Mateo leaves Barcelona behind and drives north into the Spanish Pyrenees, arriving in the Val d'Aran. He explores the old town of Vielha, savours the local architecture and mountain air, and starts planning his week of lake hikes, Romanesque churches, and eclipse watching.

Episode 8 of Spain Travel Podcast with Mateo Herrera. Mateo Herrera is in Vielha e Mijaran, Spain.

Places in this episode: Val d'Aran, Bonaigua Pass, Carrer Major, Glèisa de Sant Miquèu, Plaça d'Era Glèisa, Restaurant El Molí, Hotel Blu Aran, CAFE DEL VALLE Gusto Argentino.

Covered: Travel logistics and costs, Aranese identity and language, Local food and dining, Planning excursions to Aiguestortes.

Chapters:
00:00 Bonaigua Pass
01:45 Carrer Major
03:07 Glèisa de Sant Miquèu
04:08 Restaurant El Molí
05:51 Val d'Aran

A full transcript of this episode is available in supported apps.

#ValDAran #Vielha #Pyrenees #SpainTravel #CatalanPyrenees #AranValley #SlowTravelSpain #MountainEscape #RomanesqueArt #Aiguestortes #OccitanCulture #GreenSpain #TravelSpain #NorthernSpain #Eclipse2026 #SummerInTheMountains

https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/spain/

Mateo spends his final day in Barcelona navigating the August heat, a sudden metro closure, and the city's festival crowds. He enjoys a last swim, a final tapas crawl, and reflects on what it means to leave a city just as he's starting to understand it.

Episode 7 of Spain Travel Podcast with Mateo Herrera. Mateo Herrera is in Barcelona, Spain.

Places in this episode: El Born, Barceloneta, Eixample, Sagrada Família, Doña Rosa - Cocina Urbana, Gothic Quarter, Poble-sec, Carrer de Blai.

Covered: Last day in Barcelona, Beach swim and coastal walks, Local dining and pintxos experience, Reflection on city rhythm and tourism, Metro closures and transit card prices.

Chapters:
00:00 Barcelona
00:56 El Born
01:59 Barceloneta
03:12 Eixample
04:49 Gothic Quarter
06:16 Poble-sec
07:58 Food hall

A full transcript of this episode is available in supported apps.

#BarcelonaLastDay #BarcelonaInAugust #SpainTravel #BarcelonaEixample #ElBornBarcelona #PobleSec #BarcelonetaBeach #SagradaFamilia #MenúDelDía #PintxosBarcelona #CarrerDeBlai #AugustFestivals #LocalSpain #BarcelonaMetro #NIEApplication #SolarEclipse2026 #PyreneesTravel

https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/spain/

Mateo spends his final full day in Barcelona before heading to the Pyrenees, reflecting on the August rhythm, sharing practical costs, and preparing for the solar eclipse. A bittersweet farewell to the city and a look forward to the mountains.

Episode 6 of Spain Travel Podcast with Mateo Herrera. Mateo Herrera is in Barcelona, Spain.

Places in this episode: Poblenou, Eixample, Garage Coffee, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, Gràcia, Plaça del Sol, Oficina de Extranjería.

Covered: NIE appointment and paperwork completion, Barcelona in August and the festival influx, Cost of food, coffee, and rent in Barcelona, Sentiment on leaving the city for the mountains, Preparations for the solar eclipse.

Chapters:
00:00 Poblenou
00:51 Eixample
02:09 Oficina de Extranjería
03:05 Bank lobby
04:01 Barceloneta
05:06 Parc de la Ciutadella
05:55 Estació Sants

A full transcript of this episode is available in supported apps.

#Barcelona #Catalunya #SpainTravel #ExpatLife #NIEApplication #LivingInSpain #AugustInBarcelona #PyreneesBound #SolarEclipse2026 #Tapas #Eixample #Gaudi #BarcelonaFood #MovingToSpain #SlowTravel #SummerInSpain

https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/spain/

On day five in Barcelona, Mateo navigates the city's August rhythm—empty streets, festival crowds, and metro closures—while tackling NIE paperwork, banking, and the search for a flat. He finds a moment of calm in a local market and reflects on the eclipse ahead.

Episode 5 of Spain Travel Podcast with Mateo Herrera. Mateo Herrera is in Barcelona, Spain.

Places in this episode: Poblenou, Mercat de la Boqueria, Palau de la Música Catalana, El Born, Barceloneta, Gràcia.

Covered: NIE paperwork, banking, August crowds, food market, flat hunting.

Chapters:
00:00 Poblenou
02:17 Bank interior
03:36 Mercat de la Boqueria
04:57 El Born
06:18 Barceloneta
07:24 City night
09:01 Quiet room

A full transcript of this episode is available in supported apps.

#Barcelona #ExpatLife #SpainTravel #MoveToBarcelona #NIE #BankingInSpain #AugustInBarcelona #BoqueriaMarket #ElBorn #Poblenou #CatalanCulture #Tapas #MetroClosures #SolarEclipse #LivingInSpain #BarcelonaRent #TravelPodcast

https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/spain/

Mateo dives into the August exodus, dodges festival crowds, and hunts for eclipse glasses ahead of the 12 August solar eclipse. He also tackles the practicalities of opening a bank account and the city's transit disruptions, all while soaking up the quiet of a city that belongs to the locals for a few weeks.

