Category Archives: holidays

the antidote

06 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by in cats, food & drink, friends, holidays, home

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It’s a rare treat that someone cooks for me and lasts night it was a double treat when both Anna and Jorge made dinner for me and Peter. The perfect antidote to yesterday’s Monday niggles – a lovely meal and great company. And cats! What more could one want? Though I probably shouldn’t have had that second (or was it third?) glass of aguardiente…

Today is a bank holiday so I’m taking things easy. But it’s such a nice shiny day out there that I think I’ll go out soon to warm up. Feeling decidedly Christmassy.

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december…

01 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in cats, christmas, friends, holidays, home, sevilla, weather

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I woke up this morning with a definite Christmassy feeling!

This week it’s been much colder, going from “Indian summer” temps to very chilly overnight and then sneaking up to about 16-18º during the day. Still pleasant for walking around, and people are making the most of terrazas that get direct sunlight, but it’s suddenly winter. And December. So thoughts have turned to my favourite holiday of the year.

To be honest, I haven’t had a really great Christmas in many years, for many reasons. And that’s kind of made me sad, and made me almost give up on even trying to celebrate. But this year feels different somehow. So I plan on having a wonderful Christmas this year in my fabulous new home (still feels new to me, though it’s been almost a year). Who wants to join me?  🙂

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norberto

01 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by in art, culture, holidays, sevilla

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It was more than five years ago that I first happened upon Norberto León’s tiny studio while out for tapas with Nog and my dear friend Craig. It was a truly magical experience to come across Norberto and his helpers working away on that hot July night in 2006 and – me being nosy – popped my head inside to ask what was going on.

Since that night I’ve become pals with Norberto and we may still become biz associates one day (if I ever get my darned online store up and running!). I love his work and have had my eye on a rather large Sevilla serigraph skyline of his that I’d love to have in my living room. Well, maybe one day.

But today was a public holiday (Todos los Santos or The Day of the Dead) and by 11am I was getting a bit stir-crazy. Gym was closed, shops weren’t open, and what the hell was I going to do all day other than sit in front of the computer? So I decided to go out for a walk and do some work-related stuff, taking photos of a bar that I hope will become my latest social media client, and also a few photos of an actual client. It was a gorgeous morning – the first of November, 25º and me still wearing sandals.

And that’s when I saw Norberto sitting outside the cathedral, working away on his craft, with several items around him for sale. So we had a chat, I took this photo, got a kiss and then he told me about this video a friend of his had made about his work. I don’t think you need to understand Spanish to “get it”.

Website: norler.com
Estudio: c/ Alfarería 26
Triana, Sevilla
Tel. 676 024 081

on holiday, at home, while working…

29 Monday Aug 2011

Posted by in cats, holidays, home, work

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Since Jessica left last Thursday I’ve been here on my own at casa az and… I am just loving it! It’s like being on holiday but at home. While working.

I get up in the morning and open all the balcony doors, feed the cats, water the plants (look how lush my balcony spider plants are!), make some coffee in my little one-person bodum french press, fire up the computer and just enjoy myself and my apartment and my life.

You see, this is the first time I’ve been alone here since moving in and I think I really needed this week to be able to really bond with my new home and feel like it’s really My Home. I’m not alone all the time as Nog pops over a fair bit and I’m busy with clients, tapas tours and out running errands. It’s just a nice change to have a lot of extra time to myself and get into a whole new routine that feels like how I would live if I could afford to live on my own again. I’m sure I’d get lonely at times, but this hasn’t been an issue just for a week, and I’ve been getting into some good habits that I want to continue with. Nog moves back in on Wednesday and will then – I hope – get into his own work routine starting September.

Well, time for a short siesta and then I have to go out this evening and drop in on a couple of clients. Did I mention that I’m happy?

happy toes 2011

10 Wednesday Aug 2011

Posted by in animals & pets, cats, food & drink, holidays, Malaga, spain, summer, tapas, travel, trips, work

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This morning I took my first beach walk, leaving my sandals with a group of elderly women who were hanging out under a massive colourful umbrella, and it felt great. Though at the water’s edge it’s quite slopey, which makes walking in the waves extra difficult. Will have to go out again tomorrow morning as I won’t have time on Friday.

I still don’t know what’s going on in terms of meeting with Victoria and getting some work done, but as we’d only have this afternoon/evening it’s not looking very promising. Ah well, I’m getting lots of other stuff done.

Meanwhile, I got some great news this morning when Nog called to tell me that Azar had had a BM, which meant he didn’t have to be taken to the vet’s for an enema. And as I’ll be back on Friday, I can “do the honours” then if need be. As for the blood test, it’ll be easier for everyone concerned if I’m there too, so that can also wait until I’m back. I was really starting to feel badly because of leaving Azar all week when it turned out I could’ve come out today and saved a lot of worry, but now that it’s turned out okay I can go back to enjoying myself.

Had a nice day yesterday. Went to a new place for lunch called La Cosmopolitana, which had been recommended by Agustín, and it was great! Then I came home to do a bit of work, thinking I’d go to the cinema in the evening. Well, an extra long siesta took care of that plan, so I decided to just keep on sleeping.

The friends I invited to the vineyard tour are coming in to Málaga tomorrow. Still might nip over to Mijas in the morning as I’ve been invited by cookbook author and personal hero Janet Mendel to have a few tapas with her, so may be able to do lunch there and then have dinner out with the gang. Busy, busy, busy…

What have you guys been up to this week?