visit wineries in Spain. Luke and Roque also talk about their background in wine and how they came to open their own shop selling their favorite Spanish wines. We also crack open a bottle and do a little tasting too, glug, glug! Links Luke & Roque´s Shop & Wine Experiences https://madriddarracott.com/?lang=en   The vocabulary that I talk about in Como se dice? segment of the show can be found below: Una copa de = A glass of (For wine) N.B not Un vaso de Un chato de = A tumbler of Un tinto = Red wine Un blanco = White wine Un rosado = Rosé wine Afrutado = Fruity (Some argue the correct expression is ´frutal´) Alegre = Zingy Amplio = Full bodied / Big Dulce = Sweet Seco = Dry Crianza = Minimum 6 months aging in oak barrels for reds; whites and rosés must be aged for 6 months in oak barrels. Reserva = aged for three years with one of those in barrel. For whites, they must be 2 years with 6 months of that in oak barrels. Gran Reserva = minimum 18 months aging in the oak barrel and 3 – 3.5 years in the bottle. For whites and rosés, it should be 4 years of aging with 6 months of that in an oak barrel. DID YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE? PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE WHEN IN SPAIN PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON AT patreon.com/wheninspain FOR BEING A PATRON YOU´LL GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO BONUS CONTENT SUCH AS LIVE VIDEOS, BONUS PODCAST EPISODES, INTERVIEWS, NEWSLETTERS & Q&As, AND TOURS! LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SPAIN? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/wheninspain1 WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

Talking and tasting tapas with Margit Sperling from Walk and Eat Spain tour. Margit runs her own neighbourhood food tours in Madrid with a focus on the Malasaña barrio where she lives. In this episode we stop off in a couple of Margit´s favorite tapas stops, to sample cheese, wine and cañas. Along the way we talk tapas, how and what to order, our personal favorites and a few tips for those of you are ´tapeando´ for first time. Margit also talks about how her love of Spanish food started and what you can expect on one of her food tours. To check out more details and book onto a Walk & Eat Spain tour with Margit visit her website walkandeatspain.com and her Facebook page In this episode we visited La Carbonera – Bar de Quesos and Bodegas El Maño Also in this episode, When in Spain celebrates its first birthday! Feliz Cumpleaños! If you enjoy when in Spain please consider making a small donation via the crowdfunding website called Patreon and you can donate at patron.com/wheninspain FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN… 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

In this episode of When in Spain I’m talking about refugees in Spain and a fantastic project and association based here in Madrid called Chefugee. What is Chefugee? Chefugee collaborates closely with refugees and asylum seekers from all over the world to organize culinary events – from pop up dinners and lunches to catering, team building activities and cooking classes. I talk to Natalia Diaz who oversees the Chefugee association here in the Spanish capital and she’ll be explaining more about the Chefugee association, what its mission is, how started and how it’s grown. And its especially relevant at this time of year because this week Madrid is hosting its third Refugee Food Festival from June 13th until June 22nd, with the participation of 11 restaurants across the Spanish capital and 12 refugee cooks. Que aproveche! FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN… WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

I discuss the growing craft beer scene in Spain with David Ross and Patrick Tuck at their new Madrid pub La Osita. (The little bear) David and Patrick are craft ale brewers, pub owners, friends and business partners. I head along to meet them at their newly-opened craft beer pub in the heart of Madrid. We talk about about the growing popularity of craft beer in Spain, how the scene compares with the UK and USA and what Spaniards make of this new flavoursome arrival competing with Spain’s more traditional beers. I sample a pint (or three) of one of their own house beers, ‘Citrus Cream Ale’ which the pair brew at their sister brewery ‘Oso Brew Co.’ and Patrick talks me through the craft brewing process and how they develop their ales. FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN… WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

This week I’m talking Flamenco, that unmistakable Spanish art form, some might argue the very quintessence of Spain. Listen in as I attend a flamenco dance class for professional ‘bailaoras’ or flamenco dancers given by Belén López at Madrid’s Centro de Arte Flamenco y Danza Española Amor de Dios, a prestigious dance school. While I was there I met up with friend and professional flamenco dancer Lia Grainger who runs her own professional flamenco ensemble Fin de Fiesta Flamenco. In this episode Lia explains the different aspects of flamenco, dance, music and singing, we look at the history and origins of the art form and she runs through some specifics of flamenco dancing. I also find out why the often bandied about term ‘duende’ is a dirty word among flamenco artists! We also look at how to find a good live flamenco show in Spain and mention La Guía Flama as a useful resource to find out what’s going on in the flamenco world. Incidentally, Lia’s ensemble are going on tour in France and Canada this Summer – more details on their website Fin de Fiesta Flamenco. Olé! FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN… WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]    

