When in Spain

In this episode of The When in Spain podcast we’re talking about Jewish history or Sephardic history – to use the Hebrew word – in Spain. We’ll also be talking about a law that Spain passed in 2015 that has laid a pathway for people of Sephardic descent to reclaim Spanish citizenship – and one of those who is going through the process joins me in the episode. I’ll be...

Drizzle, green hills, pintxos, cider, pelota & bull running. We must be talking The Basque Country! Tucked into the corner of northeastern Spain, País Vasco, or as it is known in the regional Basque language, Euskadi is one of the lesser-known Spains for many. To talk us through the landscape, cities, beaches, language, traditions and food and drink is David Bumstead. David moved to San Sebast...

In this episode I look at the American writer, Ernest Hemingway ´s relationship with Madrid and wider Spain and how Spain and the Spanish capital inspired and influenced his writing . Ernest Hemingway is commonly associated with a handful of places around the world, most notably Paris, Pamplona, Havana, Key West and Ketchum, Idaho, where he took his own life in July 1961. But, Ernest Hemingway als...

In this second episode talking to writer & journalist William Chislett we look at current economic, societal and political problems that Spain is dealing with and the future challenges the country faces. William talks us through the education system, unemployment, the Spanish economy, pensions and the implications of the EU’s €140 billion pandemic recovery fund that Spain is set to receive. Wi...

In this episode we look at a fascinating and monumental period in Spanish history – The death of Franco in 1975 and Spain’s transition to democracy that followed in the late 1970s. In this part one of a two part podcast I had the great pleasure of talking to writer and journalist William Chislett. William is a former Madrid correspondent for the UK´s Times newspaper. William was based in Mad...

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, flank...

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. Wand...

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 t...

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.

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.

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...

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...

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´...

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...

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.co...

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...

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) – virtual...

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 rea...

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%...

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...

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 Val...

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 pla...

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 frie...

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 d...

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...