1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,000 Hello, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:07,240 My friend Joshua Craig, who is joining with us today, 3 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,400 is my American friend who I went to university with 4 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:12,440 at the University of Georgia. 5 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,080 Josh has had the opportunity to live in Spain 6 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:17,140 on two different occasions, 7 00:00:17,140 --> 00:00:20,560 once in Valencia and the other in Madrid. 8 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:24,160 So Josh has had an opportunity to really dive deeper 9 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,040 into Spanish culture and what it's like to live in Spain 10 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:30,640 from a more local's perspective. 11 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,980 In this episode today, Josh and I talked about 12 00:00:33,980 --> 00:00:37,080 so many insightful recommendations, 13 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,800 places to see in Valencia, places to see in Madrid, 14 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:42,960 dabbling a little bit in Barcelona, 15 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:45,180 and the perfect places you should go to 16 00:00:45,180 --> 00:00:48,280 to try the most traditional of Spanish cuisine, 17 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,360 a really hilarious roommate story, 18 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,080 there's a really good fast food place we will mention, 19 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:55,120 and some very helpful tips, 20 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,840 any person who is going to Spain for the first time 21 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:00,660 would find very helpful. 22 00:01:00,660 --> 00:01:03,560 We hope you enjoy, and of course, as always, 23 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,680 be sure to share your feedback with me on Instagram, 24 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,000 and please give this show a five star review 25 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,280 if you have not done so already. 26 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:13,800 Sending you lots of love, 27 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,960 let's go ahead and dive deep into this episode. 28 00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:21,600 Hello, Josh, long time no see. 29 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,200 Yes, indeed, long time no see. 30 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:28,680 I am so happy to have you back here on the podcast. 31 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:30,280 For those of you who don't know, 32 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:34,240 Josh was actually in our France episode 33 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,600 probably a couple of months ago or so. 34 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:41,360 Tell us a little bit about yourself from your perspective 35 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,600 and about your overall involvement 36 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,320 and experience in Spain. 37 00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:49,800 So my name is Josh or Joshua. 38 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:54,240 I am living near Atlanta, same as Mary Grace. 39 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:55,080 Yes, yes. 40 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,720 And I teach English as a second language, 41 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:02,520 and I really got interested in Spain when I was in college. 42 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,600 My sophomore year at UGA, 43 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,680 I went to Spain in the spring semester, 44 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:11,360 and it was a blast. 45 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:12,760 I loved every minute of it, 46 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,600 and since then I've been obsessed with Spain. 47 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,600 Why did you go to Spain? 48 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:21,760 Spain is the only Spanish speaking country in Europe, 49 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:24,840 and so since I really wanted to live in Europe, 50 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:25,680 it was Spain. 51 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:27,680 It was Spain. 52 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:29,960 I was studying Romance languages, 53 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,520 and so I studied both Spanish and French. 54 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,480 My Spanish is much better than my French, 55 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:37,200 so I decided to go to Spain, 56 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:41,480 tried my hardest to practice every day and got in, 57 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,400 did the program, and I fell in love with Spain. 58 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:46,840 Why, living there, studying there. 59 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:48,400 I really love that. 60 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:50,480 Spain definitely is one of those countries 61 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,760 that I think just about anybody could fall in love with 62 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:55,760 if they immerse themselves in the culture 63 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:58,800 and really just have fun and meet people 64 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:00,840 and learn the language. 65 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:05,000 Josh has had the opportunity to live in Spain twice. 66 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,600 So the first time he lived in Valencia, 67 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:12,080 and you live there 10 years ago now, which is crazy. 68 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:16,280 And then the second time, Josh lived in Madrid. 69 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,360 So let's start with your time in Valencia. 70 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:20,200 Yes. 71 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,720 Based on your experience in Valencia, 72 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:27,320 what was your first impression of Spain and Spanish people 73 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,080 and Spanish culture, Spanish life? 74 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,360 Valencia is very beautiful. 75 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:36,680 It has a lot of old architecture, beautiful plazas, 76 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:38,240 a lot of history. 77 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,040 Valencia is very close to the beach, 78 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,880 and so you can go to the beach really easily. 79 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:44,680 One of the things that I first noticed 80 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,480 is that in Valencia, they do speak Spanish, 81 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:49,880 but a lot of the signs are not in Spanish. 82 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:54,760 The signs are in Valencian, which is close to Catalan. 83 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:59,480 And so they're very proud of having their own language, 84 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,160 but most people do speak Spanish. 85 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,560 And so it was very interesting to be learning Spanish, 86 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,800 doing everything in Spanish, but none of the signs 87 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:09,760 were really in Spanish per se. 88 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:11,440 So it was an interest. 89 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,720 That was kind of interesting, to say the least. 90 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,240 Not sure if many people know, but there's 91 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:21,280 Catalonia, which is in Spain, and they specifically 92 00:04:21,280 --> 00:04:22,680 like the Barcelona area. 93 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,200 And they are very much interested in becoming 94 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:26,120 independent. 95 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,160 But Valencia is one of those areas 96 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,760 that some people like independence, 97 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:32,320 some people don't like independence. 98 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,000 And so you have that interesting mix there. 99 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:40,320 Another impression is that people there are quite very nice. 100 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:44,480 I was able to make friends relatively quickly, 101 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:45,640 living in the dorm. 102 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,200 A lot of international people were there, 103 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,840 got to speak Spanish, got to make friends. 104 00:04:50,840 --> 00:04:54,200 It was very easy, especially in comparison with France, 105 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:57,320 which was a lot harder to make friends in. 106 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:01,800 Spain was easier, more laid back, not as stressful. 107 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:03,760 What are some places that you would 108 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:08,320 recommend for anybody who is planning to visit Valencia? 109 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,400 And also, if there are any special foods 110 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:15,600 that people should be trying when going to Valencia, 111 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:16,880 what would you recommend? 