Category Archives: blogging

casa azahar is 12!

02 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by in blogging, casa azahar, home

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Actually, my blogiversary was yesterday, but I completely forgot about it. Anyhoo… wow, 12 whole years of boring people silly! 😛

When I put up my first ever blog post all those years ago I had no idea that it would lead to meeting so many wonderful people. It also got me through the worst of times during the cancer ops and treatment and, more positively, led to starting the Sevilla Tapas blog, which then became my new biz once I got back to work.

Publishing a daily post was a habit I started during chemo to give me some focus, and I’ve kept it up ever since. Some days something interesting does happen, but mostly it’s just a scrapbook of my day to day life. So no, I won’t feel hurt if you unsubscribe.  😉

But for those of you who stick around, it really is great having you here and I hope to share many more anniversaries with you.

f_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.gif
f_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.gif

my 11th blogiversary

01 Monday May 2017

Posted by in birthdays, blogging, life stuff, sevilla

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

,

Eleven years ago today…

I put up my first ever blog post with no idea at all that it would lead to meeting so many amazing people (and, to be honest, a few not-so-nice ones). It also got me through the worst of times during my cancer saga and, more positively, led to starting the Sevilla Tapas blog, and a new biz once I got back to work. Just like life it’s been a mix of the good, the bad and the whatever.  😉

I’m sure that by now you’ve realized this is now mostly an online daily scrapbook (a habit I started during chemo to give me some focus). Every now and then something interesting does happen, but usually it will just be whatever.

So thanks for sticking around, guys! It really does mean a lot to me.

Glass of bubbly?

f_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.gif

tools of the trade

18 Saturday Jun 2016

Posted by in blogging, computers, home, work

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

mk330

When I bought Sterling – less than a year ago – I also splashed out on a new HP wireless keyboard and mouse. Well, the keyboard started sticking not long after, though it still actually worked, so I just put up with it. Then the mouse stopped scrolling, which I tried to live with but it was just too frustrating. So for awhile I had two mice on the desk… one that scrolled (but was also “sticky” so not good for general use) and the HP one. Then yesterday I thought – what the hell am I doing? – and went out and bought this baby. Which already feels better than the HP one ever did. But I mean honestly, I know I use my keyboard a lot, but I also have a light touch, so what’s with products that seemingly self-destruct after a short time? At least for now it’s actually a pleasure to be typing (and scrolling) again.

new look for seville concierge

11 Saturday Jun 2016

Posted by in blogging, friends, sevilla, tapas, tapas tours

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , ,

new SCA few years ago I helped my friend & flatmate Peter set up a website offering various types of walking tours, and we called it Seville Concierge. Because Peter does in fact advise people as well as give tours. Then the other day I was looking at his site and realised it just looked like a boring old blog that he barely updates (and nobody reads  😉 ), when the whole point of the site is to promote his tours. So this morning I started looking around for some fresh ideas that might help him get more work, which meant totally revamping his website.

Unfortunately a whole two hours were wasted on what looked like a cool theme, but it didn’t actually WORK in terms of what it promised. I think there must have been some sort of bug involved, because I couldn’t even get the page menu to show up. AND SO… I ended up finding this theme, which I think is pretty nice.

I’d love some feedback on it, if you don’t mind. In terms of how easy it is to navigate, and all that. By chance I discovered that each page could have its own featured image as a massive header image, so I think that makes it more interesting (present images subject to change – they were the best I could come up with so quickly). Peter is still working on some missing text, so really just want to know what you think of the design. Also, how does it work for you on a phone or tablet?

Thanks! xx

Seville Concierge

 

 

mary & sunday

16 Monday May 2016

Posted by in animals & pets, blogging, food & drink, friends, sevilla, websites

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,

mary and sundayToday I FINALLY got to meet fellow-blogger Mary Biles and her lovely pup Sunday. We met for lunch at a bar neither of us had been to before (and probably won’t visit again) but mediocre food was saved by good company and LOTS of chat. Mary has been writing I Know A Little Place In Sevilla – one of the best blogs about the city – for about three years. As the title suggests, it focuses on hidden corners and lesser-know spots, many of which I’ve never heard of. Very happy to have met another kindred spirit and – I hope – another Tapas Research cohort.

sunday times travel mag

03 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by in blogging, tapas tours, travel, work

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

st magazine

I hope I never get so jaded that I don’t get SUPER THRILLED to see my name in print, talking about my Sevilla Tapas Tours. Whether it’s in a fab blog like Becky’s Have Paprika Will Travel (who posted this photo on Instagram – this article is in print version only) or a prestigious publication like the Sunday Times Travel Magazine. It’s always so exciting. More here…

Sevilla Tapas in the Media

on helping…

20 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by in blogging, food & drink, internet, sevilla, spain, work

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

help line

Don’t get me wrong… I love helping people. And I love sharing my knowledge about Spain. Which is what led to the labour of love that is Sevilla Tapas and its various offshoots. Which then led to me offering food & wine tours, and later on personalised travel planning. Meanwhile, I keep updating my websites as best I can, as time (and money) allows, so that others can also enjoy and benefit from my experiences.

But what I don’t get are the people who email me saying what a nice website I have and then ask me to recommend specific tapas bars for their short stay in Sevilla, or hotels that would suit their particular requirements, local sights they shouldn’t miss, or possible day trips they should take while they are here, etc…

Guys! All that info is there. It has always been there. It’s there for you to use and – I hope – will be useful. Happy to share and all that. But please don’t ask me to take time out of my busy day to organise your holiday with “my favourite picks” based on your special needs… you can actually find that out yourselves by spending some time on my sites. I did all that research so you wouldn’t have to start from scratch. If you’d like a personalised holiday itinerary, or a fabulous food & wine tour, then I also offer those services. But you do have to pay for that. I’m not complaining, but I always feel a bit mean when I don’t have time to get back to these people.

Have to say though, that it always makes me happy when I get an email from someone recently back from a holiday in Sevilla who tells me what a fabulous resource my sites were for them, how they helped them have a much better time than they would have managed on their own. That makes my day!  🙂

new looks for sevilla & spain sites

27 Friday Nov 2015

Posted by in blogging, internet, sevilla, spain

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

azahar sevilla After recently jazzing up my tapas sites (as well as this blog and We Love Tapas), I had a look around for a new look for my travel sites. I wanted some continuity between them, and also a functional and easy to navigate theme. So far I’m happy with these, which I tinkered with a bit more this week. What do you think? Click on the pics to visit the sites.

azahar spain