Spain Is Calling — An Imaginary Spanish Road Trip from Madrid to Barcelona

Planning to visit Spain? Or just dreaming about it? Learning Spanish travel phrases is a lot more fun on an imaginary road trip from Madrid to Barcelona. This week’s BlanBla newsletter takes you through squid sandwiches in Madrid, a very slow cathedral in Barcelona, and the realization that in Spain, eating is a full-time job. Real phrases, real culture, real Spanish. Vamos.

The Original Email

Spain is calling.

Today in class, something great happened.

I was speaking with one of the students in the challenge.

She told me: “I want to go to Spain.”

And of course, I said: “Perfecto. Vamos.”

So, during the class, we started making a little travel plan in Spanish.

First stop: Madrid.

Obviously, we talked about:

Museos, plazas, y…

The most important cultural experience in Madrid:

“Un bocadillo de calamares, por favor.”

A squid sandwich.

Yes. Squid. In bread. In the middle of Madrid. No beach. No sea. Just vibes.

Then we talked about Segovia, because you need to see the aqueduct

and eat something serious, like a piglet.

In Spain, sightseeing is important, but eating is a full-time job.

Then Valladolid, Salamanca, San Sebastián, Bilbao, Los Picos de Europa…

At some point, it became less like a Spanish class and more like:

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our imaginary Spanish road trip.”

And then we arrived in Barcelona.

Sue told me she was in Barcelona about 40 years ago

and she wanted to see La Sagrada Familia almost finished.

And I said:

“Well… I don’t want to disappoint you, but maybe it hasn’t changed THAT much in 40 years.”

Ha ha.

Because yes, it is beautiful. Amazing. Incredible.

But also… lento, por favor.

Van despacito.

Spain is not always in a hurry.

And honestly, this is what I love about these classes.

We are not in a hurry.

We are learning real words for real life and real conversations.

How to say what you want.

How to talk about places.

How to ask questions.

How to survive when someone speaks fast and you think:

“Madre mía, ¿qué ha dicho?”

This is the point of the challenge.

You come to class, you practise, you listen, you speak a little,

you make mistakes, we laugh, and slowly Spanish starts to feel more real.

No es perfecto. Es real. Y estás invitado.

PS. Come even if you feel nervous.

Come even if you don’t know what to say.

Come even if your Spanish is still:

“Hola… café… gracias… help.”

That is completely fine.

PS2. The most interesting part:

we are thinking about creating a group trip to Madrid or Spain.

Yes. An actual trip. Agárrate.

Nothing is confirmed yet, but if you are interested,

this is another very good reason to join the challenge and stay informed.

We will keep you posted.

Spain may be calling.

Un saludo, Monica

Spanish Phrases for Your Spain Trip

Un bocadillo de calamares, por favor — A squid sandwich, please. Non-negotiable in Madrid. Fried squid rings in a baguette. Sounds odd. Tastes incredible.

Van despacito — They go slowly. Despacito means “slowly, little by little.” Applies to La Sagrada Família’s construction (started 1882, still unfinished) and most things in Spain.

Agárrate — Hold on / Brace yourself. Used before surprising news. Informal and expressive.

Madre mía, ¿qué ha dicho? — Oh my God, what did they say? Every Spanish learner’s internal monologue when a native speaks at full speed.

Essential Travel Spanish

• Ponme un café, por favor — Give me a coffee, please
• La cuenta, por favor — The bill, please
• ¿Tiene menú del día? — Do you have the set menu?
• Perdona, ¿me puedes repetir más despacio? — Sorry, can you repeat that more slowly?

Practise all of this with real people before your trip. Join La Tribu for weekly conversation challenges — or download the free Spanish book.

— Monica Bernabe Perez