Marbella with Him & Her

Puente Romano, Marbella & travel recommendations

Welcome to episode 96 of Marbella with Him & Her, the weekly lifestyle podcast about Marbella and the lives of expat couple PJ Lopez (@pjlopez1marbella) and Hannah Murray (@radiohannah). They are a married couple living in the cosmopolitan Marbella town of San Pedro de Alcantara. PJ is a digital marketing consultant and Hannah is a radio and tv presenter and each week they bring you some married life banter and details of places they have visited, things they have done and general life on the Costa del Sol.
This week we start with Hannah's excitement to get back to her keep fit routine which did not start off as planned as her reformer Pilates class had been cancelled the night before but Hannah for some reason did not get the memo.
Hannah had been invited to dinner by her friend Cindy Lass, an artist who was visiting Marbella with her son. They ate at the Puente Romano restaurant Gaia which is a Greek / Mediterranean style eatery.
Hannah talks about her women talk show on the radio where she was joined by Audrey Spearing, Georgina Shaw and Mary Harboe. 
PJ and Hannah also chat about Lions Mane the new super supplement. Hannah had some in a drink when she went to Hustle n Flow with her father for brunch where they had some amazing food. There are lots of new things on the menu so it is well worth following their Instagram and they post some great content showcasing their food (@hustlenfloweatery).
Some guests Hannah interviewed this week on her radio show included the wonderful Alan and Jenny Boardman who do so much work for charity. This was about an initiative they had for collecting old pairs of glasses from people so they could deliver them to Uganda to people that simply do not get access to glasses. They also purchased over 200 pairs of shoes for children as many kids in Uganda do not have shoes.
Another great interview was with Sunna van Kampen (@tonichealth) about his best selling book, The Good The Bad and The Healthy. It is about the hidden ingredients and bad things in everyday food items. His social media account has lots of videos of him in a supermarket pulling things off the shelf and explaining what to look out for, what to avoid, and what to get instead.
Euro Weekly News items this week include a few articles about travel. From the Forbes recommendations that you should visit in Spain to an article about a very little known village in the north of Spain named the best place to visit in Spain in January. 

Happy New Year from a very wet Marbella!

Welcome to the first 'Marbella with Him & Her' of 2026! It has been a busy festive season in Marbella seeing friends and family starting last Sunday with Craig and Evelyn going over to Hannah & PJ's for lunch and games. PJ made an after Christmas family favourite, turkey Indian rice with a Brussel sprout curry. There was lots of fun, laughter and red wine consumed, before a game of Cards Against Humanity.
One of Hannah's interview highlights of the week was with bestselling author Jeffrey Archer, whom she had interviewed on several occasions before. They spoke about a very interesting book he has written called End Game which is about what went wrong at the London 2012 Olympics, some of which is true and some fiction.
On Tuesday Hannah convinced PJ to join her at her regular body combat class at Supera gym in San Pedro. Needless to say, PJ was somewhat exhausted for the rest of the day. The evening was The Big Fat Quiz of the Year at the Hogan Stand which saw the biggest turnout in 15 years of quizzing. Some 20 teams and nearly 100 people enjoyed a fun evening of quiz questions about 2025.
The following day Hannah's father’s cousin Miles and his wife Sue joined them for brunch at Savva Lounge in San Pedro where they all enjoyed a mixture of Eggs Benedict in a croissant, French Omelette and Waffles with maple syrup and crispy chicken, the ideal set up for a long night of New Year's Eve celebrating at The Hogan Stand. Lots of friends and family got together for a great night as always with lots of singing and dancing to the tunes of Paul Hull.
On Friday, Hannah and PJ went to meet up with Kelly, one of the ladies from The Sisterhood (@thesisterhoodgroup) who had been on the India Rickshaw Rally from Chennai to Goa with Hannah. She was over for a few days with her husband Paul and a group of friends. Paul is also a Crystal Palace supporter so there was lots of catching up about India and football.
As well as home cooking there was quite a lot of takeaway food from the Chinese Nuevo Siglo and King Ramen (now called Ramen and Sushi), both of which are in San Pedro.
The weather has been playing a major role in the Three Kings lead up with many processions postponed, cancelled or shortened due to heavy rain.
Euro Weekly News (@euroweeklynews) articles this week include more information about the effects of storm Francis, some more clarity on the V16 beacons required by law in cars, the delay of the electric scooter register by the DGT, and an article about the upcoming rehearsed play ready by International Theatre Studio, Yes Prime Minister due to be performed on 21 January 2026.
HAPPY 2026 and remember you can follow Hannah on Instagram at @radiohannah, PJ @pjlopez1marbella and the San Pedro Guide at @sanpedromarbellaguide. As always, a huge thank you to the Marbella with Him & Her sponsors @TheHoganStand and collaborators The Euro Weekly News!