Episode 4 of Spain Travel Podcast with Mateo Herrera. Mateo Herrera is in Barcelona, Spain.

Places in this episode: CaixaBank, Doña Rosa - Cocina Urbana, Passeig de Gràcia, Poble-sec, Avinguda del Paral·lel, Fundació Joan Miró, Montjuïc, Gràcia.

Covered: Banking for expats, August metro closures, Festa Major de Gràcia, Fundació Joan Miró visit, Eclipse glasses search, Barcelona local August rhythm.

Chapters:
00:00 Passeig de Gràcia
02:00 Cafe terrace
04:04 Poble-sec
06:12 Gràcia
07:38 City night
08:23 Quiet room

A full transcript of this episode is available in supported apps.

#BarcelonaAugust #FestaMajorGracia #BarcelonaLocal #SolarEclipse2026 #ExpatLifeBarcelona #BarcelonaMetro #BarcelonaBanking #NIEProcess #BarcelonaOnFoot #GràciaNeighborhood #MontjuicViews #BarcelonaWithoutTourists #CaixaBank #HolaBank #BarcelonaCostOfLiving #SpainTravel #BarcelonaInsider #SummerInBarcelona

https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/spain/

Mateo escapes the Circuit crowds for the Gothic Quarter's quieter corners, watches the city's resident rhythm, and savours a long sobremesa. He also cracks a chunk of the NIE puzzle and mulls the coming eclipse.

Episode 3 of Spain Travel Podcast with Mateo Herrera. Mateo Herrera is in Barcelona, Spain.

Places in this episode: Palau de la Música Catalana, Picasso Museum, La Lolita Barcelona, Port of Barcelona, Barceloneta beach, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera.

Covered: Gothic Quarter and El Born, Picasso Museum, Festival crowd dynamics, Cost of living basics, NIE and padron progress, Barceloneta and port.

Chapters:
00:00 Palau de la Música Catalana
02:21 Museum echo
03:54 Harbour
04:54 La Lolita Barcelona
06:27 Casa Batlló
07:30 Quiet room

A full transcript of this episode is available in supported apps.

#BarcelonaAugust #GothicQuarter #PicassoMuseum #BarcelonetaBeach #NIEProcess #ExpatLife #BarcelonaTravel #TapasTour #Modernista #Sobremesa #CityBreak #LGBTQTravel #CircuitFestival #Barcelona2026 #SlowTravel #CatalanCulture

https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/spain/

On day two in Barcelona, Mateo braves the heat to chase down his NIE paperwork, discovers the August exodus that empties the city of locals, and finds a quiet kind of magic in El Born's medieval lanes. The solar eclipse on the 12th creeps into the conversation.

Episode 2 of Spain Travel Podcast with Mateo Herrera. Mateo Herrera is in Barcelona, Spain.

Places in this episode: Poblenou, El Born, Gràcia, Plaça del Sol, La Lolita Barcelona, ONIS COFFEE, Doña Rosa - Cocina Urbana, Palau de la Música Catalana.

Covered: Bureaucracy paperwork, Banking for expats, August city rhythm, Metro closures, Local food and drink, Solar eclipse.

Chapters:
00:00 Poblenou
01:44 Medina lane
03:04 ONIS COFFEE
04:10 La Lolita Barcelona
05:29 Barcelona
06:36 El Born

A full transcript of this episode is available in supported apps.

#BarcelonaAugustHeat #NIEProcess #Empadronamiento #ExpatLifeBarcelona #BarcelonaInAugust #ElBorn #Gràcia #PlazaDelSol #SolarEclipse2026 #BarcelonaEclipse #Montjuïc #PicassoMuseum #PaAmbTomàquet #MenúDelDía #Eixample #BarcelonaRent #BizumApp

https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/spain/

Mateo Herrera lands in Barcelona on the first of August, 2026. New episodes start with the NIE residency paperwork, a first walk through the Barceloneta and the old city, the empty streets of August, and the cost of getting started in Catalonia.

Episode 1 of Spain Travel Podcast with Mateo Herrera. Mateo Herrera is in Barcelona, Spain.

Places in this episode: El Prat Airport, Poblenou, Platja del Bogatell, Barceloneta, Gothic Quarter, La Rambla, Mercat de la Boqueria, Glòries.

Covered: Arrival logistics, NIE and residency process, Barcelona districts, August city rhythm, Food and markets.

Chapters:
00:00 Airport road
01:08 Gothic Quarter
02:51 Poblenou
04:32 Barceloneta
06:45 Glòries
09:02 Quiet room

A full transcript of this episode is available in supported apps.

#Barcelona #ExpatLife #MovingToSpain #NIE #Barceloneta #Boqueria #Poblenou #SpainTravel #Catalonia #SettleInSpain #Mediterranean #FirstDay #NewBeginning #Tapas #SummerInSpain

https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/spain/