124 - Middle Aged Wisdom and Youthful Delusion

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/

In today's episode, we've got political corruption, prostitution, and the (poorly-named) rise of the far right. Yes, things are changing here in Spain, and people are mad. Far right groups were causing all kinds of havoc down in Torre Pacheco, Murcia over the weekend, after three Moroccans beat up a Spanish grandfather – allegedly for TikTok content. All in all, it's a bad time to be a Spanish voter. Donate to the podcast here: https://expatmadrid.com/donate/Sign up for a food tour with Devour Tours, in Madrid, Barcelona and more: https://expatmadrid.com/devour/Walks Tours has amazing experiences around Spain and Europe (I did their early morning Prado Museum tour last year and highly recommend it.) Find out more here: https://expatmadrid.com/walks/Finally, for something much more active, check out Bike Tour in Spain. I've done two of their tours and had a great time: https://biketourinspain.com/Enjoy!

Lauren Aloise started leading food tours in Madrid during the Great Recession, and had soon turned Devour Tours into a thriving business. Learn how Lauren went from recipe blogger to travel entrepreneur, her favorite regional Spanish foods, what she thinks about the future of Spanish tourism (and the risk posed by anti-tourism protests) and more.Book a food tour in Madrid, Barcelona or elsewhere at https://expatmadrid.com/devour/Walking tours and unique experiences with Devour's sister company, Walks Tours here: https://expatmadrid.com/walks/Or check out the recipe blog that started it all, it's called Spanish Sabores and it's at https://spanishsabores.com/