An interview with award-winning Spain blogger and Andalucía expert, Molly Piccavey. In this episode dedicated to Spain’s southern region of Andalucía, we talk about how Molly set-up and has grown her blog piccavey.com to a top 50 travel blog. Molly shares here take on what to see, visit, eat and drink in Andalucía. We’ll also look at the Andalusian culture and Molly offers some tips and tricks about getting the most out of a trip to Andalucía. About Molly Molly runs Piccavey.com, an award-winning travel and lifestyle blog all about Spain but with a particular focus on Andalucia. Molly has been blogging about Spain since 2011, she’s originally from sunny nottingham in the UK but moved to Spain in 1998 first to Barcelona and then to the the Andalusian city of Granada where’s she’s been living for 13 years. Check out her fantastic blog: https://www.piccavey.com/ FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN… WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

With the Summer holiday season just around the corner, you might be contemplating which books to pack to while away the hours while relaxing or travelling. Assuming you’re a big fan of Spain, I’ve put together a ‘When in Spain Reading List’ of 16 of my favourite reads about Spain. My recommendations include books on Spanish history and society, light reads about moving and adapting to life in Spain, Flamenco, The Moors, culinary tradition and a great Spanish recipe book, that’s a must-have if you love cooking Spanish food! I’ll give you a background to each book, read you some excerpts and give you my review of them too. So if you need some recommendations, here are mine! Also, in this episode, how to become a When in Spain ‘Patron’ and show your support for the podcast show by pledging a small monthly donation via the Patreon crowdfunding page to help keep When in Spain growing and secure its longterm future. To do this check out When in Spain’s Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain And…here’s a list of the books I talk about in this episode: Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and Its Silent Past – Giles Tremlett The New Spaniards – John Hooper South from Granada – Gerald Brenan Homage to Catalonia – George Orwell Spain – Jan Morris Driving Over Lemons – Chris Stewart The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society – Chris Stewart The Last Days of the Bus Club – Chris Stewart Duende – Jason Webster Andalus – Jason Webster The Road to Santiago: Walking the Way of St James – René Freund A Late Dinner: Discovering the Food of Spain – Paul Richardson Tasting Spain: A Culinary Tour – H.M Van den Brink The Telling Room – Michael Paterniti Footprints in Spain: British Lives in a Foreign Land – Simon Courtauld Spain: The Cookbook / 1080 Recetas de Cocina – Inés Ortega & Simone Ortega FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN… WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]    

I wanted a biscuit to enjoy with my coffee. But this week instead of heading to a supermarket for a run of the mill cookie, I went on a more mysterious shopping expedition to satiate my sweet fix. Yes, I went to see a nun. Well, actually not see, because like all nuns who bake beautiful biscuits and mouthwatering sweets, they’re cloistered and hidden away in convents all across Spain, having taken a vow not to have contact with the outside world. Hear my religious biscuit buying experience in this episode, as I take us into Madrid’s ‘Convento de Corpus Christi de las Carboneras in the historic heart of old Hapsburg part of the capital. It’s a little tricky to find the anonymous wooden door. But once you’re buzzed in, a series of corridors and courtyards lead you to a wooden serving hatch or ‘tourno’. It’s a curious transaction. The muffled voice of a nun, strained human interaction, the clank of the revolving hatch and then you escape back into the ‘real’ world with a box of biccies. When I went, the nuns had run out of everything except ‘Mantecados de Jerez’. Sherry wine shortbread dusted with sugar and with a hint of lemon. Yum! FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN… 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

Semana Santa or Holy Week is the biggest religious celebration of the year in Spain. What’s the story behind those ‘pointy hats’ (capirotes)? What the difference is between a ‘Trono’ and a ‘Paso’ float? And how did this Spanish religious tradition all start? To find out more, Karina and I head down to Málaga to watch the religious processions that include elaborate floats bearing scenes from the Passion of Christ. Although, usually solemn – this is still Spain, which means neither the strong religious beliefs nor the sombreness of the moment can hide the nation’s fervour for lively fiestas – especially in Andalucía! Join us in the streets of Málaga as we watch two processions from two different ‘cofradías’ or brotherhoods, one called ‘Piety’ and the other ‘Sepulchre’ on Good Friday. As the beat of the marching drummers approach and the smell of sweet incense fills the evening air, I’ll describe the sights, sounds and atmosphere of Easter in Spain. In this episode we also catch up with two Spanish friends, Jose and Félix who give us their take on the history and traditions of Semana Santa in Andalucía. One of the most distinctive features of Málaga’s Semana Santa is the presence of huge ornate floats, carried through the streets by hundreds of ‘brotherhood’ members. These thrones depicting scenes from the Passion are escorted by groups of penitents wearing long purple robes and women in black holding lit candles. The silence is occasionally broken by spontaneous ‘saetas‘ typical Spanish religious music with Arabic influences, usually performed from a balcony during a procession. FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN… 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

