Coffee Break Spanish - Scenes Season 2 | Chapter 8: Las fiestas del barrio

Episode Date: March 12, 2026

Welcome back to Erna’s Café - our charming Spanish café, where the aroma of fresh coffee lingers, conversations flow, and life unfolds around every table. In this immersive series, we follow a compelling story set in a local café and help build your language skills naturally through storytelling.In this chapter of Scenes, the neighbourhood is buzzing with excitement and the café is right at the heart of it.Isabel takes a trip down memory lane as the annual celebrations unfold around the café. The younger crowd fills the terrace, and the festive atmosphere fills the streets with music, food, and laughter. It's the kind of energy that reminds Isabel of her own youth, and it’s contagious.Las calles del barrio se llenan de luces y sonidos, mientras las familias y los jóvenes disfrutan de la feria. Este año, como siempre, las mesas del bar están ocupadas por los chicos que se preparan para la verbena. Entre platos tradicionales y jarras de tinto de verano, la alegría se siente en el aire. Para Isabel, no hay nada como ver a la juventud del barrio de celebración, recordando los buenos tiempos y creando nuevos recuerdos.Join in the fun and experience Las fiestas del barrio, where the past and present come together in a celebration to remember. Want to take your learning further? Click here to access support materials and get more out of each chapter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scenes from the Coffee Brick Spanish Cafe Season 2, Lesson 8 Hello to all, how are you, Mark? Very well, and you, Pablo? I'm phenomenal, too, with much energy and deseating to know what he saysabelle

today. I have to say that always, always, Pablo has energy. Although it's very very can't. I'm going to

say one that only can take a coffee all day with caffeine. Because if no, you imagine

if me tomahs caffeinedos. Well, we're delighted that you've got lots of energy today for another episode of Coffee Break Spanish. This is, of course, scenes from the Coffee Break Spanish

Cafe, where we're taking a little slices of life from our cafe in a typical Spanish town and meeting some of the regulars, meeting some new people, and seeing what happens

on a day-to-day basis in our cafe. Pablo, what wentanos, what happened in the episode anterior? Well, in the chapter

anterior, Celebrable the Cuea of Mito Paolo the nephew of

his in the bar because they've had been a problem in his

house, no see you you did you did the the

tueria revento so and well they all the people all the

bar of the and vitality and Isabel super contented

No Pablo used an interesting word there just

threw it into the conversation without even thinking about it. And that's what I love about doing these podcasts and these courses that we can really get into things. Because you used a word for namesake. Name sec. Tokayo. Okay. So T-O-C-A-I-Y-O. Yes, sure. So another useful word that we didn't even think we were going to learn today. That is the beauty of coffee break. Okay, let's get on with today's episode. the festas of the

bar. So, in the bar we're at top. This week, our

clients are the very are a little and the young of the

bario are all on on the messas of the terrace

those see and I can avoid I can I can't avoid to record my

years of youth. The streets of the barrio are adorned

with the and in the park of the Palomas there

are attractions of fair for those most a

a man a man a and a a

some some Also, there are places in those that they're selling algodon of and palomitas and and palomitas, dulces, and others of buñuels and churros. The music

sounds from the hour of the almurzo after the madugada.

It's tradition in these fiestas that the first day are

to all the children of the school before to

go to to the verbena of the place

I think it the Pocas times that in the bar we're

we're we're never never these always get on the

night and they're they're they're these the croquette the

tortilla and the flamen kines are the plattos

the seter the Cennas always are accompanied of jars

of tinto of very fresh it's a great-your- it's a bad

a lot of people young I love they and they're

to do to the place to to to go to

a part to see I always I make

good good have been in this vervena and pass me it

as well it's going to go back through each sentence and study it line by line

this this this fine the have been the bar

we're we're we're you couldn't get more Spanish than that could you

no so the neighborhood festivities have started this this the end

the Fiestas of Bar we're at top. So the bar is absolutely

packed. It's super busy. A top. Yes, Mark, is a expression super

versatile because we can use in many contexts. For example, if I say,

this week, I'm a top of curro. De curro? What is a

work? In slang, in Spain. Well, there we go. That is something you

for me. To be, Estar atope Decurro. So you are up to your eyes with work. But in this sense, the bar is

atopi, so it means super busy. This time, our clients habituales come in a little

less, and the youngs of the barrio are all men, on the messes

of the table. Okay, so this time, our clients habitual

So that's our regular customers this week, they're coming in a little bit less often. And the

Jovenes del barrio and the young people from the neighborhood se amontonan in the mesas de la terraza. So amontonarse means, well, you can see it. The mount, they're mounting up. They're basically piling up on the tables on the terrace. And Mark,

with amononarse, I can put another example with a job. So, me amontona the job. Right. So there, we can use exactly the expression in English, work is piling up. Yes, on me, is it where. Seme. We're going to.

