Hoy por Hoy | La última y nos vamos: Los souvenirs más raros

Date: December 3, 2025
Host: Àngels Barceló, with the Hoy por Hoy team
Podcast: SER Podcast

Main Theme / Purpose

This episode of Hoy por Hoy closes out the Wednesday broadcast with a lighthearted and relatable discussion about travel souvenirs—those quirky, sometimes bewildering objects we bring back from our trips, and the emotional (or comic) baggage they carry. The hosts and collaborators swap stories about magnets, machetes, and other odd items, weaving in reflections on memory, cultural habits, and the oddity of gift expectations. The segment mixes humor with subtle societal insight, effortlessly blending personal anecdotes with commentary about Spanish culture and identity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Etiquette and Expectation of Souvenirs (00:35–02:04)

• “La conversación de los imanes”: The group dives into social obligations around bringing souvenirs, especially fridge magnets, for friends or colleagues after a trip.
  • Regular requests for food-themed magnets (“imanes de comida típica”) and humorous exchanges about forgetting such requests.
  • The paradox: souvenirs are more meaningful if you experienced the travel—“Mola cuando el viaje lo has hecho tú, porque cada vez que abres la nevera te acuerdas de tu experiencia.”
  • Questioning significance: Why collect reminders of someone else’s adventure rather than your own?
• DIY Souvenirs: Joking about making a magnet at home instead of buying one in Italy, teasing the idea of authenticity and the meaning attached to origins.
  • “¿Te vas a Italia, no me traes un imán y encima me lo haces en Aranjuez? Hombre, no...” (02:04)

2. The Weirdest Souvenir Gifts (02:04–03:12)

• Unexpected gifts: One host recounts their (now) wife once bringing them a small sword from Toledo—“me trajo una espada, pero de imán o rey, de matar a alguien... En pocos días reconoció muy bien.” (02:25)

  • The humor in receiving presents that completely miss the mark of your personal interests.
  • “En Nueva York hay pistolas y no os traería una. Correcto.” (02:38)

• Nostalgic Oddities: Reminiscing about collectible items: “¿Os acordáis aquello que era como una especie de cassette pequeño que tú ibas mirando y vas pasando las postales?” (02:47)

  • Childhood memories and how souvenirs can serve as unexpected time capsules.

• Personal confessions: Bringing back a machete from a school trip in Galicia—“Me traje un machete, pero para mí. Yo no sé por qué, pero me traje un machete por Rambo, que está...” (03:12)

3. The Rituals and Roles Within the Hoy por Hoy Team (03:33–04:15)

• Light banter about team dynamics: waiting for Rafa, the technician, to give his “puño” (first a closed fist, then a sign he’s ready) before speaking—comedic insight into the show’s behind-the-scenes rhythms.
• “No puedo hablar hasta que no abre el puño. Efectivamente.” (03:53)
• Friendly recommendation: “¿Quién no tiene ahora otras 6 horitas y 20 para ponerse el Hoy por Hoy de cabo a rabo?” (04:10)

4. Intellectual Highlights: Culture and History Through Books (04:18–05:13)

• Quick nod to the “maravillosa charla” with dancer Janet Novas about body, dance, and wider awareness.
• Book segment: “Me casé con un extraño” by Irene Claremont—anecdotes about Spain of the 1920s–30s, as seen through a British perspective and the life of José Castillejo.
  • Quotes from the book and about Spanish quirks:
    • “Castillejo era inteligentísimo. Se convertía en el centro de la reunión porque era muy divertido. Le fascinan los refranes.”
    • “En España no hay español capaz de hablar y andar simultáneamente...” (both at approx. 04:55)
  • Observations on Spanish identity: “La España de extremos. No he encontrado todavía un español insípido.” (05:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the value of a magnet from a trip:
  • “Mola cuando el viaje lo has hecho tú, porque cada vez que abres la nevera te acuerdas de tu experiencia. Yo creo que un imán no mola. Puestos a comprarlo, pero yo me he traído un imán...” [01:38]
• DIY magnet joke:
  • “¿Te vas a Italia, no me traes un imán y encima me lo haces en Aranjuez? Hombre, no...” [02:04]
• On strange souvenirs:
  • “Me trajo una espada... En pocos días reconoció muy bien. Y pensé ¿En qué momento se te ha pasado por la cabeza que a mí me puede interesar eso? Pues mira, ahí está.” [02:25]
• Childhood souvenir nostalgia:
  • “¿Os acordáis aquello que era como una especie de cassette pequeño que tú ibas mirando y vas pasando las postales?” [02:47]
• Iconic Spanish humor and self-deprecation:
  • “En España no hay español capaz de hablar y andar simultáneamente.” [04:55]

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:35–02:04: Social etiquette of giving and receiving souvenirs, fridge magnets, and their “meaning”
• 02:04–03:12: Stories about the most bizarre souvenirs gifted or brought home
• 03:33–04:15: Inside jokes about Hoy por Hoy production rituals and recommendations
• 04:18–05:13: Highlights from interviews and the literary segment
• Notable closing at 05:13: “Pues mañana más, a partir de las 6 les esperamos. Pongan el despertador.”

Summary

This episode artfully blends the silliness of souvenir stories—from culinary magnets to machetes and mini-swords—with reflections on why we give and cherish these small tokens from the road. The affectionate teasing between hosts, the nostalgia for childhood memorabilia, and the snippets from Spanish history and habits create a sense of intimacy and shared culture. Listeners are left considering the rituals we all share through travel and memory—and perhaps inspired to look at their own souvenir collection with fresh eyes and a smile.