Tag Archives: sevilla

corpus christi remembered

03 Thursday Jun 2021

Posted by in art, covid, culture, sevilla

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fff - rose

Yeah, you all know I’m not religious, but I do love art and beauty and they always come together on celebrations like Corpus Christi in Sevilla. This is the second year the procession has been suspended due to Covid, and I find this is the one I miss the most. I miss getting up way too early to get out there before everyone arrives and walk the route freshly strewn with rosemary and flower petals, and look at all the decorated windows, balconies and altars that line the route.

Anyhow, I’ve been posting my Corpus photos here for many years (have only had to miss 2 or 3) and so, if you’re interested, here’s a link to them…  Corpus Christi Sevilla.

it ain’t over…

02 Wednesday Jun 2021

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, sevilla, spain

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aint over

While I wait for my second jab of Astrazeneca I am maintaining my STAY AS CAREFUL AS POSSIBLE stance because, well, why wouldn’t I? Gotta admit it’s hard though, and it gets tougher all the time. I miss seeing friends, and travelling, and I MISS HUGS. With things “opening up” the past couple of months I’ve still had to tell visiting friends that I can’t meet up with them, and I have also had to turn down invitations to media events for gastronomy & wine stuff and restaurant openings. Today was particularly disappointing because I’ve been looking forward to this one restaurant opening for AGES and then had to decline the invite for the big opening media dinner tomorrow. It’s even worse with friends because I worry that I am making them feel like lepers. But I just can’t.

Steeling my resolve was finding out yesterday that a friend of mine in Sevilla (40-something) has caught Covid from their partner who was working out of town… they are now both sick as dogs. Partner has had one vaccination shot. Which not only still left this person open to catching the virus but also to passing it on. Yikes.

The news about all the recent more contagious variants leaves me boggled as to why Spain is opening up to tourists who will arrive here untested and unvaccinated. Further away, Las Vegas has totally reopened, just like before, with no masks or social distancing required in their packed casinos. Meanwhile, even further away, Melbourne is tracking and tracing everyone possibly responsible for the recent outbreak of… 12 people. Fuck, we had 400 new cases just last Saturday and I doubt anyone is tracking them. There is no continuity here.

It’s basically a global shit show with some countries doing better than others. I don’t think we are doing that well in Spain, though I do appreciate the continued mask mandate. Once that’s gone we’re fucked, it will be like opening the coronavirus floodgates. Because we still need to get through not only this “experimental” summer (we’re all guinea pigs folks), but also regular flu season next winter, combined with the new Covid variants. There’s already talk of booster Covid shots next November.

I am tentatively thinking about day trips to Jerez and Cádiz in August, by train. And maybe a longer visit to my beloved Málaga in September. I haven’t been on any sort of public transit since March 2020. In Sevilla I have taken maybe 3-4 taxis for hospital appointments, always with the windows rolled down. Otherwise I walk.

Sometimes it feels like all my efforts are in vain when I see so many people flouting the rules and, generally, being selfish assholes. But I can only do as much as I can do. And so I keep doing it, no matter how many times I’m criticised for being a “Debbie Downer”. Because really, I just prefer being alive, and helping you stay alive too. xx

new water heater!

31 Monday May 2021

Posted by in casa azahar, home, sevilla

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water heater

So this happened! Took a little longer than I thought it would, and I had been hoping for a larger 80 litre one (there’s space for it) but what the heck. It’s the same size as the old one (50 litres) and at least I can adjust the temperature on this one. While the boys were here doing this they also replaced the hideous fluorescent ceiling fixture with a LED one supplied by the landlord. I’d specifically asked for one with Luz Neutra and ended up with that awful cold blue light in a too-small fixture, so now my kitchen looks like a morgue. Have spoken with landlord and, as the guys have to come back to repair and paint the ceiling I said I would buy another light if they would install it. No problem. Other than now having to wait until the guys are free again.

Meanwhile the ghostly blue makes my kitchen look haunted and I half expect the air to crackle when I walk in. Plus the guys didn’t even centre it! Will definitely have to supervise when they install the larger, more attractive luz neutra one.

ghostly

medical check list

28 Friday May 2021

Posted by in covid, health & happiness, hospitals

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medical check list

If you’re like a lot of people (and like me) you have probably put off getting a regular check up since the first Covid lockdown. Especially because health centres and hospitals were definitely NOT the healthiest places to be and were also overwhelmed by coping with Covid patients. I did manage to get a CT scan done last September, and a follow up blood test in October in preparation for my oncology revision. Which didn’t happen. Following the protocol, once the scan report is ready and blood test done, we are supposed to call oncology and leave a message asking for a revision appointment. Then I heard that the oncology department at my hospital was being used for Covid patients so I reckoned that I wouldn’t be getting an appointment any time soon. In any case, I’d already had a nuclear medicine doctor friend read the scan report and she told me everything was fine, so no rush. And then I forgot! Until maybe Jan-Feb, so I called to request my revision appointment and… nothing happened. Then a couple of weeks ago I decided to try again, even though we’re told not to leave multiple request messages. FINALLY got a call back this week and got a thorough telling off by the oncology receptionist for leaving it so long. Whatever. I am now awaiting an appointment form for another CT scan (“the last one is useless by now!”), which I’m told will come in the mail. Fine.

Meanwhile, I got to thinking I should probably get a more recent blood test done too and got in touch with my GP. Then I got to thinking about all the niggling health issues I usually only remember at 3 in the morning and decided to make a list. So today I went through the list with my GP and next week I’ll not only get the blood test but also an ECG. I got my blood pressure checked (a bit high), blood oxygen level tested (good) and then the doc had a good listen to my lungs (nothing). I asked him about me GOING BALD and he said after the blood test comes back he’ll have a better idea of what sort of treatment to recommend. I also asked him about my next vaccine jab as there is a huge kerfuffle now about people who had AstraZeneca first now opting for Pfizer second time round, with mixed and confusing messages from the EU and Spanish medical reports. He said just to stick with AZ since it’s all pretty much experimental at this point, and I agree. After that I was given my little urine cup and sent home, feeling like I’d actually GOT SOMETHING DONE. It was a really good idea to take a list with me since I always forget things, and Dr A was very patient with going through each point with me. Now fingers crossed I get a reasonably clean bill of health and proper treatment for anything dodgy they find. I want my hair back!