Made in Spain

22. Spain’s October: Spirit, Saints, And Steins

• Made in Spain • Season 4 • Episode 4

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Spain’s October doesn’t pick a lane. One night brings witches, costumes, and playful scares; the next morning, families file into cemeteries with buckets, brushes, and armfuls of flowers. We lean into that contrast and explore why it feels so right: a season that holds both noise and hush, thunder and reflection.

We start with Halloween’s Spanish footprint—Galician echoes of pagan rites, La Noche de las Brujas, and the idea of the veil between worlds. One of us loves the eerie creativity of full-on spooky costumes; the other side-eyes the commercial frenzy. From there we step into 1 November, when All Saints Day turns the country toward remembrance. We talk about social expectations around tending graves, the rows of abuelas at flower stalls, and the flavours that mark the day: huesos de santo from Madrid’s convent lore and panellets from Catalonia and Valencia.

Curiosity pulls us across the Atlantic to Día de Muertos, recognised by UNESCO and rich with colour, marigolds, and altars set with favourite foods. We unpack the calavera story—born from satire—and the deeper message that remembering our dead can be communal, joyful, and grounding. Then we swing back to steins and brass bands as Oktoberfest takes over Spanish coastal towns. Even if you don’t drink beer, the spectacle is irresistible, and the tradition’s origin is surprising: an 1810 royal wedding that turned into a global ritual.

Between sips and stories, we share a slice of life in lederhosen, sample regaliz licorice bark, and reflect on a borrowed Thanksgiving that centres gratitude without the gift-wrapping. A Spanish saying ties it all together: no hay octubre sin trueno ni santos sin duelo. Storms will come; sorrow belongs to remembrance. If this blend of spooky, sacred, and social sounds like your kind of autumn, hit play, subscribe, and leave a review to tell us which tradition speaks to you most.

SPEAKER_02:

This episode of the Maiden Spain podcast is powered by GoCo Energy, clean natural energy for life at the speed of go.

SPEAKER_01:

Woo!

SPEAKER_02:

Season four, episode four, Spirit, Saints, and Steins, How Spain Does October. Aren't we so excited to be doing this episode with you today? And we have some contrasting views about some of this. So it's uh it's gonna be a really great episode. Autumn and Spain, from spooky to spiritual.

SPEAKER_00:

Looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_02:

I'm Nalini Sharma and I am Laura Senior Garcia, and we are your co-hosts for the Made in Spain podcast. Please, please, please, if you haven't already, subscribe, follow, write to us in the recommendations. Let us know what your thoughts are on the podcast so far. Every interaction that you have with us allows us to make this podcast even better. So we appreciate you and love our audience and hope that you know we can continue to do this amazing podcast for you.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, we need your support. Absolutely. And we want to hear from people too.

SPEAKER_02:

So of course, and we sometimes we do hear from people, and that's one of the reasons we go visit the places that we do visit. So I guess you could say to start this episode off that October in Spain is really a season of contradictions for absolutely many, many reasons.

SPEAKER_00:

I would say so. It's not just uh the push and pull of weather because you have really warm days, but then you're starting to get rain, the temperature starts to cool off a little bit. So it's sort of it's almost like everything in one in this month. October happens to be my favorite month here, but I I really love October here.

SPEAKER_02:

What makes it your favorite month? Do you think it's the temperature? The temperature. The temperature.

SPEAKER_00:

I also like fall. So I mean, people often think that Spain is just hot all the time, but it isn't. It's not tropical, it's considered um almost subtropical. So you actually have seasons. You have an autumn season, you have a winter season, even though it's short, spring and summer. So autumn has always been my favorite season. That's why I happen to like October.

SPEAKER_02:

I think we have to be real. The climate is changing.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

And, you know, even we visited the south of Spain, you know, we had our family in the Alicante area telling us there was like almost a Dana thunderstorm going on while we were there at like 27 degrees Celsius in October, which is kind of crazy. But yes, I would agree that October is actually one of my favorite months as well, and also for different reasons. So one of the topics that we're going to talk about today is Halloween in Spain and the traditions around it, and you know, the All Saints Day. Halloween is actually like my favorite day of the year, or you know, my favorite kind of celebration of the year. And it's funny because I think it's the opposite for you, right?

