Category Archives: tourism

we’re on fire, folks… please don’t visit

27 Thursday Jul 2023

Posted by in sevilla, tourism, travel

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wildfires

A couple of articles caught my eye this week…

As my home city of Athens burns, I can only watch in amazement as sunseekers fly in

Jetting off to the sun? The adverts are selling you a ticket to climate disaster

We are on fire here in many ways. First of all, yes, wildfires are ripping through the Mediterranean and *checks notes* causing holiday goers all kinds of distress. Or that’s how it’s being played on most media.

My question is, why the fuck are they here anyhow? Do they not read the news? Or even the weather reports? Do they not give a shit about anyone other than themselves? I’ve come to realise that these “sun seekers” are ignorant at best, borderline sociopaths at worst. Of course they are being played by travel companies, airlines, hotel chains who NEED them to keep travelling so badly that they offer crazy deals while bombarding everywhere with their relentless “get away” advertising campaigns.

I mean, airlines were still flying people into Rhodes in the middle of an evacuation crisis due to wildfires. And we’re not just talking about tourists – at least they got to flee to the nearest airport to get home while locals lost homes and businesses and lives. But it’s been clear for months that we are in serious drought conditions here, our forests are kindling, and residents face water shortages, with food shortages coming up soon. So WHY are people still coming here to holiday??

What are we? Nothing to you? Nobodies? Or are our towns and cities just places for you to pretend you are at least temporarily living a better life than the one you actually have?

Sevilla is not on fire, yet. But we have not had enough rain for TWO YEARS. So clearly our resources are very low and already water restrictions have been put into place in various places in Andalucía. Also, with record high temperatures the past month there is a real threat to our power grid, that it can withstand the needs of our residents. OF OUR RESIDENTS. Think about that.

When tourists come here en masse during difficult times they are mostly benefitting airline companies, hotel chains, tour companies… very little trickles down to us. Because think about it… you are here using our precious water (we don’t have enough) and still expect your pool to be filled while enjoying your all-day hotel air-con (while we worry about how our power grid can support us) … and you’re not giving a thought to that? Well, maybe you should. I hope you will.

happy day!

20 Tuesday Jun 2023

Posted by in gastronomy, sevilla, tourism

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academica (2)

Apparently June 20th is the happiest day of the year. Why? Who the fuck knows. But it turns out it has been a VERY HAPPY day for me as today it was confirmed that I am now officially a member of the Academía Sevillana de Gastronomía y Turismo. And I mean, wow. This has been a long time coming because they don’t let just anybody in and it has been a PROCESS (I think it only took three years??). I am also extra pleased because I am the first non-Spanish member, so to be recognised and accepted in this way means a lot to me. Let’s see what happens next!

when yer hot yer hot

19 Monday Jun 2023

Posted by in seasons, sevilla, tourism, weather

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hot hot hot

It’s still a fairly mild 30º here today but by the weekend we will suddenly be up to 44º!!! For several days by the looks of it. Yep, here it comes. My lunchtime tapas tour on Saturday should be fun, and no doubt I will be asked – as I am almost always asked on my food tours – how I cope with THE HEAT here in summer. And I always answer that it’s the same as I how coped when it was -30º or -40º in Canada. I STAYED HOME. As much as possible anyhow.

It’s like people think we have some magic powers here that enable us to be out in extreme weather without feeling the effects. Uh… nope. We just do our best not to go out into it. And keep that AC going as much as possible. I still can’t believe that I spent my first 18 years here on the top floor of a building without a lift and WITHOUT HEATING OR AC. I mean okay, I was 30 years younger, and back then probably couldn’t have afforded to run the AC anyhow. But there is no way I could live with that heat now (heck I couldn’t even manage the stairs now!). Once it hits 29-30º inside my apartment that AC goes on, at least during peak times.

I just hope both my AC unit and the power grid hold up. With Sevilla being flooded by tourists who keep their hotel room AC blasting all day, shower like crazy and expect full swimming pools, I am not optimistic about getting through this blistering summer of intense drought without some kind of problem that will affect us residents who are, and who have always been, conscientious about saving water and not abusing our infrastructure.

Wish us luck! How are things going in your part of the world?

rick & me

09 Tuesday May 2023

Posted by in sevilla, tapas, tapas bars, tapas tours, tourism, travel

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rick shawn

I had a very special guest on Monday evening… Rick Steves was in town and, as I’ve had the honour of being mentioned in two of his Spain travel guides the past few years (recommended by his local guide writer), it was high time we met up in person. Can I tell you? Rick is a lovely guy and a total force of nature. I had no idea what to expect, whether he wanted a tapas tour or just to talk about me and what I am doing and the Sevilla tapas scene, maybe get some recommendations on other places he could add to his guide… turned out that, yep, he wanted it all! And honestly, it was so much fun. Looking back, we stopped in at 16 (!!!) tapas bars and restaurants over five hours. Not eating at all of them obviously (we only did that at two stops) but checking out the places, ambiance, menus, etc. with Rick scribbling notes as we went. It was definitely a night of heavy researching.

Our first stop to actually stop at was Casa Morales. Reyes Morales was just coming back from walking her dog and said we had to come in and have a cold beer and a tapa. And well, who were we to argue with tapas bar royalty? At the last stop of the night, Salmedina, we also stopped in to eat. Rick had tried to get in the night of the Copa del Rey match and, well, no way. But luckily not only was there a table available for us, both owner/chefs were there (usually they trade off). Jaime and Pedro welcomed us and suggested we just try whatever they wanted us to try, thus a small but exquisite tasting menu ensued. My god. Every bite was heaven. And I even got to give Rick a little sherry education.

What can I say? It was a Tapeo Extremo to beat all others, all totally spontaneous and fun. Have already warned him that next time we’re going to Triana… and now that I know what he likes, well, it’s going to be epic.

Rick, thanks again for everything. Being in your guide has been amazing and I hope to continue being a trusted source for you and your travellers.

rick me (2)

stay classy sevilla

11 Tuesday Apr 2023

Posted by in sevilla, tourism

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stay classy

Honest to fuck I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was just about tolerable when they put a big I HEART Sevilla sign at the top of the stairs below the Setas a couple of years ago but today I spotted this massive LED flashing billboard stuck up there and I dunno. It’s like every day we are losing a little bit more of our city. Apparently this sort of crass display of, well, crassness has become a bit of a global trend. I mean, you expect to see tacky flash like this in Vegas, Times Square, Tokyo etc but now it’s everywhere. Heck, massive billboards like this are now (dis)gracing the façades of churches, museums and other historic buildings across Europe and, frankly, it’s sickening. And disheartening. Because I almost wanted to hope that the promise of “sustainable tourism” would have at least been given a chance. Instead it looks like the worst is yet to come.