Join me for a rainy day stroll along what is probably Madrid’s iconic street. We start off at the bottom end of Gran Vía where it joins Calle Alcalá and follow its 1.3 kilometres all the way to Plaza de España. Forget chain stores, hotels, and touristy restaurants! Along the way we’ll take in the street’s most famous buildings and landmarks and explore the fascinating stories behind them. Think clocks, bombs, cocktails, neon lights, theatres, skyscrapers, and a Phoenix ..read more

As autumn arrived in Madrid and the air cooled on a wander down Madrid’s Calle de Arenal, I had a sudden craving for Spain’s favourite warm, sweet treat — churros y chocolate! This a quintessentially Spanish snack that can be enjoyed at any time of year, but I think during autumn and winter churros y chocolate are a perfect comforting warmer. Join me as I visit Madrid’s iconic Chocolatería San Ginés and pull up a chair at an old marble table in its dining room that dates back to 1894. As I dunk and chomp my way through this sinfully delicious delicacy I take in the surroundings, look at the ph ..read more

Walk with me through the charming city of El Puerto de Santa María. We’ll take in the famous sherry bodegas, explore Christopher Columbus’s link to the city, take a look at the Castillo de San Marco, where Juan de la Cosa famously drew the first map of the world to include The Americas. Along the way, a few observations on the crumbling charm of Cadiz’s sister city, a stroll through the lively Plaza de España and a stop at an even livelier local sherry bar. To round off, some top tips on what and where to eat, nearby beaches to visit, and what to do when when the Levante wind blows ..read more

Join me for all the sights and sounds on a visit to the university city of Salamanca during Spain’s ‘Semana Santa’. I take in what is possibly Spain’s most impressive Plaza Mayor, explore the city’s ancient university — including a frog hunt — dodge religious processions, and gaze in wonder at one of the city’s cathedrals — yes, it has two! Plus, a splash of history, architecture, and observations for good measure!   ..read more

After a loooooong break I’m back with a beautiful spring evening wander down one of my favourite Madrid streets — Calle de Santa Isabel. We’ll be taking in the sights and sounds with stop-offs in El Cine Doré (Cinema and home to Spain’s national film archive), San Antón municipal market, El Amor de Díos Flamenco school, Bar Benteveo (one of my all time favourite Madrid bars with its kitch interior), The Santa Isabel convent and a few other points of interest before the final stop just outside the Reina Sofia museum. Why not follow along on Google Maps? https://goo.gl/maps/BptC7WN3z8KSDWmy6 ..read more

Where should you visit in Spain if it’s your first time? Where should you visit if you only have two weeks? Can you see it all? No. So how do you decide what to include on you itinerary? That’s what this episode of When in Spain tries to answer! Join Spain travel consultant, Karen Rosenblum and myself as we try to answer these huge questions to help you get the best out of your trip to Spain. Karen helps us break down Spain by topics so that anyone visiting can decide where to include in their trip based on personal interests. Whether you love gastronomy, beaches, or Roman ruins, Karen shares ..read more

I’m whisking you away on the high-speed AVE train for a day trip to the beautiful medieval city of Cuenca. Join me as I stroll around Cuenca’s charming streets and squares, admire the gothic cathedral (one of the earliest examples in all of Spain) and cross the San Pedro bridge to admire the famous ‘casas colgadas’ , or hanging houses. Later I walk up to the castle neighbourhood and get some breathtaking views of the city from the old castle remains as I reflect on the turbulent history of this UNESCO world heritage site. In the episode I mention Cuenca’s Parador in the old San Pablo convent ..read more

After a six month break When in Spain is back! And to celebrate we’re taking you on a tour of ten classic Madrid bars. Our guide is Chris Lynch, Spanish wine-buff, former Spanish bar owner, and founder of the Spanish Wine Collective. If you’re on a first visit to Madrid these ten bars are required drinking and eating! From the cosy Casa González bar in the centre of Madrid and over a bottle of cava, Chris takes us on a virtual tour of his ten favourite bars of the Spanish capital. He recommends what to drink, what to eat, and when to go. Along the way we talk about the fascinating history of t ..read more

Want to sound super Spanish? I run through ten useful and fun Spanish interjections that you can pepper your conversations with to help express yourself even more clearly when you’re chatting en español. ¡Anda! When I first started learning Spanish and hanging around with native speakers I kept hearing these noises that popped up in conversations and always wondered what they meant. I’ll look at some of the most common examples and make comparisons with English and give you some examples. In the second half of the episode I’ll run through nineteen really useful muletillas (‘little crutches’)&n ..read more

In this episode I take you on a trip around Spain’s most arid provinces, Almería. We explore the Tabernas Desert and its Spaghetti Western filming locations, the beautiful wild beaches of Cabo de Gata including the dramatic Playa de los Muertos (Beach of the Dead), and I guide you through Almería City’s top sights including the imposing Alcazaba. We’ll also wander the back streets of the hilltop village of Mojácar, officially one of Spain’s most picturesque pueblos. Along the way I uncover the turbulent history of Almería, pillaging pirates, moorish uprisings and its rich mining heritage ..read more