SPEAKER_00:

It's the it is literally the complete opposite. Um, I don't like Halloween parties. I what is it that you don't like about them? Okay. Halloween in North America to me is just pointless. I mean, I have to buy candy and I have to hand out candy, then I have to send my children out to collect the same amount of candy, which I don't under I don't understand it. I've never understood that commercial aspect of it. The, you know, in the schools, the parties, the costumes. I can't stand any of the costumes, uh, especially for women, because Halloween as a child, you would either, oh, when I was a child anyways, you would maybe make your own costume or you would have like little bits that your parents would buy, and you know, you put on some face makeup with your friends, and you go out with uh a bag, a grocery bag, or a pillowcase to collect candy. Now, all these Halloween stores, by the time you're done, it's probably$500 on something that you end up throwing away, or I don't even know what you do with a youth Halloween costume because nobody wants it.

SPEAKER_02:

Of course not. Yeah, it's uh but it's interesting though how you know it it does feel like it's culturally different. Very commercial there, yeah, and it has evolved in different ways. And I I have to do a shout out to uh our friends uh Iwan and Bunki, who is a big fan of the podcast because I remember uh last year, for some reason their costume really stands out in my head because they were dressed like Colonel Sanders and like a bucket of fried chicken and they actually made all this stuff and I'm like, how do people come up with this?

SPEAKER_00:

Actually, I think that is cute. If you put the time and effort into doing something, I think it is it's a creative outlet. But uh yeah, I just say in North America, it's very I mean, they put out Halloween decorations and costumes after back to school.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, absolutely. It's the kind of the next thing after the back to school.

SPEAKER_00:

It's always something else, and that's yeah, that was one of the reasons. But I did tell Laura this year that I wanted to dress up for Halloween.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So she almost dropped her the phone.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I was like, surprise. That's another conversation. So I will so a couple of reasons why Halloween for me has always been um, you know, a holiday or a celebration that I love. I've always been into, you know, like the spooky stuff, the paranormal, you know, is a lot of the things that I like to listen to in my own time as well. And here is called La Noche de las Brujas.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, so the night of witches. Right.

SPEAKER_02:

And there are a lot of still remaining pagan celebrations that happen, particularly in the north of Spain. Okay. So in the north of Spain, uh witches, or what we would call brujas, are called magas. Uh so they are in Galicia. You know, there is still uh also what they call Noche de las Animas that you can see that these people who still identify as magas or witches, uh, you know, they do wonder in the forest, and you know, it's a thing about like connecting with the spiritual world because there is a belief for many people who have that uh, let's say, pagan background and still believe in some of these things, that the night of Halloween is the night that the veal between the world of the living and the world of the dead is at its thinnest. So yes, the veil. I could be like veal. What's a veal? Isn't that like a little cow?

SPEAKER_00:

I'm not laughing at you.

SPEAKER_02:

No, I I want it, I want it. It's like we go back and forth about, you know, I correct you because veil like as in okay, like veil as in like the wedding veil. Yeah, yeah. Not the veal, not the little cow.

SPEAKER_00:

It's you know the thing, it's the pronunciation of the letters.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

That's spelled this English and Spanish. Veil, V-E-I-L.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, so the veil, veil supposedly between the world of the living and the world of the dead, is at its thinnest on Halloween. So there are a lot of different spiritual rituals that happen in this country still.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

And it, you know, Halloween just generally it comes from the festival of Samheim, and it does mark the end of the harvest and the start of the winter. And it's believed to be that, you know, moment, you could say. So I will say some of my favorite Halloween costumes that I've ever got to wear. I think when I was a teenager, I went full on and dressed like Marilyn Manson. But you know, there's two ways to do Halloween. Yeah. People do this kind of like sexy Halloween where you're like I think that's all it is now.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, for me, that's all the costumes available to women.

SPEAKER_02:

Exactly. For me, it's always been more about really trying to get spooky. Yeah. So, you know, when I dressed as Marilyn Manson, I had white contact lenses on. And my mom was like, Oh my god, you look like the girl from The Exorcist. This is horrible. And then I did uh another one that I did that was quite cool was a like uh evil version of Alice in Wonderland. That was a lot of fun with like you know, tears of blood and that kind of thing. So yeah, I absolutely love Halloween. I think it's uh it's a lot of fun. But now here you got kids trick-or-treating and that kind of thing. That was not the case 10 years ago.

