Surviving Spain

It's actually pretty easy if you go with the flow

Author

Matt Cundill
March 03, 2026

Table of Contents

Live Like A Local

For the last few years, I’ve made a habit of voluntarily removing myself from Canada for six weeks and relocating to Spain. If winter tends to wear you down, it’s a pretty good life decision.

As my Instagram probably suggests, a fair amount of this time is spent in tapas bars. And honestly, it’s one of the few environments where I feel instantly connected to the people around me. Food gets shared. Drinks appear. Conversations drift toward life, work, and whatever happened that day. My Spanish doesn’t need to be perfect for friendships to happen — and that might be my favourite part.

Friends back home often ask what it’s actually like to live like a local here. Results may vary, but here are a few things worth knowing.

First: nobody in southern Spain — Andalucía, home to Seville, Córdoba, Cádiz, Málaga, Granada and beyond — is in much of a hurry before 10 a.m. Mornings belong to cafés and cafeterías serving strong coffee, churros, and montaditos (small sandwiches layered with tomato, ham, cheese, or whatever the bar specializes in). Eat well, because the day runs on a different clock.

Lunch happens at 2 p.m. — not earlier. Many local restaurants don’t even open their kitchens until 1:30. Yes, Barcelona and Madrid bend the rules a little for tourists, but we’re talking about living like a local here. By 2 o’clock, the good places are full, and they stay that way until 3:30 or 4.

It’s the biggest meal of the day, followed by something North Americans struggle to understand: the siesta. People go home. They read. They nap. They reset. And honestly, when temperatures climb into blistering triple digits for half the year, staying inside just makes sense.

Around 7 p.m., the city wakes back up. Shops reopen. Streets fill again. Dinner doesn’t really begin until 8:30 or 9.

Whenever I explain this schedule to prospective travellers, I usually hear:
“My kids can’t do that.”
“I don’t think I could adjust.”

That’s when my eyebrows go up.

These are often the same people declaring “It’s five o’clock somewhere” while ordering an early afternoon drink back home. You survived a six-to-eight-hour time change to get here — you’ll adapt. Your kids will too. Spanish families regularly have children out playing in courtyards at 11 p.m., perfectly happy and very much alive.

Now, if you run a North American company from Spain — that’s where things get interesting.

Just as you’re settling in after lunch, your brain still expects the familiar rhythm: coffee, Podnews, maybe the latest insight from Fred Jacobs. Meanwhile, North America is waking up and your phone begins lighting up with emails, requests, and deadlines. Suddenly you’re questioning whether that third drink at lunch was strategically wise.

Work stretches straight through the afternoon until it’s time to head out for a 9 p.m. dinner — followed by another hour tying up loose ends just as Eastern North America starts shutting down for the day.

All of which is to say: it makes life interesting.

If you’re curious about some of the people and experiences I’ve discovered here, I’ve recorded three podcast episodes during my time in Spain — one with YouTube creator James Blick, another with Málaga food influencer Hanni Martini, and a third with Lisa Cazzola, who runs a beautiful hotel in Córdoba with her husband, José.

And if I like you, email me — I’ll send along my personal tapas guide covering several Spanish cities.

I Was A Guest On PodBiz

I was a guest on PodBiz with Norma Jean Belenky. She lives in Europe year round and has figured out how to live like a local. I met her last spring at the Podcast Show in London. We talked on her episode about some of the challenges about making money podcasting in Canada. My philosophy is to concentrate on the small buckets of money that are available to you. That could be programmatic, but also your newsletter, and your website and subscriptions. It’s a little like Moneyball where you are just trying to get on base rather than swing for the fences every time.

Buzz Knight is on the Sound Off Podcast

I reconnect with Buzz Knight to explore the evolution of Buzz’s podcasting journey and his growing audio network. Buzz traces the roots of his “Takin a Walk” podcast from its original in-person, outdoor concept—where he literally walked and talked with guests—through the practical challenges of weather and audio quality, to its current virtual format with a strong focus on music-centered storytelling.

Leveraging his radio experience both on air and in programming, Buzz explains how classic broadcast skills—crafting narrative, building anticipation, and smart promotion—translate directly into podcasting. He describes his partnership with iHeart, crediting executive Julie Talbot for championing the show and helping amplify it across the company’s powerful marketing and sales infrastructure.

Buzz also details the expansion of his network under Buzz Knight Media Productions, including “Music Saved Me” with Lynn Hoffman and its spin-off “Comedy Saved Me.” He talks about “Taking a Walk Nashville” with Sarah Harrelson as an embedded local host, citing Nashville’s unique creative energy and her drive, coachability, and self-starter mentality.

Throughout, Buzz emphasizes the joy of music discovery—spotlighting independent artists and unexpected career pivots—and reflects on the significant but rewarding workload of running multiple shows. Looking ahead, he teases a new concept at the intersection of music and true crime, while stressing the need to grow thoughtfully rather than endlessly add more podcasts.

Best Thing I Listened To This Week

The Podcast Superfriends are on the Move!

Don’t forget, I also host the Podcast Superfriends with my pals Jag in Detroit, Johnny Podcasts, Catherine O, and David Yas. We are going to doing an episode on the new Apple Video stuff but need to wait a week so I can get a guest. Also, the show is moving from Megaphone where it has resided since 2022 - to Art19 - in order to participate in the new Apple Video fun. I wanted to have at least one podcast in my life that could speak to using the new HLS technology - and this is clearly the one. Now to go find a guest who knows something about all this.

I brought my mini-mic to Spain and am reading voiceovers like it was nobody’s business! If you want me to read for you - you can call me at 1-204-981-0020 - a number than works perfectly fine here in Spain.

Okay… I’m going for Tapas.

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