Join me for a walk around a little slice of deep Spain, right on Madrid's doorstep. Located on the Tagus-Jarama river basin, Chinchón is just 45km from Madrid but worlds apart. Although it has grown beyond its village confines, visiting its antique heart is like stepping back into a charming, ramshackle past. Surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, Chinchón has an iconic Plaza Mayor, flanked by 15th-17th century galleried houses, staggered roofs and 234 green wooden balconies and even doubles ...
Sep 28, 2020•38 min
Join me for a day out to the Royal City of Aranjuez, a worthwhile day trip from the Spanish capital. I hop on the Cercanías light-rail commuter train from Madrid's Atocha Station and make the 45 minute train ride through the middle of the harsh Castilian plateau, to the haven of peace and tranquillity of Aranjuez, which lies in a green fertile valley between the rivers Tagus and Jarama. Wander with me as I explore this opulent, former Royal Spring retreat and walk its grand boulevards, squares a...
Sep 15, 2020•37 min
This week I've got a great guest for you Spain lovers – I'm going to be chatting all about that famous Spanish wine, Sherry with Annie Manson – aka Annie B! Annie is a foodie, food writer, Sherry expert and qualified Sherry educator. Annie who hails from Scotland, ran her own successful catering and corporate hospitality company in London for 15 years before falling for, and deciding to stay in the beuatiful white-washed Adaluz town Vejer. Annie runs Annie B´s Spanish Kitchen, where she cooks ou...
Sep 07, 2020•48 min
Part 2 of "ask me anything". I answer more of your questions about life in Spain from my point of view. In the second part I answer your questions about my favourite Spanish food and restaurants, moving to different parts of Spain, washing machines and Spanish culture.
Sep 01, 2020•32 min
I asked you guys, the listeners to "ask me anything"! (About Spain that is - and my life here) In part 1 I answer your questions about how and why I came to live in Spain, where to live in Spain, the situation with Covid-19 and why I decided to start the When in Spain podcast, how I make it and the journey it has taken me on.
Aug 31, 2020•59 min
In this episode we take a mini break from Spain as I take you with us on a trip to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon and on to the magical sub-tropical island of Madeira. This summer Karina and I booked our holiday to the Portuguese autonomous island of Madeira to visit our friend who is from there. The only way we could fly to the so-called "island of eternal spring" was by stopping off in Lisbon. So we decided to spend a few days there too, incidentally known as the "the city of the seven hills"....
Aug 24, 2020•1 hr 33 min
About 20 km east of Madrid, in the small town of Mejorada del Campo, stands a building that testifies to a former monk's lifetime of devotion to the Catholic faith. After eight years in a Trappist order at Soria‘s Santa Maria de la Huerta monastery, Don Justo Gallego Martinez was ordered to leave, for fear of infecting the other monks with tuberculosis that he had been diagnosed with. When his mother died in 1963 and bequeathed to him a large plot of land, including an olive grove in the center ...
Jul 30, 2020•41 min
In this episode of the When in Spain podcast I take a weekend trip two hours south of Madrid to the town of Valdepeñas with three friends, one of whom spent a year living the Spanish small town life in deep Castilla la Mancha before moving to the Spanish capital. With the help of Matt Jennings, friend and fellow Hispanophile - who incidentally wrote his masters thesis on Miguel de Cervantes´ most famous work The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha - we talk about what Valedepeñas and th...
Jul 15, 2020•49 min
A round up of do's and don'ts to make your experience in Spain as authentic and enjoyable as possible. Spain, like any country when we're not too familiar with it at first, can feel complicated and overwhelming. Especially when we don't have any kind of cultural compass to guide us along the way. Whether you visiting Spain on holiday or coming to live and work here, I share my personal insights and experience gained over the years of living in Madrid to help you get the best out of Spain. Have a...
Jun 29, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Hop on and ride with me as I cycle Madrid's streets to uncover some curious secrets and hidden gems of the Spanish capital. In this episode of the When in Spain podcast I sign-up to Madrid's BiciMadrid public cycle scheme and dodge the traffic to check out some fascinating locations which hide some surprising stories in the Spanish capital. More at https://www.wheninspainpodcast.com/post/madrid-secrets-by-bike I puzzle at the Masonic symbolism on the Ministry of Agriculture building next to Atoc...
Jun 12, 2020•48 min
In this episode, I'm joined by native Granaína Marta Sanchéz to find out everything you need to know about the must-visit Spanish city of Granada. Marta is a tour guide and runs her own Granada walking tour company, Bite Granada. we take a virtual walk around this, one of Spain's most captivating cities which oozes the essence of Al-Andalus. In fact it's known as the Moorish city. More at https://www.wheninspainpodcast.com/post/granada-with-marta-s%C3%A1nchez We begin our tour in Granada's bustl...