112 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,560 So in Valencia, there are a lot of different places 113 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:20,360 you can go to. 114 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,440 So one is Plaza de la Virgen. 115 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:27,120 So Plaza de la Virgen, it is a very nice area. 116 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:29,680 Even the floor is just beautiful. 117 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:31,920 It's marble. 118 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:33,120 It's classy. 119 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:34,040 Classy. 120 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:36,000 There's a beautiful water fountain. 121 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:37,880 There's a basilica as well. 122 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:39,320 Very beautiful area. 123 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,360 And that was actually close to where I was living, 124 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:42,560 in the dorms. 125 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:46,000 And then also, you could go to Plaza de la Reina, 126 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:47,440 so Plaza of the Queen. 127 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,200 And so that actually has a little McDonald's. 128 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:53,960 Next to the McDonald's is a cute little ice cream place. 129 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:55,640 Beautiful shops there. 130 00:05:55,640 --> 00:06:00,360 And then that connects to the Town Hall Plaza. 131 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:02,120 So that's a much bigger plaza. 132 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,880 So you have all these plazas connected together. 133 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:08,840 And it's just very beautiful, beautiful architecture. 134 00:06:08,840 --> 00:06:11,440 Another cool feature about Valencia 135 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:16,400 is that they have a park called the River, Rio. 136 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:20,200 And essentially, there used to be an actual river 137 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:21,360 that was there. 138 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,040 But I think it was the 1940s. 139 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:26,040 I might be mistaken on the year. 140 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:29,280 It flooded really badly, and a lot of people passed away. 141 00:06:29,280 --> 00:06:32,160 And so they actually decided to drain the river 142 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,320 and convert that into a park. 143 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,400 And so where this river used to be 144 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:40,000 is a very long park that goes throughout the entire city. 145 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:41,040 Very beautiful. 146 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,920 A lot of things to see and do in the park itself. 147 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:47,880 They have places you can play soccer, 148 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:51,360 play different sports, different things for children. 149 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,360 So different jungle gyms and whatnot. 150 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:59,220 Nature, a lot of places to just walk around, relax, enjoy. 151 00:06:59,220 --> 00:07:02,720 Another cool area is called the City of the Arts 152 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:04,280 and the Sciences. 153 00:07:04,280 --> 00:07:06,360 It is a more modern area. 154 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,200 And so it has a lot of water features, 155 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,120 has some cool museums. 156 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:13,160 I think the aquarium is close to there. 157 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:14,880 So it's just a really cool area. 158 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,800 And then, of course, going to the beach. 159 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:21,480 At least for me, I have never lived in an area 160 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:23,160 where I could go to the beach frequently. 161 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:25,560 I know Valencians think that. 162 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:27,520 They're like, oh, there are so many tourists. 163 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:29,040 So we go to another beach. 164 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,920 But for me, it was great. 165 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,160 It was a great beach to go to. 166 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:37,200 We didn't go that often because we were there 167 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,840 from January to April. 168 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:42,280 And so we didn't have time. 169 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:44,920 It was just too cold to go in January, February. 170 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,840 A lot of cool places to see in Valencia. 171 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,520 In terms of the food, Valencia is actually 172 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:52,720 the birthplace of paella. 173 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:57,200 And so I do recommend eating their paella. 174 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:59,720 Especially if you're going to go to Valencia, 175 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:01,800 don't get the paella in other places. 176 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,760 Even like Barcelona or Madrid, they have paella 177 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:07,840 but it's more for tourists. 178 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:09,920 The tourist trap, if you will. 179 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:15,040 A classic paella in Valencia will actually have rabbit meat. 180 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:16,360 I didn't know that. 181 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,200 And so one funny thing we got paella 182 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,440 when I went with my American friends, 183 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:24,560 they had the entire skeleton of this rabbit. 184 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:26,480 And so we saw the skull. 185 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:28,440 And we're like, oh my. 186 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:30,840 You see this dead rabbit skull. 187 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:32,520 Other than that, it's really good. 188 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:33,400 I do recommend it. 189 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:36,160 Lots of vegetables in this paella as well. 190 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:38,240 You could also get seafood paella. 191 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,840 One cool one is like a black paella. 192 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:44,760 They use, I think it's octopus ink or squid ink 193 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:46,680 to dye the rice black. 194 00:08:46,680 --> 00:08:49,360 And then they put aioli sauce on it. 195 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:50,160 It's really good. 196 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:50,880 That's delicious. 197 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:51,880 If you like seafood. 198 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:53,800 If you do not like seafood, do not have. 199 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:55,240 It's not going to be good. 200 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,440 But if you do like seafood, I think it is quite delicious. 201 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:00,240 They have a lot of different options there. 202 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:01,880 A lot of very good restaurants. 203 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:04,880 One of the cool restaurants that was close to where I was living 204 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:08,920 is called Hasta La Pasta, which was an Italian place. 205 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:11,600 I think they made their own pastas and stuff. 206 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:12,880 Very, very good. 207 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:14,120 I love this. 208 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:14,880 Oh, I love it. 209 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:17,000 I have never been to Valencia personally. 210 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,000 But just hearing you talk about it 211 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:22,800 makes me want to go whenever I have the chance one day. 212 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:24,280 Just to see Valencia. 213 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:29,000 Let's also talk a little bit about your time in Madrid. 214 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:29,520 Yes. 215 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:32,280 So this is very colorful. 216 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,680 And I am very excited for Josh to be sharing 217 00:09:35,680 --> 00:09:38,480 these juicy details with us today. 218 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:42,520 Let's talk about your living situation in Madrid. 219 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:45,720 And your roommate situation. 220 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:47,880 Yes. 221 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,840 So originally found a place in Madrid. 222 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:54,640 And the guy was from Peru, super nice. 223 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:56,960 Was able to set it up easily. 224 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:00,160 And I was under the impression that his girlfriend from Peru 225 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:03,240 was moving, or not moving, but visiting. 