Spain To Go

I recently went to Paris, and wrote some reflections about the relationship between Spain and France... plus other important topics. Today nobody's talking about this, but France actually invaded and conquered Spain in the early 1800s. Also in today's episode: Napoleon, Joan of Arc, the great (wo)men of history, Parisian cuisine, and much more. Donate to the podcast right here: https://expatmadrid.com/donateFollow me on Substack for more about life in Barcelona and Spain: https://spaintogo.substack.comThanks for listening!

Should you move to Spain in 2026? Well, it depends. A blog called Expat Money recently published a list of the "top 7 reasons you should never move to Spain" and I don't think the author was wrong about them... I just think that Spain has some intangibles that make it a great place to live, and that for most of us, moving abroad is more than a mathematical calculation. Support this podcast at https://expatmadrid.com/donate/You can read my article here, obviously I've lived in Spain for 22 years and I'm somewhat biased: https://expatmadrid.com/reasons-never-move-spain/If you're looking for a more athletic type of holiday, check out my friend Raul over at https://biketourinspain.comI'll be going on his tour of La Rioja and Camino del Cid in a couple of months, and I've got two episodes on here about other bike tours, look for "#76 - Route of Don Quixote" and "#94 - Extremadura Bike Tour" for more about those.

It's been quite a year here in Spain, here's a bit of a recap of some of the top stories and things I've been thinking about. More on the blog: https://expatmadrid.com/spain-2025-review/As usual, you can donate to the cause over at https://expatmadrid.com/donate/I really appreciate it! And if you're coming to Spain (for tourism or to live here) check out some of my sponsors and supporters.For example, Isaac at Stellium Estates will help you buy luxury real estate in Madrid, Marbella, Menorca and elsewhere. Check out what he has to offer at https://stelliumestates.com/We also have long-time supporters: Raúl at Bike Tour in Spain (for self-guided bike tours through amazing landscapes), and everyone at Walks Tours and Devour Tours for food and experiences around Spain and Europe. Click on those links to know more... Thanks!

A bit about 8 surprising holiday traditions here in Spain. Christmas is a bit different in Spain, so here's a bit about what to expect. You might also enjoy the article I did on Spanish Christmas vocabulary: https://expatmadrid.com/spanish-christmas-vocabulary/Support for this podcast comes from Walks Tours, with amazing walking tours of incredible locations, right here: https://expatmadrid.com/walksAlso Devour Tours, with food tours in Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastian and more: https://expatmadrid.com/devourAnd of course, my friend Raúl out at Bike Tour in Spain, who organizes cycling tours (everything organized for you) in various Spanish regions, say hi if you talk to him: https://biketourinspain.com

A bit of a roundup of Spanish news stories from recent weeks. First up, a German pastor in Costa del Sol gets a big surprise about his family history. Then, the lost (and found) Picasso painting in Madrid. And finally, Carlos Mazón who was (probably) the most hated man in Spain, finally resigns as president of the Valencian Community... sort of. More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/himmler-picasso-mazon/Donate to the cause here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/Also, you can support this podcast by signing up for a walking tour at https://exaptmadrid.com/walks/Or a food tour in Spain or elsewhere in Europe with Devour: https://expatmadrid.com/devour/And don't forget Bike Tour in Spain for all your bike touring needs: https://biketourinspain.com/