Spanish Loops

In this week’s episode of Spanish Loops, we look into one of the most fascinating and misunderstood artistic languages of the Iberian Peninsula: Mudejar art. Together with Fran, we explore how Mudejar emerged in Christian territories between the 12th and 16th centuries, shaped by Muslim artisans who continued working after the Christian reconquest. While often confused with Islamic or Arabic art,...

There are phrases that define a city, and then there are phrases that become a destiny. In this new chapter of Spanish Loops, Francisco and I invite you to travel through one of the most powerful and recognizable expressions in Spain: “De Madrid al Cielo.” Where does this sentence come from? Who first dared to pronounce it? And why has it survived centuries, revolutions, monarchs, artists, and dre...

Breaking news!! Stop what you're doing! Today, Spanish Loops, hosted by the brilliant Jorge and the ever witty Fran, aka, both of us… are dropping a chapter that’s not just another cultural detour from Spain to the world, no, no. This week, we two take a soulful splash into what we ourselves are thankful for in these utterly convulsive times we are living in, and we share powerful wishes for t...

Hey Chicos! It’s Jorge and Fran! Welcome back again to Spanish Loops, the show where we loop you into the culture you love. This week we discuss something totally fascinating: Nobility titles in Spain. Yep, we’re talking kings, dukes, counts… and all that royal jazz with a Spanish twist. So first up: what are these titles anyway? From Rey/Reina (King/Queen) at the top down through Duque, Marqués,...

Get ready for an unforgettable journey as  The Essence of Southern Spain  tour arrives in Cádiz, a timeless coastal jewel with roots that stretch back over 3,000 years. I’m Jorge, and alongside my co-host Fran, we scratch this ancient city’s rich history, vibrant traditions, and mouth watering gastronomy.  From its legendary Phoenician beginnings to the stories hidden in its sun washed alleys, Cád...

S3, Ep : 18. Exploring Spain’s Romerías and pilgrimages through tradition, culture, and Journey. Hola Chicos! Big news! I’m super excited to announce this new chapter of Spanish Loops today. In this episode we cherished some rituals of Spain: the vibrant, festive Romerías and the more solemn, spiritual Pilgrimages. We explore how each is rooted in centuries of Spanish Catholic tradition, how they...

Hola Amigos, and welcome back to another episode of Spanish Loops, where history comes alive with our unmistakable voices.  This week, we take you into the extraordinary life of a woman who refused to stay within the lines drawn for her time: María Eugenia de Montijo, the Spanish noblewoman who rose from the sun washed streets of Granada to the dazzling courts of Paris, ultimately becoming the Emp...

Hola! This is Jorge from Spanish Loops, and I’m so excited to welcome you to today’s episode. This week, Fran and I are touching a topic that is a bit differentfrom our usual, but I promise it’s just as fascinating. We’re talking about none other than Pablo Picasso, but not just the genius artist we all know. No, today we’re exploring the man behind the paintings. The real Picasso, the one with al...

Hola!, and welcome back to Spanish Loops.  As always we bring you the human stories hiding behind history, and today’s chapter is a cracker: Ramón Franco, the daring aviator and paradoxical brother of General Francisco Franco.  Ramón shot to fame after commanding the 1926 Plus Ultra transatlantic flight, a feat that made him a celebrity and symbol of modern Spain. But Ramón’s politics and personal...

Welcome back to Spanish Loops, where this week you are taken into a place that any traveler never see, yet every restaurant, bar, and seafood stall in Madrid depends on it. It’s one of the biggest fish markets in the world, second only to Tokyo’s. Yes, right in the heart of Spain, hundreds of Kilometres from the coast, lies a seafood empire that feeds millions every day. We’ll take you behind the...

Hello Chicos and welcome to another exciting edition of  Spanish Loops , your passport to the culture, stories, and heartbeat of Spain. This week, we open the doors to one of the most famous noble families in the world "La Casa de Alba", the House of Alba. We’re talking about a lineage that’s been shaping Spanish history for centuries, from the royal courts of old Castile to the modern p...

Hey what’s up loop-lovers! These are your celebrity friends tuning in, and we are so stoked to introduce the latest episode of Spanish Loops, just in time for the spooky season! This week, we get into the ghostly corners of Spain and some haunted legends, eerie personal experiences, and why the Iberian Night has a story to tell. From the shadowy alleys of old towns to whispered folklore by candlel...

Welcome to the latest chapter of Spanish Loops, a mouth watering splash into tapas culture in the south of Spain. In this episode we trace tapas from humble tavern lids to a national obsession: the legends (from King Charles III “bite with your wine” tale to seaside slices that kept sand out of drinks), the social rituals, and how small plates became thesocial glue of Andalusian nights. We explain...

