Tag Archives: friends

surprise!

22 Tuesday Dec 2020

Posted by in christmas, friends

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, ,

surprise

So this was lovely! Got a surprise Christmas care package this evening from my friends Anne & Paul in Jerez. Anne had heard my plea for mince pies a while back (a situation somewhat alleviated by my first panettone). But I am happy to have festive breakfasts until the New Year. Anyhow, as you can see there are some Walkers mince pies, what looks like it might be Anne’s famous Christmas cake wrapped in foil, a jar of homemade kumquat, vanilla and cream sherry marmalade and I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT’S IN THE BOX. Oh, and there was also a copy of the November Decanter (with my Málaga article). Plus a pretty card and it all looks even extra festive with a background of my Mallorca wines (which I still haven’t opened – just don’t know where to start!).

Thank you Anne and Paul! What a lovely Christmas surprise. We’ll have to have a zoom drink with Tomoko over the holidays. xx

christmas magic

09 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by in christmas, friends, sevilla

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

mariaMaria December 9th 2020

I mean, what are the odds? These days I am only going out about once a week, so it’s not often I run into people I know. But by some lovely chance today I happened to see Maria @tierradeconejos having lunch outside with friends at Las Teresas as I was on my way home from having tapas. I don’t think we’ve seen each other since before the pandemic. So we talked about how random it was that we would see each other, since Maria is also restricted from travelling into Sevilla and was here for a business meeting. Then we realised that we were at the very same place we had first met many years ago (Maria is one of my first ever official stalkers!), so of course I had to take a pic of her inside under the jamones. Then when I got home I looked up the photo I took of her and her friend Ania on the day we met AND IT WAS THE EXACT SAME DATE as today, December 9th, but seven years earlier in 2013. Must be Christmas Magic.   🙂

maria aniaMaria and Ania December 9th 2013

reyes

03 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by in food & drink, friends, sevilla, sherry, tapas, tapas bars, wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

reyes

So ever since Reyes Morales joined me at Casa Román to help me celebrate my 27th Sevilla Anniversary I’ve been promising to bring her a bottle of a nice mencía rosado to try. We both have a preference for crisp white wines and rosés over reds and I discovered this rosado while looking for more economical ways to still enjoy wine while being completely broke. Anyhow, yesterday was finally the day! I showed up at Casa Morales with my chilled bottle of wine and we sat at the table Reyes had reserved for us, in front of an open window (so lots of ventilation) and she proceeded to order food for us. Well, between the two of us and Reyes’ husband Juan Carlos (who stopped by for a quick glass) the bottle didn’t last that long, so then we were on to the sherries.

I’ve known Reyes for a long time, but it’s only been in the past year or so that we’ve started connecting on a more personal level. She is truly a warm and wonderful person and we always have a great time when we get together. Well this time rosé led to sherry, which led to more sherry and eventually a penúltima down the street at Bodeguita Romero. I’m telling you, that chica is a bad influence.  😉

hola monday!

26 Monday Oct 2020

Posted by in casa azahar, coronavirus, covid, home, hope, sevilla, spain

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

hola monday

I remember when I used to like Mondays because l loved my job, enjoyed my life. I always loved that “fresh new week” feeling, so full of possibilities. But now Monday is just a reminder that another week has passed without work or friends or plans. I mean I need a plan at least, in order to have some hope again.

And okay,  l do have some plans, but not any l can move forward with at the moment (so l need new plans). And l have friends, but l can’t see them, or when l do, l can’t hug them. And the financial stress situation doesn’t allow me the luxury of boredom. Anyhow, I’ve never been good at being bored. So I am in a constant state of WHAT TO DO NEXT?? without being able to do much. Other than try to come up with a plan.

Thing about making plans is that, w​hen you’re out and about in the world meeting people and doing things, other stuff often happens as a result, and inspiration or luck can be around the next corner. ​Trust me, I now know every corner of this apartment better than I ever wanted to and… nada. There’s nothing waiting around any of them.

Anyhow, I’m sure if it was Tuesday l wouldn’t be feeling like this.  😉

I just miss my old Mondays, which then reminds me how much I’m missing everything else. And learning yesterday that we’ll be in lockdown now until May… ufff.

Today was also a turning point when I learned that a friend of mine in Sevilla has Covid. Symptoms and all. It’s the first time someone I actually know has come down with the virus. Until now it’s been someone’s friend, family member or co-worker. But this is my friend. Someone I love very much. And so now it’s personal, Covid. Fuck you. And also fuck every anti-masker and idiotic herd immunity whack job, because you are why things have gone this far, and for so long. I despise you all.

How’s your Monday going?

lola por dios

02 Friday Oct 2020

Posted by in 2020, friends, sevilla, tapas

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

I am amazed at the number of new tapas bars and restaurants that have opened in Sevilla since we began our lockdown “de-escalation” at the end of June. This is optimism in the extreme, and of course I support it, but there is also a bit of trepidation there, hoping they will succeed in spite of the odds. I know that in some cases the restaurants had already invested in opening in the spring, so it’s now either make or break time. Others, like these crazy guys, looked for new ways to expand on what they already had going here, and make it even more fun and interesting.

I give you (L-R) Jota, Juan, Miguel and Esteban standing in front of their newly opened Lola Por Dios. I took this photo the day before the opening and, as usual in these cases, it looked like they would never be finished in time. But of course they were, and were immediately supported by friends and other happy locals looking for a nice place to enjoy amazing wines and Esteban’s singular sherry-based vermouths, along with delicious traditional tapas. Lola por Dios has been going for years, but this past year or so has also been going through some changes. It was a bold move to change locations and to also create this quirky “taberna vertical” with the bar distributed over four floors, with a small terrace outside on the pedestrian street.

Good luck my darlings! xx