sunday song – do you believe in magic?
30 Sunday Sep 2018
Posted in music, sunday song, video
Monthly Archives: September 2018
full of beans
29 Saturday Sep 2018
Posted in food & drink, gastronomy, retail therapy, sevilla
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The other day I “discovered” Ultramarinos Alonso. I thought their display of beans was wonderful, so I asked the owner if I could take some photos. Then this lovely gent – obviously a regular customer – said, “with me or without me?”. And so of course I said, “Both!” 
Apparently Ultramarinos Alonso has been around since 1935, though moved to its current location in calle San Luís in 2004. Now run by the grandson of the original owner (both called Alonso) they also have an active social media presence (which is how I heard about them) and an impressive online shop, in both Spanish and English. I wonder what the original Alonso would make of it.
world tourism day
28 Friday Sep 2018
Yesterday (September 27th) was World Tourism Day, and to mark the occassion Prodetur (Turismo Sevilla Provincia) held a Gala event, Sabores de Sevilla, at the Diputación de Sevilla, with speeches and a live music show, followed by catered food and drink showcasing various products from the province of Sevilla. A big (air-conditioned!) marquee had been erected in the main courtyard for the event.
Local and global publicity for the food industry in the province of Sevilla, and the work of local government and other groups in promoting food tourism, was the main point of the evening, and this part of Spain really does have a wonderful range of high quality food products. It’s not just the ham, or other Iberico pork products, or even the famous oranges, there’s olives and cheeses, rice, the world’s best tomatoes, and a wine industry that has improved a lot since I first moved here.
Live entertainment was provided by Pastora Soler, a very popular singer in these parts, who performed the Spanish entry in the 2012 Eurovision song contest. She is also taking part in an international video campaign promoting the food and wine of Sevilla. Although I had heard of her, I wasn’t familiar with her performances, which turned out to be essentially modern/pop, but strongly influenced by the local flamenco tradition, and all sung with a big, passionate voice. Very enjoyable, and she received a standing ovation at the end of her set.
peter’s new look
27 Thursday Sep 2018
So obviously the “steam punk” look from the other day weren’t REALLY Peter’s new glasses. 😉 These are! A recent eye exam showed that he not only needed a stronger prescription for reading but, for the first time, he also needed help with distance vision. Hence these new glasses with progressive lenses and a nifty magnetic snap-on sunglasses option, so he only needs one pair. He’s still getting used to them, but it’s already made a big difference, not always having to put-on-take-off reading glasses while out and about (reading menus, looking at iphone, etc). But apparently stairs are still a bit tricky…
la goya new look
26 Wednesday Sep 2018
This week (September 24), I was invited to the presentation of the new look La Goya manzanilla by Bodegas Delgado Zuleta, marking the brand’s centenary year. Organized by the boys at Probando Probando, the event was held on the terrace of the Corte Inglés Gourmet Experience in Sevilla, looking out over the city. It was a nicely low key event, with not too many speeches or too much marketing razzle.
A brief introduction of the new label was given by Jorge Pascual (general director of Delgado Zuleta) and José Federico Carvajal (commercial director of Delgado Zuleta) to some 150 people including bodega shareholders, wine distributors, hoteliers and specialised media.
The result was a very pleasant evening meeting up with old friends, enjoying some tasty snacks of jamón, cheese, oysters and mojama (cured tuna) provided by @MANCHENIETO @PanaderiaObando @OstreasurSG @QuesosPajarete @HerpacBarbate. And of course, sampling plenty of perfectly chilled La Goya (which hasn’t changed – still the same excellent sherry it’s always been).
Thanks as always to the organisers and hosts for a great evening.
casa azahar 