A strange little man is spying on Isa in Madrid's iconic Retiro Park.

It's Valentine's Day. And Isa hates Valentine's Day. Because people are trash.

When the tiny duende's hiding place is revealed, Isa is forced to join forces with a stranger and confront one of her greatest fears. The voices trapped in a magical flute take her on an action-packed journey to the 18th century, where she explores the Retiro when it was a private garden that belonged to King Phillip V. Why is this mad monarch turning into a frog?

In this Valentine's Day special brought to you one day early, Isa learns that not all humans are garbage. Some of them are pretty cool. One of them...might even be worthy of love.

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1-Remember that you can listen to Spanish Sundown on Apple!

2-The IMDb profile for La vida breve, a dramedy about King Phillip V's abdication to his son (hilarious).

3-The location of the duende in the Retiro. He sits on top of a cage that used to house live bears--a sort of "zoo" that I'm very glad doesn't exist anymore.

4-Check out video of the beautiful Retiro Park I took while researching and recording this episode (complete with the duende). You can see them on Spanish Sundown’s webpage, or on Facebook, Instagram or Reddit, where you can also join our online community.

© 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.