national dish

09 Wednesday Aug 2023

Posted by in books, food & drink, sevilla

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national dish

Look what came today! This was the second book I ordered last week, along with The Book of Sherry Wines, bringing my total book purchases since downsizing in 2017 to a resounding three (the third, well, first one was The Wines of Northern Spain by my friend (and Master of Wine) Sarah Jane Evans.

National Dish is by Anya von Bremzen and looks like it’s going to be delightful. I had a teeny-tiny part in it when Anya and her partner Barry were here doing research in the spring of 2019 and we met up a couple of times, going to a few bars where I introduced her to the owners who agreed to be interviewed. It’ll be hard not to skip ahead to the chapter on Sevilla!

In this engrossing and timely journey to the crossroads of food and identity award-winning writer Anya von Bremzen explores six of the world’s most fascinating and iconic culinary cultures—France, Italy, Japan, Spain, Mexico, and Turkey—brilliantly weaving cuisine, history, and politics into a work of scintillating connoisseurship and charm.

taking a break

08 Tuesday Aug 2023

Posted by in casa azahar, life stuff, sevilla

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time for a break

Well, kind of. I had a lovely lunchtime sherry tasting today with a lovely couple from London and now… that’s it for the next three weeks (!!!). I hadn’t planned it like this but I actually think this is going to be good for me (other than financially, obviously). So I guess what I really mean is that I won’t be doing any paid work for the rest of the month.

BUT… I have my new lifestyle tweaks to make routine, and that will be easier to do with open days to see how to best fit stuff in. I also have a couple of work projects hovering out there… waiting for me to have time to spend with them to hopefully get them moving forward. And I have two new books to read!

What I won’t be doing is taking a break from my online life. People often suggest I “disconnect” for a while and relax, but frankly the idea of that totally stresses me out. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys. And for the most part my “work” and my “life” are one and the same. It just wouldn’t make sense for me to go out for lunch, or for a walk, and not take photos to share with you later. And of course I’ll be keeping my Sevilla Tapas webiste updated.

But as sleep (as in, getting enough) is another of my new goals I may have to forfeit having my phone in bed with me.

So it will be a staycation in my lovely Casa Azahar and of course wandering around Sevilla when it isn’t too hot (this week it’s 42-44ºC). Finding out what I would do if I didn’t have to be anywhere or do anything other than what I want to do. Sounds like a holiday to me!

the endo

07 Monday Aug 2023

Posted by in health, hospitals, sevilla

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the endo

I’m so fucking disappointed. Have been holding out on the statins until I could see the endocrinologist (appointment was on Friday) because I thought surely at least some of these things can be controlled by diet, and I am uneasy about taking statins. So I was hoping to get some guidance in that area as well as get her opinion on some other issues going on (with my pancreas, recurring abdominal pain, etc).

But no. First of all I was the only one wearing a mask in the health centre, including the doctors. I will still never understand this. But I arrived prepared with a printed sheet of my various health “incidents” and the treatments, as well as more recent issues, hoping at least she might be able to explain the whole “pancreas mystery” that’s been going on forever. Did she listen? Did she fuck.

No eye contact. She had an assistant there (junior doctor approx 14 years old) taking notes etc while she kept her eyes glued to her computer screen and typing away, seemingly eager to get the report finished at the same time she stopped talking to me. I tried to tell her about the cancer, the ops, the recurring abdominal pain, the post chemo weight gain, but was cut short with “TELL ME WHAT YOU ATE YESTERDAY”.

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caturday august 5th 2023

05 Saturday Aug 2023

Posted by in casa azahar, cats, caturday, home

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caturday august 5 2023

Thirty years ago this beautiful boy was literally born into my hands. My Sunny. That was supposed to be his “milk name” until I came up with something more exotic to pair with his mother Lua, so that I would have the moon and the sun. But it turned out he not only had a happy sunny disposition, he was also a bit of a doof and not even remotely exotic or mysterious, bless him. Sixteen years later he died in my arms and I still miss him. But we were both lucky to have each other as long as we did.