226 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:05,440 She ended up moving there. 227 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:07,560 So I had another roommate. 228 00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:11,240 And so she caused a lot of issues. 229 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:16,120 One of the first things that occurred is when we were there, 230 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:18,600 I was sleeping because I had to work the next day, 231 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:20,920 as a normal human being does. 232 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:26,440 And she needed to FaceTime her friend at 2 in the morning. 233 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:29,000 Oh my gosh, we have a conduction oven. 234 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,960 Very loudly at 2 in the morning. 235 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:33,560 I'm just like, this is wild. 236 00:10:33,560 --> 00:10:34,400 You need to stop. 237 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:39,720 The other issues included when she would cook, 238 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:42,040 she would always use the one pot. 239 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,920 We would only have one pot for the entire apartment. 240 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:46,040 I don't know why. 241 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:48,120 My roommate would work at night. 242 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:51,440 And then she didn't have a job for the first couple of months. 243 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:52,200 She was there. 244 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:56,120 And so she was just always there. 245 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:59,160 And so she would use the pot. 246 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:02,280 And then she would not put the food away from that pot 247 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:03,440 into the refrigerator. 248 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:04,680 She'd just leave it there. 249 00:11:04,680 --> 00:11:06,200 So I had nowhere. 250 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:08,280 I had nothing to cook in. 251 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:10,360 And I'm like, can you clean the pot? 252 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:14,000 And she would do it if I asked, but she would never 253 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:15,840 do it if I didn't ask. 254 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:17,640 And so I ended up getting another pot 255 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:19,920 and then hoarding it in my room. 256 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:23,000 Because I'm like, I don't trust you. 257 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,680 You're going to just use the two pots. 258 00:11:25,680 --> 00:11:29,720 Another issue that came up was my roommate 259 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:32,920 had his family live in Spain as well. 260 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:36,920 And they would just show up without any warning. 261 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,240 Because he would have maybe one day off a week 262 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:40,160 or something like that. 263 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:42,280 He worked at a bar or something. 264 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,560 And they would just all be there. 265 00:11:44,560 --> 00:11:47,480 And I'm like, it wasn't a tiny, tiny apartment, 266 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:49,000 but it wasn't a big apartment. 267 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:49,800 I'm not going to lie. 268 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:51,680 It was quite small. 269 00:11:51,680 --> 00:11:53,400 There wasn't really a lot of room. 270 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:54,680 They were quite loud. 271 00:11:54,680 --> 00:11:57,080 When my roommate was there with his girlfriend, 272 00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:58,680 they would fight a lot. 273 00:11:58,680 --> 00:12:01,360 They broke up shortly after. 274 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:06,080 But one of the worst things was I would say hello, buenos 275 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:10,400 dias in the morning, hola, like a normal person. 276 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:14,680 And she'd just look at me, Joshua, and walk away. 277 00:12:14,680 --> 00:12:18,600 And I'm like, I'm sorry. 278 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:19,880 What? 279 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:21,760 No, that's aggressive. 280 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:23,200 That's not even passive aggressive. 281 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:24,000 That's aggressive. 282 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,480 So I remember I called my roommate 283 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:28,600 to talk to him about this. 284 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:30,520 He's like, oh, yeah, my girlfriend mentioned. 285 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:32,840 It's probably your religion or something. 286 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:36,160 It's not my religion that she treats me like trash. 287 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:38,360 What's happening is she's not saying hello, 288 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:41,760 like a normal person, like girl. 289 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:45,840 So she was not a nice person to live with, 290 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:50,360 making a lot of noise in the early morning, like 2, 3 AM, 291 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:52,840 because she started working at the same place that he would. 292 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:54,720 And they would come home together, 293 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:56,680 making a ton of ruckus. 294 00:12:56,680 --> 00:12:59,360 It was just not a good living arrangement. 295 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:03,640 And so I was lucky I got to move out of that. 296 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:05,200 And then I could, you know, a week later, 297 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:09,360 the pandemic came to Spain, and we were confined. 298 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,760 So I'm very lucky that I was not confined 299 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:18,760 when I was living at the toxic roommates. 300 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,480 That is one way to refer to that place. 301 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:23,720 I think that you really did luck out 302 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:28,240 by literally within one week of the pandemic exploding 303 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:29,640 and taking over the world, 304 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:33,200 that you were able to escape this dungeon of hell, 305 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:34,440 so to speak. 306 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:35,280 Wow. 307 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:38,560 Yeah, having a horrible roommate is definitely, 308 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:41,040 I don't even have words for it. 309 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:44,120 It is just unbearably awful 310 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:46,240 if you are ever in that situation. 311 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,480 I have been in that situation, not in Spain, 312 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:54,400 but in other places, which I will get into at another time. 313 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:57,080 But I do understand how that is. 314 00:13:57,080 --> 00:13:59,080 It is no fun. 315 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:02,080 And it really tainted my experience living in Madrid. 316 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,840 And so I don't have as many good memories in Madrid 317 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:06,720 as a result. 318 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:07,960 I do have good memories. 319 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:08,800 Don't get me wrong. 320 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,560 It's just, that was a very large part of my time there. 321 00:14:12,560 --> 00:14:16,520 And it just never got better and actually got worse. 322 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:20,320 I just felt like I couldn't do anything in the apartment 323 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:22,160 and just live normally. 324 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,560 And so definitely, if you're in a bad roommate situation, 325 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:27,560 try to get out of it as soon as possible. 326 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:29,960 Do not wait, like I did. 327 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:31,960 I probably moved there in September 328 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,560 and I got out of that in February the following year. 329 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:38,360 So luckily the place I moved in afterwards, 330 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:42,000 it was a nice young couple from Venezuela. 331 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:42,840 Very nice. 332 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:43,760 They had a dog. 333 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:45,160 We all got along. 334 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:49,040 We had to get to know each other more than we would have 335 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:51,200 had it been normal because we were all confined 336 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:52,280 in that space. 337 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:53,560 It was much nicer. 