Category Archives: spain

las setas

29 Tuesday Mar 2011

Posted by in culture, history, sevilla, spain

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Undecided…

This past Sunday was the official opening of the Metropol Parasol – aka Las Setas (The Mushrooms). I stayed away from the celebrations but snapped this pic of it yesterday once everything was back to the usual work-a-day crowds. While it was going up, which took years, I hated the damn thing as much as everyone else seemed to and couldn’t imagine how such a monstrosity would “fit” into such a beautiful old city as Sevilla. Though it’s actually sitting in the middle of the Encarnación Plaza, which had its heart and soul cut out of it during a fit of sixties “rebuilding” which destroyed palaces and old houses and left a strip of hideous office buildings and storefronts. But I digress…

The Setas (how can you not call them that?) are on the original site of the Encarnación Market which was levelled and moved to a “temporary” site next door … about 35 years ago. I don’t know the whole story there other than the original site was pretty much a parking lot when I first moved to Sevilla in 1993, then they started digging it up and discovered ruins that held up any building for several years. And then they started constructing The Setas.

The market was shifted over just before Christmas last year and although the building is now officially “open” there’s still some construction going on. When the scaffolding first started coming down, unveiling the first seta (in the foreground of the photo) I was startled to find myself liking how elegant it looked, swooping up towards the sky. But as more of the structure became visible I became less entranced. So I remain undecided. I guess the real test will be how well the site ends up being used. Aside from the market there will be bars and restaurants (coming soon!), and there’s a big shaded area up on the first level which has a small playground for children, benches for adults, and will apparently be used for concerts. There is also a walkway along top of the structure with panoramic views of the city which residents of Sevilla will be able to access free of charge. Anyhow, for better or worse, there it is.

What do you think?

[also posted on the Sevilla Blog]

a day in the country

27 Sunday Mar 2011

Posted by in culture, food & drink, friends, photos, restaurants, sevilla, spain, tapas, wine, work

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[click to enlarge]

One of the reasons I occasionally wish I had a car (and a valid driving licence) is to take day trips to the many little villages near Sevilla. So I was delighted the other day when my Twitter buddy Eduardo got in touch to ask if I wanted to go with him and his girlfriend Mercedes to an olive oil & wine tasting in El Viso del Alcor. The tasting was held at the magnificent Basilippo hacienda in the countryside amongst their olive groves, and the snacks we enjoyed during the event were catered by Más Que Tapas. I was keen to go not only to learn more about olive oil (and, as it turned out, caviar!) but also to meet Aurore and Eduardo, who run Más Que Tapas, as they have often asked me to come out and see their place.

After a presentation on the different types of olives oils (we sampled three) inside the museum, we went out to the gardens to sample five different wines, paired with delicious snacks prepared with the olive oils we had just tasted.  But first we were in for a special treat – some local caviar and sparkling wine. We had a great time and I got to meet some new people, as well as a small pregnant cat which I ended up feeding chunks of bread dipped in my carrillada gravy. By the time the tasting finished we were informed that Más Que Tapas was offering a special “after hours” lunch menu (it was way past lunch time) and so we made our way over for something a bit more substantial.

[only click to enlarge if you’re not hungry]

In the end we didn’t go for the fixed menu and just (just!) ordered three dishes to share. Above you can see owners Eduardo & Aurore in the top corner, and at the bottom that’s Aurore again with Eduardo & Mercedes. In between some fabulous food: risotto with mushrooms, cashews & raisins, a burger of goat cheese, a slice of apple and foie, and some grilled scallops and chorizo on puff pastry with carrot purée. As if that weren’t enough we were given a couple of hot desserts to sample and I found myself wondering how on earth I was going to manage to eat anything on my tapas tour that evening…

It was a fabulous day in the country with lovely people. We got back to Sevilla around 6.30 and so later I wasn’t too concerned to discover that my clients were delayed getting into town from Lisbon which meant the tapas tour was rescheduled for today. In fact, I have to leave in a few minutes – see ya!

azahar 2011

23 Wednesday Mar 2011

Posted by in azahar, sevilla, spain

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Took these pics the weekend before last when I spotted the first azahar blossoms … this is my favourite time of year.  Click on the pic to get a closer look at how full of blossoms these trees were. Since then the air in Sevilla has smelled heavenly and I wish I could share it with you. Such a gorgeous and soothing fragrance.

Happy spring, everyone!

la alfalfa

06 Sunday Feb 2011

Posted by in home, sevilla, spain

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[click to enlarge]

Welcome to my new neighbourhood!

Took a few snaps yesterday as I hobbled around on my crutches. This barrio is known as “La Alfalfa” because it has the Plaza Alfalfa at its centre, which used to be where they sold animal feed. Many of the streets in the area are named after old jobs that no longer exist, presumably where the workshops were located. I love that my street is named after the people who used to separate the wheat from the chaff … seems like a wonderful metaphor for my new life here.

You can see that the whole style here is different from the Barrio Santa Cruz. More homey, no tourists or souvenir shops. In fact, it’s full of wonderful – and useful! – shops, like bakeries, supermarkets (3 just off the plaza, one with a fab fish section), a gourmet butcher, florist, “euro shop”, convenience store, pharmacy, fruit & veg shop, a place that makes churros & crisps, and lots of little boutiques. There are also scores of tapas bars, and my gym is just up the street. The Plaza itself – about a two-minute walk from home – is always bustling and was recently pedestrianised, making it a pleasant place to sit out in the sun and enjoy a beer and a tapa.

I’m very pleased with the new barrio. It feels very comfortable and more “authentic” to where I was before. And I can still see the top of the Giralda tower when I look out my bedroom balcony…