Seasoned travellers Daniel (AKA Mr Chorizo) and his wife Morena hit the mean streets of urban Japan in this new adventure: summer in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/japan/

Donate to the cause at https://expatmadrid.com/donate/

Here's a little life update from The Bahamas, out there in the Caribbean. I first mentioned getting sober last year (that's episode 47, it you'd like to listen). Now it's been about a year and a half and I'm going strong. Go to the blog for more: https://expatmadrid.com/sober-paradise/

Donate to this project and support the cause here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Thinking about moving abroad? Here's an interview with Cepee Tabibian, the founder of She Hit Refresh – a global community of over 14,000 women helping each other to move abroad after age 30. In this episode we talk about life in Spain, visa options for Americans and others, hidden gems around Europe and much more. Check out Cepee at https://shehitrefresh.com

Sign up for the Move Abroad Masterclass here: https://shehitrefresh.krtra.com/t/gkuWj9tw8FdT

Some thoughts about Madrid and Barcelona, the immigrant hustle, the super-advanced simulation we (may) live in, Barrio Salamanca, the battle of Lepanto, private tours of the Prado and much more. Have fun! More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/madrid-is-better-than-barcelona/

Donate to the cause at https://expatmadrid.com/donate/

The European authorities are telling us to prepare for World War III. Is it time to start stockpiling guns and food? Donate to the cause here at https://expatmadrid.com/donate/

More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/europe-prepares-for-world-war-iii/

Barcelona has recently had a bus route removed from Google Maps... you won't believe why. Also, how Google Maps has changed travel in the last couple of decades. Donate to the cause here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

More on the web at https://expatmadrid.com/

Why do Americans love living in Spain? From the laid-back lifestyle and the food, to the (lack of) guns and the politics, here's why people from the US are flocking to Spain in ever-increasing numbers. Donate here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Much more about Madrid, Barcelona and Spain on the web: https://expatmadrid.com

Big news today! The Spanish government is suggesting that they might get rid of the Golden Visa scheme for real estate investors. Is it really going to happen? How will this affect Spain? What about other visa options for people who want to move here? All questions I answer here in this episode. Donate to the cause at https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Mucho más on my website: https://expatmadrid.com

Felicity Hughes writes one of my favorite blogs about Madrid, about the history of places and things you don't find on normal tourist itineraries. She's also got a new book out, about Barrio de las Letras, and she's working on Lonely Planet's new Madrid guide (out in 2025). More about Madrid and Spain on my blog: https://expatmadrid.com/ And on Felicity's blog: https://themakingofmadrid.com/

A few more random thoughts here, about formal vs informal education, a new corruption scandal in Spain known as Caso Koldo, and the (possibly underwhelming) celebrations for Women's Day 2024. More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/education-koldo-women/

Donate to the cause, I'll probably spend it on coffee and sparkling water: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

I just came back from a 105 kilometer walking tour of some nearby parts of Catalonia. Here's the story. More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/walking-tour-catalonia/

Donate to the cause! I appreciate donations of any size, right here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

On a recent episode of the Tim Ferriss podcast, Noah Kagan explained his theory that Barcelona is the new Austin. As someone who lives in Barcelona, of course I've got some thoughts about his reasons. More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/barcelona-new-austin/

A report from my recent trip to the wild places of Surrey: Staines-upon-Thames, Runnymede, Windsor and more. Check out the article on the website: https://expatmadrid.com/staines/

Donate to the cause here, I appreciate it! https://expatmadrid.com/donate/

There are a lot of pickpockets in Barcelona – a city that's already got a reputation for being unsafe. Recently, the problem has escalated and the court system is on the verge of collapse. Here are a few tips for avoiding pickpockets in Spain, as well as some facts about petty crime of all kinds. More on the web https://expatmadrid.com/pickpockets-barcelona/

Donate to support the cause: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Thanks for listening!

Hey hey! New episode today all about the Catalan Crypto Community, and how to use bitcoin in Barcelona. Is it even possible? I went and found out... More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/bitcoin-barcelona/

Donate (fiat currency, please) to support the podcast at https://expatmadrid.com/donate

A couple of random thoughts today, about the 2024 election and about quitting Twitter (or maybe I should call it X). Donate to the podcast here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Links and more Spain stuff on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/election-year-quitting-twitter/

A bit about the Clot neighborhood in Barcelona, where I've just moved. Clot is part of the Sant Martí district, and there's a lot happening up here. The future of Barcelona is in progress... https://expatmadrid.com/clot-neighborhood-barcelona/

Donate to the cause: expatmadrid.com/donate

I recently visited Madrid, and felt more like a tourist than one of the locals. Here are a few updates from Spain's "vibrant" capital city. More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/madrid-as-a-tourist/

I recently finished listening to the Revolutions Podcast, which goes into great detail about the Russian Revolution. In this episode I talk about some of the things I learned. More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/russian-revolution/

Donate to the cause here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

You can listen to Mike Duncan's "Revolutions" podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc. Have fun!

