24 Wednesday May 2017
Posted in retail therapy, sevilla, sherry, shopping
More drunk shopping! This time it was Peter’s @SVQconcierge turn, buying his first ever sunglasses after a few too many manzanillas. Very “men in beige”. And just in time for today’s last-minute Córdoba getaway. Gotta catch a train now…
22 Monday May 2017
Posted in friends, sevilla, sherry, spain, tapas, tapas bars, tapas tours, twitter, twitter friends
I met Tim @Biltawulf last year when he and his friend Ed came on a tapas tour with me. Then earlier this year Tim got in touch again – he was planning another trip to Sevilla, this time to celebrate his 40th birthday with four friends from London. I was looking for something different for him, and in the end took them out on Saturday afternoon for a Tasting Triana Tour. But as Tim arrived a day earlier than his friends, we met up on Friday afternoon too and he helped me with some Tapas Research. This turned into an impromptu tapeo, starting with cold beers in the sun before heading to Sahumo (which had a new tapas menu I was keen to try out), with a short detour to La Cata Ciega across the street, as we got there before Sahumo was open.
The next day was the tapas tour and then, after Tim’s friends left early Sunday afternoon, we met up again for yet another impromptu tapeo, this time taking in Casa Morales, Abacería Antigua de San Lorenzo and Eslava, finishing with a birthday cake and cava. Then it was time for Tim to catch his flight home. Looking forward to getting together again, either here or in London. Good ol’ Twitter does it again.
As you can see, the tapas tour was a serious affair. 
Birthday treats at Eslava.
20 Saturday May 2017
Posted in retail therapy, sevilla, shopping, wine
You know how it goes… you have that one extra glass of wine at lunch and then on your way home you see something in a shop window that catches your eye. Luckily it wasn’t shoes (that never works out well – tipsy feet are much less fussy than sober ones) but these super cute, and totally unnecessary plates. Actually it’s a fish dinner plate, a fish soup bowl, and two smaller plain blue plates in between. They make me smile. What’s the best/worst thing you’ve ever bought while under the influence?
17 Wednesday May 2017
One of these could come in handy for taking in all the nearby ferias in May. Unusually, Sevilla’s famous Feria de Abril mostly took place in May too this year as it traditionally begins two weeks after Easter Sunday. I tend to prefer the smaller ferias and will try to get to at least a couple of these ones. Maybe see you there?
13 Saturday May 2017
Posted in food & drink, home, sevilla
Can you believe that this is the first time EVER that I’ve had pizza delivered to my house? When I first came to Sevilla and lived near the cathedral there used to be a nice pizza place that I would occasionally call, wait ten minutes, and then go pick up. And when I first moved to my present apartment (February 2011) I discovered another good place just a few minutes walk away. Same deal, call in and pick up. But then awhile ago I saw that the La Mia Tana restaurant on my street was offering free delivery, so what the heck. It seemed like the perfect solution for a lazy Saturday night at home.
To be honest, I probably only have pizza 2-3 times a year, but the novelty of ordering food and having it brought to my door was, well, novel. Pretty tasty too.
12 Friday May 2017
Posted in food & drink, sevilla, tapas, tapas bars, tapas tours, triana, we love tapas
I’ve been doing a fun Triana Tapas Tour for a few years now, but recently decided to modify it a bit for We Love Tapas. And so… introducing the new Tasting Triana Tour, which will include a market visit, 3 tapas bars and a relaxed stroll around Triana. First one will be this Saturday!
11 Thursday May 2017
I almost never want STUFF anymore, unless it’s practical stuff like new sheets or something I want/need for the kitchen that will enhance my day-to-day life (like the new oven). But this is totally impractical – a huge white vase with little pig heads all over it. I don’t even know where I’d put it. But I want it. Kind of like when I wanted that massive dragonfly sculpture or the lily chair. Or that new sofa that I will never buy because the cats would rip it to shreds within a week. Likewise I will probably not buy this vase.
But never mind. I am keeping track of all the STUFF I haven’t bought this year because that means when I splash out on a new iPhone 8 this September then it will end up being free. Logic.
08 Monday May 2017
Posted in sevilla
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Honestly, could this be any uglier? The new riverside Tourist Centre is already an eyesore and it hasn’t even opened yet. It will eventually house a tourist office, a flamenco museum and a couple of bars.
But just look at it. It’s not only hard to believe that it’s a new building, but even that it was built in this century. There are actually two of those hideous massive wonky ramps. And the space for the tourist centre, etc… to be honest, words fail me.
So you know, this is located next to the San Telmo bridge, where the old port warehouses used to be. When I first moved here the warehouses were still in use and, although quite run down, they had character. Now they are gone and replaced by this horror. I still can’t believe it. It’s heartbreaking.
06 Saturday May 2017
Posted in food & drink, seasons, sevilla, tapas, tapas bars
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You can find snails year-round in some Sevilla bars, but the best time (apparently) is NOW when they are in season. The secret is in the sauce, as the snails are cooked in a broth that is unique to each bar that serves them. I don’t mind them, but I’m not a huge fan, so I don’t have a photo of a big plate of snails to show you. And so this fabulous snail sculpture by Chiqui Díaz will have to do…
05 Friday May 2017
It was touch and go there for about 24 hours as I wrestled with the notion of taking in Pinza, this tiny 3 week old kitten found in the street by my friend Elena, outside La Azotea where she works. I mean, I knew that I shouldn’t, and really possibly couldn’t, since I’ve always said that having 4 cats would be that slippery slope to officially being a Mad Cat Woman (waves to @sledpress!). I was also thinking that while this apartment is actually big enough to house another cat, my next one might not be. Anyhow, I was steeling myself and checking Elena’s instagram regularly for updates. And then finally I saw this photo of Elena holding Pinza, wishing her well in her new home. Phew!
