Category Archives: spain

rick stein’s spain

16 Tuesday Aug 2011

Posted by in cooking, culture, sevilla, spain, video

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Remember back in May when that rascally Del sent me a surprise package containing the DVD of Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes? Well, he did it again with the latest series that features Spain.

As it was recently shown on tv in the UK, I’d been hearing various opinions about it on Twitter and couldn’t wait to see it for myself. And then it arrived today, which also happens to be WeeRascal’s birthday, so after getting home from an amazing lunchtime gourmet tapas tour, I just had to sit down and watch some of it.

Against Del’s and Ian’s advice I went straight to the fourth (and final) episode, which featured Sevilla. I was told that this was the best of the four and that it would be better to watch them “in order”, but how could I resist seeing my Sevilla on film? And… hmmm. I liked it, and will watch it again, but my first impression was that it didn’t really capture Sevilla very well. Which made me wonder if everyone who sees their “home town” represented in series like these feels the same. But it’s still great fun to watch and I am now wanting to travel more around Spain, especially the north.

Who wants to come with me?

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?

malaga apartment revisited

09 Tuesday Aug 2011

Posted by in holidays, Malaga, spain, summer, travel, trips

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[click to enlarge]

This is the third summer I’ve been fortunate enough to be invited to stay at Manolo’s fabulous apartment with views of both the sea and the port. Though this is now my fifth visit as I was here twice last summer and also had that wonderful Málaga Christmas trip with Peter and Jessica. The biggest difference this visit is that Manolo has totally redone the place, and it looks even more fabulous.  If you compare the collage above to these old pics you’ll see what I mean. No more orange walls and heavy curtains. It’s all fresh white and cream tones, with much improved pictures on the walls and pretty lamps. Much more “minimalist”, which of course is totally my style.

I’m also really glad that I bought this little bodum french press for the trip as it makes the perfect amount of coffee for a perfect wee brekky. I’m just finishing my coffee now as I write this and wondering what I’m going to do today. It suddenly seems like I’ve gone on holiday by mistake as I found out yesterday evening that the vineyard tour has to be postponed until Friday morning. Also not sure about getting out to the bodega with Victoria before that to get some work done as she now has to go to out of town. So I may have to change my 5pm train on Friday to a later one.

But what to do now until Friday morning? Well, I’ve got work to do on the social media stuff that I can do while relaxing here in my “second home”. And of course there is plenty to see and do in Málaga. It’s just weird suddenly having all this extra time here on my own. I think I quite like the idea!

Going to call home now to check on Azar, then a shower and then out to see where the day takes me… hasta pronto!

palomas

26 Tuesday Jul 2011

Posted by in food & drink, friends, restaurants, sevilla, spain, summer, wine

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Remember my evening strolls? Well, yesterday evening I went out and see if I could find a place that would clean my camera lens (yes, I know, but the lens cleaning pack thing costs 20 euros) and, after that was accomplished, it seemed like a very good idea to stop off somewhere for a Cold Beer before heading home. I decided it would be nice to go to Casa Morales, which has become one of my favourite starting points on the Sevilla Tapas Tours. So Nog & I bellied up to the bar to order drinks and – as I wasn’t working – thought it would be better to just hang out there instead of getting a table. I’m so glad we did because it ended up being a wonderful evening.

I’ve known Diego (on the left) for years, as he used to work at the Horno San Buenaventura, and back in the day I would stop in there almost every morning for coffee and toast. So we got to chatting and one tapita led to another… they are so simple, so good and so cheap it was hard to resist. Then Diego started topping up our drinks on the house, and also brought us a couple of other snacks (not shown – a bit of chicharrones and some tuna mojama). At one point an elderly couple who had been sitting behind us – you can just about make them out in the photo – came up to pay and they gave the guys a little puzzle that they said could be made into both a square and a cross. Well, doing the square was no problem, but nobody could make the cross, so we said we’d have a go. At which point Diego said he’d bet us double or nothing on our bar tab that we couldn’t do it. Too bad we didn’t take him up on that as Nog eventually worked it out while Diego showed me an origami “flying” dove, which he said he’d made. When I looked sceptical he took a piece of paper and made one in front of me. I’d grabbed my iPhone to make a video of it but when he was finished I saw that I hadn’t turned the video on properly, so asked him to do it again. Only I stupidly held the iPhone the wrong way, which ended up with a rather odd looking video, but I didn’t think I could ask for a third performance. Anyhow, below you can watch Diego making palomas.

So what was just going to be a quick beer stop on the way home turned out to be a couple of very pleasant hours spent at this totally charming bar with great people. I love it when stuff like that happens.

evening stroll

20 Wednesday Jul 2011

Posted by in home, sevilla, spain, summer, tapas

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On a hot summer night in Sevilla it just doesn’t seem right to go to bed just when the weather is turning agreeable, so lately flatmate Nog and I have taken to late evening walks, which often end up with us stopping off somewhere for a Cold Beer and a tapa. Tonight we made two stops as I hadn’t had dinner, and we ended up going over the river to Triana, thinking it might be a bit cooler. It wasn’t. But it was cooler than inside the house, and there was a lovely breeze. And look at all the pretty things we saw! Plus we got some exercise and our two snacks cost a grand total of 12 euros. I love Sevilla.

Now it’s time for a cool shower and bed…