and then josé happened

14 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by in food & drink, friends, gastronomy

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So after yesterday’s hospital experience, followed by a lovely long walk with Paz, and then a snack and a glass of wine at Eslava, I got home and put the PJs on,  ready to flop for the rest of the evening. But then I got a whatsapp message from my gorgeous friend José Pizarro @jose_pizarro… there were no words, just a photo of THOSE papas aliñá at Bodeguita Romero. And I was like WHAAAAAT?? Yep, José was in town.

He was on a flying visit with friends from the UK who are in the process of turning their Norfolk pub into a Spanish tapas bar, and José was helping them get some inspiration. They had already been to visit the Ibérico pigs, and to a sherry bodega, and for one day only they were in Sevilla. OMG.

I mean seriously OMG.

After the pig of day I’d just had (basically saved last minute by having Paz keep me company at the hospital) I was ready to crawl into bed again. But suddenly José was in town! With friends! And he wanted me to come and meet them! What can I tell you? He totally made my day.

José with Simone, Ivor & Stuart

So I met them mid-tapeo and we had a lovely time drinking, eating, laughing, hugging… all that good stuff. We finished up on the rooftop of the EME Hotel (which seemed like a good idea at the time, another drink?, hell yeah!). And then just like that they were gone, like a dream. Honestly, what were the odds that one of the people I love most would show up on one of my shittiest days and make everything better? Well, it happened, and I have photo evidence. 😉 Gracias José! ❤

one down, two to go…

13 Thursday Feb 2020

Posted by in cancer, friends, health & happiness, hospitals

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So there I was, up at 6.00 am in order to prepare for the prep… which began at 6.30. Four fucking litres of this vile solution, downed in 250ml doses every 15 minutes over 4 hours. After the first hour is when the fun starts. I was amazed that I was actually able to down all 16 doses, but after awhile nothing mattered anymore, so what the fuck, what was one more disgusting oral and anal experience? After that I had to spend 4 hours not drinking even one drop of water. You’d think that by this point I’d have had enough liquid to last me, but as I’d also lost a lot of liquid I was actually quite thirsty, and I’m not used to going that long without water.

Anyhow… got a taxi over to the hospital with my friend Paz. These days I go to as many hospital visits on my own as possible, but this one required that I be accompanied because they administer a mild sedative. In this case it wasn’t that mild! A dolantin-valium cocktail totally knocked me out and I woke up again an hour later going – wut? By then it was all over and they were wheeling me into the recovery room. Seriously I don’t ever remember being knocked out so completely during any previous colonoscopy/endoscopy procedures. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation? Whatever, it was done and – YAY! – I was told that there were no signs of cancer and I was good to go.

And so I went, with Paz, for a long walk over to the Huerta de Rey Moro, a community garden where some of her family were having a birthday party for one of her many nephews. Grabbed a cold beer, hung out with the family for awhile and then decided – fuck I’m hungry! I mean, it had been over 36 hours since my last bite. So I wandered over to Eslava for a snack and also to just feel normal again. These hospital things really take it out of me, so I got back into my element, chatting with the barmen, doing a bit of Instagramming… and after that I was ready to go home. It was such a relief to open my door to three hungry cats, feed them, put on my PJs and get ready for a cosy evening at home. BUT THEN THIS HAPPENED… (stay tuned)…