What Expats & Visitors Can Do In Marbella at Christmas Time

Welcome to the latest episode of the Marbella podcast Marbella with Him & Her. This week is a festive edition where Hannah (@radiohannah) and PJ (@pjlopez1marbella) chat about Christmas in Marbella.
The Del Sol singers’ choir had a busy week of singing with three performances at La Sala in Puerto Banus with a final performance on Christmas eve which got everyone in the festive mood.
They also talk about bulging stockings and their Christmas Day with family which included lots of amazing presents and lots of Christmas food. Boxing day is as always a day for left overs but nobody saw what was coming with PJ's red Thai Curry with Brussel sprouts and pigs in blankets!
Hannah also speaks about her girlie night out at Coto in Benahavis, ending up in la Sala, as well as her continued charity packing at Overseas Supermarkets in Puerto Banus.
As usual at this time of year Hannah got in touch with the real Santa Claus in Lapland for their year Christmas chat. 
They mention lots of social events throughout Christmas including Christmas eve drinks at The Hogan Stand, cooking Christmas dinner for Hannah's Dad and Sheila, Boxing Day buffet, cooking goulash for a party of 14 people at friends Bev and Jamie's post Christmas party, and prepping for lunch with friends Craig and Evelyn who were coming over for lunch on Sunday.
They also share the Christmas films they watched, that were not so Christmassy and PJ watching football.
Euro Weekly News articles this week included the weather alert that was sent to everyone's phone that literally scared the crap out of everyone. They also discuss the ongoing EES situation at Malaga Airport and ways to minimise delays when flying out. They have a chat about winning the Euro Millions jackpot and what they would do with the money!
PJ shares some of the year's memories with Hannah from the podcast sponsorship by the Hogan Stand to Hannah's charity fundraising trip in India.
All of us at Marbella with Him and Her would like to thank you all of your continued support and we look forward to growing with you through 2026.
Happy New Year! Stay healthy, safe and have loads of fun!!!

A pre-Christmas Marbella

Welcome to a festive Marbella with Him & Her, your weekly Marbella podcast sponsored by The Hogan Stand in San Pedro and brought to you by PJ Lopez (@pjlopez1marbella) and Hannah Murray (@radiohannah). As we head into Christmas it has been a busy week for choirs, soirees, and lots more.
Talking of soirees Hannah went to her friend Audrey's house last Sunday, after recording last week's podcast for a girly get together for drinks, food and games which was a great way to enjoy the build up to the Christmas period.
Some highlighted interviews that Hannah did on the radio this week included Steph Douglas talking about her company Don't Buy Me Flowers, which she set up when she was literally overwhelmed with flowers from friends after she had a baby. Another interview was with former colleague Ian Rutter who was a big part of the TV series with Alan Carr and Amanda Holden when they renovated a house in the Andalucian village they live in. They were back to film a Spanish Christmas Special, and he shared some very funny stories about their time here.
Hannah also interviewed James Reed, the entrepreneur and CEO of Reed Recruitment about his book Karma Capitalism which is about giving a percentage of profits each year directly to charity and the effect is has on employees and business partners.
Hannah has also been doing her bit for charity helping pack shopping for customers at Overseas Supermarkets in Puerto Banus and encouraging shoppers to leave a small donation for Collective Calling, a local charity that does a lot of work for the homeless on the Costa del Sol.
It is not just Hannah that has been having all the fun! As we mentioned last week PJ had his Christmas party at Mosh Fun Kitchen where he managed to fall off a table. He is still a bit battered and bruised but that did not stop him dressing up as a reindeer for his works Christmas video!
It was the famous Hogan Stand Christmas quiz which was enjoyed by lots of people turning out in red costumes or Santa hats. Before the quiz started Hannah enjoyed the fish pie, which is one of the winter specials at The Hogan Stand and is highly recommended.
On Friday PJ and Hannah had their Irish friends, The Kellys over for dinner, and PJ bravely cooked an Irish Guinness stew from the cookbook that Aoife and Meadhbh bought him for his birthday.
Articles from their collaborators, the Euro Weekly News this week included Hannah actually being in the paper thanks to the Del Sol Singers choir performing at the Age Concern Lunch that was held at The Hogan Stand. They also discuss the article about El Gordo the famous Spanish Christmas lottery, and changes for people with electric scooters.
As this is the last Podcast to be uploaded before Christmas, so on behalf of Hannah and PJ (Marbella with Him & Her), have a very merry, safe and wonderful Christmas wherever you are in the world and look out for their next podcast where they will share all of the Christmas stories and looking back over some highlights of the year.

