20 Thursday Aug 2020
Posted in sevilla, spain, tapas bars, tapas tours
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Oh the irony. First of all there will be no work for me in 2020 so thanks for rubbing that in. Secondly, if this award is so exclusive then why is everyone (and l mean EVERYONE) posting it in their social media?
It’s clearly a crass and obvious way for Trip Advisor to get free publicity from everyone using their platform. They lowered my rating two years ago because l wouldn’t pay 25% commission to use their booking system. Now I’m suddenly an exclusive award winner? Fuck off.
14 Friday Aug 2020
Posted in coronavirus, sevilla, spain, tapas bars
Went out for a cold beer at La Bodega Alfalfa today and noticed that Javier was wearing a different mask than the rest of his colleagues. At first I thought it was the (now) usual wait staff mask with the name of the bar embroidered on it. But then I saw it said STOP RACISMO. Javi told me his wife had bought a set, including ones that said BLACK LIVES MATTER and I CAN’T BREATHE. He then proceeded to explain to me who George Floyd was and how those had been his last words. And I said, yeah I know.
Imagine time travelling back a few months and telling Mr Floyd that soon there would be a Spanish barman speaking his name and standing by him. I mean yes of course, all the protests, all the everything, would have blown his mind I’m sure. But it touched me today to see this one personal protest still happening, far from where it all started. Well done, Javier!
10 Monday Aug 2020
Today is the Día de San Lorenzo. In case you don’t know, the martyr San Lorenzo was put to a slow and painful death on top of a large gridiron with live coals beneath it and, the legend concludes that, after enduring the pain for a very long time he made his famous cheerful remark, “I’m well done on this side. Turn me over!”.
This is the first time in over five years that I haven’t attended the hectic San Lorenzo Day festivities at the Antigua Abacería de San Lorenzo. Because of Covid, Ramón and Carmen took the decision not to reopen their bar until September. In any case, this celebration is not one that lends itself to social distancing. The place is packed all afternoon long, standing room only, with Ramón passing around platters of grilled flesh (sardines, chicken legs, sausages, etc) with everyone drinking a punch from Huelva called ponche alosnero.
It’s always a crazy time and I miss it. ❤
03 Monday Aug 2020
Posted in coronavirus, sevilla, sevilla shutdown, spain, welcome
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It turns out that you can get a Covid test in Sevilla at any private clinic / lab. It costs between 50-70€ and you get the results in five hours. Question. Why doesn’t our government set up a booth at the airport so arriving UNTESTED tourists can be tested and, by the time they have settled into their hotels, they will know if they are carriers or not and if they need to quarantine? Why is the focus on tourists getting tested after they get home again?
31 Friday Jul 2020
Posted in coronavirus, sevilla, spain, summer, tapas, tapas bars
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Every year I write up a list of bars and restaurants in Sevilla that will be open in August. Used to be that almost every place closed, shops too, and Sevilla was quite a ghost town. In some ways I kind of liked that. Broke things up a bit, with a change of rhythm. Everything slowed down appropriately, in terms of The Heat. But the past few years there have been throngs of hapless HOT tourists wandering all over town, tour guides risking heat stroke taking out group after group, all defying the weather. It was getting crazy. It WAS crazy.
And now it’s crazy in a different way.
Anyhow CLICK HERE to see the August 2020 list. These are all independently run places and they can all use our support. So if you’re hungry in Sevilla these are some great bars and restaurants to go to that are also doing well with Covid health and safety protocols. Also some good take-away and home delivery options. 🙂
casa azahar 