
Kind of like the Christmas blues, but even sadder somehow.
12 Friday Dec 2025
13 Thursday Nov 2025
Yesterday’s Blue 💙 (last chance before Storm Claudia hits) and whatever the fuck this is. Looks like they blew the whole Christmas lights budget on tram toldos. Seriously, at the END of August this year the city council put up street awnings over the Avenida de la Constitución (now taken down), costing over 300,000 euros, that only covered the tram line… NOT WHERE THE PEDESTRIANS WALK. Duh. And now we get this sad excuse for Christmas lights, which will probably get blown away over the next few days (we’re on orange alert for wind and storms). Also… spot the willy! 😉

25 Wednesday Dec 2024

After a cosy evening in yesterday, today it was time for a long standing Christmas Day tradition of stopping in at a couple of my favourite old tapas bars for jamón and cava. Am still sniffling a little with my Christmas Cold (first one since 2019, after 4 negative covid tests I am assuming this is actually “just a cold”) but I really wanted to get out and move a bit. Got off to a late-ish start because I wanted to fit in a chair workout first, so by the time we got to Las Teresas it was jam packed. All tourists. So we popped around the corner to Casa Román and totally lucked out! There were a few large tables filled with Spanish families but “my” little table for two in front of the windows was free, so down we sat. And – bonus! – we had the option of having the window open.
It was lovely. I was so happy to be there after so long and everyone was so happy to see me again. Used to be I’d go there with my tapas tours a few times a week, and also stop in on “days off”. But since I had to stop working last summer I think I’ve only been once. Anyhow, realising it was going to be a “one stop” tapeo today, we settled in for a nice lunch. Afterwards it was a long slow hobble home, but worth it.
24 Tuesday Dec 2024
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In Spain Christmas Eve is the big deal, with the massive family meal, gifts, etc. On Christmas Day everyone goes out for tapas. I made a very non-traditional (but delicious) pork shoulder in oloroso sauce, and a bunch of side dishes. How about you?
17 Tuesday Dec 2024
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In an attempt to feel a bit Christmassy I went over to Casa Moreno today for a festive Cold Beer O’clock and resident poet Emilio gave me this little Christmas message (below) with a hand-drawn nativity scene and star on the Triana Bridge. I’ve somehow lost all my Christmas joy over the years – it used to be my favourite time of year – and I really miss it. This message helped. I’ll see what I can do…
Give love and it will be born.
So little and so much:
🤍 Christmas 🤍