Fancy coming to my Spanish class? My classmates, Cat, Matt and Lia and our Spanish teacher, Ana take a break from grammar and share our favourite colourful Spanish expressions, sayings and vulgar vocabulary. If you’re easily offended you might want to skip this episode! Have you ever needed to describe bad sex? Uff! There’s a phrase for that. Do you carry a torch for someone or have feelings for an old flame? Do you consider yourself to be jammy? Lucky you! But how do you say all of these things in Spanish? Ever wanted to call someone a sucker or a loser? Ouch! We’ll tell you how in this episode of When in Spain, along with other useful everyday expressions like, ‘That’s all I needed!’, ‘About time!’ and ‘Talk of the devil!’. And what does it mean when you’re grandmother gives birth?! Find out in our streetwise Spanish class! Here’s a list of the phrases and vocab from the episode! ¡Me cago en la cuna que me arrulló! (I shit in the the cradle that rocked me!) ¡Me cago en la leche! (I shit in the milk!) ¡Me cago en la virgen! (I shit on the virgin!) ¡Me cago en tu madre! (I shit on your mother!) ¡Me cago en Dios! (I shit on God!) ¡Me cago en tus muertos! (I shit on your dead relatives) = To express annoyance, anger, disbelief Donde hubo fuego cenizas quedan (Where there was a fire ashes remain) = old flames die hard / where there’s smoke, there’s fire / to carry a torch for someone/ still have feelings for someone after a romance has ended. Donde hubo fuego, siempre quedan rescoldos (Where there was a fire, embers always remain) = old flames die hard / where there’s smoke, there’s fire / to carry a torch for someone/ still have feelings for someone after a romance has ended. Cortar el bacalao (to cut the cod) = to wear the trousers/to be the boss/to call the shots Follar peor que un perro sin patas delanteras (To fuck worse than a dog without front legs) = To have bad sex Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito (There’s nothing written about tastes) Para gustos, los colores y para tetas sujetadores (For tastes, colours and for tits bras) =There’s no accounting for taste / each to their own ¡A buenas horas mangas verdes! (About time green sleeves!) = Too little too late!/better late than never!/ About time too! / to lock the barn door after the horse has bolted/ Don’t cry over spilt milk. ¡Hablando del Rey de Roma, por la puerta asoma! (Talking of the King of Rome, at the door he appears!) = Talk of the devil! ¡Éramos pocos y parió la abuela! (There were a few of us and grandmother gave birth!) = This is the last straw! / “Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse! / That’s all we needed! ¡Lo que faltaba! (What was missing) =That’s all I needed! ¡Qué morro! (What a snout!) = What a cheek! / What a nerve! / Lucky you! / Good for you!/ Bully for you! Pringao = looser/ sucker / minion / a nobody / small fry FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN… 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

Products that SCREAM spain! What are they? In this episode of When in Spain I take a walk around Madrid and try to identify 16 quintessential Spanish products, mostly food I have to admit! I also take a look at the stories and history behind the items on my Spanish shopping list. Join me on my shopping trip around traditional family-run shops, delicatessens, grocery stores and my local supermarket and see what items sum-up Spain for me… FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN… 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