SPEAKER_00:

Do you get trick-or-treaters here at your house?

SPEAKER_02:

The weirdest thing is, yes, I've had trick-or-treaters over the last couple of years, uh, but it's been a couple of weird situations where, you know, like older people trick-or-treating, and I'm like, what are you doing? You know, like people in their 20s, I'm like, you're picking me out. Leave, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, that's strange.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, very strange. So that was actually scarier than anything.

SPEAKER_00:

We get triggered treaters, a few. It's actually just the neighbors' children that come. They have four kids. They're they know they come to our house, and I just give them the entire box or bag or whatever of candy. Leave me alone, don't you? I'm just like, okay, happy Halloween, bye. Nice shut the lights. Yeah, exactly. Like, bye. Um, I don't remember any Halloween costumes of my own. Only as a child, maybe a clown.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. I think clowns are super creepy.

SPEAKER_00:

And then when we were teenagers.

SPEAKER_02:

Were you a creepy clown?

SPEAKER_00:

Or no, just whatever my mom bought. And um, as teenagers, we dressed, I dressed as a what I thought was a punk rocker because I sprayed my hair pink. Oh my god. That's what I thought. And then yeah, we just went out and I don't know, got candy and came home. That's all I can remember.

SPEAKER_02:

Do you have pictures of this? I do.

SPEAKER_00:

I want to see it with pink hair.

SPEAKER_02:

So when I when we were doing the preparation for the episode, I did have to laugh thinking about you know the past basically. And when I think about when, you know, when I was able to do really do Halloween, yeah, was teenager, early 20s. And what was funny is that you know, you have this very serious day after Halloween. Yes. It's the old Saints Day.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

Now, Halloween, if it fell in the right time of the week, was a big party night. Like you go out and party, and as you know, here that means very late. And then the following morning, you get up and you have to do this very somber activity, which is you go to the cemetery, you have to go clean the graves of the people who are your loved ones who are no longer there, you respect your loved ones, you take flowers. I think it's the day of the year that flower shops make the most money.

SPEAKER_00:

It's actually, I mean, I happen I was telling your mom this uh yesterday that I happened to be at the local weekly market a couple years ago, and it was just how um All Saints fell.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So I guess they were buying the flowers either for that day or the following day. And it I have never seen that many abuelas at the flower market. Abuelitas. They were, it was like five deep, and they're all fighting for the flowers and sh, and it's never like that. It's I'm by myself when I go. I get my flowers and I leave. It was insane. I hadn't, I did not know what they were doing and why it was that busy. And then um I went to pick up a bunch of flowers, and one of the grandmas said, No, you can't get that. That's and she's like shouting at me. And I realized after, because there's certain flowers that are considered unlucky or that you would not put on uh headstone or a grave or anything like that. And I said, Oh, you know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I bought what she told me to buy, even though they were just flowers for the house, for the kitchen table. But it was, and then as I was driving home, I started to see some signs and I said, Oh, okay, I understand now this is something that they celebrate on this day for their loved ones who have passed.

SPEAKER_02:

So it's the first of November, and it has been one of the most sacred family holidays since the eighth century. Yeah. So it's got a lot of history behind it. I will say quite a bit of it is also around social pressure, meaning that you know, if you go to the cemetery and you see a grave that has not been looked after, there's no flowers, and you know, God forbid that someone knows you and that knows that you didn't go and take care of that, that is actually something to be ashamed about here. So there's a lot of social pressure around it. I do think generationally it's starting to change a bit. A lot of younger people don't like to go to the cemetery, they don't think it's necessary and all that. But here, like the abuelitas and the abuelas, you know they're going to make a very big deal out of that. It's not a day of celebration, it is a day of you know, reflection, a day where you honor the people who have passed. One of the uh sweets that is consumed during the All Saints Day is something called hueso de santo. So it's the Saint Bones, and it's marcipan. They make them into, you know, it's like kind of sounds pretty creepy. Like, oh, you're eating bones out of a saint. You know, it's like uh marcipan bones with sweet egg yolk filling, and it originated in the convent in Madrid. That's where they yeah, so there's a uh there's a lot of um and also uh panayets, uh, and they are like uh little balls that are you know that have like little pine nuts around it and almond. They're made with uh almond and pine nut, and those originate from Castellan Valencia. Okay. So, and that is specifically for All Saints Day. You know, we're uh uh specialized in having sugar and sweets for every single even when it doesn't make sense. So, one thing we wanted to make sure that people understood is there's a huge difference between All Saints Day here in Spain, which is November 1st, right after Halloween, and El Dia de los Muertos. Yes. Do you want to talk to us a little bit about that, Analina?