338 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:54,720 It wasn't bad. 339 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:58,400 So with this very unfortunate roommate situation 340 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:02,440 now being said, let's talk about the good things 341 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:04,000 that you got out of Madrid 342 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,040 and also any specific recommendations 343 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:10,200 on what to do in Madrid, what to be aware of in Madrid. 344 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:12,040 Madrid is a very cool city. 345 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:13,440 There's a lot to do. 346 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:17,120 You can go to their main museum. 347 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:18,880 I think it's the Prado. 348 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:19,720 Very nice. 349 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:21,600 You can see a lot of famous artwork 350 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:23,520 if that is what you're interested in. 351 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:24,760 En Retiro, yes. 352 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:26,080 This place is beautiful. 353 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:28,360 It's a park where there is water 354 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:30,280 and you can take a boat there. 355 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:31,160 I went there. 356 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:32,840 That was probably at least for me, 357 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:35,600 one of my most favorite places in Madrid. 358 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:36,720 I loved that place. 359 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:37,560 Yes. 360 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:38,400 In summer especially. 361 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:40,760 Parque de Retiro, very nice park. 362 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:42,520 Spacious, the lake. 363 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:43,960 Yeah, and you can go on these like- 364 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:44,800 Paddle boats. 365 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:45,640 Paddle boats, yeah. 366 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:46,640 They have paddle boats. 367 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:49,600 They have like cute little oar things. 368 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:51,920 There's also the Palacio Real, 369 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:53,960 which is the royal palace, 370 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:56,240 which is a really cool place to go to. 371 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:59,040 And that is just a really nice area. 372 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,280 And then around that, there are a lot of cool stores 373 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:02,680 you can go to. 374 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,640 One other cool thing about Madrid is the diversity. 375 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:09,360 So a lot of other Europeans moved to Madrid 376 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:12,840 because Spain has a lot better climate 377 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:13,760 than the rest of Europe. 378 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:15,080 It's not as cold. 379 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:17,640 And so you'll see a lot of Europeans there. 380 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:20,680 You see a lot of Latin Americans there as well, 381 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:21,720 which is really cool. 382 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,960 You get to not only experience a Spanish culture, 383 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,320 but Latin American cultures as well. 384 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:30,040 They have like really cool Peruvian restaurants. 385 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,400 You can go to Venezuelan places. 386 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:36,920 It's a really nice mix of cultures. 387 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:40,000 Madrid is really close to other places. 388 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,680 So if you wanna go to like Toledo, 389 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:47,120 it's not that far of a, I think train ride or bus ride. 390 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:50,160 You can do one or the other. 391 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:52,200 And that is, the Toledo is really cool 392 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,760 because it is the city of three religions. 393 00:16:55,760 --> 00:17:00,760 So they have a history of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. 394 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:04,040 And so you see a lot of different places 395 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:06,280 and the mix of cultures, architectures, 396 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:07,440 and all that cool stuff. 397 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:09,200 From Madrid, you can easily go 398 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:11,720 to a bunch of different places. 399 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:15,320 Another cool place is called the Casa Lucio. 400 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:17,280 It's a nice little restaurant. 401 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:19,200 There are a lot of places you can get tapas. 402 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:20,560 And if you don't know what tapas are, 403 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:23,000 they are little side dishes, typically. 404 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:24,600 And so you can get like three or four 405 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:25,880 to try different things. 406 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:28,800 I really liked their garlic shrimp. 407 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:31,400 Typically when you buy like, it's called una caña, 408 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:34,800 like a thin of beer, you get free tapas with that. 409 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:36,400 I remember that from Spain. 410 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:37,240 That's very nice. 411 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:38,320 That's a very nice thing. 412 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:40,280 It's mean it's not like a huge thing. 413 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:43,240 It's like either olives or something like that. 414 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:45,120 But that's a really nice scene of Spain. 415 00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:47,240 You can get like a bunch of tapas. 416 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,600 Are there some specific tapas that you would recommend 417 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:52,080 or that you really, really love? 418 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:55,800 Or that even are very specifically special to Spain 419 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:59,920 that any visitor should absolutely not miss? 420 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:04,920 So the classic in my eyes are patatas bravas, 421 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:08,400 which are potatoes. 422 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:11,480 And normally they have like an alioli sauce on them. 423 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:15,360 It's quite simple, but it's fantastic. 424 00:18:15,360 --> 00:18:17,480 There are also these things called croquetas, 425 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:20,320 which normally like have ham and cheese in them. 426 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:21,160 Amazing. 427 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:22,680 I love croquetas. Those are my favorite. 428 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:24,440 Here we do have some croquetas, 429 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:26,600 but you're just like disappointed. 430 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,760 There's also a dish called tortilla española. 431 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:33,000 So Spanish tortilla. 432 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:34,960 And it is not a tortilla at all. 433 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:38,680 So think of like an omelet-esque pie, 434 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:40,640 and then it has like potatoes in it 435 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:42,360 and is really, really good. 436 00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:45,320 You can get it for like brunch time. 437 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:47,320 If you are going throughout Spain, 438 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:50,360 I recommend getting seafood closer to the coasts, 439 00:18:50,360 --> 00:18:52,200 not in the central region. 440 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:54,680 Well, one thing that Josh actually mentioned to me 441 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:58,360 before we hit record and something that came up 442 00:18:58,360 --> 00:18:59,760 that I found very interesting 443 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:02,920 that I would love for you to go into more detail about 444 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:06,160 is Madrid's pollution. 445 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:07,520 So what is this? 446 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:12,240 Like explain to us the pollution problem that is in Madrid 447 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:16,680 and how you came to know about Madrid's pollution 448 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:17,640 specifically. 449 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:21,440 So I didn't even notice the pollution until I left the city. 450 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:23,720 So I went with one of my friends in Madrid 451 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:26,000 and he needed to deliver a package. 