131 - Spanish ham & the culture wars - the "dark history" of jamón

A couple of weeks ago I heard that Sagrada Familia is finally finished. Well, that's partially true – but not really. Either way, today we're talking about the world's tallest church, Antoni Gaudí's strange life and afterlife, Barcelona's must-see attractions and more. Sagrada Familia is just one of the famous Gaudí buildings here in Barcelona. If you're visiting any time soon, check out the premium walking tours of spectacular locations over here: https://expatmadrid.com/walks/You can donate to this penniless holy man and support the Spain to Go podcast and the Chorizo Chronicles blog here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/And if you're more of a foodie, I've also been sponsored by Devour Tours, who organize food tours in several cities in Spain and also around Europe: https://expatmadrid.com/devour/Enjoy, wherever you are! Greetings from very rainy Barcelona.

Today's episode is about a famously spiritual Spaniard, Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Mark Kurlansky calls him the most famous Basque in history, and I guess he would know. Anyway, this one talks about the life of Saint Ignatius, as well as his friend Francis Xavier, and about our modern lives of temptation and materialism. Is it time for some spiritual warfare? Probably. More on the blog: https://expatmadrid.com/ignatius-loyola/Check out my friends and sponsors around the web as well. You can support this podcast directly at: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/Excellent walking tours in Spain and elsewhere in Europe with Walks Tours: https://expatmadrid.com/walks/Food tours in Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, San Sebastian and more with Devour Tours: https://expatmadrid.com/devour/And if you're looking to book a bike tour across some section of Spain I highly recommend you talk to Raul over at Bike Tour in Spain: https://biketourinspain.com/

The Guardian up in the UK has recently published an article about the "dark history" of Spanish ham. So today's episode is about jamón (and pork more generally) as a piece of the culture wars. Is the Spanish inquisition affecting your dietary choices? Is jamón a tool of social exclusion? All valid questions we'll be answering. Donate to this podcast right here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/If you'd prefer to read this article, swing by the blog – it's called The Chorizo Chronicles and it's often pork themed as well: https://expatmadrid.com/

The Spanish government announced this week that it was going to have a "mass regularization" that might help half a million immigrants to get work permits. As a former illegal immigrant (or undocumented migrant) myself I have some opinions about all this. Donate to the cause here, I appreciate it: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/If you need an FBI background check for some Spanish visa process (or for nationality) head over to https://continentalis.eu/Thanks for listening!

Julio Iglesias is cancelled, the future of Greenland is up for grabs, and the EU doesn't want to do anything about it. In this "Random Thoughts" episode of the Spain to Go podcast, we talk about one of the most famous Spanish singers being accused of sexual assault, about geopolitics, and much more. Take a look at the article on the blog for links: https://expatmadrid.com/julio-iglesias/To support this podcast go to https://expatmadrid.com/donate/Or check out one of our sponsors: Walks Tours … https://expatmadrid.com/walks/ for walking tours around incredible places.And Devour Tours for food tours in Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, San Sebastian and elsewhere: https://expatmadrid.com/devour/Or book a cycling holiday with Bike Tour in Spain... tell Raúl I said hi! The tours are great: https://biketourinspain.com/

It's a strange time to be an American in Spain, with the Spanish media pushing an anti-American narrative almost constantly. In this episode I talk about Donald Trump, Nicolás Maduro, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and what it's like waking up to the hatred of a large part of your adopted country. Interesting times! Don't forget to donate to support the cause at https://expatmadrid.com/donate/ Thanks for listening!

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!

The population of wild boars in Catalonia has suddenly become newsworthy as a few cases of African swine fever outside Barcelona threaten the entire pork industry. Pork is big business in Spain, and if the virus isn't contained, we could have problems. Here's my report on the swine fever, more as usual on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/swine-fever/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 booked for you, and he also provides the bicycle) in various Spanish regions, say hi if you talk to him: ⁠https://biketourinspain.com

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

In a few days I'll be 43 years old, and I had a bit of a disorienting experience the other day as I realized exactly how much time has passed. Here are a few thoughts on middle age and living the good life. More online: https://expatmadrid.com/middle-aged-wisdom/Donate to the podcast here, anything helps. Thanks: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/Also, check out Devour Tours for food tours in various Spanish and European cities at https://expatmadrid.com/devour/And Walks Tours for incomparable experiences, also in various locations in Spain and Europe: https://expatmadrid.com/walks/For cycling tours in various Spanish regions (Valencia, Extremadura, La Rioja and more) check out my friend Raúl at https://biketourinspain.com/ Tell him I sent you... thanks!