20 Tuesday Aug 2019
Posted in sevilla, sevilla staycation
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Have pretty much been “off work” this month. By this I mean no tours, but as usual I keep busy working on other things. No money coming in though, so I’ve been having a staycation and enjoying some nice lazy days. Even getting some reading done! And I take a walk every day, either morning/midday or in the evening. Much cooler in the evenings, and I get to see scenes like this. How’s your summer going?
29 Friday Jun 2018
Posted in hotels, restaurants, sevilla, sevilla staycation, spain, tapas, tapas bars
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alfararia 21, casa montalvan, hotel, sevilla, tapas, tapas bar, triana
A Friday afternoon stroll to Triana to look for a new food dish for Morcilla (don’t ask) turned into a delightful surprise visit to brand new tapas bar and restaurant Alfarería 21. This is part of a larger project by Paco Arcas, who owns the nearby Las Golondrinas bars, which will include a boutique hotel. The entire project comprises 3-4 buildings and I was first shown around the site a few years ago, before construction had begun. Then in March Paco took me on another tour of the site and the transformation was stunning.
Anyhow, it turned out that the Alfarería 21, housed in the old Casa Montalván ceramics factory, had just opened the previous day and so of course I couldn’t resist stopping for a couple of tapas and a chat with Paco. The menu is still provisional and so changes will be made, most likely to include separate menus for the bar area downstairs and the first floor restaurant. And the hotel is due to open soon. The rooms I saw in March were gorgeous – can’t wait to go on an overnight “staycation”. More photos below…
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01 Friday Sep 2017
Posted in azahartravels, getaways, hotels, sevilla, sevilla staycation, travel
I lived in the house on the right for 18 years and remember when Hotel Casa 1800 @hotelcasa1800 was actually someone’s house. Now one of the finest hotels in Sevilla, I was thrilled to be invited to spend a night there this week. You can see my gorgeous room and a few other details below. Full review coming soon on Azahar Travels.
14 Monday Aug 2017
Posted in cats, holidays, home, sevilla, sevilla staycation
This week (other than one tapas tour on Tuesday) I am on a “staycation” in Sevilla, and here’s Luna giving me a lesson in lounging. This is her favourite lounging spot in the new Casa Azahar. No doubt I’ll be spending too much time lamp hunting, but I also hope to relax before going off to Málaga next week.
It’s been a busy summer and so some “down time” is probably a good idea. I’m not actually very good at relaxing, but it’s nice having a change of routine this week, and also looking forward to seeing the sea again.
30 Thursday Jun 2016
Posted in hotels, sevilla, sevilla staycation, spain
In 1990 I moved to an apartment in Bristol, England that had what I called my “Spanish kitchen”. It also had a view of a “Spanish roof” from my bedroom window. It was a Spanish kitchen to me because the tiles were terracotta, and the Spanish roof, that looked like this photo, was on a nearby building (not sure why because this isn’t a typical roof style for Bristol). Both those things kept me dreaming about moving to my new home, and then I got a job at a tapas bar there! I was convinced I was on the right path, so even when I was asked to stay in Bristol and manage the bar… I just had to go. I was reminded of my Bristol “Spanish roof” during my Staycation at the Doña María Hotel. This was one of the views from their rooftop.
casa azahar 