125 - Christmas in Spain - surprising holiday traditions

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!

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/

I've gotten a lot of interesting questions and feedback from listeners and readers in the last few weeks. Here's a new format, then, where I answer everything together – let's call it Mr Chorizo's Mailbag. Donate to the cause at https://expatmadrid.com/donate/More on the web https://expatmadrid.com/mr-chorizos-mailbag/Thanks to everyone for listening, reading, donating and commenting!

Well, it finally happened! I'm now officially a passport-carrying Spaniard, whatever that means. In this episode I contemplate the concept of "home" and what being a Spanish citizen is really about. More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/becoming-spanish-citizen/Check out my supporters Devour Tours at https://expatmadrid.com/devour/ for food tours in Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, San Sebastian, etc) and around Europe.You can also go on a unique walking tour in many Spanish and European cities with Walks Tours: https://expatmadrid.com/walks/(Those are affiliate links, so be sure to use THOSE SPECIFIC LINKS if you want me to get paid.)Also, you could donate to the podcast, as many do, out at https://expatmadrid.com/donate/I'll give you a shoutout in a future episode if you do. Thanks listening, and for your support!

The recent Vuelta a España bicycle race ended in chaos as anti-Israel protestors made several stages impossible. Turns out, the government is on their side, and now wants a broader boycott of Israel and Israeli products... Will Spain leave Eurovision over the participation of Israeli artists? Will the national team skip the 2026 World Cup? It looks like every option is on the table. Donate to the podcast here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/

I had a bit of a run-in with Spanish police the other day. It was pretty stupid, but at least I got some content out of it. So today's episode is about your rights in Spain (as a resident, tourist, or whatever) when dealing with Spanish law enforcement. Know your rights in a police stop and if you've been arrested. As usual, talk to a lawyer if you have doubts! Here's the article: https://expatmadrid.com/police-state/My lawyer is Roberto at https://melcartabogados.com/Thanks as usual to Raúl at Bike Tour in Spain: https://biketourinspain.com/Cultural tours with Walks: https://expatmadrid.com/walks/Food and market tours with Devour: https://expatmadrid.com/devour/Etc, etc.

Hey hey! I've got a bit of an update on my Spanish nationality process, as well as some new data about Spanish demographics. Turns out the population is booming due to immigration. More on the web: https://expatmadrid.com/population-explosion/Support the podcast at https://expatmadrid.com/donate/Or sign up for a walking tour in Madrid, Barcelona, etc with Walks Tours using my affiliate link: https://expatmadrid.com/walks/Or a food tour for some delicious local cuisine (in Spain and around Europe) here: https://expatmadrid.com/devour/And as usual, check out the bike tours through various Spanish regions with Bike Tour in Spain: https://biketourinspain.comEnjoy the episode!

What is a belief? And to what extent are our beliefs just a performance for an online (or offline) audience? Sponsored content, TikTok politicians, Elon Musk, nepo babies and much more in this new episode. I've got all the irreverent musings you expect from Mr Chorizo... Support the podcast here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/Check out the full article here: https://expatmadrid.com/identity-performance-algorithm/Or support the podcast by signing up for a walking tour in some spectacular location with Walks Tours: https://expatmadrid.com/walks/You could also enjoy a food tour in major Spanish cities (and Italy, etc) with Devour Tours at https://expatmadrid.com/devour/And last but not least, our long-time friend of the podcast, Raul at Bike Tour in Spain who organizes cycling tours in various areas around Spain: https://biketourinspain.com/