Let's continue. Los veo and no puto evite record my years of youth. Los veo. I see them and no I can't help remembering my own years of youth. The streets of

Barrio are adorned with luce and in the park of the

palomas there are attractions of the fairies for the most little

a man of a big and even a choques the

street. The neighborhood lights are decorated with lights. And in the dog park or pigeon

park I never know. No we make the distinction in Spanish.

There attractions of a fairia, there are funfier rides for the little ones. A Tio Vivo? That's a carousel, isn't it? Yes, very well.

A train of the Ghost train? Do you say ghost train? You say a ghost train. It's a witch train in Spanish. That interesting. And even some

what do we call them bumper cars. Pumpper cars, Mark, what was your attraction of fairia when you were

a little? No how would say in the but there's

but there there there patos that you have to pes

and you get those and if they they're you're a really very

very yeah I think it was my yeah but also we're

also we're we're I'm thinking how we we're

thinking I'm I'm I'm thinking what it's you English.

The Salamontes. What is? The Salamontes is a grasshopper, I think. And it's

like a attraction that has like a brazos, and then they're going up and go and

go rotando. I don't how it's it basically has wings and then you are at the end of the

wing, like with the belt and everything, and then it rotates and it goes up and down.

Okay. I don't I don't know if we had that. I don't know. But I don't know. But I don't know. No, I see. No, I see.

But if you know this, then let us know in the comments. Okay, let's continue on. Also, in those that are gold on those that's sugar and palomitas dulces and others de buñuelos and churros. So there are also stalls,

there are posts in those that are vendin Algodon of sugar. So we're here, or there are stalls in which, literally, they sell candy floss. algodon of sugar, and palomitas

dulces and sweet popcorn and others of bugglers and other others that are selling what would be called buneuelos, fritters. They're fried sweet things. I don't me atreberia to translate the word I think fritters is probably as close as we'll get.

They're deep-fried They're do-balls maybe. With an awokein-medio, similar to a donut, but they're like the texture like of a churro. Yes, exactly. So churros are of course the long

slightly sweet dough things that you have with your chocolate okay another in the place they've mounted like a barra

and they've put some those altaboces grandes so so what's more in the

place in the square have been they've set up as they do every year a bar

bar counter and they have put some I've installed some large loud speakers. Yes. The music sounds from the hour of almoorzo

until the madrugada. So music plays from lunchtime until the early hours of the morning. Very much party time. Yes, yes. Okay, let's break there.

We'll be back in just a moment to continue the rest of the text. In each episode of the scenes from the Coffee Break Cafe podcast, you'll enjoy listening to the story and our discussion of keywords and phrases from each chapter. But what if you could explore the language even further and take your learning to the next level?

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To access this wealth of learning resources Visit coffeebreaklanguages.com slash sins Okay, so it's very much La Fiesta del Barrio at the moment And we are experiencing some of this through the text It's tradition In these fiestas That the first day

Kedenar all the children of the institute Before to go to bailer A Verbena de la Plaza Okay, I've got a question about this sentence For you, Pablo, but we'll translate it first And then we'll come back to it. It's tradition during these celebrations. The first day, the first day,

queden for dinner, all of the high school kids meet up for dinner. They have a meal together. Andes they're going to dance at the verbena of the plaza. So before going to dance, a verbena. That's a new word. Verbena.

Me, I'm surprised that no know this word. La I know like verbena

like the lemon smelling citrus flavor. I know that my wife has shower gel that's

Verbena shirbena but no has nothing to be no has no has

nothing to do you know a a fiesta a air live

with with music with a DJ with a orchestra. So like a street party type. Yes, a street party would be the equivalent. And it's very typical

during the months of the verano in any country, or in any fiesta of the barrio of a city. Okay, okay, very well. Right, the reason I said that I had a question about it, it wasn't about the verbena. So

the school kids meet up, they have dinner together, then they go dancing at the street party in the square, but I've got a question about the subjunct in this sentence. It's tradition in these fiestas that the first day

quen for dinner all those the children. So why are we using a subjunctive here? Well,

for various reasons. The first of them is because when we say is tradition

that or is traditional that using the adjective instead, we're basically

passing judgment onto something. We're giving an opinion. And This requires the subjunctive.

Okay. Also, we would not be outdressing it to know to anybody in particular. And also, we also have two subjects different, because at principle we have extradition. It is a tradition that they... That they do something, so it's two subjects. So it's a little bit like, it's important that you, it's important that, whatever.

Okay. And another example, we could say, it's custom that they're or is custom to give to give to

not for nobody in specific. Okay, perfect. Okay, let's see. I think it's

of the few times that in the bar we have we have many many

that it's one of the few times, I think that it's of the few times, it's of one of the

few times that in the bar we have we're many reserved us that we've had such big tables reserved in the bar. Sienpre,

they're going to last 9 of the night, and they're peltos typical for to share. The croquettes, the tortilla of patas, and the flamenquins are the platoes starry. Now, I'm hungry.

I'm too, yeah, too. So, always arrive at around 9 in the evening, and they piedn't typical dishes to share the croquettes, croquettes, of hamon, the pollo.