Hola Chicos! Jorge and Fran here with Spanish Loops, and today we’re slipping into something silky: Spain’s legendary spas and “Balnearios”.  From steaming thermal springs tucked into ancient villages to ultra-chic coastal resorts, Spain’s water culture blends Roman roots, medieval rituals, and modern wellness tech into purerelaxation.  There are historic bath houses where locals still soak like t...

Good morning, good afternoon or good evening, wherever you are in the world. This is Spanish Loops, and today we bring you the story of a cathedral that has puzzled architects,historians, and visitors for decades: Madrid’s very own Cathedral of the Almudena.  Now, imagine this: a project that began with grand ambition in the late 19th century, yet didn’t see its official inauguration until 1993. T...

Hola hola! This is Jorge and Fran again back on Spanish Loops, the podcast where stones, myths, and history collide. Buckle up, because in our next episode, we’re unravelling “The Hand of Irulegui”. A recent archaeological marvel from the Basque lands, glowing like a beacon in the darkness of our linguistic past. This isn’t just a statue or relic, it might be the missing clue to where the Basque l...

Hola! This are Jorge Román and Fran Glaría, your passport to the hidden stories behind Spain’s stone and stained glass. Today on Spanish Loops we are talking to a subject that is as old as civilization and twice as dramatic: what makes a churchdifferent from a cathedral, a basilica, or an ermita? From humble chapels tucked into cliff faces to awe striking cathedrals that declared a city’s power, w...

Hey there, amigos, and welcome back to Spanish Loops ! If you joined us last week, you know we took a delicious walk through Madrid’s sweet tooth, pastries, churros, and more. Well, this week, we’re heading east to the Mediterranean breeze and Gothic vibes of Barcelona, where sugar meets tradition in the most irresistible way. Barcelona’s sweets aren’t just desserts, they’re history you can taste....

Ladies and gentlemen, travelers and food lovers, welcome back to another irresistible episode of Spanish Loops! This week, Fran and I drive you through the sugary world of Madrid’s sweet tooth. That’s right, this city isn’t just about art, nightlife, and tapas. It’s also about centuries of tradition baked into every pastry that graces its cafés, bakeries, and neighborhood streets. Imagine strollin...

Hey Chicos,It’s Jorge and Fran from Spanish Loops, and today we are rolling out a blockbuster: The life, grit, and legacy of Bernardo de Gálvez. The Spanish powerhouse who helped to shape the early United States. If you’ve heard the Revolution told only through Boston and Philadelphia, buckle up. We’re headingsouth to New Orleans, the Mississippi, and Pensacola, where Gálvez played chess while oth...

Hola Amigos and welcome back to the show. We are Fran and Jorge and today we are opening a chapter that Spain still feels in its bones: ETA. How a clandestine group turned terror into a political gambit, shaking streets from San Sebastián to Madrid and beyond. We will rewind to the last breath of Franco’s dictatorship, when the country was brittle, fearful, and ripe for sparks. ETA stepped in with...

Hola! It’s Jorge and Fran from Spanish Loops, sneaking again into your earbuds like a surprise tapas plate at midnight: witty, chilled, and absolutely unmissable. We’ve got a killer episode lined up. This global anti tourism wave that is crossing Europe. And about Spain, especially in the sunny but mad Catalonia and the Canary Islands. Think less of a vacay checklist and more locals saying, “Wow,...

Hola, amigos Loopers! Welcome back to Spanish Loops, where we roll through the sounds of Spanish music and culture. This week, we are informing about some spectacular, soul stirring world of musical organs in Spain. Majestic pipe organ marvels that have been singing with centuries of history, artistry, and regional flair. Across the country, these instruments stand out thanks to unique features li...

Hello friends, and welcome back to Spanish Loops, your go to podcast for cultural lessons into Spain’s rich history and how it shapes our modern life. In today’s episode, we rewind to the early days of Spanish television. A time when TV meant black and white screens, rabbit ear antennas, and a strong dose of hope. Under Franco’s dictatorship, television broadcasting wasn’t just limited. It was a b...

Hola! Welcome back to Spanish Loops, your weekly dose of Spain with a twist and today, we're diving c*j*nes first into the spicy world of Spanish expressions! Yes, you heard right. This week’s episode is all about that one bold, magical, untranslatable word: c*j*nes. It’s not just anatomy, my friends: it’s attitude, emotion, frustration, pride… even surprise! Depending on the context, c*j*nes...