Category Archives: sevilla

fnac in sevilla

08 Sunday Apr 2007

Posted by in books & writing, culture, films, media, music, retail therapy, sevilla

≈ 5 Comments

fnac.jpg

Quite looking forward to this . . . I think.

A Virgin-megastore type place that is opening here in May, about a five-minute walk from where I live. I’m hoping that it will have a good English book section. And I’m curious as to how it will change the face of the already very muched changed Avenida de la Constitución, which is in the process of ‘going pedestrian’ with the exception of a new state-of-the-art tramline. I’m also curious as to whether it will fare any better than the Virgin store that opened and closed here within about five years.

I don’t have any recent photos of the Avenida, but found quite a lovely one over here taken just after Christmas. The change is quite amazing, quite minimalist compared to how it was before, which will take a bit of getting used to. But I think the overall effect is a real improvement.

Looking at the photo, the Fnac store will be on the right not far up from that ‘wedding cake’ building and so far it looks like the building is being redone quite tastefully; hopefully no huge gaudy plastic signs will be installed between now and May 4th. The Avenida has already been despoiled by the presence of two Starbucks, only a couple of blocks from each other – I just noticed the newer and bigger one the other day. Why???

Anyhow, we shall see. I think that once the trams start running the Avenida is going to become a much more popular & pleasant place for people to stroll and shop. But it would be a shame if it ended up losing its very special Sevilliano ‘ambientation’.

semana santa in sevilla

01 Sunday Apr 2007

Posted by in culture, holidays, religion, sevilla

≈ 3 Comments

el-cachorro.jpg

Here we go again . . .

Starting today it will be total madness here in Sevilla as semana santa (holy week) begins again. And since I live about a stone’s throw from the cathedral it’s rather hard to miss.

Not that I’d want to miss it. Even though Im not religious I quite like all the pomp and ceremony, the beautiful sculptures on the pasos, the very special ‘ambientation’ in the streets, and even some of the music.

But it is true that for an entire week I become a prisoner in my home, only able to get out to do shopping and other things in the mornings. After 3pm the neighbourhood turns into a heaving mass of humanity pushing and shoving in the streets in order to see this virgin or that christ … it can get a bit scary at times. Though apparently it’s only non-Sevillanos who don’t feel totally at home in this environment.

I’ll see if I can get a few good photos.

elton john in sevilla

26 Monday Mar 2007

Posted by in music, sevilla

≈ 9 Comments

elton-john.jpg

Oh, I just don’t know . . .

I mean I know I shouldn’t but if I don’t, will I regret it? My friend guspemar got tickets last week – the ‘cheap’ ones for 150 euros. He’s so excited, saying it’ll be a once in a lifetime experience. I guess if I actually liked anything he’d done in the past 20 years I might be more tempted, but I also used to soooo love him when I was 15. And so it would kind of be like when I went to see Frank Sinatra and Buddy Rich (except way more expensive).

Elton has confirmed he will be back on the road in Europe this summer when he brings his outlandish Las Vegas The Red Piano Show there to celebrate his 60th Birthday and 40 years of touring. The ‘Elton John The Red Piano Europe 07 Tour’ will see Elton perform in some of Europe’s most prominent locations including Seville’s Plaza de Espana (Spain), France’s Chateau de Versailles, San Marco in Venice, Italy, Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate (Germany) and at a venue to be announced Moscow, Russia.

So what do you think? Worth it?

azahar!

17 Saturday Mar 2007

Posted by in life stuff, musings, sevilla

≈ 7 Comments

valencia-orange-blossom-4.jpg

My favourite time of year.

I was just out on the balcony enjoying the morning sun and there it was – the gorgeously subtle fragrance of orange blossom (azahar) in the air. Then I looked down and saw the first blossoms on one of the trees.

So for the next three weeks or so the streets here are going to smell like heaven.

I wasn’t surprised to learn that orange blossom has natural calm-making qualities as I find it very soothing and, oh I dunno, even uplifting. All I know is that everything feels better while the orange trees are in blossom.