05 Friday Aug 2022
So this totally made my day! My editor Julie at Decanter sent me this reader letter about my Cádiz travel article from last March. I mean, wow. It really made a difference to their trip and they ended up not just becoming Cádiz converts but sherry converts as well. Gotta admit it also helps with the ol’ impostor syndrome. 😉 Now I can’t wait to do another one.
06 Wednesday Jul 2022
You really can’t go to Córdoba and not order their tapas holy trinity of salmorejo, berenjenas fritas and flamenquín. These come prepared in different ways throughout the city but I don’t think I’ve ever had them better than at Bodega San Basilio. Which was also my BIG DISCOVERY during my Córdoba getaway last week. Tucked away in a quiet barrio just past the Alcázar this may well be my new favourite traditional tapas bar in the city (although it’s far from new itself). I fell in love with this family-run tiny blue and white tiled bar as soon as I walked in, and the fabulous food and friendly service clinched the deal. I also loved that they don’t douse their fried aubergines in that awful cane molasses, which is the way they are often served these days. In fact, when I asked if they could put the miel de caña on the side the barman said… you want that stuff?? Hahaha. So I said NO and instead I enjoyed dipping them in my salmorejo, as the cordobés tapas gods intended. The family has a second place around the corner – Mesón San Basilio – which has a beautiful central patio as a dining room. If I lived in Córdoba I would be here all the time.
30 Thursday Jun 2022
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It was fast but fun. And bloody HOT. I don’t know why Córdoba always feels hotter than Sevilla, even when the temperature is the same. But mission more or less accomplished in terms of the research for my next Decanter article. Here are some street scenes and also a couple of pics of the peculiar hotel room with see-through bathroom walls and no closet, but to be honest, for a budget hotel directly across from the Mezquita it was perfect. You can see the food pics on my Instagram… @SevillaTapas. Continue reading
27 Friday May 2022
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Up early today to catch the train to Córdoba as I’ve been invited to the 100th anniversary celebrations at Bodega Toro Albalá. I have to go and pack now. More later!
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.
casa azahar 