Want to speak Spanish fluently? I stop off at The Royal Spanish Academy or Real Academia Española, in the centre of Madrid, ground zero for the Spanish language and home of the Diccionario de la lengua española, the official dictionary of the Spanish language. The Academy’s mission is to ensure the stability of the Spanish language and promote linguistic unity under the motto “Limpia, fija y da esplendor” “Cleans, fixes, and gives splendor”. Overcome with the splendor of the Spanish language I felt inspired to share how I managed to become fluent in Spanish. Mastering Spanish can be tricky, so in this episode I share eight personal top tips for learning Spanish successfully, whether you’re a beginner, improver or mastering fluency. I talk about motivation, learning routines, speaking habits, how to stay focused and positive and enjoy the Spanish language learning journey. I also recommend a selection of books for intermediate and advanced learners of Spanish. TIPS: 1. Find your motivation At the beginning of our language learning journey we all ask, ‘How can I learn Spanish?’. How can I learn Spanish quickly and enjoyably as possible? You’re asking yourself the wrong question. The question should be ‘Why do I want to learn Spanish?’ Finding your motivation to learn Spanish is so important. 2. Resist instant gratification Learning a language as an adult is a life-long process. We live in a fast-paced world with more and more emphasis on instant gratification. ‘I want to be able to speak Spanish fluently now and I’m not prepared to invest hours, months, years in the process.’ This is a fallacy. You feel like things are going slowly. That’s fine. Don’t beat yourself up about it! 3. Make Spanish bite-size Don’t pose yourself ‘huge’ questions like, ‘how can I perfect my Spanish?’. Don’t make the mistake of setting yourself gigantic goals which become insurmountable. Instead make yourself a list of small achievable goals. Yes, be ambitious but be selective in your language learning. 4. Mimic the accent and be confident! What’s the point in perfecting Spanish grammar and having a really rich vocabulary if when you speak Spaniards struggle to understand you or flinch at your ‘accentazo’? If you’re not saying things that are easily understandable, then it doesn’t really matter how well you know the imperfect subjunctive. 5. Immerse yourself Go to Spain and actually speak to native Spanish speakers. Watch Spanish TV, listen to Spanish radio and music and read in Spanish. Resist the temptation to fall back on your favourite TV shows from back home. 6. Get into a routine Normally we moan about routines, but to learn Spanish successfully you’ll need to make it a habit. Don’t do what I did when I first started learning Spanish. Epic weekend-long learning sessions followed by nothing for weeks, sometimes months. Little and often is the key to success. 7. Don’t become a fossil! Don’t fall into the ‘I can just get by with what I already know’ trap. It’s easy to get comfortable with the level you have, maybe it’s good enough to survive so why bother learning any more? What you’re really saying is, I’m happy to just keep making the same mistakes. Find new ways to stay motivated and keep moving forward with your Spanish. What’s the point in doing something in a half-hearted way? 8. Learn the grammar Yep, there’s no way to avoid it i’m afraid. You can’t learn Spanish successfully without learning the grammar. It’s really a case of just hitting the books and studying. It’s quite a mechanical process. If that sounds like language learning hell then luckily there are lots of resources available online. 🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸 Here’s a list of books I used to help me get to a fluent level of Spanish: Spanish Grammar in Context – Angela Howkins and J. Kattan-Ibarra Speed Up Your Spanish: Strategies to Avoid Common Errors – Javier Muñoz-Basols and Olga Núñez Piñeiro A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish – John Butt and Carmen Benjamin Spanish among amigos – Nuria Agulló If you’d like to see as well as hear the sights in this episode, check out this episode as a video on the new When in Spain YouTube channel. FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN… 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of

