24 Thursday Aug 2023
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The Jerez grape harvest is in full swing and this year the annual harvest festival is celebrating its 75th anniversary, September 2- 17th, with a whole whack of activities. I am hoping to go to one of the Catas Magistrales that take place outside in the Alcázar patio. Stay tuned!
18 Friday Aug 2023
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The “Ficus Centenario de San Jacinto” in Triana, one year after it was nearly destroyed. Once standing twice as high as the church, after years of the parish being negligent in its maintenance, they used the excuse that the roots were causing damage to the building to have it cut down, which was authorised by the City Council. Thanks to public outcry and citizen mobilisation in the streets and in the courts, the ficus was saved last minute, but not before it looked like it may not actually survive.
The City Council has since decided that the survival of the ficus is in the best interests of the city and its residents and has taken over the responsibility of its care and maintenance. I mean honestly, a year ago I thought it was dead (see pics below) but then it started sprouting leaves again and it’s a joy to see it recovering. I don’t suppose I’ll live long enough to see it grow taller than the church again (it’s 110 years old!) but this will do for now.
15 Tuesday Aug 2023
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We’ve had Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Agriculture and now we have Big Tourism, except we keep calling it “mass tourism” as if it’s something just happening to us rather than something planned, controlled and promoted by… ??? I mean we know the culprits behind the other “Bigs”. But who is leading Big Tourism? Anybody know? Continue reading
10 Thursday Aug 2023
Posted in food & drink, friends, sevilla, spain, tapas, tapas bars
What a surprise this was! Yesterday afternoon I was all cosy in my comfy chair reading National Dish when I get a message from Ana (aka Mrs O) saying they were heading to Lisbon from Sotogrande and decided last minute to stop off in Sevilla for dinner and spend the night. Four hours later Ana, Simon, little O and I were perched on bar stools at Cinco Jotas enjoying manzanilla and jamón and waiting for Casa Morales to open (I called ahead to Morales so when we arrived my usual table was reserved for us).
Their last visit was in November when they came for a weekend with Ana’s family and a family friend, and I was thinking how great it was to see them again so soon. THEN I found out that they are now living full time in Sotogrande and they’ve even started a new business down there called Collect Corner (check it out if you live in the area) and so we’re practically neighbours now. Anyhow, a lovely surprise and a lovely evening catching up with lovely friends in one of my favourite places. Really made my day!
29 Thursday Jun 2023
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The smoke from the Canada fires has reached Spain. For the past couple of days the grey haze over Sevilla has been attributed to this. It sounds crazy until we remember that we are often overcome by Sahara sand. Stunning photo above by In Like Flynn Photography shows a smoky sunrise in Gibraltar.