452 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:29,600 So we had to go a little outside of the city by bus. 453 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:31,440 And I remember getting off the bus 454 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:34,680 and realizing how fresh the air was. 455 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:35,760 I'm like, oh no. 456 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:39,960 That probably means that Madrid is not 457 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:42,640 going to be the healthiest city to live in 458 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:46,120 if you have a lot of breathing problems. 459 00:19:46,120 --> 00:19:49,040 There is a lot of smog in Madrid. 460 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:52,720 You can tell a difference in the air quality. 461 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:55,080 I don't think I've ever had that before. 462 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:57,760 Like in Valencia, I bet there are problems, 463 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:01,160 but it just didn't feel like there were as many problems. 464 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:05,160 We also lived not too far from a park in Valencia. 465 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:09,520 The trees must have absorbed some of that pollution. 466 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:13,280 And Madrid, where I was living for the bulk of it, 467 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:15,480 not all of it, there were not as many parts. 468 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,200 It's very heavily populated. 469 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,960 And so I really noticed the smog. 470 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:24,480 It wasn't great. 471 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:25,840 It wasn't great. 472 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:27,160 Not going to lie. 473 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:29,600 It doesn't sound like it was great. 474 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:33,200 I really just didn't realize that Madrid was that polluted 475 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:37,000 because I told Josh earlier that I had gone to Madrid 476 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,920 almost 10 years ago, and I don't remember it being 477 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:42,440 that polluted. 478 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:45,240 I never realized that that was truly a problem. 479 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:47,880 I mean, I would expect that maybe in London. 480 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:50,440 I would expect that in Paris, maybe somewhere else. 481 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:52,400 But Madrid? 482 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:53,560 Like what? 483 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:56,800 So it was very surprising to learn that information. 484 00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:57,640 You know, for sure. 485 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:00,720 Like, so if you ever go to Madrid, be careful. 486 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:02,560 The air quality is bad. 487 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:03,360 For sure. 488 00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:05,560 Although you might not notice it as much if you're only 489 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:07,200 there for even a week. 490 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,840 But if you're there a long term, you definitely 491 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:11,920 start to notice it. 492 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:15,720 But just for vacation, I think it'd be fine. 493 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,040 But it was super noticeable when I left. 494 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:20,360 And I'm like, this is not good. 495 00:21:20,360 --> 00:21:22,120 This is not good. 496 00:21:22,120 --> 00:21:25,040 One thing to note about Spain is if you go there 497 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:27,920 and you want to eat there, they do not 498 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:30,360 start eating until very late. 499 00:21:30,360 --> 00:21:35,000 So restaurants typically will close after lunch. 500 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:38,280 And they will not open up again until around 8 PM 501 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:41,520 to maybe midnight or something like that. 502 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:43,840 So if you are an early eater, you 503 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:48,560 need to definitely go or get some snacks to hold you over. 504 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:54,360 Because most people do not eat dinner until around 9 or 10 505 00:21:54,360 --> 00:21:54,960 in Spain. 506 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:56,840 So that is something that you would 507 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,400 have to get used to being there. 508 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:05,240 They do not really cater to people who eat at 5 PM. 509 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:07,760 5 PM is when they have a snack. 510 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,600 But they will eat closer to 9 or 10. 511 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:12,720 They have five meal times officially. 512 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:16,160 So you have your desayuno, so your breakfast. 513 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:18,560 Then you have your muerto, which is 514 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:20,640 in between breakfast and lunch. 515 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:22,680 You'd normally have it at 11-ish. 516 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:25,320 And it would be like a sandwich or something. 517 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:30,440 Then you have la comida, which is lunch for people in Spain. 518 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:35,080 And that would be more at like 2 PM, not 12. 519 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:39,120 Here we eat more at 12, but Spain, too. 520 00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:42,240 Then you have your marienda, which is your snack time. 521 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:44,920 That's when you could go get churros, for example, 522 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:45,920 or something. 523 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:49,640 And that would be 4-ish, 5, 6 maybe. 524 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:51,480 And then dinner la cena. 525 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:55,560 8 PM is the time that children eat. 526 00:22:55,560 --> 00:23:00,480 So adults normally would want to eat probably at like 9 or 10. 527 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:02,480 It's much later. 528 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:06,840 So the times in Spain are very different. 529 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:09,840 If you are really hungry, that's why the touristy places 530 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:10,680 are there. 531 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:13,680 So you could get your paella at 5 PM. 532 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:15,440 Just note that it is not authentic, 533 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:20,080 because no Spanish person is going to eat at that time. 534 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:21,320 So keep that in mind. 535 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:24,480 That is very, very helpful, I think, 536 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,400 to anybody who is visiting Spain and who does not 537 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:31,160 have a clue about how any of the meal times work. 538 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:34,280 Spaniards and people in Spain operate 539 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:36,880 on an extremely late schedule. 540 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:39,080 Like I remember when I was in Spain, 541 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:43,000 I remember the Spaniards would stay out all night long. 542 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:47,040 I mean, they literally maybe go home at 6 in the morning. 543 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:50,320 That is not uncommon to see, which 544 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:51,600 is just wild. 545 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:54,480 So for you, Josh, how did you adjust 546 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:57,040 to this type of late culture? 547 00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:00,280 So maybe in terms of going out, in terms of eating late, 548 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:04,040 in terms of operating on a completely later schedule? 549 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:05,720 I'm probably not the best example, 550 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:07,560 because I like to stay home. 551 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:11,360 But the nights that I did do stuff, one, 552 00:24:11,360 --> 00:24:16,200 I would just drink coffee to stay up super late. 553 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:19,600 Because otherwise, I was going to go to bed. 554 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:22,400 A lot of people in Spain will take a nap. 555 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:24,680 And so you have a nap hour. 556 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:25,600 Siesta. 557 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:27,000 Yeah, your siesta. 558 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,080 That's what a lot of people would do. 559 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:31,840 Another thing, I'm not sure. 560 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:33,840 I don't know. 561 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:35,760 Do you know the history or the reason 562 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:39,720 why there is a siesta period? 