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, so uh Dia de Muertos is on the UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Now it's an Aztec celebration or custom from 3,000 years ago. So they would honor the goddess of the dead, basically. I cannot say her name, it's a very long Aztec name. I tried to pronounce it, but I couldn't do it. So um she in English is yeah, Lady of the Dead. They traditionally would celebrate it for a month, the their past ancestors in the month of August. But when the Spanish moved to, you know, started to move around the world and brought their Catholicism with them, it changed a bit. So it became more inligned with all saints and all souls, right? The first and second of November. And in different parts, it's celebrated mostly in Mexico, throughout Mexico, various cities, but in parts of Latin America it is uh celebrated, but not as big as they do in Mexico. So what I think is very interesting about, I mean, people probably see the, you know, the the what I actually read a really interesting article about that face, the face painting. So that was originally sort of a satirical cartoon published in a paper of this, you know, pretty woman, but like a skeleton. Right. And it was to tell people that whether you're rich or poor, death has no distinction. It's coming for all of us. So just excited.

SPEAKER_02:

I I actually find in a way though, it is um, and I I mentioned to you, you know, I I find sitting in a cemetery, I'm not gonna say like pleasant, but I find sitting in a cemetery quite calming and relaxing. I think there is something about accepting that we're all going to die, understanding that that is where we're headed, that also makes you more grateful for the experiences that we get to have. So for me, I know some people are kind of creeped out by these days, but that's why I actually think they're a good reminder of what we're lucky to experience in our life.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, also, I think it gives you a chance the way that it's celebrated in Mexico. It gives families a chance to uh cause and to have that closeness with the ones that have passed, you know. In um, I mean, it's not it is sort of a party-ish way. I mean, they drink and they have a parade, etc. And there's a festivity to it, but it's all behind the fact that they are honoring their loved ones and you get to have that connection with them that day. So apparently on the first, um, they have an altar in their homes where you would make the special food of your loved ones that have passed.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, so what they liked. What they like.

SPEAKER_00:

So you do um I find it very I don't know. It's it's to me, it's the same as if a recipe is passed down from your grandma or your mom. Maybe it's not your favorite thing, but by making it, it makes you feel close to what they've passed on to you. So they'll put their favorite fruits, their food, they'll play music, maybe a book. Each family has their own way that they do it. Um, they have a parade, the towns have parades, they have the sort of those funny-looking skeleton like this one that's here. So, I mean, if you look at it, you think it's I mean, I don't consider it scary.

SPEAKER_02:

Not at all. I actually, and that's the reason I bought that one. I just love the colors. I mentioned that. Um, I actually bought that on a trip to Mexico for work in Mexico City. Yeah. And it just talked to me. I was like, oh, you know, it's like so colorful.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and that's what they try to do. What the special flower that they use uh are marigolds. Oh. So for the color. So marigolds have a very strong smell. Um, but the reason they use it is because they say the strong smell will hopefully wake their ancestors to like, you know, join the party. Yeah, the spirit to join the party. Like it's like their wake-up call, like, you know, come hang out with us.

