Coffee Break Spanish

Episode: Clue #2 (español) | The Great Coffee Break Treasure Hunt 2025

Release Date: October 22, 2025
Hosts: Mark and Annabel

Brief Overview

In this episode of the special miniseries “The Great Coffee Break Treasure Hunt 2025,” Mark and Annabel continue their virtual journey across Europe, offering listeners clues to a mystery European city. The episode is designed for Spanish learners and weaves Spanish language practice into a fun, treasure-hunt-style puzzle. The clues focus on vocabulary, poetic description, and geography. Listeners are encouraged to deduce the location while practicing their comprehension and maintain their guesses until all four clues have been revealed.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Quick Recap of the Previous Episode

[01:46-02:13]

• Mark and Annabel remind listeners about the city from the last episode, characterized by:
  • A border wall, a majestic gate, a watchtower, and “little red and green men.”
• These symbols likely pointed to Berlin, but the hosts keep the answer discrete to prevent spoilers for those participating in the hunt.

2. Introduction of Clue #2 – A Spanish Poetic Riddle

[02:27-05:15]

• Clue Presented (in Spanish):
  • Mark reads a poetic set of clues about the new destination.
  • The riddle mentions:
    • Lovers whispering with sweet emotion beneath a balcony.
    • An old passion sheltered by this balcony.
    • An ancient amphitheater where arias rise on the breeze at sunset.
    • A river drawing a bow-shaped curve, marking stories in every embrace.
    • Two gentlemen toasting with a "spritz" as the sun goes down, celebrating the city as they watch it.
• Vocabulary Exploration:
  • They discuss lovely Spanish words such as "susurrar" (to whisper), "al caer el día" (at sunset), "lazo" (bow/knot), and "brindar" (to toast).
• Interpretation and Language Practice:
  • The hosts translate and interpret the poetic language, helping listeners build their comprehension.

3. Analyzing the Clues (What Do They Mean?)

[05:15-06:17]

• Key Elements Unpacked:
  • "Balcony where lovers whisper" – possibly a reference to the famous balcony of Romeo and Juliet in Verona.
  • "Ancient amphitheater" – likely Verona’s famous Roman Arena.
  • "River curves and embraces" – the city’s river, the Adige, flows in a bow shape around Verona.
  • Local traditions of enjoying a "spritz" at sunset, toasting the city.
• Listeners are prompted to keep track of these elements for the overall puzzle.

4. Competition Guidelines

[05:15-06:17]

• Instructions for Listeners:
  • Do not post answers; wait until all clues are given.
  • Episodes are released on October 22nd, 24th, and 26th.
  • Submissions open after the fourth clue for a chance to win prizes, including access to Coffee Break TV lessons and a “star prize” collection for each language.

5. Distance Traveled Since Last Checkpoint

[06:17-07:36]

• Last episode started in Glasgow.
• From the last checkpoint, travel is approximately:
  • "South for 450 miles or 725 kilometers" to reach the current destination.
• Listeners are encouraged to use the distance and direction to help pinpoint the city.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Poetic Riddle Introduction
  • Mark (02:27): “Perfecto. Donde amantes susurran condul semucion un balcon Res guarda su vieja pasion.”
• On the Verb ‘Susurrar’
  • Annabel (02:36): “So, donde amantes susurran con dulce emoción. So where lovers whisper with sweet emotion. So a balcony. What does that mean?”
• Explaining the Clue
  • Mark (03:01): “It’s to shelter.”
  • Annabel (03:02): “So a balcony shelters. It’s old passion.”
• Interpreting ‘Un antigo anfiteatro’
  • Annabel (03:28): “An ancient amphitheater al caer el día... allows arias to rise, which the wind would guide. Oh, this is very romantic here.”
• About the River’s Embrace
  • Annabel (04:09): “So I’m guessing the river is drawing the shape of a bow or a curve. Something like that. So it’s marking stories in each embrace.”
• On Enjoying a ‘Spritz’
  • Annabel (04:44): “Right. With a spritz in hand. I love a spritz. Do you like a spritz?”
  • Mark (04:48): “No.”
• Competition Note
  • Annabel (05:15): “Don’t put any comments on this video or within the podcast episode telling us where you think this is.”

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [01:32] – Start of main episode, welcome from Mark.
• [01:36] – Annabel recaps the treasure hunt theme and previous episode clues.
• [02:27] – Mark recites today’s poetic riddle.
• [02:36–03:28] – Vocabulary discussion: “susurrar,” poetic translation, and amphitheater explanation.
• [04:09] – Riddle continues: discussion of the river imagery.
• [04:44] – Social/cultural detail: “spritz” and toasting in the city at sunset.
• [05:15] – Rules for listeners regarding the competition and how to submit answers.
• [06:17] – Distance and direction clue for the week’s city.
• [07:36] – Episode wraps up and credits roll.

Tone and Language

The hosts maintain a warm, enthusiastic, and educational tone, blending clear explanations with playful banter and cultural asides. The poetic riddle is presented in Spanish and unpacked in a way that supports language acquisition at an intermediate-to-advanced level, with special attention to romantic, evocative vocabulary.

Conclusion

This episode is a creative blend of language learning and engaging mystery. Listeners benefit not only from exposure to Spanish vocabulary and syntax but also get a gentle immersion into European culture and geography. The poetic clues, interactive challenge, and the hosts’ explanations make this a fun and educational installment, perfect for language learners looking for an immersive and challenging way to practice Spanish.

Remember: Keep your answers private until all the clues have been revealed and follow the podcast's instructions to participate in the grand treasure hunt competition!