Here's a bit about the situation of buying a flat in Spain... yes, Morena and I have recently become homeowners. Check out our report on Barcelona real estate. More on the blog: https://expatmadrid.com/buying-flat-spain/

Donate to keep the podcast running smoothly here at https://expatmadrid.com/donate

I've recently been inspected by "Hacienda" – the Spanish tax people – and figured I'd share a bit about the experience in case it's helpful to someone. Donate to support the cause here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Here's the full article on the blog: https://expatmadrid.com/tax-inspection/

A bit about the Camino de Santiago today: the history, the reasons people walk, and the many routes... plus more! Read the article and follow the links on the web for more info: https://expatmadrid.com/camino-santiago/ You can also donate to the Spain to Go podcast, every little bit helps, at https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Spain is in an olive oil crisis: the 2022 harvest was terrible, and prices are through the roof. Will the situation this year be better? Here's a bit of info about olive oil inflation in Spain, as well as a discussion of alternative fats. More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/olive-oil-crisis/

Donate to the podcast here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

A bit of news from Barcelona today: the local crackdown on weed clubs has begun, police are confiscating assault rifles in ever-larger numbers, and stupid people buy squirt guns to in order to harass tourists. More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/weed-clubs-guns-anti-tourism-protests/

Donate to the cause at https://expatmadrid.com/donate - I appreciate it!

One of the big rumors that goes around the US expat community is that you might lose your US citizenship if you get Spanish nationality. Is it true? Well, I'm not a lawyer, but I've done some research. More on the blog: https://expatmadrid.com/renounce-citizenship-spanish-nationality/

Donate to support the cause: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Enjoy!

As humans, we need a sense of transcendence from time to time. But most of life is just writing email and eating salads. What to do? Good question... Donate to the cause at https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Read the article here: https://expatmadrid.com/seeking-transcendence/

And don't forget to subscribe, like and share!

A bit about getting legal in Spain. People think that a "Citizenship Marriage" will solve their problems with immigration, but in reality it's much more complicated. For one thing, it's hard to even get married in the first place, and afterwards there's more bureaucracy.

Donate to the cause here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Read more on the blog here: https://expatmadrid.com/getting-legal-spain/

I was recently in Puigcerdà, a small town on the Hispano-French border, and have some thoughts about Catalonia, monarchies and nationhood. More on the blog: https://expatmadrid.com/puicerda-llivia-catalonia/ Donate to the cause here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Here's a few random thoughts about what's going on in Spain (this time, it's the now-infamous "caso Rubiales" that's making headlines) as well as the future of this glorious expat / travel blog and podcast project. More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/caso-rubiales-real-estate-future/

Donate to help the cause at https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Is Spanish bureaucracy designed by sadists, or just by incompetents? Here's the story of my latest run-in with red tape. Read more on the blog: https://expatmadrid.com/spanish-bureaucracy/ If you like this podcast, please leave a review, subscribe, and donate some money to help the cause at https://expatmadrid.com/donate Hit me up through the blog with any questions or comments. Thanks!

A few random thoughts from Barcelona: we've got the death of neighbors, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, intermittent fasting, Fiestas de Gràcia, public nudity and more. Also: is Barcelona overrated? Find out in today's episode. You can listen to this podcast on YouTube, where I have a channel for Spanish learners as well, check it out: https://www.youtube.com/c/learnspanishwithdaniel

Recently, Morena took me to a convention of payroll salespeople in Dublin, Ireland – a city famous for it's foamy stouts and peaty whiskies... and very little else. Did I mention I've recently stopped drinking? More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/sobriety-introvert-hell/

Yesterday Spain held its 23-J general election and in this episode I talk about the preliminary election results, as well as Spain's business (or anti-business) culture, funcionarios vs autónomos and more. Read the article here: https://expatmadrid.com/spanish-general-election-results/

Donate to the cause by buying me a virtual coffee here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