SPEAKER_02:

You're saying all of this, and I'm picturing some of the also traditions that they have in New Orleans. Yes. With the kind of the voodoo, and when people kind of uh pass away and they'll do a parade, yeah. It's like way different.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

Uh so yeah, that that's kind of what's coming to mind is different ways. And total side note, but I have to mention this because it was one of the something that really stuck with me. You talk about like remembering your your loved ones that have passed away. There is a place in Asia, and I'm just gonna say in Asia because I can't remember the exact place or city, but there was a whole uh TED talk made on this. So I I know I this is not like a internet fake news or anything like that. There's a place in Asia where they conserve their their dead, uh uh some process like a mummification, okay, but they're you know, keep them in the same clothes that they passed away in or they liked, and they bring them out once a year, and they actually sit them down at the table. Oh, and they're actually sitting there with like the mummies of their loved ones and kind of like serve the meal that they like and everything, but they're at the table. I thought that was like the creepiest thing, but again, think traditions, right? To them, that's what makes sense, and you know, in Mexico, Day of the Dead, colorful, and you know, in Spain, the All Saints Day, a lot more sober, but it's still remembering your loved ones, and it's having a respect for the fact that we're all going in that direction and that we have to also remember the people who are here.

SPEAKER_00:

Did you see the movie? Um the one, the is it Disney?

SPEAKER_02:

I haven't seen it yet.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, it's actually really it's really nice. It's really cute. What is it called?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, which I can't remember.

SPEAKER_00:

Il canto? I can't remember.

SPEAKER_02:

I can't remember. I can't remember.

SPEAKER_00:

But I know the one you mean where they're all like, you know, they're all kind of well, he's looking, yeah, and he wants to do this little boy wants to do something, and he's going to the big party. Um, I mean, it makes you want to take part in it, you know? Which is, I think it's really special that that tradition in Mexico and parts of Latin America is in the mainstream and that we have respect for it. Yes. As well. It it gives you an appreciation, you know. Absolutely. Um, should we say what we're dressing up for as Halloween?

SPEAKER_02:

No.

SPEAKER_00:

Why not?

SPEAKER_02:

Surprise. You can say it. You can say it.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, so we're this might seem totally weird, but we're going to be zombie peaky blinders. Peaky blinders.

SPEAKER_02:

But the men in the peaky blinders.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Only because I'm the last person on the face of the planet to see Peaky Blinders this last summer.

SPEAKER_02:

It's good. We're not going to dress up as what everybody else is dressed up like. You know, like that one Halloween when everyone had watched the Squid Games and everybody's dressed as Squid Games everywhere. Absolutely everywhere.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, okay. Well, we're gonna be zombie Peaky Blinders.

SPEAKER_02:

So watch out, socials. It's coming. And by the way, if you are watching this on YouTube or you are following us on socials, you need to check out the slice of life that we will be doing for this episode because we are going to be dressing up in Leaderhosen. Yep. So on that note, let's move to Oktoberfest. So in Spain, we're not in Germany, obviously, but we talked about October, we talked about Halloween, we talked about All Saints Day, Day of the Dead. One of the things that has become a lot more prominent through you know the last few years, particularly, is the celebration of Oktoberfest. So before I give a little bit of the kind of history of Oktoberfest, for those who may be interested in the tidbits here, Nalini, why don't you tell me your first impressions and really would like your honest perspective and opinion? Oktoberfest.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. Uh firstly, I don't drink beer, number one, and I don't eat pork.

SPEAKER_02:

So it is kind of a tough one for Nalini.

SPEAKER_00:

I don't drink beer and I don't eat pork. So Oktoberfest is a lot of pork sausages and beer.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So, which but the thing is, it doesn't, I'm not affected by it. If where we live, there happens to be a very large Octoberfest. I don't know, festival? I don't know how else to say it. It goes on for 10 days.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes. So it's usually the 2nd to the 12th of October. Yeah. And uh it used to be in Kalpay, which is a huge German community, but Lanathia, you know, has a very, very strong infrastructure and you know, somewhere where it can hold a lot of people, etc. So it went Calpe still has like a smaller Oktoberfest, but the big Oktoberfest came here to Lanathia.

SPEAKER_00:

Several years now. So, and I mean they do an amazing job. There's a huge tent, it's very well organized. Um it's uh free, it's free to get in.

SPEAKER_02:

Obviously, you buy your I think at some point they charge the, but now they're not charging an entrance anymore.

SPEAKER_00:

No, the parking is super easy. They have buses that take people there or taxis to get you home after. They bring in uh German bands that play the Oktoberfest music. People dress up in the Lederhosen, proper Lederhosen.