563 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:41,160 Where did that come from? 564 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,640 Why do people take a nap in the middle of the day 565 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:47,160 for a couple of hours in Spain? 566 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:50,560 I know it's cultural, but I just wonder, yeah, 567 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:52,440 why don't other countries do that? 568 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:53,480 Might be traditional. 569 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:54,040 I'm not sure. 570 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:56,240 But people would go home for lunch. 571 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:57,720 And then they would take their nap. 572 00:24:57,720 --> 00:24:59,280 And then they would go back to work. 573 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:02,480 Nowadays, I don't know if that's always the case. 574 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:04,920 It would probably depend on the place 575 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:07,520 you're in, like in smaller villages, that might be the case, 576 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:09,200 more so than the city. 577 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:11,520 It's a slower pace of life. 578 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:13,600 Even in Madrid, it is more chaotic. 579 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:18,160 But it's not like France or even in Germany, 580 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:21,560 and especially not like the US and New York. 581 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:24,440 And people take their time to do things. 582 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:26,440 People often show up late. 583 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:27,440 Not everyone's late. 584 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:31,720 But it's just there's not this, like, let's hurry up and go 585 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:36,720 kind of culture that we have, at least in the United States. 586 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:40,200 It's just a lot more like, oh, we have time to do it. 587 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:41,560 Oh, there's no rush. 588 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:42,840 Yeah, I'll do that later. 589 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:44,880 I'll do that later, yes. 590 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:48,000 They even say like, oh, there's always tomorrow. 591 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:49,880 There is always tomorrow in their book. 592 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,040 We don't have to worry about doing it today. 593 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,280 So it's not that they're lazy. 594 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:58,840 It's just that they're working to live, more so 595 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:00,360 than living to work. 596 00:26:00,360 --> 00:26:02,800 It's a much more relaxed culture. 597 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:05,120 Like, after you're done working, you go out. 598 00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:07,720 Even on the weekdays, there will be people 599 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:09,960 that are out all night. 600 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:12,320 And then even on Thursday, you probably 601 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:14,400 could go, I might be wrong on that. 602 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:16,760 But like Friday and Saturday, a lot of people 603 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:19,800 just go to the clubs all night, sleep all day, 604 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:21,240 and do it all over again. 605 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:24,800 So it depends on the person, honestly. 606 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:27,920 Like, extroverts definitely like to do that. 607 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:31,000 And introverts prefer to, you know, stay low. 608 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:31,800 Lay low. 609 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:32,800 Lay low. 610 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:36,600 I did go out, but it wasn't like some of my other friends 611 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:40,040 that were out every weekend, every weekend, 612 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:43,000 had to go to the discotheca. 613 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:46,280 In the US, you pregame, and then you probably 614 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:48,480 go out to the clubs, what, right? 615 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:49,280 Like nine? 616 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:50,160 Yes. 617 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:54,200 And Spain, you pregame until midnight. 618 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:56,160 And then you go out to the clubs, 619 00:26:56,160 --> 00:27:00,600 and you're there from like one to five or one to six. 620 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:03,800 Some people even eat breakfast right before they go to bed. 621 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:06,240 That is just, yeah, that is hardcore. 622 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:11,240 Very different party culture for sure. 623 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:14,680 I, that's why I need my coffee. 624 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:16,480 Like I couldn't stay up. 625 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:20,720 I'm one of the first ones to fall asleep, so. 626 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:21,560 Just like me. 627 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:22,400 Yeah. 628 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:24,000 Actually, there is a quick story, 629 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:25,400 and this is related to Spain. 630 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:27,960 So Josh and I also studied in France together, 631 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:32,320 and there was a weekend at some point during our France time 632 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:36,080 when us and our group went to Barcelona. 633 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:38,560 And we went out that night, and I think 634 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:43,480 that I had fallen asleep, or that I was one of the first ones 635 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:44,240 to fall asleep. 636 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:47,880 And I think Josh, and maybe one other person, 637 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:51,640 I think forced me to get up and forced me to stay awake. 638 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:55,200 And I did, and I was very happy that I did. 639 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:58,240 But yeah, I mean, it's real. 640 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:03,360 People in Spain, I mean, when they party, they party hard, 641 00:28:03,360 --> 00:28:05,920 and they party long and late. 642 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:10,280 So if you are in that crowd, and that is your thing, 643 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:11,800 Spain will be your place. 644 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:12,280 Yes. 645 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:14,520 I mean, no doubt in the world. 646 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,680 Be careful when you go to these places, 647 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:18,840 because there are a lot of instances 648 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:20,440 where people do get drugged. 649 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:22,680 People do, bad things happen. 650 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:24,760 So make sure you're going with friends. 651 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:27,720 Just go alone, and that's not a good idea. 652 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:28,480 Go with friends. 653 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:29,000 No. 654 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:30,880 Make sure you know where your phone is. 655 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:33,720 Make sure you're putting it in a safe place. 656 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:36,640 There's a lot of paypocketing in Spain. 657 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:39,200 So you want to make sure you have your wallet, 658 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:45,240 have your keys, or your phone, because that will be missing 659 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:50,640 if you're not careful easily in those discotecas. 660 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:55,040 Have you ever had a friend who had that happen? 661 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:56,440 Probably, I don't remember. 662 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:58,720 But it wasn't me. 663 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:00,680 Let's hope it was not you. 664 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:03,960 Let's also quickly touch upon Barcelona, 665 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:07,280 because I know that that is one of the most common places 666 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:10,800 that most people who go to Spain visit. 667 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:12,680 I know you didn't live in Barcelona, 668 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:16,360 but you spent more time there than even I did. 669 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:20,520 So what do you recommend in Barcelona? 670 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:25,360 And what specific things, in terms of food, activities, 671 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:30,520 et cetera, should people try or be open to trying 672 00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:33,480 if they are only going to Barcelona? 673 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:37,240 The Sangra Família is very impressive. 