Marbella Christmas parties

Welcome the latest episode of 'Marbella with Him and Her' presented by PJ Lopez (@pjlopez1marbella) and Hannah Murray (@radiohannah).
Thankfully it was a bit of a quieter week than the one before, but it was still packed with fun things going on in and around Marbella as they head towards Christmas.
Hannah is sporting her new Christmas nails that were done just in time for some more Del Sol Singers Christmas choir events. They sang for CAP (Charity & Pleasure) earlier in the week before their yearly performance at the Age Concern Christmas lunch held at the Hogan Stand.
Talking of the Hogan Stand it was the last normal quiz of the year as next week will be the Christmas Quiz and the week after that will be The Big Fat Quiz of the year.
Savva Lounge was on the cards again for Hannah who went who there with her dad to enjoy their delicious Eggs Benedict served on a croissant.
Friday evening PJ had his works Christmas party which was at Mosh Fun Kitchen. After lots of great food and alcohol PJ ended the evening by falling off of the table they were dancing on and injuring his shoulder! Meanwhile Hannah was enjoying the International Theatre Studio Christmas party being held at La Grappa.
They talk about their friend Jonty's nana turning 100 earlier this week, who was featured in The Euro Weekly News. Other EWN articles this week included a possible change of policy over the V16 replacing the warning triangle, some conflicting information about whether expats visiting public healthcare from 2026 will need their own translators and `talks about possible plans to ban teenagers under 16 in Spain from using Social Media.
In other news the Mr Chicken restaurant in San Pedro is finally open, there are weather warnings across the region, some listener feedback about the new specialist coffee shop The Cult, and it was the Malaga Marathon taking place on Sunday 14th.
 

