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.

“Normally, when you change the IV bag, you’re supposed to check the expiration date and contents, but in this case, well…we don’t really care now, do we?”

A nurse decides which patients need to atone for their sins, and why.

He’s on a righteous mission. Right? He’s doing the right thing. Isn’t he?

Yeah, he’s definitely doing what needs to be done.

For sure.

After finding a cilice that belonged to Friar Pedro de Alcántara, the voices trapped inside bring him back to 1562.

He joins the priest atop his donkey on a journey through the nighttime forest of Ávila, fighting off the demon of sleep. His only weapons are knotted cords of rope and prayers muttered through toothless gums.

Is this guy insane…or on the fast track to sainthood?

The voices teach our nurse that he might just be the one who needs atonement.

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1. Visit the Museum of Salamanca official website here and their IG account here.

2. Check out images of San Pedro de Alcántara and the surroundings I took while researching and recording this episode. 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.

In the Duero Valley lie the ruins of a 4th-century Roman villa. In what used to be the home's entrance, there is an impeccably preserved mosaic of Pegasus.

But Pegasus has no wings.

Why?

This episode's character is a Latin translator who travels to the villa with his boss (and clingy romantic partner) for a work assignment, all while dealing with abnormal back pain. When he discovers a tablet with an ancient inscription, his boss strangely insists on ignoring it.

He also insists on our character never taking off the shiny black bracelet he gave him when they made things official. Even though it hurts his wrist.

It turns out the voices are trapped inside this bracelet. They take us back to 409 AD, where we meet the final owner of the villa, at a time when the Alans, Visigoths, and Suebi are overrunning Hispania.

But the owner of the villa isn't concerned. Because Rome is unbeatable...right?

The power of the Roman god Mars, Christian beliefs and AI collide in a story spanning millennia. Discover with our character the true nature of the black bracelet he is not allowed to remove, where his back pain comes from, and why Pegasus doesn't have any wings.

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1. Visit the Museo de las villas romanas website here.

2. Take a look at the series filmed at the reconstruction of the villa, El Corazón del Imperio. IMDb here.

3. I took images of the museum, the archaeological dig with the wingless Pegasus mosaic, and the reconstruction of the villa while researching and recording this episode. 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.