15 Wednesday Jun 2022
Posted in gastronomy, sevilla, sherry, spain
From June 15 to 28 the Sherry Council in Jerez has organised Jerez Restaurant Week, which will give people a chance to discover the best matches for Sherry Wines and Manzanilla through original pairings from a selection of 40 gastrobars in Madrid, Barcelona, and Sevilla.
Check out the list of venues below…
Jerez Restaurant Week
13 Monday Jun 2022
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Ever since electricity rates skyrocketed during and after the first LOCKDOWN, and even more so recently, we have been living under these varied times that show us when it’s cheapest to use our appliances. Which isn’t too difficult, though I have to admit I haven’t seen much of a saving from putting my laundry on at 5 am. And now that the AC is crucial… well, I do try to hold out until 2 pm when the cheaper rate kicks in for the afternoon, but then up it goes again during the evening, which is when you really need it. I’ve decided… fuck it. As (too many) people are so fond of saying these days… it is what it is. I don’t recall every living in a place that had these different “per hour” rates, but maybe it’s like that everywhere and I just didn’t realise? All I know is that my electricity bills have doubled since 2020.
23 Monday May 2022
Posted in anniversary, casa azahar, cats, sevilla, spain
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Thirty years ago this week I arrived in Spain. I can’t remember the exact date but somehow the 23rd sticks in my mind. This is me (age 35) with my first Spanish cat Lua in my first apartment in Salamanca. I still had no idea how I was going to manage to stay here or if I could make a living, but of course I adopted a cat! So many memories, many mistakes made, some achievements realised. And although there were plenty of tough times I never once doubted my choice to move here, to the first place that ever felt like home. So I’m glad I stuck it out. Thirty whole years. Wow.
20 Friday May 2022
I’ll have a lot more to say about Barcelona later, because it was quite an amazing experience in so many ways and I am still processing everything. BUT… it would not have been anywhere near as happy for me if not for these two. I met Charlotte & Brian on one of my tapas tours last October and we really hit it off. So when I found out they have a second home in Barcelona and that they would be there early January, I planned to go there for my 65th birthday. But then… fucking Omicron happened, so I decided to stay put until hopefully things settled down. Then the Decanter commission came up and as luck would have it, Charlotte and Brian were going to be in Barcelona the same week I was planning to be there doing research – perfect timing!
Not only were they great company when we went out to the vineyards and out for dinner, Charlotte also kept me “company” on whatsapp during the week, and that really meant a lot. To be honest I had doubts about this trip, and not just Covid concerns. I hadn’t travelled anywhere (other than day trips) on my own since I went to Madrid in October 2019 and I was worried I might be hit by my old nemesis PANIC. Those of you who also suffer from panic attacks will know that even thinking about having an attack can bring one on, so just knowing Charlotte and Brian were there really eased my mind. Anyhow, more about Barcelona coming up next week. I’m so glad I went.
11 Wednesday May 2022
