Tags
sunday song – wooly bully
25 Sunday Aug 2019
staycation 2019
24 Saturday Aug 2019
Posted in casa azahar, cats, friends, home, sevilla, sevilla staycation, summer
Tags
As I mentioned the other day, I’ve been on a staycation this month, since I don’t have any money coming in and can’t really afford a holiday. But I’ve been keeping busy and it’s actually been quite nice having some time off, taking walks, seeing friends, reading, netflixing with the cats (watch One Strange Rock!), cooking (still trying to perfect tortilla con “socarrat”). It’s also nice because the crazy neighbour is away all summer, so I can enjoy time at home without having to deal with her nonsense. Plus it hasn’t been super hot. And hey, I did have trips to London and Galicia earlier this year, so I’m not complaining.
Meanwhile, I’ve also been looking at what direction my business will take as the rapid growth of tourism over the past few years has totally changed what began (for me) as a “hobby that turned into a job” thing. Which has been fabulous. And since 2009 it’s also provided a decent living. Then I started We Love Tapas in 2015, but it was around that same time that Sevilla was suddenly inundated by new tour companies. And so, while I know I offer a superior experience, I realise I have to “up my game” if I am going to actually STAY in the game. So that is also what has been on my mind during this short hiatus, and I’m happy to say that some fresh possiblilites have presented themselves (both in my mind and in person). More on that as things progress.
How’s your summer been going?
papelería ferrer
23 Friday Aug 2019
Over the past few years Sevilla has lost several of its landmark independent shops (and bars), usually replaced by tacky souvenir places or chain stores. Papelería Ferrer, founded in 1856, is one of the last ones still standing. It’s important for us to support these places, and not just lament the loss of them after they are gone. Though I do wonder if it’s inevitable, especially when owners die and there is no family member to take over. Of course in other (most?) cases it’s a case of rents skyrocketing and these small businesses not being able to afford to carry on. So perhaps the most realistic thing is to just enjoy and appreciate these wonderful places while we still can.
dishwasher 101
22 Thursday Aug 2019
Posted in casa azahar, cats
Tags
I remember being all excited when I moved in to the present Casa Azahar two years ago and saw there was a functioning dishwasher. It certainly came in handy after moving and unpacking. After that I stocked up on dishwashing pods (2 for 1 offer! because man, those things are expensive) but after an initial flurry of frequent-ish use, I stopped. There just never seemed to be enough washing up to justify using it (though my friend Gabriella tells me they actually use less water than washing a few things out in the sink).
Anyhoo… earlier this month I wanted to use it but it had been, um, maybe a year since the last time? So I put some stuff in that I don’t eat from (dish draining tray, utensil holder, etc) to put it through a cycle to clean the thing out first. Then I was going to use it again yesterday and wondered if I should run it through a cycle again first as it had been three weeks. So… halp!
If a dishwasher isn’t being used frequently, how often should it be cleaned out by running it through a cycle? Or does it have to be? Also, those detergent pods I stocked up on? They’re looking kind of weird now. Do these things go off?
summer house temps
21 Wednesday Aug 2019
Translation to celcius for this tweet linking to a New Report on recommended temps for energy efficiency. It caused a huge Twitter fuss with everyone saying how high these temps were, that babies would die, etc, etc.
· 25.5C when you’re home
· 29.5C when you’re not home
· 27.5C when you’re sleeping
But this looks totally reasonable to me, especially because these are the actual temperatures I live with in summer (when it’s 40ºC outside). I set my A/C to 25C when I am home, if the indoor temp goes above 28C, and it usually settles at about 26C. I turn it off when I’m not home, and then it can hit 28-30C, especially during the afternoon. If I’ve been out in the evening I cool the place down for about an hour before bed and when I get up in the morning it’s usually 26-27C.
And even this costs me a small fortune. My gawd, if I left the thing on all day and night I’d be broke. At night a fan is enough, and I also have a fan going in the living room when the A/C is on to move the cool air around. How about you?
