Category Archives: spain

death takes a holiday

15 Monday Jun 2020

Posted by in andalucia, coronavirus, sevilla, sevilla shutdown, spain, tourism, travel

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plague holiday
So remember when I was mostly concerned about tourists from the EU Schengen countries (and frankly, also from Spanish virus hotspots like Madrid and Barcelona) suddenly being allowed to travel freely throughout Spain from July 1st? Well it turns out those were the days!

In a blink of an eye the Spanish government caved once again and now we are opening our borders to Schengen countries NEXT MONDAY. That’s right, the very day that we are released from lockdown after 100 days. Without giving us any time at all to adapt and see how we do here with implementing the “new now” regulations as well as dealing with our own homegrown Covidiots. Like, we now have to deal with untested asymptomatic carriers coming here ON FUCKING HOLIDAY from day one. But okay, at least this new deal excluded tourists from the UK (aka Plague Island) so I thought that was at least one less worry. Except now it looks like it actually may become a worry, and a big one.

Ah who am I trying to kid? Of course our government is going to cave again and allow UK tourists in. Bear in mind there will be no testing or quarantining involved with anybody coming here. Just a quick temperature check (useless for infectious asymptomatic carriers, approx 40% of people who test positive for Covid), fill out a form, and welcome to Spain. The only question now is when? Also next Monday? Or will they stick with the original (still way too soon) date of July 1st?

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amigo del día

01 Monday Jun 2020

Posted by in food & drink, gastronomy, restaurants, spain, welcome

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twitter header

So a couple of weeks ago my friend, and fellow sherry educator, Chelsea Anthon @chelsea_anthon got in touch to tell me about her new non-profit initiative Amigo del Día. It sounded like a great idea to me, so when she asked if I wanted to help out of course I was happy to get involved. For those of you who don’t know Chelsea, she is the founder and driving force behind Sherry Week, which has helped put sherry wines on the international map.

The idea behind Amigo del Día is to help promote independent bars and restaurants as they begin to reopen after the Covid shutdown, and also while they recover. The first campaign is called Let’s Lunch and it is based on the Spanish lunchtime set menu (menu del día) which traditionally includes a starter, main course, dessert, and beverage. Restaurants can register on the website and upload their own menu del día, which they will offer to the public between July 20-30. Registration is free of charge, as is the all the promotion provided, including material that can be downloaded.

For an extra fee Amigo del Día is offering restaurants the option of a menu app that their customers can access by scanning a QR Code with their phones. This digital menu is free for Amigo del Día participants from now until August 1st.

Within a couple of weeks hungry customers will be able to start searching on the Amigo del Día website for participating restaurants in their city, see the menus and check options available (takeaway, delivery, eat-in). They will also be able contact restaurants directly to either book a table or place orders.

It’s still early days but I remember the early days of Sherry Week too and believe that this initiative has legs. I think it’s a great way of not only helping our favourite bars and restaurants get back on their feet, but also to stay with us. Because the effects of Covid are going to be with us for some time to come. And remember that this is an international affair, so you can also look up great places to eat for once we get back to travelling again. I’m so happy to be a part of this.

If you’d like to help spread the word, and help get your own favourite restaurants involved, get in touch by emailing hola@amigodeldia.org and let them know you’d like to be a part of the Amigo del Día team of global ambassadors.

Meanwhile, you can follow @amigodeldia on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

today’s rooftop blue

05 Tuesday May 2020

Posted by in casa azahar, coronavirus, sevilla, spain

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This makes the (almost) daily “hamster wheel” rooftop walks bearable. That and my music – the antique ipod is still holding up. Though I realised today that my wifi also reaches up here, so I could really listen to anything online. Bonus! Also burning up between 950-1000 calories! Wish I’d have started doing this from day one. And in a couple of weeks I may EVEN start going for walks IN THE STREET.

lockdown day 52 – covidiots

04 Monday May 2020

Posted by in coronavirus, spain

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Since April 26th children under 14 have been “allowed” by the government to be taken outdoors for 1 hour a day, with 1 adult (max 3 kids per parent), and staying within a 1km radius of their homes, at all times respecting the 2 metre social distancing rule. And you can clearly see from the photo above how well that’s going.

Then, as of May 2nd, everyone else was allowed out for an hour a day, to walk or do some other kind of individual sport or exercise. The timetable for this is: ages 14-70 from 6-10am and 8-11pm, ages 70+ (with their carers) and special needs people 10am-12pm and 7-8pm, and kids with parents, same rules as before, from 12-7pm. People who are already living together are allowed to go out together (though how is this enforced?), but you’re not supposed to meet up with friends. And of course you should be RESPECTING SOCIAL DISTANCING. So of course this happened…

I honesty don’t know what the hell is wrong with people, but I’m staying the fuck home. The government clearly doesn’t have a clue what it’s doing, so they are playing dice with our lives to see which way things will go. Even with people still dying every day from the virus. Even though a vaccine is still WAY off in the future. Even though second and third waves have been predicted, almost guaranteed, by many experts. So it’s, hey let’s see what happens if we do a partial “reopening” of society. And these covidiots go out like, well, idiots. Thinking that if the government tells them it’s okay to go out then everything must be fine again. It’s not just that they are putting their own lives at risk, but also everyone else’s. A recent study in Iceland (which has tested almost all of its population by now) showed that at least 50% of those who tested positive for the virus were asymptomatic, but still infectious.

The mind reels.

At this rate the second wave should be happening within a couple of weeks. I’m good with staying in awhile longer. Heck, even for a lot while longer. Since the indoor Red Cross race a couple of weeks ago I’ve been getting up to the rooftop a few times a week to do my STEPS. Not 10,000 like in happier times, but trust me, doing half that in a confined area is boring AF and is really all I can manage. And it’s certainly better than nuthin. Plus, when I realise that 1km from my house only takes me to the Triana bridge or over to the Alameda, what’s the diff? Okay, I feel a bit like a hamster on a wheel, but it’s do-able. Plus I can do it any time I like.

I was wondering if I actually fit into two of the new timetable groups. Obviously I am in the 14-70 age group, but so is also almost everybody. I may also belong to the 70+ and special needs group because of my high-risk status due to previous cancer and chemo, and the auto-immune shit. So I may try it if there is no second wave by mid-May because, not only are the hours better, there will be way fewer covidiots out there. I’m guessing this group will be a lot more cautious.

How’s your lockdown going?