The Best Marbella Brunch Recommendations & Christmas Choirs

Welcome to episode 91 of Marbella with Him & Her, your Marbella podcast presented by husband and wife expats PJ Lopez (@pjlopez1marbella) and Hannah Murray (@radiohannah). Every week they bring you the latest news and gossip from the cosmopolitan resort of Marbella on Spain's Costa del Sol. Join them for some friendly married life banter and get some great recommendations of places to visit and things that are going on, as well as reviews of places they have visited over the past week.
They start with their delicious lunch immediately after recording last week's podcast when they went to G-Wine in San Pedro. The menu has both sharing plates as well as main dishes. Find out what they ordered and what they thought of the venue.
Some of Hannah's interview highlights of the week from her radio show included an interesting chat with Zoe Clews about Christmas and the fact that it can be a sad, anxious or even upsetting time for some people, for many different personal reasons. She also caught up with Ingrid Jansen who runs the Declutter Hub, who has inspired Hannah over the years to let go of so many unnecessary items. This week they were specifically chatting about getting organised for Christmas.
Hannah mentions a post she saw about Ireland offering grants to people who want to live on a remote island and renovate a derelict home. There was some confusion whether it was Ireland's islands or just Ireland. Listen to find out what they said and what was concluded.
Last week lots of people were sharing their Spotify wraps of the year and their 'musical' age. Musically Hannah and PJ seemed to have each other’s, while some people were much younger, and a few were very much older! It was also lovely to have some listeners share their podcast wraps showing Marbella with Him & Her their most listened to Podcast.
Thursday was a milestone for Hannah with her weekly Hogan Stand quiz as she marked 15 years of hosting it at The Hogan Stand. There were some lovely speeches, cake and flowers. You can hear more details on the podcast.
They were both due to go to The Sunset Beach Hotel on Friday night to see Ricky Lavazza's Christmas Cracker show featuring Karen Danzig. PJ was not feeling 100% so he stayed at home in bed while Hannah went to enjoy a festive night of amazing singing and dancing.
After a night of rest PJ was fighting fit again and they went to Savva Lounge in San Pedro for brunch. It was a kind invitation from the lovely owner Thao who had decided to open the venue during the day for brunch. It is usually a night venue for cocktails and shisha, but she wanted to make use of the lovely space during the day too. With the assistance of Stef the Chef, she is now serving some incredible food. They enjoyed their first ever American chicken waffles and maple syrup, as well as some other tasty dishes.
Saturday night was the first official Christmas choir performance and the most Christmassy place in Marbella, The Harbour.
Euro Weekly News articles this week include one about ten key Christmas foods that have increased in price, a 4.2 magnitude earthquake felt on the Costa del Sol, the Mijas Pueblo charity Christmas Tree route and this year's pantomime at the Salon Varietes.

Feeling Christmassy in Marbella!

It is episode 90 of Marbella with Him & Her, brought to you by our wonderful sponsors The Hogan Stand!
They start with Hannah getting back to her full fitness regime after disruption due to illnesses. There is also an update on the horn discussions of last week.
Hannah's interviews this week included one with Adrian Lukis who played Mr Wickham in Pride & Prejudice in a BBC adaption in 1995. He shares a very funny story about when he and Colin Firth went out in London together.
Their sponsors The Hogan Stand have put up their Christmas decorations and PJ got in the mood when he went on a recent trip with work to Gibraltar where he bought some Christmas goodies and the Christmas crackers ready for Christmas day.
They also thank their friend Eileen who very kindly gave them a voucher for the Thai restaurant in Puerto Banus, Naga. They enjoyed a wonderful tasty Thai meal which was packed with amazing flavours, and is somewhere they can highly recommend for authentic flavours in luxury surroundings.
As promised on last week's podcast they headed out Saturday morning to start their 'secret shopper' coffee tasting in the 'speciality' coffee houses that have become popular in San Pedro. Their first 'tasting' was in the new coffee venue Gud in San Pedro so listen to hear their verdict.
After coffee they drove to Malaga for the Black Friday weekend event in McArthur Glen designer shopping outlet which is part of the Plaza Mayor shopping centre. Listen to the podcast to find out how successful the trip was and what they managed to buy!
This week's Euro Weekly News articles, who we are delighted to have as a collaborator on the podcast include:
A section of the AP7 motorway that is one of the most dangerous sections getting new speed restrictions, face masks becoming mandatory in health centres and care homes to protect vulnerable people from the rising flu cases, Sunday opening in Marbella and details of a lovely article written by Donna Neely about the benefits of living in Spain.
They also talk about lots of other Spain related subjects and details of their busy week out and about in Marbella so make sure you follow @radiohannah and @pjlopez1marbella for regular updates on expat life in Marbella, Spain.
Don't forget to also follow @thehoganstand for the full entertainment schedule at the pub and @euroweeklynews to stay up to date with the important news items across Spain

Her in Marbella & Him in the UK!

