Coffee Break Spanish - Clue #3 (español) | The Great Coffee Break Treasure Hunt 2025

Podcast: Coffee Break Spanish / Coffee Break Languages
Date: October 24, 2025
Hosts & Speakers: Mark & Colleague (D/E)
Series: The Great Coffee Break Treasure Hunt (Miniseries, Episode 3)

Episode Overview

This episode is the third installment in "The Great Coffee Break Treasure Hunt 2025" miniseries. Mark and his colleague embark on a virtual treasure hunt across Europe. Each episode features riddles and poetic clues in Spanish that hint at a new city, encouraging listeners to deduce the location and participate in the treasure hunt for a chance to win Coffee Break prizes. The tone is educational, engaging, and gently competitive, supporting Spanish learners by dissecting language intricacies while having fun with the mystery.

Key Discussion Points & Clues Breakdown

1. Welcome and Treasure Hunt Introduction

[01:33]

• The hosts greet listeners and set the scene for this interactive treasure hunt.
• Mark is following clues (written as poems/riddles in Spanish) to travel virtually across Europe, visiting a new city each episode.
• Listeners are encouraged to play along, decode the clues, and participate.

2. Clue #3 – The Riddle and Step-by-Step Language Analysis

Poetic riddle begins
[02:20] D:

"Mientras Torres aun sueñan su porvenir, la piedra respira su lento construir."

• Analysis:
  • "Torres" = towers, "porvenir" = future.
  • “Mientras Torres aun sueñan su porvenir” suggests towers still dreaming of their completion.
  • "La piedra respira su lento construir" = "the stone breathes its slow construction," implying an ongoing building process.
• Mark’s interpretation:
  • Possibly a reference to a famous structure still being built.
  • Host notes the poetic license in the language used.

    "Obviously, all of this language is constructed in some way...it's a poem kind of thing." (03:06, E)

[03:27]

"Un dragón descansa entre vivos colores, mosaicos relucen cual sueños mayores."

• Analysis:
  • "Un dragón descansa entre vivos colores" = a dragon rests among vivid colors.
  • "Mosaicos relucen cual sueños mayores" = mosaics shine like great dreams.
  • The group examines "cual", unusual here, but denotes comparison ("like" great dreams).
  • Mosaic artwork and colorful designs are significant cultural clues.

[04:41]

"Entre colinas y mares, esta canción tejió fronteras y alcanzó el corazón."

• Analysis:
  • "Entre colinas y mares" = between hills and seas.
  • "Esta canción tejió fronteras y alcanzó el corazón" = this song wove/crossed borders and reached the heart.
  • Song = metaphor for a cultural phenomenon or beloved tradition.

[05:22]

"Donde hubo carreras sin miedo al error, la costa celebra su viejo esplendor."

• Analysis:
  • "Donde hubo carreras sin miedo al error" = where races took place without fear of mistakes.
  • "La costa celebra su viejo esplendor" = the coast celebrates its old splendor.
  • Discussion about historical glory of a coastal city, possibly tied to sports or festivals.

3. Clue Summary and Listener Challenge

[05:57] - [06:44]

• Mark and co-host recap the key clues:
  • A dragon among vivid, colorful mosaics.
  • Towers still under construction, dreaming of the future.
  • A song crossing borders.
  • Coastal old glory, races unafraid of error.
• Hosts avoid giving away the answer, encourage listeners not to post guesses openly.
• Reminder to check previous episodes for the treasure hunt’s earlier clues/cities.

4. Prizes and Next Steps

[06:44] - [08:07]

• Listeners who identify all four cities (from the four episodes) can enter online for a chance to win:
  • A free month of Coffee Break TV (on-demand language platform).
  • Potential to win the complete collection of Spanish materials from Coffee Break.
• Details about entering will be revealed in Sunday’s episode.
• Recap of journey so far:
  • Started in Glasgow
  • Southeast for 1200 km
  • South for another 725 km
  • Now, “we are going west” for 850 km ([08:07] D)
• Instructions to search for “Coffee Break Treasure Hunt” or visit the website for more info.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Language and Clues:

  “Obviously, all of this language is constructed in some way... it's a poem kind of thing. So basically, it's not exactly as it would be said, but it's a little bit of poetic license here, I guess.”
  (03:06, E)

• Dissecting the clues:

  “A dragon rests among vivid colors. Mosaics shine like great dreams.”
  (03:35, E) [Paraphrased translation]

• Encouraging participation:

  “If you enter those four correct cities, then you stand at the chance of winning a full free month of November on Coffee Break TV...”
  (06:47, E)

• Journey directions recap:

  “We started off in Glasgow. Then we traveled southeast for about 1200 kilometers. Then we traveled south for another 725 kilometers... Today, we are going west.”
  (08:07, D/E)

Important Timestamps

• [01:33] – Welcome to the Treasure Hunt / Treasure Hunt rules
• [02:20] – Clue #3 starts: first poetic couplet introduced & analyzed
• [03:27] – Second couplet: dragon and mosaics
• [04:41] – Third couplet: between hills and seas, border-crossing song
• [05:22] – Final couplet: coastal races and old splendor
• [06:44] – Summary, hints not to post answers, next episode promo
• [06:47] – Prize announcement & competition details
• [08:07] – Travel route and direction recap, instructions for next steps
• [08:38] – Episode close: “Hasta la próxima.”

Language and Tone

The hosts maintain an encouraging, friendly, and slightly playful tone. Their focus is on making language learning engaging and fun, guiding listeners to use both linguistic skills and cultural knowledge to solve the clues.

Summary

This episode continues the Coffee Break Spanish treasure hunt with an engaging riddle focused on a city famous for ongoing construction (towers dreaming of their future), colorful mosaics, a dragon amid vivid colors, and a coastal legacy. Through dissecting poetic Spanish, the hosts guide listeners to hone their language comprehension, cultural insights, and deduction abilities, all while building anticipation for prizes and the next stage of the adventure.

To participate, identify each city's answer from the episode’s clues, and tune in next time to complete your entry!