Nine Spanish culture shocks that I still can’t get my head around, even after living in Spain for nearly six years. Here they are… 1. Volume control? According to the World Health Organisation Spain is the second noisiest country in the world after Japan. This would explain why several times a week I wish I had a universal mute button. Almost everywhere you go it’s loud. In Spain people tend to live on top of each other in densely packed apartments which has created a phenomenon known as ‘radio patio’. The inner courtyards of apartment blocks act as perfect echo chambers broadcasting residents’ daily lives. With the windows open most of the year round you can’t help but hear it all. Family arguments, phone conversations, TVs blaring, food frying and a chorus of orgasms. In bars you’ll need to bark your order to the waiter to stand a chance of getting served. I’ve realised that you need a certain kind of voice with a perfect pitch to cut through all of the ‘jaleo’. Something I do not possess. In Spain the car horn is a preferred mode of communication. You’ll hear car horns more often than a Brit saying sorry. From a double punch on the steering wheel to continuous prolonged blasts the horn is used to announce your arrival, acknowledge a friend or scare a dog out of the way. If the traffic is particularly bad the driver will resort to simply leaning on the horn to get things moving. 3. Spatial awareness Personal space in Spain is personal in the sense that it can be intimate. I’ve lost count of the times in bars when I’ve been moved to one side by a fellow customer and repositioned as if I were a bar stool. The pressing up against each other, pushing and the hand on the back manoeuvre are commonly adopted on the metro and on busses. When having a long conversation with a group of friends, standing smack bang in the middle of doorways and pavements is preferred. They’ve seen you coming. Will they move out of the way? It doesn’t matter just dodge around them and into the road while carrying heavy shopping bags. Just don’t interrupt their loud conversation. 3. Adventures with customer service Whether you’re in a bar, shop, restaurant or bank, when customer service is good in Spain it’s great. When it’s bad, it’s terrible. In my years of living here I’ve found that poor ‘ateccion al cliente’ is a regular occurrence. Now, I suppose it could be argued that the direct, abrupt and often surly interactions are preferable to the overly gushy, forced and fake “have a nice day!” approach of some Anglo Saxon countries. Spaniards seem to have a high tolerance threshold and are rarely critical or demanding when faced with poor service. One solution is to become a regular. A bit like the tapas that get bigger and better with each round of drinks you buy, so the level of customer service tends to improve with each repeat visit. In the defence of poor customer service, I think economics has a lot to do answer for. ‘La crisis’ has caused a situation where many businesses try to offer everything with the absolute minimum of staff or resources. 4. Daily timetable While Spaniards are still finishing off their ‘natillas’ from the daily lunch menu, back in the UK workers have already been back in the office for 2 hours. Yes, Spain is infamous for keeping late hours. This is something I still really struggle with. Especially when it come to mealtimes. I still can’t get my head around eating lunch at 2:30/3pm and sitting down to and evening meal at 10pm, sometimes later on a weekend. The pregnant pause in the middle of the day when many people still head home to eat lunch and therefore finish work at 7 or 8pm. Many of my Spanish friends are divided on this. Half of them agree that they would prefer to take 30 mins for lunch and get out of the office at 6pm. For others a longer break in the middle of the day is still sacred. Mealtimes tend to dictate the timing of everything else with prime TV shows starting at 10pm and finishing well after midnight. I guess that explains all the dark circles on the morning commute. 5. Eating out is as cheap as patatas fritas Three words. Menú. Del. Día. A culinary tradition and phenomenon which is intrinsic to Spanish life and incredible value for money. It still amazes and delights me that it’s possible to get a three course lunch, often with a coffee, wine and bread for between 10 and 15 euros. In my local bar they offer a menú del día for a mere 8 euros and the quality is good. Wine too, is dangerously cheap in Spain at only around €1.80 a glass it pains me to pay a fiver or more back in the UK. And a three course meal for a ten quid. Forget it. 6. How civilised the Spanish are when it comes to drinking It might be loud but it’s certainly way more civilised than you’re average British High Street on a Friday or Satu

Feliz Día de San Valentín! Love and romance en España. Today is the el 14 de Febrero – the14th February and well rather predictably this episode takes a loving look at Valentine’s Day here in Spain. I’m going to look at what loved-up Spaniards get up to on this special day for lovers – i’ll be comparing the Spanish Valentine’s Day with Valentine’s Day back home in the UK and examining some of the romantic traditions that happen here. I’ll also check out regional romantic celebrations, such as Catalonia’s St. George’s Day or La Diada de Sant Jordi when couples rejoice their love on April 23 by exchanging books and roses. For people from Valencia, the most romantic day of the year is the 9th of October, when they celebrate both the Day of the Valencian Community as well as the Day of Saint Dionysius (Sant Dionís), locally known as the patron saint of lovers. I’ll be asking the question – are the Spanish a romantic bunch? Are they better lovers than other nationalities, especially us Northern Europeans? I’ll attempt to answer this question. To my surprise it’s claimed that the bones of St. Valentine can be found in Madrid? Resting on plush red velvet within a golden reliquary, the supposed remains of this most romantic of saints are housed in the church of San Anton in Chueca neighbourhood. The skull along with various other bones were discovered in some Roman catacombs at the end of the 18th century. Having nowhere to put these remains, The Pope made gave them to the king of Spain as a present. Finally, for a bit of fun we’ll look at some language of love… Some terms of endearment and expressions that are useful whether you’re attached or not. Terms of Endearment: MY HALF AN ORANGE ‘mi media naranja’ MY FATTY ‘gordi’. LITTLE PIGEON ‘Pichoncito/a’ MY LITTLE INSECT/BUG ‘bicho’ or ‘bichito’. LA PARIENTA ‘the missus’ MY SOUL ‘mi alma’ MY LOVE/DARLING ‘Mi amor’ ‘cariño’ MY SKY ‘mi cielo’ CORAZÓN ‘heart’ **************************** FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

If you want to see the beauty of this walk then check out my video of ‘el caminito’ on YouTube. https://youtu.be/-bKWkSSOe5s Get your a head for heights on because in this episode of When in Spain I take you on a dizzying walk along El Caminito del Rey – The King’s Little Path, once dubbed the most dangerous path in the world. The route is famous for its 300 feet-high boardwalks that guide you above plunging gorges and roaring rapids of the Guadalhorce River far below. The route was completed in 1905 and was used by construction workers carrying goods to the Guadalhorce dam. Its royal association came when it was inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII in 1921. However, following years of neglect, the 110-year-old walkway, set in the village of El Chorro, north west of Málaga, was renovated in 2015 following a string deaths at the cliff-side boardwalk. A joint effort by the regional government of Andalusia and the local government of Malaga, who shared the costs of the renovation, the project has retained much of the walkway’s original features. So, if you’re in the Málaga area and want something different to do check out the official website below. http://www.caminitodelrey.info/en/#3 If you’d like to see more When in Spain videos please visit the When in Spain show YouTube Channel FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN… 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

