Tag Archives: sevilla

they’re back!

10 Thursday Aug 2023

Posted by in food & drink, friends, sevilla, spain, tapas, tapas bars

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

ana simon sara (1)

What a surprise this was! Yesterday afternoon I was all cosy in my comfy chair reading National Dish when I get a message from Ana (aka Mrs O) saying they were heading to Lisbon from Sotogrande and decided last minute to stop off in Sevilla for dinner and spend the night. Four hours later Ana, Simon, little O and I were perched on bar stools at Cinco Jotas enjoying manzanilla and jamón and waiting for Casa Morales to open (I called ahead to Morales so when we arrived my usual table was reserved for us).

ana simon sara (2)

Their last visit was in November when they came for a weekend with Ana’s family and a family friend, and I was thinking how great it was to see them again so soon. THEN I found out that they are now living full time in Sotogrande and they’ve even started a new business down there called Collect Corner (check it out if you live in the area) and so we’re practically neighbours now. Anyhow, a lovely surprise and a lovely evening catching up with lovely friends in one of my favourite places. Really made my day!

taking a break

08 Tuesday Aug 2023

Posted by in casa azahar, life stuff, sevilla

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

time for a break

Well, kind of. I had a lovely lunchtime sherry tasting today with a lovely couple from London and now… that’s it for the next three weeks (!!!). I hadn’t planned it like this but I actually think this is going to be good for me (other than financially, obviously). So I guess what I really mean is that I won’t be doing any paid work for the rest of the month.

BUT… I have my new lifestyle tweaks to make routine, and that will be easier to do with open days to see how to best fit stuff in. I also have a couple of work projects hovering out there… waiting for me to have time to spend with them to hopefully get them moving forward. And I have two new books to read!

What I won’t be doing is taking a break from my online life. People often suggest I “disconnect” for a while and relax, but frankly the idea of that totally stresses me out. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys. And for the most part my “work” and my “life” are one and the same. It just wouldn’t make sense for me to go out for lunch, or for a walk, and not take photos to share with you later. And of course I’ll be keeping my Sevilla Tapas webiste updated.

But as sleep (as in, getting enough) is another of my new goals I may have to forfeit having my phone in bed with me.

So it will be a staycation in my lovely Casa Azahar and of course wandering around Sevilla when it isn’t too hot (this week it’s 42-44ºC). Finding out what I would do if I didn’t have to be anywhere or do anything other than what I want to do. Sounds like a holiday to me!

the endo

07 Monday Aug 2023

Posted by in health, hospitals, sevilla

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

,

the endo

I’m so fucking disappointed. Have been holding out on the statins until I could see the endocrinologist (appointment was on Friday) because I thought surely at least some of these things can be controlled by diet, and I am uneasy about taking statins. So I was hoping to get some guidance in that area as well as get her opinion on some other issues going on (with my pancreas, recurring abdominal pain, etc).

But no. First of all I was the only one wearing a mask in the health centre, including the doctors. I will still never understand this. But I arrived prepared with a printed sheet of my various health “incidents” and the treatments, as well as more recent issues, hoping at least she might be able to explain the whole “pancreas mystery” that’s been going on forever. Did she listen? Did she fuck.

No eye contact. She had an assistant there (junior doctor approx 14 years old) taking notes etc while she kept her eyes glued to her computer screen and typing away, seemingly eager to get the report finished at the same time she stopped talking to me. I tried to tell her about the cancer, the ops, the recurring abdominal pain, the post chemo weight gain, but was cut short with “TELL ME WHAT YOU ATE YESTERDAY”.

Continue reading →

caturday august 5th 2023

05 Saturday Aug 2023

Posted by in casa azahar, cats, caturday, home

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, ,

caturday august 5 2023

Thirty years ago this beautiful boy was literally born into my hands. My Sunny. That was supposed to be his “milk name” until I came up with something more exotic to pair with his mother Lua, so that I would have the moon and the sun. But it turned out he not only had a happy sunny disposition, he was also a bit of a doof and not even remotely exotic or mysterious, bless him. Sixteen years later he died in my arms and I still miss him. But we were both lucky to have each other as long as we did.

blueberries!

03 Thursday Aug 2023

Posted by in casa azahar, food & drink, health

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, ,

blueberries

I love blueberries. In fact, they are one of the few fruits I could actually eat on a daily basis. Plus they are a “super food” when it comes to inflammation issues. Except, they are only around for a brief season. And so! Since I am embarking on this new chapter of making changes, blueberries and lemon water have become a part of my morning routine lately (before I do chair yoga!) as well as taking the fish oil capsules after lunch (those fuckers are actually hard to swallow). All of this in preparation for my appointment with the endocrinologist/nutritionist tomorrow.

But back to blueberries. As they are in abundance right now I’ve found some from Segovia that only cost 4€ for half a kilo (which I think is great, they usually cost double that out of season and come from Peru) and so I have decided to stock up while I can and freeze them. I have never frozen blueberries before. But it seems you should wash them lightly and dry them thoroughly before laying them flat in a tray to freeze for about an hour. Then you put them into plastic bags (also laid out flat) to finish freezing. We shall see.
Continue reading →