Welcome to the latest episode of the popular Marbella podcast presented by PJ Lopez and Hannah Murray called Marbella with Him & Her. This week while PJ was in the UK, Hannah was all set to record the podcast on her own, with some snippets PJ had sent across while in the UK. Unfortunately, that all went to pot as Hannah had some technical issues which prevented her from recording anything, but that was to all of your benefit as PJ returned from the UK and normal service was resumed!
While PJ was away, Hannah certainly did not sit at home moping, she had a very busy week, but before he headed to the UK, they entertained their friend Nikki on Sunday night who was over in Marbella for a few days. PJ cooked his spag bol with pork mince (controversial) and they settled down to watch the opening episode of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here. They are now all addicted to the nightly episodes and rooting for one of their favourite people, Vogue Williams. Hannah mentions that she might be a little 'parasocial' when it comes to Vogue!
Monday was a busy Bootcamp Pilates as Hannah, Amy and Nikki all attended the class now hosted by India. However not long afterward Hannah was full of cold and has been battling it all week! After some bedrest she was well enough to go to dinner with Nikki hoping to go to Alfredos in San Pedro de Alcantara, but it was closed for holidays. They ended up next door at another Spanish restaurant called El Cantinero, which they have mentioned on the pod before.
If you have wondered what has happened to Pub Charles, Hannah has some information on that too!
This week's interview highlights Hannah did on the radio included one with author J Randy Taraborelli who has written numerous books on JFK. His latest one is about his parents Joe and Rose, and Janet, who was employed to take care of some rather bizarre requirements.
Hannah also talks about a Daily Mail article which was about the spelling of Irish names which was quite frankly disgusting and pretty much racist. They both have a bit of a rant about the article!
While in rant mode, Hannah calls out the underwear chain Calzedonia for their stupidity in having hooks in the changing rooms that are too big for the hangers they have on their items.
In her chat with Guy Lloyd of Penguin Random House they discuss a new book project from Steven Graham, the award winning actor who produced Adolescence. It is a project for fathers to write letters to their sons explaining adulthood and growing up as a male.
PJ has some good airport tips for people traveling to the UK, and how to beat the queues at Malaga Airport passport control when departing.
They have news about the light switching on ceremony for San Pedro de Alcantara, and also mention that up in Murcia, Richard Gere will be switching their lights on!!
Hannah gives out some important information about a charity called the Food Fairies and the amazing work they do, especially around Christmas for disadvantaged children.
We are also very excited to announce a new collaboration with The Euro Weekly News. This week's articles include a special guide they have produced about the new EES border control in Spain which is proving to be invaluable for UK travellers both leaving and coming to Spain.
They also discuss the article about the upcoming arctic weather on its way called the 'Power Arctic Air Mass' which will send temperatures plummeting.
Another important article from the EWN was for motorists and the use of their horns. The police are cracking down on incorrect usage and issuing fines of up to €200 to offenders so make sure you read up on when you can use it.
This week is a real bumper week of information and there is so much more they cover so make sure you give it a listen.