If you’d like to see as well as hear the sights in this episode, check out this episode as a video on the new When in Spain YouTube channel. I hit Madrid’s Christmas market to see what’s on offer and talk about the Spanish Christmas and New Year timetable. I head up to Doña Manolita’s – the place to buy a lucky Christmas lottery ticket and look at why ‘El Gordo’ is an essential part of the festive season. Then a stop at ‘Cortylandia’ a slightly tacky spectacle and a must see for families and their kids at Christmas. I wander through a quieter than usual Puerta del Sol to see where thousands of people gather to see in New Year, counting chimes and eating grapes. Finally, food! I look at what Spaniards eat at Xmas, sweet and savoury! Feliz Navidad! FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

In this week’s When in Spain episode I take us on a wander around El Rastro, Madrid’s sprawling outdoor market where you can find almost anything. Whether visiting as a tourist or living in the Spanish capital, El Rastro flea market is a must-see and is one of the most ‘castizo’ things you can experience in the city. Whether visiting as a tourist or living in the Spanish capital, El Rastro flea market is a must-see. I survey what’s on offer at the weekly market, from antiques, to denim jackets, to plastic dolls and pots and pans, the Rastro almost has it all. Even the largest collection of rubber bands you’ve ever seen. Taking in the sounds of traders, live music, bird whistles and music boxes, I trace the market’s 400 year history. I look at how a royal decree banished traders from the centre to set up their stalls in La Latina neighbourhood and how Madrid’s riverside slaughterhouses helped give the market its bloody name. “The Rastro’s vendors are a heterogeneous lot, but those in antiques shops are likely to be world weary and half blinded by their own cigarette smoke. Sage and canny, they assess the quality of the potential client even before the latter has evaluated the merchandise.” Madrid’s tourist webpage link about El Rastro here You can listen to this episode and all of the others on the platforms below Apple Stitcher Android Google podcasts TuneIn Spotify FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

Do Spaniards like the dark despite Spain being one of the sunniest countries in Europe? Maybe you can have too much of a good thing! Spain has between 2,500 and 3,000 hours of sunshine in an average year, compared with just 1,600 in countries such as the United Kingdom. In this episode I ponder the Spanish obsession with window blinds and why Spanish homes are often dark with the lights on during the day. You’ll hear the ritual of slamming shop shutters up and down during the day, on the street where I live in Madrid you could set your watch by it. Another observation I touch on, why do so many Spanish homes have ugly bars on all the windows? And why to Spaniards hardly ever use their balconies? Well, except for smoking and having a good nose… According to Juan Carlos Barajas, sociologist and author of the website Sociología Divertido, Fun Sociology, “Catholic ethics imply a greater concern for what will be said, for showing irreproachable conduct according to what is socially expected of you, for doing your dirty washing inside,” “So you have to put up a barrier – shutters and curtains that separate your house from the outside so you can do what you don’t want others to see you doing.” “Shutters and curtains that separate your house from the outside so you can do what you don’t want others to see you doing.” This episode was inspired by this article in El Pais newspaper: Why are Spaniards the only people in Europe obsessed with window blinds? You can listen to this episode and all of the others on the platforms below Apple Stitcher Android Google podcasts TuneIn Spotify FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

Spain has fantastic public transport options that make it easy and comfortable to get around the the Iberian peninsular and it’s islands. Spain is a big, rugged country and driving isn’t always the quickest or most convenient option. That’s why in this episode of the When in Spain show I look at how to around Spain on public transport. I examine the benefits of using Spain’s national and regional train networks to get from city to city, including RENFE, Spain’s national train operator. I also weigh-up more affordable alternatives such as regional and national bus services. If you’re in more of a hurry, I explain the vast array of internal flights available between all of the major cities with numerous national and international airlines such as Iberia, Vueling and Ryanair. Once you’ve arrived in one of Spain’s bigger cities, you’ll need get around. I review the metro systems in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville and Málaga. Along the way I talk destinations, prices and how to make bookings. Buen viaje!! Links to transport mentioned in the episode: TRAINS: http://www.renfe.com/ http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/feve/index.html https://www.trenes.com/ METRO: https://www.metromadrid.es/en https://www.crtm.es/billetes-y-tarifas/billetes-y-abonos/abono-transportes/abono-treinta-dias.aspx https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona/metro/lines https://www.metrovalencia.es/ https://metromalaga.es/en/ http://www.renfe.com/viajeros/cercanias/malaga/ http://www.metro-sevilla.es/en AIR: https://www.iberia.com/ https://www.iberiaexpress.com/en http://www.airnostrum.es/home.asp?idioma=2 https://www.aireuropa.com/en/flights https://www.vueling.com/en https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/ https://www.volotea.com/en/ https://www.skyscanner.net/ https://www.rumbo.es/   FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain   WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