I've just spent a week up in Sweden, and done some research into the old idea of the Scandinavian utopia. So, is the Swedish utopia a myth? Listen to find out, or read the article here... https://expatmadrid.com/swedish-utopia-myths/ You can donate to the cause (and I'll appreciate it greatly) right here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Nine years of self-employment (or, as I sometimes call it, "gainful unemployment") here in Spain. Here are a few thoughts on the online business hustle, randomness, luck and much more. Read the article on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/create-luck/

Donate to support the podcast (and blog, etc) here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/

Let's talk about that famous American ignorance. What does the average American know about Spain? Probably very little... More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/american-ignorance/

Here's a new piece about some of the high-brow "socialist utopia" stereotypes Americans have when it comes to European life. Are they true? Are Europeans just as ignorant as Americans? Does it matter? Find out here. Read more on the blog: https://expatmadrid.com/european-stereotypes-revisited/

Donate to the cause at https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Hey y'all! In episode 21 I talked about some shocking Spanish proverbs... the ones we have today are a bit more toned-down for everyday use. Check out https://expatmadrid.com/proverbs to read the sentences. Donate to the cause by buying me a virtual coffee at https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Hey hey! It's time to talk about sex in Spain. This podcast goes into several of the intimate details of Spanish people's sex lives: from extramarital affairs, to sex in public and more. Check out the article here: https://expatmadrid.com/sex-in-spain/

Donate to help the cause here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Ayuso wins Madrid again. Ada Colau is out in Barcelona. There were some municipal and regional elections over the weekend, and the unexpected result has gotten Pedro Sanchez to move forward the national election to July 28th. A bit of Spanish political news... https://expatmadrid.com/municipal-elections-2023/

Support the cause by buying me a virtual coffee at expatmadrid.com/donate

Thanks for listening!

This week there's a controversy involving okupas – also known as squatters – here in Barcelona. It's anarchists vs fascists all over again! Here's the article about the legal situation and the various protests both for and against: https://expatmadrid.com/okupas-spain/

Support the cause here: expatmadrid.com/donate

And feel free to drop me a line through the website. I'm happy to hear from you!

Some thoughts on Peter Kemp's book "Mine Were of Trouble", which is an interesting counterpoint to Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia" that we covered in the last episode. Full article, links, pictures and more here: https://expatmadrid.com/mine-were-of-trouble/

Donate to the podcast at expatmadrid.com/donate and please don't hesitate to drop me a line through the blog.

George Orwell's book "Homage to Catalonia" is about the Spanish Civil War – a classic first-person account of trench warfare on the Aragón front and street-fighting in Barcelona. Here's a bit of summary of the book, the questions raised by the Civil War, and the current situation of Spain's "historical memory" of the 20th century: https://expatmadrid.com/homage-to-catalonia/

Amy runs Walk and Eat Spain, a company offering food and wine tours in the Malasaña neighborhood of Madrid... and soon, the Gredos region of Spain. Here we talk about Spanish food, life in Madrid, running a business in Spain and much more. Check out Amy's website at https://walkandeatspain.com

So, is cannabis legal in Barcelona? NO! But it's not exactly illegal, in small amounts, for personal use. Here's a bit of info about the weed clubs in Spain. Remember... I'm not a lawyer and this is NOT legal advice. More on the blog here: https://expatmadrid.com/cannabis-barcelona/

New Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni has recently promised to let all the licenses for tourist rentals expire. Is this the end of AirBnb? Maybe. But will it really help with the housing crisis? I also have my doubts. More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/barcelona-bans-airbnb/

Donate to the cause at https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Here's some vocabulary and some culture related to Spain's Holy Week celebrations. Holy Week – or Semana Santa – is a big deal in many parts of Spain. More on the web here: https://expatmadrid.com/holy-week-in-madrid/

Soon – allegedly by the end of March 2023 – Spain will be passing a new law creating a visa for digital nomads. This promises to bring some high earners and big spenders into the major cities. What else does it mean for "the locals" and others? More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/digital-nomad-visa/

It's International Women's Day this week, and Spanish feminism is divided as never before. Here's a bit about the situation for feminism in Spain: sex-based quotas, the "Trans Law", prostitution scandals and much more. Read the article on the blog: https://expatmadrid.com/womens-day/

Support the podcast with a donation here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate

Here's a bit about the adventures I've had getting Spanish work permits throughout the years. Soon there will (allegedly) be a new Digital Nomad Visa, but nothing's final yet. More on the blog: https://expatmadrid.com/work-permits-spain/

Support the podcast buying me a virtual vermouth here: expatmadrid.com/donate