674 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:40,920 It does cost money to go in, but I do recommend it. 675 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:43,160 It is beautiful inside. 676 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:46,680 I think they're finishing it up in the next year or two. 677 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:48,720 It's coming close. 678 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:51,600 It's almost as if they're just trying to build it. 679 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:53,160 Yeah, that's what it seems like. 680 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:55,680 Because it'll be different the next time you come back. 681 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:57,040 They're finishing that up. 682 00:29:57,040 --> 00:29:58,440 That's really nice. 683 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:01,560 In Barcelona, another thing that's very common 684 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,880 is tomato sauce on bread. 685 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:06,400 They love to eat that. 686 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:10,760 That is typical Barcelona appetizer. 687 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:13,840 Actually, one of my friends is married to someone 688 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:14,960 from Barcelona. 689 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:18,640 And we went to a restaurant here in Atlanta called Barcelona. 690 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:23,040 And he was disappointed with the bread, because in the US, 691 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:26,360 we do bread and olive oil more. 692 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:28,600 But he's like, where's the tomato sauce? 693 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:31,040 You put tomato sauce on the bread, 694 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:32,400 and that looks very typical. 695 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:34,920 That's more Barcelona. 696 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:37,920 For us, we're just like, oh, yeah, bread and olive oil, 697 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:38,720 dip it. 698 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:40,000 That's cheese, pepper, typically. 699 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:41,240 It's not that sophisticated. 700 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:41,880 Yeah. 701 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:42,880 No. 702 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:43,640 It's good. 703 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:44,440 It's good. 704 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:45,560 I'm not complaining, but. 705 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:46,480 No, it's not. 706 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:50,200 It's delicious, but it's not traditional in that sense. 707 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:56,080 In Barcelona, there are things called fartons. 708 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:57,800 They sound quite bad. 709 00:30:57,800 --> 00:30:58,320 They're not. 710 00:30:58,320 --> 00:30:59,160 They're really good. 711 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:01,680 They're like lawns, beans of bread. 712 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:02,760 Very good. 713 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:05,400 No matter where you are in Spain, 714 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:08,720 you can get very good churros. 715 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:11,520 Most Americans are familiar with Mexican ones, 716 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:13,200 where you have a lot of sugar on them. 717 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:16,920 The ones in Spain don't really have as much sugar. 718 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:18,960 But what you do is with your churro, 719 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:21,680 you can dip it into hot chocolate. 720 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:23,720 And their hot chocolate is to die for. 721 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:26,720 So if you don't like that artificial hot chocolate 722 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:30,120 we have in the US, it is definitely not like that. 723 00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:33,160 It's like they melt pure chocolate. 724 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:37,160 It's typically not super sweet chocolate, actually. 725 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:40,840 And you could just dip your churro in the chocolate. 726 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:42,960 It is amazing, indeed. 727 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:46,440 I do recommend that, no matter where you are in Spain. 728 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:48,120 Those are good recommendations. 729 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:52,080 I was not aware of some of this stuff, especially fartons, 730 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:53,640 which sound really funny. 731 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:54,680 But you know. 732 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:57,600 When you go to a bakery anywhere in Europe, 733 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:00,560 I do recommend just getting small things, 734 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:02,440 but trying things you wouldn't normally. 735 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:06,880 You probably would be surprised at what you enjoy. 736 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:10,080 If you go to Barcelona, keep in mind, 737 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:13,840 there are a lot of people who speak Catalan, not Spanish. 738 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:15,000 So keep that in mind. 739 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:16,960 People speak Spanish in Barcelona. 740 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:19,400 But keep in mind, it is different. 741 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:22,520 Even if you don't agree with the fact they want to separate, 742 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:25,080 it's just good to be respectful of that. 743 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:26,800 Know that they speak Catalan. 744 00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:29,000 And a lot of people prefer to speak Catalan first 745 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:30,000 before Spanish. 746 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:31,840 Of course, they'll speak Spanish if you don't know. 747 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:34,600 For anybody visiting Spain, what would you 748 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:38,760 say are important things to know about Spanish people 749 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:43,320 and Spanish culture that, especially to Americans, 750 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:47,160 would be very helpful to be aware of? 751 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:49,360 The Spanish are quite friendly. 752 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:52,000 It's not like in France. 753 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,840 It's not that people are not friendly in France, 754 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:56,080 but people are not as warm. 755 00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:57,520 Warm, yeah. 756 00:32:57,520 --> 00:32:59,880 I do recommend learning a little bit of Spanish. 757 00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:01,760 People are learning English. 758 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:04,200 Their English is better than it used to be. 759 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:10,400 But they're still not as proficient as Germany. 760 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:13,000 Or if you go to Northern Europe, they're a lot better. 761 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,560 But Spain is not known for its English level. 762 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:18,760 But people are very nice. 763 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:20,800 So even if you don't understand, they're 764 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:22,320 going to try to help you. 765 00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:25,200 If you are there for a longer period of time, 766 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:28,080 it's easier to make friends over there, I would say. 767 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:29,840 Easier to feel connected. 768 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:33,760 Whereas in France, from my last time here, 769 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:36,080 it was a lot harder to make friends. 770 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:37,680 It took a lot longer. 771 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:41,560 But in Spain, I was able to find people, some friends, 772 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:43,960 within like a month or two. 773 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:46,400 So it was a lot easier. 774 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:49,000 Though, of course, there are differences between Americans 775 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:50,480 and Spanish people. 776 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:55,680 I would say that the Spanish are warmer in comparison 777 00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:56,680 to the rest of Europe. 778 00:33:56,680 --> 00:34:00,000 But they're not as warm as Latin Americans. 779 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:03,680 So if you do have experience traveling to Mexico, 780 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:07,440 to Colombia, to Peru, people generally 781 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:11,000 are warmer there than they are in Spain. 782 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:13,840 But Spain is warmer than the rest of Europe. 783 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:17,400 So you see that transition of warmness. 784 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:21,360 One thing about Spain is there are a lot of immigrants there. 