May 23, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Think blue flowerpots of vibrant geranium flowers of every colour imaginable. White washed houses, the scent of orange blossom drifting through the streets, tranquil patios, trickling fountains and the sound of a distant guitar. More at https://www.wheninspainpodcast.com/post/cordoba-patios-fiesta This week we´re heading to Códoba´s annual Fiesta de los Patios (Courtyard Festival) - virtually of course. And joining us we have an expert guide, Karen Rosenblum, who many of you may remember joined ...
May 08, 2020•56 min
Author and journalist Paul Richardson joins me to talk about life living off-grid on his farm El Chabolino (The Little Shack) https://chabolino.com/ in deep Extremadura. Paul and his husband are almost completely self-sufficient and live from what they produce on their 12-acres of Spanish countryside. Which means tending fruit trees, olive groves and making wine from their own vines. They also rear their own animals and make homemade soap! More here https://www.wheninspainpodcast.com/post/extrem...
May 04, 2020•42 min
Vermut 101 a guide to Spain's favourite day-time tipple, vermouth. I explore the world of this fortified wine and its culture with Paula Móvil, lifestyle editor from Conde Nast Traveler and co-founder of La Vermutería Pop-up, a pop-up bar event showcasing vermouth, its brands and styles at regular events around Madrid. More here https://www.wheninspainpodcast.com/post/vermut-with-paula-m%C3%B3vil-from-la-vermuter%C3%ADa Paula walks us through the history of Spanish vermouth, the varieties availa...
Apr 24, 2020•30 min
I look back at a few food and drink episodes from last year. I sample some beautiful Jamón Ibérico with food guide Margit Sperling from Walk and Eat Spain. Then I quaff wine and explore the world of Spanish vino with Luke Darracott and Roque Madrid from Madrid & Darracott. Check out the show notes here https://www.wheninspainpodcast.com/post/foodies-in-madrid-best-bites From grape to grain with a stop-off at La Osita bar where I chat with owners and brewers David and Patrick about their own ...
Apr 21, 2020•1 hr 9 min
In this episode we're talking and walking Spain's third biggest city - the beautiful Mediterranean city of Valencia. Guiding us around Valencia is photographer and guide, Paul Knowles who runs his own walking private tour, Streets of Valencia. In the episode Paul talks history and reveals some of Valencia's most important sights, including the Catedral de Santa María de Valencia, La Lonja de la Seda - a beautiful 15th-century Gothic silk exchange, the Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas a Rococo ...
Apr 18, 2020•57 min
This week I'm joined by travel journalist and host of The Big Travel Podcast, Lisa Francesca Nand. Lisa spent her childhood living on the Costa del Sol from the age of seven when her parents relocated from the north of England to the fishing village of Los Boliches near Fuengirola. Lisa recalls her childhood memories of growing up with the sun and sea and shares some of her favourite places along the Costa del Sol. We also talk about how Málaga city has transformed itself into a destination in i...
Mar 30, 2020•56 min
In this episode I talk to Mike Damanti, a professional photographer from the United States who moved to Madrid five years ago. While on a quest for artistic inspiration, Mike came across Madrid’s Romani community. Photographing them over many years and documenting the Romani community’s lives living on the streets of Madrid, he slowly became accepted into their circle and soon developed deep friendships. Being allowed into their lives and sharing their moments of happiness along with their darke...
Mar 25, 2020•47 min
In this episode I pound the steep and winding cobbled streets of the former Spanish capital, Toledo to discover its incredibly rich and varied history. Once a city where Moors, Christians and Sephardic Jews all lived side by side. Capital of Spain until 1563, when the honour passed to the backwater village of Madrid just 46 miles away, Toledo, in Castilla-La Mancha, has become a classic day-trip destination, just a half-hour hop from its neighbour by high-speed train. But with its huge haul of c...
Mar 10, 2020•38 min
Join me for a whirlwind wander around Zaragoza, the beautiful capital of the Spanish autonomous region of Aragón. I zipped up to Zaragoza on the AVE from Madrid to meet an old friend who lives in Barcelona. It´s the perfect half-way meeting place. In this episode I explore the city and visit some of Zaragoza´s most famous sights, including the magnificent Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, the Catedral del Salvador de Zaragoza, the elegant Moorish palace, Palacio de la Aljafería as well as ta...
Mar 04, 2020•38 min
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 Teat...
Feb 24, 2020•56 min
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 ...
Feb 17, 2020•31 min
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 dooway...
Feb 10, 2020•59 min
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 Me...
Feb 03, 2020•44 min
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 cou...
Jan 28, 2020•48 min
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 com...
Jan 16, 2020•52 min
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 ...
Jan 08, 2020•48 min
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...
Dec 03, 2019•48 min
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 lo...
Nov 20, 2019•1 hr 17 min
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/whe...
Oct 31, 2019•53 min
