Category Archives: welcome

casting

05 Monday Oct 2020

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Second time since lockdown, though my trusty calendar tells me that I dyed my hair back in mid-December, then didn’t do it again until mid-June (!!!) and now… well, today. Used to be I’d dye it every 2-3 months. So it was a bit of a shocker when I went six months without a touch-up. If my hair would go grey dramatically then I wouldn’t bother, but it ends up just looking like I FORGOT TO DYE MY HAIR. If it ever gets interesting-looking, for example going all white overnight, then I’ll just leave it.

Have only had one haircut since December too, in July, so I guess I’m due. But I almost can’t be bothered. Especially as I really hate spending time at the hairdresser (even though I quite like mine), which is also why I dye at home. It takes about half an hour, so quick and easy.

Last time I got my hair cut I asked Joaquín to just cut it and I’d let it dry naturally on the way home. Even though I was the only person in the salon I didn’t want him to be blow-drying droplets from previous clients all over my face. How’s your hair doing these days?

san lorenzo 2020

10 Monday Aug 2020

Posted by in culture, history, sevilla, spain, tapas, tapas bars, welcome

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san lorenzo 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.   ❤

travelling abroad in the time of coronavirus

03 Monday Aug 2020

Posted by in coronavirus, sevilla, sevilla shutdown, spain, welcome

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covid testing

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?

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out and about

21 Tuesday Jul 2020

Posted by in gastronomy, restaurants, sevilla, spain, tapas, tapas bars, welcome

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out and about (1)
Have decided to try and get out and about once a week to visit my friends and their bars and restaurants. This was basically the idea behind the Patreon page, and so far I’ve got 4 patrons! So this money will go directly into keeping Sevilla Tapas alive, allowing me to keep it updated. But it also means I get to see my friends! Bonus.  🙂

On this outing I stopped in at Lama La Uva to see Ana Linares and enjoy a glass of manzanilla while catching up on all her news. And she had plenty! That gurl does not stay still. She hinted at a new project that she says she can’t talk about yet, a bit like naming your baby before it’s born. Meanwhile, she has expanded the menu at her second location Lama La Uva Sol, so I will have to get back there soon. Ana has been active all throughout the lockdown, offering online wine tastings and home delivery. She’s an unstoppable force of nature that one.

out and about (2)

Next stop was lunch at the recently reopened Lalola Restaurante, run by chef Javi Abascal in the spectacular courtyard of the boutique Hotel Conde de Torrejón. Speaking of unstoppable forces of nature… Javi (aka El Rey de la Casquería) is a social media monster and reopened last week with a bang, with a new menu, organised tasting menu events and a take-away option.

As always, the food was exceptional and the courtyard is bright and airy, so proper social distancing of tables is not a problem. The only sad bit was not being able to get the usual Javi bear hug, one of my favourite hugs in the city.  😉

out about

  • Succulent tuna belly with tangy tomate frito
  • Sautéed rabbit kidneys with mushrooms, potatoes, reisling sauce
  • Abanico Ibérco, grilled to crusty tender pink perfection
  • Silky buttery dijony mash