josé andrés and family in spain

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jose andres in spain

This is now streaming on HBO Max and Discovery+. Of course José Andrés has become a legend these past few years not only for being a world class chef but also with his humanitarian work and heading World Central Kitchen. During lockdown he was putting up short videos on social media of him at home cooking with his daughters and they were so charming that when I read about this series about taking his daughters around Spain I was really looking forward to it. And well… I just wish I liked it more. There are six episodes and I’ve watched three (Barcelona, Andalucía and Madrid) and I don’t know. They feel a bit superficial as if they are aimed for an American audience to promote travelling to Spain. I mean, it’s fine. It’s still fun to watch but I didn’t expect to see them ordering sangría (!!!) and extolling the virtues of the Boquería Market (which has become a full-blown tourist attraction). Anyhow, it still has some nice scenery and it’s entertaining. Let’s see how it goes with Valencia, Asturias and Lanzarote.

UPDATE: The final three episodes felt quite different from the first three. Perhaps because I’m less familiar with those locations? Also, some amazing scenery, especially in Asturias and Lanzarote. Overall an enjoyable series.

our flag means death

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our flag means death

One of the “good” things about being OLD is that I barely remember anything anymore. How is this good you ask? Well a few months ago I watched Our Flag Means Death and totally loved it. Funny, silly, charming… and a brooding Taika Waititi (as Blackbeard) in head to toe leather. And so after being disappointed and/or annoyed after watching a couple of the latest streaming Trending Hits I decided to try OFMD again. And while there were certainly bits of it that I remembered there was also plenty I had forgotten, so it was almost like watching it anew. If you haven’t seen it I can’t recommend it enough. Absolute joy. Great soundtrack too.

mar

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mar

Back in early October I was sitting at a bar (for a change) in Triana with my friend Lucy and we started chatting with a woman sitting next to us. It turned out she “knew” me from Instagram and so we decided that one day we’d meet up and do some Tapas Research together. Well, what with me getting sick immediately afterwards (gastroenteritis and then covid) and with Mar travelling and then getting sick herself we finally managed to get together today. Met up at La Cayetana and enjoyed a long and very chatty lunch. Mar has a wonderful Instagram account full of great photos and stories about Sevilla. Check it out… @Lost-In-Seville.

Plans are afoot to do have more regular research lunches and maybe also some cultural walks. I reckon between the two of us we know practically EVERYTHING about Sevilla so we can educate each other and have fun too.