SPEAKER_02:

Not like the ones we're gonna be wearing for the slice of life. Proper Lederhosen. There's a lot of German people that congregate and people from all over the place, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and I would say, I mean, despite the fact that I don't drink beer and I don't eat sausages. They did have they have some options. No, no, they had options.

SPEAKER_02:

They had it really, really tasty chocolate waffles.

SPEAKER_00:

Chocolate waffles, and they also did serve um half a roast chicken. How many you can't get a quarter. No, you have to have you need to have the I think they're German-sized portions.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, yeah, oh yeah, and pork knuckle and all that great stuff.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, but it's it is fun, like just to go for a night. It is fun. Everybody's dancing, people are in a good mood, they have the you know, the classic music that I mean, I don't know what the songs are called, but you don't know and all of it.

SPEAKER_02:

I loved the people who like the Oktoberfest music, but for me, like I can take it for about 30 minutes and then I need out. And I understand that this is very much like a cultural thing. Of course. Of course, if you are in Munich, you know, and I was actually there a few years ago, right before Oktoberfest, the week before you could already feel it. It's such a big deal, right? So let's go to the because this was actually quite interesting when I first found out about this. It's very unique, the background uh behind Oktoberfest, because from the outside, it just looks like beer you get to October and you drink copious amount of beer, and really people drink so much beer. It's I I don't and I I like beer, but I can't drink more than a certain amount because there's just no capacity in my body to be able to, you know, like I drink a liter of beer, where is it gonna go? Like, you know. So uh first October uh fest that ever took place was in 1810, and this is where it gets really interesting. It was celebrating a royal wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Bavaria. There were horse races, fairgrounds, and beer brewed under the Reinheitskebot, which is the 1516 purity law, and it became a tradition. So, guess what? People liked it so much that even though these people only got married once, they decided to do it every year.

SPEAKER_00:

Can I just point out La Tomatina? Yeah, it's like so this is it. It see, and this is what's so interesting about doing a podcast such as this is that you learn about all different cultures and traditions and festivities. And sometimes there is no reason as to why it exists to the stage that it does in today's world. Well, it starts off small.

SPEAKER_02:

But just imagine, right? They were obviously they were the royalty at the time. So there was a huge royal wedding, so I'm sure they went all out, obviously. But for people to like it so much that you go, you know what? I think we should do this every year.

SPEAKER_00:

But you know what's amazing is that when with immigration, people moving, there are Oktoberfest celebrations. All I mean, I I not that I grew up with Oktoberfest, but it's very common in North America to have Oktoberfest celebrations and festivities.

SPEAKER_02:

If you want to have a good chuckle and a laugh, go on Instagram and look for people of Oktoberfest, and you will see the most affected people you have ever seen in your life trying to keep up in Munich. So that's a little bit of Oktoberfest, and now we are gonna go to our slice of life. So before we dive into our slice of life, a quick shout out to our amazing partner, Goco Energy. You have to try this.

SPEAKER_00:

That's right, Laura. Goco is energy done right, made with coconut water, natural caffeine, and real fruit flavors. No crash, no jitters, just clean, feel-good energy that actually tastes amazing.

SPEAKER_02:

It's perfect, right? Whether you're working, traveling, or just keeping your creative spark alive. Basically, it keeps you in that go mode.

SPEAKER_00:

I agree. I'm not necessarily a fan of all energy drinks, but this is one that I truly enjoy. My favorite flavor so far is pineapple, and you can order it straight from gocoenergy.com. That's g-o-k-o-energy.com, shipped right to your door.

SPEAKER_02:

So hydrating, refreshing, and honestly, it just makes everything flow better.

SPEAKER_00:

Slice alive! Yay! Before we get into anything, we should just mention that we have a brand new sponsor, Goco. Yes, which you know, you we've talked about them if you've been following our social media. Super excited to have them on board. Um, they it is a very clean energy drink. It has uh, I think about 80 calories, about 90 plus 95 mg of caffeine. It is sparkling coconut water that is caffeinated. So it is an energy drink, but it's also on the light side. You don't feel as if you're drinking, you know. A really big can, uh, an e you know, an energy drink.

SPEAKER_02:

Name the others, but you know the ones. Right.