…we got to spend a few hours in a bar in someone’s house in a village with a population of eight. EIGHT people. The very local wine was cheap at 80¢ a glass! In this episode, we escape Madrid for a weekend tour of Spain’s northern region of Asturias, the Picos de Europa mountains, a visit to the place where the reconquest all began and a spanner in the works. Well, a blown out tyre that left us stranded in the most remote part of Asturias late at night. Gracias to the kindness of strangers we managed to get on our way again…even if we didn’t make it back to Madrid in time for work on Monday morning. At least we got to spend a few hours in a bar in someone’s house in a village with a population of eight. EIGHT people. The very local wine was cheap at 80¢ a glass! Listen out for Karina’s and my journey to the town of Cangas de Onís, the Basilica of Covadonga and our breakdown in the remote village of Aller (Ruayer in Asturiano) near the border with Castilla y León and a bonus day in the city of León. Places we visited: Hotel Arguellos in Lugueros http://arguelloshotelrural.com/ Covadonga http://www.santuariodecovadonga.com/pagina.php?id=36 Cangas de Onís http://cangasdeonis.es/en/ Vilage of Aller (Ruayer) (The place where we got stranded!) https://www.google.es/maps/@43.0545888,-5.5494457,3a,75y,112.62h,97.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUUQxcW9L74GGEh4g80sWQg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain Covodonga Cangas de Onís WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

In this bonus episode I answer a few questions from listeners…Alternative things to see and do in Madrid, advice for moving to Barcelona and a future episode on healthcare and health insurance in Spain. Also, how about some When in Spain episodes in Spanish? Over to you… FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

I talk trains – my favourite way to travel. Sit back and enjoy the ride as I take us on a trip from Madrid to Barcelona on Spain’s high speed train, the AVE (Alta Velocidad Española). From Madrid’s Atocha station with its indoor jungle to Barcelona’s modern Sants terminal, I describe the journey as we rocket across Spain at nearly 300 km p/h. I look at routes, destinations, tickets, prices, how to book and give advice on how to get the best value across the rail network. Links & resources for AVE/Train bookings: RENFE: http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html Trainline: https://www.trainline.eu/ Trenes: https://www.trenes.com/ Loco2: https://loco2.com/ And a fantastic website with tonnes of info on train travel in Spain: Seat61: https://www.seat61.com/Spain-trains.htm AVE ticket classes: Turista (Most basic & cheapest, non-refundable) Turista+ (partially refundable) Preferente (First Class includes a meal & wine). All of the above ticket classes come with an option of ‘flexible’ which means the ticket can be used on different trains for departure and return – you’re not tied to a specific time. Also, all of the above ticket classes sometimes offer promo or promo+. These are the discounted fairs which are real bargain but not always available. FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]

This week an episode on Spain’s most controversial tradition, bullfighting. During the show I attend a ‘corrida’ at Madrid’s Las Ventas bullring with a Spanish friend to see this ancient spectacle in the flesh. I didn’t enjoy or agree with what I witnessed, that I expected. But I wanted to see if I could understand why others are so passionate about it. A few things surprised me about the bullfight. In the episode I also attempt to trace the origins and history of the Spanish bullfight and look at the state of bullfighting in Spain today, popularity, legality, politics and funding. I also examine the arguments from those who are for and against. What’s the future for this notoriously bloody ritual of man versus animal? La Ventas, Madrid Share your thoughts on bullfighting on the When in Spain Facebook page and group here FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. In each episode of the podcast I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… CONTACT [email protected]  

Spanish podcast pioneers, Ben Curtis, an Englishman from Oxford and Marina Diez, a native Madrileña have run the Notes in Spanish podcast since 2006 for all Spanish language learners. They also produced the Notes from Spain podcast series about Spanish life and culture. Ben and Marina and their podcasts were a huge inspiration for me when deciding to embark on a new life in Spain and indeed to start this, my very own podcast show When in Spain. I had the great pleasure of meeting up with them in Madrid to talk about their life in Spain and how the country has changed since Ben first arrived here twenty years ago to teach English. We talk about the ups and downs of bi-cultural and bilingual relationships, observations on Spanish life, the things we miss from back home and favourite places in Madrid. We also ask the questions does living in a foreign country change who we are? And is there a specific type of personality that’s suited to building a life abroad? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. In each episode of the podcast I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid.

