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 … Continue reading Semana Santa: Easter in Spain, processions, passion & pointy hats
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 … Continue reading Colourful Spanish expressions – A class in streetwise slang & vulgar vocab
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 … Continue reading Top Spanish products – A shopping list of food, drink, fashion & a mop
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 … Continue reading Learn to Speak Spanish Fluently : 8 tips to master Spanish – WIS029
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 … Continue reading Nine Spanish culture shocks: Habits in Spain I can’t get used to
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 … Continue reading Valentine’s Day in Spain – Latin lovin’, traditions & soppy vocab 101
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 … Continue reading Hiking ‘El Caminito del Rey’ – The scariest footpath in Spain! WIS026
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 … Continue reading A very Spanish Christmas! Festivities, food & traditions – WIS025
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 … Continue reading Spain’s most famous market: El Rastro de Madrid, sights, sounds & history – WIS024
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 … Continue reading Are Spaniards vampires? Shutters, bars & balconies – WIS023