SPEAKER_00:

But I actually love it. And I've said this before, it would not be something I don't drink energy drinks, but when I had this, I would not even think that it's an energy drink.

SPEAKER_02:

I think the coolest thing that I like about Goco is that it's really the equivalent of the caffeine that is within a coffee. So imagine like one cup of coffee. But sometimes I don't feel like drinking coffee. I don't feel like having something hot. I don't feel like having something that has that bitter taste of coffee, and then you get the infamous coffee breath. You know, Goco, it's just kind of a clean.

SPEAKER_00:

It's very clean.

SPEAKER_02:

And a little bit of a pick-me-up that you're not gonna have to worry. So, for example, for me, I do drink energy drinks, and sometimes I know that I have a cutoff time, like, hey, 10 a.m. Laura, we have a cutoff time for you. Yeah, I'm being so intense. Like, give me the energy drink, put it down, put it back. But this go co it really does not have that. You know, I'd have to have like five cans of this, yeah, you know, to kind of go to that, you know, jittery where it doesn't. It doesn't give you jitters, and I just think overall as well, it's also if you look at the amount of ingredients in it, it's it's not the whole can. No, just a few ingredients.

SPEAKER_00:

And it's just very light, it's clean, has a little bubble to it. I I really like it.

SPEAKER_02:

So yeah, so we definitely recommend you trying Goco, and we will be talking a little bit more about the components and you know, where you may want to try it, the flavors in our other episodes. So today for our slice of live, yeah, we are channeling our inner German people. Uh, I think I should be called Helga instead of Laura for this. We are wearing our leader hose and come on. Like you have to go check this on our socials.

SPEAKER_00:

No, we wanted to wear this to um Oktoberfest and actually wear it to our Oktoberfest evening. However, it didn't arrive in time. So we thought we would just wear it for the our slice of life. And um, you're gonna pour beer.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, so I am pouring a German beer from Munich. So this is a Munich beer, which is where you know, like Oktoberfest kind of really comes from. This is called Franziskaner. Oh so again, Nalini doesn't like beer, so I'm gonna pour just a little bit. I'm just gonna I'll I'll I'll smell it. Ooh, it's a lot of foam. Is that good? Uh no. I would get criticized for that pour by a lot of people. Here you go. And then here, so I just love that when we record these podcasts, I'm like, oh, so what did you have for breakfast? Oh, beer and licorice. So good. Well, oh my god, that's still a lot of foam. Okay, so we have our beer. Actually, it's funny because if we just poured a Franciscanner in a Mao glass, I know. And Mao is like a Spanish beer. Well, these are the glasses that we have. You use what you have, exactly. We don't have the big signs. No. Maybe next year. Next year's. Now we have lederhosen, so I kind of feel like we have to.

SPEAKER_00:

Right.

SPEAKER_02:

So I can't.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm not cheersy. I'm gonna fake cheers you. Why? You're not drinking it? No.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, come on.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, I can't, Laura. I just don't like it. Come on, take a sip.

SPEAKER_02:

No, just a little sip. This is good.

SPEAKER_00:

I don't like it. I'll eat the licorice.

SPEAKER_02:

So she's not trying it, but I like it. I really like this Francis counter beer, actually, I have to say. Okay, tell us what you have in your hand. Bark.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm it's tree. This is a tree. Uh it is the licorice bark that we actually bought at Oktoberfest. Uh, what is it called in Spanish? Regaliz. Right. Okay, so right. That's what you call it. That's what it's called. I actually did look it up this morning to see the spelling of it, but it is native to the Mediterranean. So it grows wild here. But people use it as a breath freshener, they use it as sort of um a digestive aid, and uh, you just chew it. So, yeah, it's licorice bark. This is where licorice comes from.

SPEAKER_02:

I will say that this is like you'll walk around Ali Kantu, walk around the cities, and they're selling this. And I remember as a kid, I was always excited when I saw it because I was like, yay, I get to buy it, but I don't like how it tastes. I just always got excited about it. Oh really? Yeah, but I don't like and don't really like how it tastes. So, as you said, we kind of got this in Oktoberfest. Uh, I think it's kind of good to take the cut, some of that beer, uh, you know, like breath away.

