Tag Archives: sevilla

seriously duh

26 Monday Aug 2024

Posted by in gadgets, internet

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movistar

Most of the time I’ve lived here I’ve used Telefonica/Movistar as my phone and internet provider. The few times I’ve jumped ship and fallen for a cheaper offer by another provider has always ended in disappointment. One of the things I like about Movistar is their customer service. So when I suddenly stopped getting regular tv reception (the apps still worked) I got in touch. Well not exactly, at first I kept unplugging, rebooting, etc the little tv modem (there’s also a larger modem for everything else that’s working fine). They have separate remote controls. So there I was thinking that I’d have to get the little modem replaced and then I remembered I could just call them!

Well, I waited fifteen minutes to to talk to a técnico while listening to the most annoying background music ever interspersed with constant reminders that my call was important, etc etc. But I wasn’t going to give up. I just kept the phone on speaker beside me while I worked on other stuff. Then suddenly a human voice!

I explained the problem. No tv reception for over a week, the little modem turns on but then immediately shuts off, everything else is working fine. The very nice (and as it turned out very patient!) lady asked me to do this and that while she checked things on her end. Then she turned my tv on remotely! And there was the regular tv service but I still couldn’t do anything with it, change channels, etc. So she tested a couple of other things and in the end… turned out it was DEAD BATTERIES IN THE REMOTE CONTROL.

This whole time I had her on speaker as I tried everything she suggested, she even waited while I changed the batteries. Still nothing. THEN I remembered I had a fresh packet of batteries and said I would try again. Again she waited. Success! And omg I felt like such an idiot. To her credit when she asked me if there was anything else she could help me with today I didn’t detect even a smidgen of sarcasm in her voice. Then she said I would receive an email asking to rate the “experience” and said it would mean a lot if I could respond. Still waiting for the email and she is going to get the best rating possible.

Now I know why it took 15 minutes to get through to a técnico… it’s because idiots like me are calling in and wasting everybody’s time.

cervecería internacional

22 Thursday Aug 2024

Posted by in history, sevilla, spain, tapas bars

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cerveceria int (2)

I don’t know how I never knew this. I had Cervecería Internacional on my “to do” list of tapas bars to update after I noticed that the last time was in 2012 (!!!). So checked their website to see when they would reopen after their summer holidays and there was also a link to page on Casa Moreno. What the heck? And so I started googling around and found out that both places were started by Francisco Moreno (!!!). Casa Moreno was founded in 1945 and then in 1987 Francisco was offered the space a few doors down and decided to expand on his collection of international beers that he sold in his small bar at the back of the food shop.

Francisco Moreno’s daughter Antonia, along with her husband Antonio, took over running the cervecería while Francisco junior and his wife Carmen ran the abacería. Still with me? These days the grandchildren are in charge, with Antonio junior at the beer bar with his right hand Carlos and Marta Moreno with her brother Fran running the shop and bar along with the venerable Emilio, who has been with them for 40 years.

To think that a week ago I knew nothing of the family connection between these two bars, despite Casa Moreno being one of the places I consider home here. Anyhow, loved doing the research, both online and in person. Since it looks like I’m going to be on enforced leave for a while to come (can’t walk!) maybe I should get onto writing that book!

cerveceria int (16)Carlos, Antonio Jr & Antonio Sr (2024)

cerveceria int (29)Juanma & Antonio Sr (2012)

shout out!

20 Tuesday Aug 2024

Posted by in casa azahar, friends, home, knee saga, knees, sevilla

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peter

A shout out to my flatmate and longtime friend Peter. Because I honestly don’t know how I’d be getting along without his help right now. Especially since the KNEE happened… he’s been hanging my laundry up on the roof for me because not only would walking up to the roof be challenging, doing it with a basket full of wet laundry would actually be impossible. He also takes the rubbish down to the bins (a five minute walk that would now take me 15). He changes the cat sand, does a lot of the household chores (while I do all the cooking and household management, making sure rent and bills are paid, etc, dealing with repairs, landlord issues, etc).

He is also my sous chef… all those great meals you see me posting on my azahar instagram? He’s peeled all the onions, garlic, potatoes… AND he does the washing up! Anyhow, just to say that we may drive each other crazy at times, but it turns out that after 20 years we’ve found a way of sharing a space and our lives, and that’s it’s actually nice. Thanks Peter!

I can’t walk

16 Friday Aug 2024

Posted by in health, health & happiness, knee saga, knees, sevilla, sevilla staycation

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cant walk

Seriously, I cannot walk anymore. I’ve been doing my best to get out and about each day, but this past week I just can’t. It just fucking hurts too much. Even with the cane, even if I walk slowly. The extreme shooting pain in my (front lower left) right knee makes even a short walk around the block an exercise in constant agony. And so I wonder if I should be even trying to walk on that leg if it hurts THAT bad. Because the pain ends up extending down the entire lower leg. The left knee is no picnic either, but compared to this… there’s no comparison.

I can still shuffle around the apartment, more or less. But each time I have to get up to go to the kitchen, the bathroom, whatever, I have to steel myself for the inevitable shooting pain. Even so, I’m still doing my daily chair workouts (yay! thank god for them!). But my next MRI is a whole month away (September 16th) and I honestly don’t know what to do between now and then.

Not only has this put a serious damper on my Staycation (it’s actually pretty depressing and has left me feeling all scatter-brained, unable to concentrate) I’m worried about next month. I have some tours booked in those first couple of weeks, but… a four hour walking tour? Srsly?? I mean, I know we’re not walking the whole time, but that’s an easy 8,000 steps. I could probably still do the wine tastings as it would mean ONLY hobbling down to Morales and back again. But the tours? How? Going to the supermarket almost has me in tears.

I’ve been icing the area, using different anti-inflammatory creams, keeping up with the chair exercises, but every day it’s getting worse. What I need is a proper diagnosis and then a plan of action… treatment? physio? surgery? I just need to know something. Not knowing what is happening is really dragging me down. Anyhow, just venting today because being stuck inside and the constant pain is really getting to me. xx

PS
for those asking… I can’t take anti-inflammatory meds like Ibuprofen due to my BP, and I won’t live on a steady diet of pain killers. I just won’t.