my new kitchen window herb garden

Tags

, , , ,

Viveros La María

Back in the old Casa Azahar I had plans for a small rooftop herb garden, but somehow never got around to it. I guess because I never actually used the rooftop for anything other than drying my laundry. I tried having meals up there, including a few nice BBQs, but frankly it was so much hassle bringing everything up the stairs that it was more bother than it was worth. Also, for more than half the year it was either too hot or too cold to sit outside… and so aside from hanging up laundry and watering the plants left behind by a previous tenant, I almost never went up there.

But the first time I looked around the new Casa Azahar I thought how lovely it would be to have a little herb garden on my kitchen balcony. And yesterday I finally took the first step to making that happen. I popped over to Viveros La María and picked up some parsley, basil and cilantro. Now I just need to repot them and figure out a way to hang them from the balcony railing. Normally I would have them facing inward, but then I wouldn’t be able to open or close the wooden shutters. So the plan is to have them hanging on the outside of the railing… just have to work out how to safely do that. But look! My first ever mini herb garden!

casa azahar is 12!

Tags

, , ,

Actually, my blogiversary was yesterday, but I completely forgot about it. Anyhoo… wow, 12 whole years of boring people silly! 😛

When I put up my first ever blog post all those years ago I had no idea that it would lead to meeting so many wonderful people. It also got me through the worst of times during the cancer ops and treatment and, more positively, led to starting the Sevilla Tapas blog, which then became my new biz once I got back to work.

Publishing a daily post was a habit I started during chemo to give me some focus, and I’ve kept it up ever since. Some days something interesting does happen, but mostly it’s just a scrapbook of my day to day life. So no, I won’t feel hurt if you unsubscribe.  😉

But for those of you who stick around, it really is great having you here and I hope to share many more anniversaries with you.

f_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.gif
f_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.giff_bubbly.gif

hola mayo!

Tags

, ,

Saw these beauties on the way to lunch today. An hour later dark grey clouds rolled in, along with thunder and lightning and MORE RAIN. Seriously? Enough with the rain already. The reservoirs are topped up, we’re good, thanks. Temps have also dropped the past few days, but now that I am in sandal mode I refuse to go back to tights and shoes, even if I’m chilly. I mean, it’s May already.

girl crush

Tags

, ,

Lately I’ve been going to some very old-school tapas bars (some for the first time!). The other day I went to Bodega San José, a place I hadn’t been to for at least 15 years (!!!). As usual I got to talking with the barman and found out that the bar is 135 years and still in the same family. This is a photo of the present owners, Nicolás and his mother Rosario. It was Rosario’s father’s cousins, Rodrigo and Pablo, who founded the bar.

By the time we left I was completely in love with Rosario. Not only was she up for some photos (her son less so, but he went along), she told me about her upcoming cataract operation, saying how much she was looking forward to seeing clearly out of her left eye again, though by the way she filleted those anchovies I reckoned she could do it blindfolded. While she chatted with me she held my hands in hers and smiled that beautiful smile. Swoon…

Not surprisingly they are not on any social media, so I am going to put their Sevilla Tapas review on a PDF, print it out, and bring it to them at the bar. I think Rosario would like that.