SPEAKER_00:

It's a lot of this is probably one of our we've had some weird combinations of this show.

SPEAKER_02:

Licorice sticks of actual, and again, if you're seeing this on YouTube or on social, it's the tree. It's the licorice part. Pisa tree. I am really hoping there's no bugs in this. That's what I said to Nalini. It's like, I cannot imagine if you know something comes out of there, but anyway. So, quick for a slice of life, we did want to just mention Thanksgiving because we just had Canadian Thanksgiving at your home. And Nalini is an amazing host, as always her family.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, yeah, so Canadian, which I know it's Thanksgiving, but I'm from Canada, so we call it Canadian Thanksgiving just because of the dates, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Just because of the date. Differentiate the date.

SPEAKER_00:

So ours is the first or second, basically the second weekend in October is Canadian Thanksgiving. And American Thanksgiving tends to be towards the end of November. American Thanksgiving is actually, I think, probably the biggest celebration on their calendar year. Like I think it's bigger than Christmas. Than Christmas in a way. Because once you have that sort of long weekend, Thanksgiving long weekend, you immediately then go into the whole Christmas, the decorations. I like, you know, that's and that's why they always have that Black Friday sale on towards the end of November. But you typically for Thanksgiving, you make, you know, a turkey or a ham. We had turkey and all the sides. I like all the sides more so than the turkey, but um, you know, you have the potatoes, you have salads, you have sweet potatoes. Um, your mom made a lovely pumpkin pie.

SPEAKER_02:

I just love the fact that for me, and I love that's what you focus it around as well, is around Thanksgiving. It's around gratitude, it's around being thankful for the things that we have, even during the tough times.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and I think it's also a nice uh inclusion of just the people that you have in your life. You have them over. And the reason I always sort of preferred Thanksgiving over, let's say, a Christmas lunch or something like that, simply it's not even the food. The food's very similar that I would serve at Christmas. It's just the fact that it represents change. Yes. And it's the changing of the season. It's sort of, you know, uh, you know, and the kids are in school, it's the beginning of, you know, they're in school now, it's a new school year. You're looking forward to towards the end of the year, and you're taking that pause to be with your friends, your family. You do something, maybe in Toronto, I would go, you know, take the kids to a pumpkin patch, or you go on a nice fall. You do something family-oriented.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and you're just there to really appreciate what you have, and it's not you don't have to exchange gifts and I'm gonna say I think what I love about Thanksgiving, and we don't have Thanksgiving here in Spain, but we have adopted doing Thanksgiving because we love the holiday, is I think what's really cool is that it's not a commercial holiday. No, it's there's no buying of stuff, you know, other than obviously food, but there's no kind of like also you're not competing against 20 other Christmas parties, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

No, it's just like a nice lunch that you have or a dinner. So yeah, I'm really glad you guys were there. It was beautiful. Are you ready for the sentence of the day?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I'm gonna hold my licorice, I'm gonna have another licorice day. Hold your licorice. Hold your licorice. The sentence of the day today is Noah sin trueno, ni santo, ni santos, perdon, sin duelo. No hay Octubre sin Trueno, ni Santos sin duelo.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh October and no no saints. So trueno? I don't know that word.

SPEAKER_02:

It means um I can't think of the word in English now. Uh like in a storm.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh lightning, thunder, yes, thunder, okay. So in October, there's no October without thunder, okay, nor saints without sorrow.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, that's a good one.

SPEAKER_02:

You don't need to translate that because it was really true. The meaning is change is natural, storms and reflection are both part of the season.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

I was like, how perfect is that one? So no hay octubre sin trueno ni santos sin duelo.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, that's a nice one.

SPEAKER_02:

So we have reached the end of our episode today. Thank you very much, everybody, for coming along with us. We can't wait till our next one, and our next episode, we are going in a really different direction. Quite literally, yes, totally different direction. So we are gonna head south. We're gonna start heading south to Credit. Yes, and we're going to be talking about the Royal Andalusian Art Equestrian School. Yes, it is a mouthful, but can't wait to be sharing that with you.

SPEAKER_00:

All right. Thank you for listening. Bye for now. Bye for now. The Made in Spain podcast is fueled by Goco Energy, refreshingly real energy that keeps the good vibes going.