What are your favorite? The polio, I think. De pollo, yeah. The ms of hamon,

also me like those of boletus, which is a type of set. Mushroom. Yes. And also

the pollo. The tortilla of potatoes, clear. We're not in the debate. Spanish

with or with an onion. And the Flameninkees, The loominkines, they are meat rolled up or something like that. Yeah, it's lomo envuelto in hamon serrano and also it's a pork wrapped in ham and then it's deep fried.

Yeah, it's very typical of Cordoba. I've got into, yeah. Okay. But Mark, we have the platos Estrella and Estrella is a substantive. So these are the star dishes, the bestsellers. But here, Estrella,

functioned a adjective, but not is a concordando with the stentive Platos.

Yes, there's no agreement there with Platos. It's not Estrejos or anything like that. No, no,

no, and this happens when we have these constructions of two sustantivos, but I

don't say nothing more because it's the theme of our spotlight. So, Annabel

us will to explain all about this aspect. Perfect. Okay. Well, you can

look out for that if you are using the course version, the spotlight video for this episode. Let's continue. The Cenas, Sienaugh-Severna, The Chars de Tinto-D-Berano, bien-fresquito. Okay, so the dinners, Sien pre-van-a-companied. They're always accompanied by jars of Tinto-de-Berano. So they're always accompanied by pictures of Tinto-de-verano,

which is a kind of popular summer drink. It's red wine. it's got like sparkling water or fruit in it and so on. Actually, no, there's no fruit in tinto de verano. No, no, no. That's the sangria. That's, yeah, that's the same. They're like, but not those are. And it's bien fresquite. It's nice and chilled.

Yeah. And Pablo, these are young, so young, is more than. Yeah, yeah. Well, but it's tinto of verano, sin, of alcohol, okay, okay, okay, perfect. It's a joy to have a bar So it's a

joy to have the bar to have the bar full of young people. Mark, and this is similar to what we've seen earlier because here we're

saying, it's an joy, that have a of course. The bar of the young of

so if we have, if we're having, if we're going to referrino's to

Manuel and Isabel. Perfect. So that same idea of is an aligria that's subjunctive.

If we're referring specifically to protect their people over here, we're just using the infinitive

because it's more generic. I'm Encantta how they despide to the place,

to go to the fiesta to other part. So I love how they see goodbye cheerfully.

Me can't how they despide with a joy and they're to the

place and they head off to the square to continue with a other part.

To carry on the party elsewhere. just one thing about that. I love how they say goodbye cheerfully. It's not saying I love that they say goodbye cheerfully. Because if that were the case, it would be,

me encaulta, que se despidan. Very well. So when you say, I love how something happens, you know that it happens and you love that. But I love that it happens. Then you're passing judgment. And that's where you would use

the subjunctive. Verlos always brings back good records. So seeing them always brings back good memories for me. Very good.

We've covered a lot in this list. There have been some nice expressions like atop and amontonarse. Much subjunctive too. Yeah, lots of subjunctives

and interesting aspects of the subjunctive that perhaps we've not covered before in other episodes. Okay, listen out for those as we hear the text

one more time. This time at a more normal speaking speed. This end of Semana have started

the pastes of the bar. So, in the bar we're

at tope. This time, our clients are very

are a little and the young of the

people are all on the men on the

I don't I don't I don't to evite record my years of

youth. The streets of barrio are adorned with luses and in the park of

the palomas there are attractions of the fairia for the most little

a a true a a and even some

some the the there there there there are

there are they bongon and others of buñuelos and churros. Also, in the plaza, have mounted, like every year,

a barra and have put some altavoces grand. The music the hour of the almurzo until the madrogada.

It's tradition in these fiestas that the first day they're to be to be

all the children before to go to be to the verbena of the plaza. I think it's of the few times that in the bar

we're taking messes that grand reservedas. They're always on the 9th of the night and they're pitts typical for to share. The croquettes, the tortilla and the flamenquins are the platoes'estrella.

The tennas are accompanied with harras of tinto-de-berano very fresquito. It's an to have a never a lot of people young. Okay, as ever, this episode is part of our coffee break scenes course, and the scenes course offers lots of additional materials to help you get more out of the

experience. There are the lesson notes, of course, which explain everything that's uncovered in the text and give you further examples. There is the vocabulary list, the exercises, and of course that spotlight video for each lesson that Pablo mentioned earlier. You can find all of this over on the Coffee Break Academy at Coffee Breakacademy.com. And if you want to receive weekly emails with free Spanish lessons, don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter at coffeebrickspanish.com. Perfect.

Well, Pablo, yeah. Yeah, I'm loved much this episode, the truth. Because me has recorded to the festivals of my people with the verbena, the good environment, that's very entrable.

Very entraeable. Well, I enjoyed it too and I think the reason I enjoyed it because I learned lots of new words. So that's all good. We'll be back soon

with a new episode of scenes for now. Much thanks. And until the next. After the next. Adios.

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