Evening meals at 11pm! Two-hour lunch breaks! Hitting bars until 7am! In this episode I try to stay awake to look at Spain’s daily routine, timetables, mealtimes and work schedules and try to work out if Spaniards really do ever sleep. I examine the history of the infamous Spanish siesta (Think ancient Rome, Franco and the Spanish Civil War) and find out of it really does still exist or has just become a tired stereotype. I discuss my struggles with eating dinner at inhumane hours of the night. I also examine research and find out why the Spanish work such long hours and yet are some of the least productive in Europe and find out why Spain is in the wrong timezone. There are moves to move it back an hour. Will it happen? Can the rhythm of Spanish life can ever be harmonised with other European countries…? FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. In each episode of the podcast I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid.

Do you have to be mad to open your own bookshop in Spain in this day and age? Well, Terry Craven from Madrid’s Desperate Literature bookshop assures me that if you’re not brave then you must be stupid! I spend a morning surrounded by books while Terry, busy pricing and unpacking boxes of books talks through some lesser-known Spanish literature that helps get under the skin of Spain and Spanish society. He recounts how he came to set up an international bookshop in the heart of the Spanish capital after spending many years working in Paris at Shakespeare & Co. Along the way I find out about Desperate Literature‘s events and literary prize as well as the ins and outs of being an international bookseller. Find out more about Desperate Literature, its events, literary prize and subscription service here Here’s a list of the books talked about in the episode: Homage to Catalonia – George Orwell South from Granada – Gerald Brenan Ghosts of Spain – Giles Tremlett Sexografías (Sexographies) – Gabriela Wiener Y tú, ¿por qué eres negro? (And you, why are you black?) – Rubén H. Bermúdez La Colmena (The Hive) – Camilo José Cela The Winterlings – Cristina Sánchez-Andrade Jodidos Turistas (F**king Tourists) – Various Dostoyevsky Wannabe Cities – Madrid – Anthology FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. In each episode of the podcast I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid.

Let’s hit the shops! Need a stamp? Run out of milk and everything’s closed? Fancy some churros? I’ll take a look at Spain’s traditional shops, run through their names and admire how they continue to survive in the face of the big supermarket chains. I’ll also talk about how to navigate Spain’s sometimes frustrating opening hours and look at restaurants and bars if you’re starving and it’s only 5pm! FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain An old Madrid Butchers doorstep – now a bar WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. In each episode of the podcast I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid.

Cerveza! Yes, a whole episode dedicated to beer! Salud! Spain is the 4th biggest beer producer in Europe and the 10th biggest in the world. But, ordering a beer can be a confusing experience. Do you order a caña or a tubo? What’s the difference between a copa and a doble? How big is a tanque? Can I just order a pint? Maybe. Beers in Spain come in all shapes and sizes, and how you order them will often depend what region, city or bar you’re in. I try to clear up the confusion in this episode by hitting some bars and drinking some beers. All in the name of research of course! I also look at the regional beer brands found across Spain and find Málaga’s Victoria beer on tap in the centre of Madrid, to my surprise. I chat to a butcher turned bar owner about people’s changing tastes and find a craft beer store that caters to Spain’s increasing demand for more exotic flavours. FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Join the When in Spain Facebook Group. https://bit.ly/2CdDgWt 📷Follow on Instagram to see photography from across Spain. https://bit.ly/2D5p6IJ WANT TO SUPPORT WHEN IN SPAIN? 💚 Make a small donation $1-$5 via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheninspain Beer brands in Spain WHAT IS WHEN IN SPAIN? The When in Spain show is a weekly podcast show, recorded in Madrid (and other parts of Spain) where l talk about my ‘warts and all’ observations and insights on life and culture on the Iberian peninsular. In each episode of the podcast I cast an eye on everyday life, people, places, politics, culture and history and attempt to give an honest opinion from a Brit who has a love-frustration relationship with Spain. I shall attempt to dispel or indeed confirm Spanish stereotypes through my ramblings and see if I can delve into the Spanish psyche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHO THE HELL IS WHEN IN SPAIN? I’m Paul Burge, former BBC journalist, Hispanophile and Manchego lover. A Brit, born in Oxford and living in Spain for almost 5 years. I currently live in the centre of Madrid.