156 - Bilbao and Getxo

Today we're talking about the cities of Bilbao and Getxo up in the Basque country, with reflections on competing nationalities, the ongoing Ceuta crisis, what it means to be "from" somewhere, and more. Basque Cuisine is pretty famous, as is the new-fangled cheesecake they're making, and you can learn about all of it in this new episode. Enjoy!Check out my friends over at WalksDevour for food tours, cooking classes and more in San Sebastian (it's like Bilbao, but better) and other locations around Spain and Europe: https://expatmadrid.com/walks/And if you're into cardio holidays, go sign up for a bike tour from my friend Raúl at Bike Tour in Spain. I just did his tour of La Rioja and Camino del Cid and had a great time: https://biketourinspain.com/

Spain needs new babies. If you're having one soon, congratulations! And thanks. In this episode, we've got a report on prenatal care in Spain, and on baby prepping in Barcelona more specifically. Public and private healthcare, where to get secondhand cribs, doulas, midwives, maternity support, Pregnancy Pilates and much more. Check out the article for links and more: https://expatmadrid.com/prenatal-care-spain/Support this podcast by sending diaper money to Mr Chorizo (AKA Daniel) and Morena here: https://expatmadrid.com/donateIf you have any immigration questions that need a serious answer, or if you need the fingerprint / background check / apostille, talk to my friend Roberto and his partner Joanne at https://continentalis.eu/ (Roberto is the lawyer who got me Spanish nationality – not an easy task, as it turns out. And Joanne did all my background check stuff, plus got my birth certificate, translations and all. Tell them that DANIEL sent you and you'll get a discount – and I'll get a small commission.)Finally, Raúl over at Bike Tour in Spain is sending me on another cycling tour, so I'll be out next week. I'm doing El Camino del Cid and La Rioja. If you want a cardio vacation through some beautiful Spanish landscapes, check out https://biketourinspain.com

Well, Ceuta is still a disaster area, so here's an update about that. Also, we've got a protest from Save Europe Act (it's about "remigration" and a counterprotest from antifa. Plus, the 90th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War and the mysterious death of Federico García Lorca back in 1936. Links and more on the Spain to Go Substack: https://spaintogo.substack.com/p/lorca-antifa-and-ceuta-againAlso, in a few weeks I'll be on the road again, with a cycling tour across La Rioja and part of Castilla. Stay tuned for more about that, or check out my friend Raul's tours over at https://biketourinspain.com(If you do sign up for a tour, let Raul know that you heard about him from Daniel on the Spain to Go podcast, he'll appreciate the business.) Thanks!

I recently went to France (again). In this episode, I talk about Lyon and Montpellier in the south of France, whether backpacking around Europe is dead, slow travel, iced coffee disasters, being an expectant parent, and more. Support the podcast here: https://expatmadrid.com/donateI'll give you a shoutout in my next episode!Spain to Go podcast has a new companion blog over on Substack, check it out at https://spaintogo.substack.com/For all your Spanish immigration needs, talk to Joanne or Roberto at Continentalis.eu – they did my Spanish nationality for me and have my highest recommendation. Mention my name DANIEL and get a discount on your services. Thanks!

Last week the Spanish enclave of Ceuta was overrun by "migrants" crossing the border from Morocco. Up to 70,000 people crossed into Spain, and were (mostly) pushed back by the military. Details and thoughts from a Spanish local in today's episode. Support this podcast: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/You could also sign up to receive new articles (or become a paid subscriber) on Substack: https://spaintogo.substack.com Thanks for listening!

The UK has a small territory called Gibraltar near the southern tip of Spain – or, more accurately, near the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula. So today's episode is about Spanish-Gibraltarian relations, the new open border, the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in Africa, John Lennon's wedding to Yoko Ono and more. Donate to the podcast here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/These days I'm writing a companion blog to the Spain to Go podcast over on Substack, you can read this article and check out some relevant links at: https://spaintogo.substack.com/p/gibraltar

Spain won the world cup last Sunday, and the positive national feeling lasted about 48 hours. Now the Catalan nationalists are back to their usual levels of Spain-hating. (And don't even get me started on the Basques.) Here's an update from summer in Barcelona: it's high season for tourism, and everything smells like piss. Donate to the cause here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/You can follow my new articles on Substack, I'll be writing there as well for a while: https://spaintogo.substack.com/Book a cycling tour across some beautiful Spanish regions with Bike Tour in Spain, and tell Raul that Daniel from the Spain to Go podcast sent you (he'll appreciate the business)... Check out: https://biketourinspain.com/Have a good summer!

Spain has made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup, with a match against France... but the top story is actually about some unfortunate comments by former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Rajoy claims that the French team "doesn't have any French players" – a comment on the team's ethnic makeup. So in this special bonus episode, we're talking about World Cup racism, and what the future of Spanishness looks like, with the current trend towards a Spanish Melting Pot. Donate to the cause here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/More on my blog: https://spaintogo.substack.com/Thanks for listening!

These days, with a bit of summer heat here in Europe, a lot of Americans are talking about air conditioning. Is it true that Europeans don't use aircon? Is it because we're all tree-hugging environmentalists, or could it possibly be for some other reason? I take these questions seriously, and try to answer them. Donate to the podcast here, I'll give you a shoutout in my next episode: https://expatmadrid.com/donateYou could also follow Spain to Go on Substack, I'm creating a sort of companion blog over there: https://spaintogo.substack.com/

Today I'm revisiting the old "expat" vs "immigrant" debate. What do these labels mean, and does it really matter? Also, a big life update from Daniel and Morena. Sign up to my Substack here for more about life in Spain: https://spaintogo.substack.com/Donate to the podcast over here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/And if you'd like to read my classic "Expats vs Immigrants" article, check it out on the blog here: https://expatmadrid.com/expat-immigrant-guiri/