785 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:23,320 And so it actually might be easier 786 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:26,120 to make friends with Latin Americans in Spain 787 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:27,800 than the actual Spanish. 788 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:30,800 But it's not difficult to become friends with the Spanish either. 789 00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:34,680 So I wouldn't say that would be an obstacle, per se. 790 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:39,400 So it is interesting to see the differences of warmth 791 00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:43,480 between Latin Americans and Spanish people. 792 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:44,720 I would agree with that. 793 00:34:44,720 --> 00:34:48,120 Yeah, I don't know what it is about Latin America 794 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:51,200 and South America compared to Spain. 795 00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:56,560 But overall, yes, Latin and South America regions 796 00:34:56,560 --> 00:35:00,360 are both definitely, typically, the places where you 797 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:02,840 can find the warmest people. 798 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:06,440 What is the order of warmth, exactly? 799 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:09,440 If America's included, it's very difficult, 800 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:11,240 because I would feel like it depends 801 00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:12,600 where you are in America. 802 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:13,480 And the warmth you get. 803 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:14,800 That is true. 804 00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:19,160 Maybe Southerners are warmer than the Spanish. 805 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:21,840 But the Spanish are going to be warmer than the people 806 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:23,640 from the North in the United States. 807 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:25,080 Yeah, I would agree with that. 808 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,360 So it would be a little bit more nuanced there. 809 00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:30,600 Also, depending where you are in Spain 810 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:32,280 will also determine how warm. 811 00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:33,960 So people from the southern regions 812 00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:37,000 are warmer than the people from the northern regions of Spain. 813 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:39,040 Of course, there are exceptions. 814 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:43,800 But by and large, I would say this is a general, 815 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:48,520 the southern area of the country, at least in Europe, 816 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:50,240 is nicer than the North. 817 00:35:50,240 --> 00:35:52,840 There are a lot of people who will speak English to you. 818 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:53,800 That is true. 819 00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:58,320 But to really get into their hearts, if you speak Spanish, 820 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,520 that's going to be much easier for everyone. 821 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:03,080 You don't even have to speak it fluently. 822 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:08,000 Just saying your basics, or even ordering, 823 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,600 or something like that, saying please and thank you 824 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:13,080 in Spanish, it just goes a long way. 825 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:16,280 Unlike France, France, you have to really watch your volume. 826 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:18,320 You can't just be super, super loud. 827 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:20,640 In Spain, it doesn't matter as much. 828 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:23,760 So people are much more boisterous. 829 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:25,160 They're more friendly. 830 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:27,840 They want to express themselves more. 831 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:31,600 If you are louder, it's not going to be much of a problem, 832 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:34,440 I don't think, in Spain. 833 00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:38,640 If you're in a touristy area, it's OK. 834 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:41,520 But always try to go a street over, 835 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:45,520 and it will automatically become non-touristy, 836 00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:49,320 like the streets connecting to these very touristy streets. 837 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:53,000 And it's just good to see the real Spain, or more authentic 838 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:55,480 areas where locals go to. 839 00:36:55,480 --> 00:37:00,040 So if you go to Spain, I do recommend small destinations. 840 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:02,600 Doesn't all have to be the big cities. 841 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:05,120 You will be surprised by what you can see. 842 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:09,240 It's really cool to just go to smaller areas, and things 843 00:37:09,240 --> 00:37:11,880 that are not on the typical path. 844 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:16,440 One last recommendation that I also have, thanks to Josh, 845 00:37:16,440 --> 00:37:18,560 and I think that you very well will remember 846 00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:19,680 this when I mention it. 847 00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:22,560 Remember 100 Montaditos. 848 00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:24,480 Ah, yes, Montaditos. 849 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:27,880 This is a fast food recommendation, very local, 850 00:37:27,880 --> 00:37:29,320 very, very cheap. 851 00:37:29,320 --> 00:37:31,760 Josh can tell us a little bit about that. 852 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:34,480 Montaditos, they say 100 Montaditos, 853 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:36,560 is a little tiny sandwich. 854 00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:38,440 And so they call it 100 Montaditos, 855 00:37:38,440 --> 00:37:42,320 because there are 100 different sandwiches or things 856 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:43,920 that you can get on their menu. 857 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:47,040 It's a fast food chain restaurant. 858 00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:48,360 Fast food, I guess. 859 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:50,280 You could sit down or get it to go. 860 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:54,520 And it is a nice place for cheap food, and it's really good. 861 00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:56,200 I do recommend it. 862 00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:59,240 Get all sorts of things on your sandwich. 863 00:37:59,240 --> 00:38:04,120 And actually, in the US, they have one location in Miami, 864 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:07,080 and they have one location in, I think, DC. 865 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:10,200 But other than that, it's not very common here in the US. 866 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:12,320 So in Spain, it's all over the place. 867 00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:13,720 Doesn't matter where you go. 868 00:38:13,720 --> 00:38:16,760 If you're in a city, you're bound to find it. 869 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:21,920 So each Montaditos can be typically like 2 euro and under. 870 00:38:21,920 --> 00:38:23,240 Some might be more expensive. 871 00:38:23,240 --> 00:38:24,560 They're like specialties. 872 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:26,480 Oh, and then you could get Tinto de Verano, 873 00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:28,520 which is like similar to sangria. 874 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:30,120 Not exactly the same. 875 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:31,400 Again, very cheap. 876 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:34,000 And you could get it actually at many different restaurants. 877 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:35,560 It's a nice drink. 878 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:39,520 Spain, like both Josh and I have mentioned in this episode, 879 00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:42,200 is the place if you want to have fun, 880 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:46,800 if you want to have a warmer place to be in in terms of Europe. 881 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:50,400 And yeah, just in terms of party culture, it is the place. 882 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:52,880 So you won't regret going either way, 883 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:54,600 even if you're not into the parties. 884 00:38:54,600 --> 00:39:00,320 You're going to definitely have some wild nights to remember. 885 00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:03,840 So please go and enjoy yourselves. 886 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:07,320 Thank you so much, Josh, for this episode. 887 00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:10,240 I'm really so happy that you could join us today. 888 00:39:10,240 --> 00:39:13,760 We intend to have Josh again for the next episode 889 00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:18,720 after he comes back from his very soon to be taken trip to Japan. 890 00:39:18,720 --> 00:39:21,120 So we will look forward to having Josh back 891 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:24,720 for talking about Japan when he gets back. 892 00:39:24,720 --> 00:39:26,240 So stay tuned for that. 893 00:39:26,240 --> 00:39:28,160 We are very, very excited. 894 00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:30,520 Yes, I'm excited too. 895 00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:51,880 Thank you.