A Brit had always considered moving to Spain as his girlfriend is from Madrid – but it wasn’t until a series of life-changing events that he finally took the plunge
A British expat who swapped the hustle of London for the sun-soaked streets of Madrid is living his best life as a wine company entrepreneur, claiming that “people just enjoy life more” in Spain.
Michael Pope, 39, formerly resided in a cramped one-bedroom flat in Mile End and worked in sales at a tech startup.
He shared: “It was a pay cheque. It wasn’t exactly lighting up my world.”
Michael, who had always toyed with the idea of moving to Spain due to his girlfriend Maca being a native Madrileña, remarked: “We used to pop back and forth between London and Madrid a lot, so it was something we talked about doing.”
However, the plan remained a future prospect until Maca’s brother fell ill with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prompting the couple to relocate to be closer to him in the summer of 2018. With remote working not yet commonplace, Michael left his job and faced unemployment in a new country where he didn’t speak the language.
Despite the challenges, he felt certain they had made the right choice, confessing: “It was a weird one. Because in many ways I was much more ready to leave London than Maca was.
“I get sentimental when I think about London because the city I remember is not the one I was experiencing at the end.”
He observed how the capital had transformed over time, becoming pricier and adopting an unbearable pace of life. “It changed so much over the years I was there. It became expensive – there was this horrible pace of life. So it was nice to be somewhere new.”
In Madrid, Michael initially taught English to business executives before moving into sales. As he settled into Spanish life, he noticed a stark contrast in lifestyle, saying: “I think in Spain there’s more of a focus on being sociable – on spending time with family. The pace of life is slower – and the quality of life just feels far better than in London.
“I see groups of elderly people walking in the street on their way to play bingo or bridge together. I don’t remember ever seeing groups of elderly people walking in the street in London. It feels like people just enjoy life more here.
“Plus, our two-bed in Madrid costs half what our one-bed in London did. So that helps things too.”
Fully embracing Madrid’s culture, Michael honed his Spanish skills and delved into the world of wine, taking courses with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and spending time at wineries and restaurant terraces. His family life also improved, with his wife Maca’s brother recovering from an illness after she donated bone marrow.
But despite the positive changes, 2023 brought an unexpected challenge when Michael faced redundancy.
He initially planned to return to a sales job, but his partner Maca urged him to consider what he truly wanted. He recalled: “It was my birthday and we were at a winery sitting on a terrace. I was talking about plans for applications.
“On the table next to us, a group of people couldn’t speak Spanish very well and were struggling to talk to the waiter about the wine they were drinking.
“And Maca just said, ‘You could help with that. They need someone like you – who speaks English for them and Spanish for the wineries – to take them around these places and help them learn about and enjoy wine. Why are you going back into sales? You spend all your free time learning about wine. Why don’t you just do it?’
“And I needed that. I don’t think I would have had the confidence or the motivation to go for it without Maca.”
So, Michael did just that.
He established his dream company — Vine Travel — which offers custom wine tours, tastings, and experiences. Prior to its launch, Michael spent months liaising with wineries, planning routes, calculating costs, and building a profile.
He launched his first vineyard tour in September 2023, acting as the host, driver, interpreter, and wine expert, and things have only escalated since then. “The last few months in particular have been incredible,” Michael said. “I’ve just had so much work. I’ve been mentally and physically tired – but in a healthy way.
“A way where it means I sleep well but I still wake up the next morning feeling refreshed.”
Vine Travel was fully booked from September through to November, with a busy schedule ahead. Michael stated: “I wanted to create tours which are essentially how I would want to experience vineyards.
“We often focus on smaller wineries which helps customers immerse themselves in Spain’s wine culture as much as possible. And lots of my clients have a genuine interest in wine and its production. So the experiences are great.”
Currently, Michael is concentrating on expanding Vine Travel and simply enjoying life. He said: “We live in a city we love. We have a very cuddly Dachshund called Charlie. I have a business I’m passionate about. I’m happiest around wine and dogs. So life is good.”