Marbella and London Parties

It's time for the latest episode of Marbella with Him & Her, the weekly podcast about Marbella and the Costa del Sol presented by husband and wife expats PJ Lopez (@pjlopez1marbella) and Hannah Murray (@radiohannah) and sponsored by San Pedro based Irish Pub The Hogan Stand (@thehoganstand).
This week the Mushy Peas debate continues after some feedback from listeners and asking different friends what their take was. Listen to find out who "won" the debate. Hannah follows up with an Instagram reel challenge that seems to indicate that women are able to react faster than men.
PJ shares some important information about changes in Social Media that he learnt from a very interesting zoom presentation by Inge Hunter (@inge.hunter) during the week which was all about the Andromeda update and how it has and will be affecting social media accounts, whether personal or business.
Some interesting interviews this week from Hannah's afternoon show on Talk Radio Europe (@talk_radio_europe) included a great initiative launched by La Cala based celebrity chef Steven Saunders (@thegeraniumchefsaunders) in which he is looking to offer cooking lessons for people of a more senior age who might have found themselves in a position where they now need to fend for themselves and never learnt some of the basic skill of cooking.
Another interesting interview Hannah did was with Lady Fiona Carnarvon who lives in and runs Highclere Castle (@highclere_castle) where Downton Abbey is filmed.
On Friday, Hannah and PJ went their separate ways to attend different parties. PJ was at El Gamonal (@restauranteelgamonal) in San Pedro which is a stunning restaurant often used for private parties and functions. It was the 50th Year Anniversary for the International Theatre Studio (@internationaltheatrestudio) and there was a black and gold gala dinner held to celebrate the milestone.
Meanwhile Hannah went to the UK to a Bollywood Party to see the premiere of the Let's Goa documentary that was put together by Sam Teale Productions (@samtealeproductions) with footage of the Sisterhood's charity tuk tuk rally from Chennai to Goa in India. You can watch the documentary here https://youtu.be/tZCVFsV1Uf8 It was a party of Indian food and dancing and lots of fun, laughter and tears! This was after Hannah and Nikki visited Sloane Square for lunch and designer hot chocolate by Ralph Lauren.
PJ and Hannah share some awful news about their journey back from the airport and how they were about 30 seconds behind a major accident on the toll road because of a car going down the wrong side of the toll road and colliding head on with another vehicle. They got there a few seconds after it had happened by which time lots of cars had pulled up on the side of the road and were already assisting the passengers of the car.
Hannah reminds drivers in Spain that from 1st January the new V16 light will replace the warning triangle. She advises listers what the minimum requirements and type of V16 is required.
Sur in English articles this week again include more records being broken at Malaga Airport with passenger numbers and X (formerly Twitter) being slapped with a huge fine for not verifying the legality of financial scams being advertised on the platform.
 

Ironman in Marbella & Celebrity stories

Welcome this week's episode of Marbella with Him & Her, sponsored by The Hogan Stand Irish pub in San Pedro de Alcantara.
After recovering from colds, Hannah and PJ started the week as usual with Hannah heading to her Monday morning Pilates class in Estepona. Monday night involved a lot of furniture re-arrangements at their home to accommodate the Del Sol Singers choir rehearsals on Tuesday evening which saw the entire choir descend to their lounge.
Wednesday evening was all about wine! They met up with Charlotte and her son Christian who run Cervinco Wine, a company that supplies many of the coast's bars and restaurants. They discussed their website and social media and a potential collaboration all while enjoying a couple of bottles of good wine and one of the famous Hogan Stand platter's.
Hannah gives details of where she goes to get her manicure and pedicure for under €50 in San Pedro before talking about some of the memorable interviews she did this week on her show on Talk Radio Europe (@talk_radio_europe). They included an interview with the legendary Wayne Sleep (@wayne_sleep), LA TV correspondent Ross King who was on this year's Strictly (@therossking) and Rusty Egan (@rustyegan) who co-founded 80's electronic band Visage as well as the Camden Palais alongside Steve Strange. She also chatted to 'Hollywood' superstar Kevin McNally (@exkevinmcnally) who has appeared in all of the Pirates of the Caribbean films as well as many other series and films. He was recently in Marbella to launch a new series filmed in Marbella called Ketchup. Another great interview was with Paul Vallely who was very much a part of the Live Aid funds distribution across Africa who has become great friends with Sir Bob Geldof as a result of spending so much time with him in Africa.
The weekend was The World Championship Iron Man event, which was held in Marbella and comprised of swimming, cycling and running. The men's event was won be Belgian Jelle Geens while the women's event was won by Lucy Charles-Barclay.
The weekend included a bit of culture with a visit to the Salon Varietes in Fuengirola to see a production of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Nile featuring their friend and ITS colleague Fiona Poole.
Sur in English articles this week include a story about El Pimpi and their foundation Cantera which is to help train underprivileged people to work in hospitality. They also discuss the new passport control systems in place for non-EU residents which is resulting in long queues for ALL passport holders. Hannah also quotes the article about the Malaga Christmas lights being switched on Friday 28 November.
As always please give the podcast five stars, a nice review and a follow (if you enjoyed it) and don't forget you can follow Hannah on Instagram at @radiohannah and PJ at @pjlopez1marbella If you want to keep up to date with the going on in San Pedro de Alcantara follow @sanpedromarbellaguide and of course give our sponsors a follow @thehoganstand