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 … Continue reading Discovering the Arabic Influence on Spanish Language with David Bowles
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 … Continue reading Lost & Found in Spain: Tales of An Ambassador’s Wife
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 … Continue reading Becoming Spanish – 17 habits I’ve picked up since living in Spain
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 … Continue reading Walking El Camino de Santiago with Soul Camino’s Adrian Flude
Anyone learning Spanish will tell you that the journey is long and full of twists and turns. Are you struggling to maintain motivation? Tongue-tied when it comes to talking? Does Spanish grammar fill you with dread? Should you even bother to learn Spanish if you’re living in Spain or planning to move here? In episode … Continue reading Thinking Spanglish – A survivor’s guide to learning Spanish
In episode six of When in Spain I go out to buy milk and get thinking about the strange and colourful Spanish expressions that revolve around milk or ‘la leche’. Learn some of these milky expressions in this episode and find out about their origins. Also, I take a look ahead to future When in … Continue reading Why are Spaniards so obsessed with milk? Linguistically speaking!
Hola a todos!! In episode three of When in Spain I guide us around the Feria de San Isidro in Madrid and take in the sights, sounds and flavours. To hear all the festivities hit play on audio player above and immerse yourself in all things Feria! FOLLOW WHEN IN SPAIN 📺Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2SOrKrL 👨👩👧👦Join the When in … Continue reading Spain’s Festivals – La Feria de San Isidro
In this, the second episode of the When in Spain podcast show I take you for a wander around La Latina, the neighbourhood where I live and one of the oldest and most famous in Madrid. We’ll take in the sights and sounds while I talk about everyday life in the barrio and offer a … Continue reading Exploring Madrid’s barrios – La Latina neighbourhood