Tag Archives: birthday

okay, just one more!

02 Monday Feb 2026

Posted by in birthdays, friends, sevilla, tapas, tapas bars

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I managed to squeeze in one more Birthday Lunch on Saturday, making a grand total of seven in all. Not bad! Paul had been in (and around) town over the past week with his daughter Molly and her husband Alex, also visiting Cádiz and Jerez. It was starting to look like I wouldn’t see them due to weather travel disruptions, etc but then on their last day we found time to meet up for a quick lunch at El Manijero (and also so Paul could pick up his L’Armanaque) before they caught their bus to Málaga. And so now that January is over that’s definitely all the birthday fun until next year.

grey grey grey

30 Friday Jan 2026

Posted by in birthdays, health, knee saga, knees, seasons, sevilla

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Thank goodness for Birthday Month! I mean, January isn’t most people’s favourite month, but these past few weeks have been particularly grim with storm after storm blasting through town. Which of course makes my ever-shrinking life even smaller as I can’t even get out for a hobble when it’s raining (crutches and umbrellas don’t mix well). So it’s been hard keeping my spirits up. I decided to ask my GP if she would request a new traumatology appointment for me (based on the x-ray I had taken in October, might work) but it was a three-week wait just to get a phone appointment with her. Anyhow, that happens on Monday and I’ve prepared my notes so I don’t forget anything. Wish me luck. I’m so tired.

birthday month draws to a close

29 Thursday Jan 2026

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Last but not least for this year’s birthday lunch celebrations… I finally got together with Reyes! We’ve been trying all month but what with one thing or the other it didn’t happen until now. But it was well worth the wait. Reyes had never been to Desacato and so off we went, stopping on the way for a quick sherry at Manolo Cateca (happily the rain held off). A fabulous feast in the best company… and there was even “cake” (actually a smoked dark chocolate mousse with crunchy salt and orange peel). Then a penúltima at Ramón’s Gran Café España and just as I was arriving home the rain started up again. A perfect day.


Chef Pablo Carrasco is one of Los Chicos de Petit.

lunch with lucy

15 Thursday Jan 2026

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Lucy and I have birthdays a day apart (me Jan 7, Lucy Jan 8) and so we always try to get together during January to for a birthday lunch. This time we went to La Casa del Tigre and it couldn’t have been better. Some fizz to start then a wonderful starter (mini brioche filled with manteca colorá), a gorgeous seasonal mushroom dish (chanterelles, níscolas, lengua de buey) with egg yolk and shaved truffles, THOSE confit patatas bravas and a super tender (monster) angus beef rib. We had a great time catching up. Wonderful wine, fab food, lovely company… a good day.

my birthday! wtf I’m 69?

07 Wednesday Jan 2026

Posted by in birthdays, casa azahar, home

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It was a fun day, though of course I tend to do Birthday Week. In fact, I started off Birthday Eve yesterday with a lovely bottle of cava at home and my two final birthday lunches have been booked for January 20th and 21st, so that’ll make it two weeks long this year. 

Since my friend Fourat opened her fabulous Beirutina around the corner from my house I’ve been able to revive the Birthday Baclava Breakfast tradition, which began years ago on a birthday trip to Granada. I’m not actually a fan of sweet things, or even breakfast, but these crispy nut-and-honey-filled pastries are somehow perfection with a cup of hot coffee. Once a year.

Lunch was at Jaylu, a more recent birthday tradition. It’s spendy AF but Peter treats me to lunch to make up for being a Christman grinch and this is how I exact my revenge 😇.  My favourite spot there is sitting at the bar having amazing (and amazingly expensive) tapas, rather than do the full-on meal in the dining room. I get to chat to the staff and even other people at the bar. Always fun. Lunch pics mañana…