Tag Archives: sevilla

las setas

29 Tuesday Mar 2011

Posted by in culture, history, sevilla, spain

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Undecided…

This past Sunday was the official opening of the Metropol Parasol – aka Las Setas (The Mushrooms). I stayed away from the celebrations but snapped this pic of it yesterday once everything was back to the usual work-a-day crowds. While it was going up, which took years, I hated the damn thing as much as everyone else seemed to and couldn’t imagine how such a monstrosity would “fit” into such a beautiful old city as Sevilla. Though it’s actually sitting in the middle of the Encarnación Plaza, which had its heart and soul cut out of it during a fit of sixties “rebuilding” which destroyed palaces and old houses and left a strip of hideous office buildings and storefronts. But I digress…

The Setas (how can you not call them that?) are on the original site of the Encarnación Market which was levelled and moved to a “temporary” site next door … about 35 years ago. I don’t know the whole story there other than the original site was pretty much a parking lot when I first moved to Sevilla in 1993, then they started digging it up and discovered ruins that held up any building for several years. And then they started constructing The Setas.

The market was shifted over just before Christmas last year and although the building is now officially “open” there’s still some construction going on. When the scaffolding first started coming down, unveiling the first seta (in the foreground of the photo) I was startled to find myself liking how elegant it looked, swooping up towards the sky. But as more of the structure became visible I became less entranced. So I remain undecided. I guess the real test will be how well the site ends up being used. Aside from the market there will be bars and restaurants (coming soon!), and there’s a big shaded area up on the first level which has a small playground for children, benches for adults, and will apparently be used for concerts. There is also a walkway along top of the structure with panoramic views of the city which residents of Sevilla will be able to access free of charge. Anyhow, for better or worse, there it is.

What do you think?

[also posted on the Sevilla Blog]

azahar 2011

23 Wednesday Mar 2011

Posted by in azahar, sevilla, spain

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Took these pics the weekend before last when I spotted the first azahar blossoms … this is my favourite time of year.  Click on the pic to get a closer look at how full of blossoms these trees were. Since then the air in Sevilla has smelled heavenly and I wish I could share it with you. Such a gorgeous and soothing fragrance.

Happy spring, everyone!

oscar would be so proud…

13 Sunday Mar 2011

Posted by in food & drink, internet, social media, twitter

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Went out for lunch at Eslava today with a friend of mine (who shall remain anonymous) and found out that another Sevilla food blogger has been going around spreading nasty – and totally untrue! – rumours about me.

Looks like I have arrived!  🙂

But I am vindicated not only because what he’s saying is false. I have a friend here who had the same problems with him a while back (stealing photos, sending rude private FB messages) and so he can say what he likes. In fact, I actually hope he says these things to people who know me well so that it all blows up in his face.

Karma, baby!

 

graffiti

10 Thursday Mar 2011

Posted by in art, culture, wtf?

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What do you think of graffiti?

In general it just looks like vandalism to me. Okay, every once in a blue moon you get a Haring, Basquiat or Banksy, but you know… hardly ever. Mostly it’s crappy blobby spray-painted messes that only serve to make neighbourhoods look shabby.

I guess when a building is abandoned, like the one in the before & after pics on the left, and its windows have already been covered over with layers of tacky posters, it’s not any worse to have a couple of guys from a local gallery come and paint that over with their website logo. But many shop and restaurant owners would have to repaint their properties on a weekly basis just to have clean walls for a day or two.

So I was surprised to come across Alexandra Del Bene the other day while on my way home from a walk around the Alameda. She was busy with spray cans and paint brushes painting the window protectors of the Santa Marta Bar (home of Sevilla’s largest flamenquín!), but it looked to me as if she were doing a job and not just a hit and run burst of “artistic expression”, so I stopped and asked if she’d been commissioned to paint the Santa Marta. Turns out that a lot of people have been commissioning her to paint their storefronts so that they won’t get vandalised by roving so-called “graffiti artists”, who curiously don’t vandalise Alexandra’s stuff. I guess it’s a sort of professional courtesy?

Alexandra showed me her business cards, which are decorated with pics of her various projects, and it turned out that one – a candy store – was just around the corner, so I also got a snap of that one. Anyhow, we had a nice long chat and it struck me how much more interesting life is when you stop and talk to people instead of just walking by.

like a kid with new shoes

04 Friday Mar 2011

Posted by in retail therapy, sevilla, shoes

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There’s an expression in Spanish – como un niño con zapatos nuevos – which is used when someone is excited about a new purchase or gift. In this case it’s doubly accurate as I am very pleased at having found a pair of zapatos nuevos that 1) fit and 2) are rather cute. So I am finally able to put my 7-year-old red Campers out to pasture.

Of course I found these while looking for new sandals as my old Mephistos seriously bit the bullet last summer and are no longer wearable. But I reckoned that if I didn’t get these now, next autumn – like last autumn – I may not find any suitable shoes.

Meanwhile, it was definitely sandal weather this past weekend and though it’s cooler again this week I’m sure it’ll soon be too warm to wear my new shoes, so new sandals must be found as soon as possible. Life ain’t easy when you have triple EEE feet.