Tag Archives: sevilla

feeling a bit hopeful again…

24 Monday Jun 2024

Posted by in health, hope, hospitals, knee saga, knees

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hoping

You may recall that after the disastrous episodes with the Traumatologist and the Endo, and the ongoing issues with Heartless GP (who just keeps telling me I’m fat), I was feeling pretty let down and not sure what to do next in terms of my health concerns. Then I remembered I still had one more blood test available, so I booked that a couple of weeks ago and afterwards made an appointment to see my GP again to go over the results and hopefully to also see if I could get some actual help with my fucked up knee. Made the appt online and was surprised to see that I would be seeing a different GP and a glimmer of hope started to break through.

And so I went off to see New GP today. We talked over the blood test results and my medication. I told her I am only taking the BP meds because I’d had three different doctors tell me three different things about the other meds and she kind of smirked knowingly at that. So we took them one by one. My blood pressure is still a bit high but she said it was fine to stay on the present meds for now (she wants me to check in again in December at which point she’ll also order another blood test). Re: statins (for cholesterol) and metformin (sugar) she agreed with my oncologist that neither of these were necessary as I am kind of “borderline” and in fact my cholesterol has gone down a bit since October. I told her I had been making some diet changes and taking some supplements, and she seemed to think I was making good progress but that we will check it again in six months.

Then it was on to my knee. I told her the whole story and finally said that I really didn’t want to be living on painkillers, the only treatment so far offered to me, and I wondered if it would be possible to get an MRI for my right knee. I said to her maybe then they could figure out if there is any kind of physio or other treatment I could get because so far I felt like nobody has been helping me and the pain is so bad now that I can’t even climb stairs anymore. She immediately put in a request for an MRI and said I’d get a call telling me when the appointment would be. As for treatment she said that my best bet was probably going to be surgery but first things first.

And omg I almost cried. It’s been so long since a doctor has actually listened to me that I almost couldn’t believe it was happening. And she didn’t once mention my weight. I actually brought it up when we were talking about diet and cholesterol saying that of course I know I need to lose weight and she said I could try walking a bit more and cutting down on fats when cooking (this led to a chat about my air fryer) but she said the drop in cholesterol was a positive. In contrast Heartless GP, the Endo and Trauma Doc all made it seem like being fat was the reason EVERYTHING was happening to me. Not helpful.

And so there is a plan now. And I feel so very relieved. All I needed was a little support and now that I have it I feel like I can move forward with this. Getting my knees back would certainly help with getting back to my 10,000 step walks, meanwhile will keep on with my chair yoga/pilates and yeah, am also going to start tweaking the diet a bit more. Amazing what a little hope will do.

sevilla’s oldest public fountain

20 Thursday Jun 2024

Posted by in culture, sevilla

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fountain

This fountain was first installed in the Plaza de la Encarnación in 1720 and later restored in 2018, repairing cracks plus replacing the water pipes and also the top part of the shaft (above the little figurines) that had mysteriously gone missing over the years. There had been some talk of moving it to a different square because it was thought to “clash” with the Parasols (Setas) but happily this didn’t happen because this location is close to home and so I get to see it a lot. I like the contrast and, now that the plaza has been robbed of its gorgeous ficus trees, this beautiful fountain offers at least the illusion of cool freshness.

summer hot spot

18 Tuesday Jun 2024

Posted by in sevilla, spain, tourism, travel

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summer passion

No words…

Okay I take that back. Plenty of words, beginning with WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?? This is the latest campaign from Sevilla City Office in cahoots with City Council called #PASSIONFORSUMMER… promoting Sevilla as a summer hot spot. And well, it actually is, but not in the way they are presenting it.

Can I tell you? Sevilla is NOT a place you want to be between June and September. It just is not. Back when I first moved here (1993) the no-go period was always July & August. Thanks to climate change this now includes June and the first half of September, when you can expect temps of 40ºC or more. Relentless scorching heat that makes it actually unhealthy to be outdoors for any length of time – last year was brutal. And it’s dangerous. For years visitors on my tapas tours have asked me how I cope with the HEAT here in summer and my answer is… I STAY HOME. Heck, I don’t even offer tours in August.

The problem is that since the massive mass-tourism reboot here (after covid lockdown) things have gone from already very bad to way out of control. The City is boasting that last year saw more tourists visiting Sevilla than ever before (some obscene amount, I can’t remember, 35 million?) and that this year they want even more!!! New hotels are going up at breakneck speed and neighbourhoods continue to be decimated by the ravages of uncontrolled tourist apartments. Local shopkeepers and independent bar & restaurant owners are pushed out to make way for slick corporate-owned spots dressed up to look “authentic” offering a watered-down “tourist friendly” version of Sevilla. You know, because god forbid you should actually feel like you’re in another country.

I just want to point out that this massive influx of tourists is not actually helping us, the people who live here. It mostly helps to fill government coffers, promote foreign investment (most tourist apartments are not owned by locals) and all the employment “thanks to tourism” that you hear about… it’s all low-end jobs, poorly paid, no future. So when you come here and marvel that “everything is so cheap here!” keep in mind that it’s not cheap for us, because we don’t make your salaries.

By all means come and visit, but please be aware of what is happening here. And not just here but everywhere – over tourism has become a serious global threat to cultures and communities. For example, be aware that Andalucía, and other parts of Spain, have been suffering through a three-year drought. Yes, your hotel swimming pool will (probably) still be full and you will be allowed to take as many showers as you like and, no doubt, you’ll keep that AC blasting 24/7. But this puts huge stress not only on our limited water supply but also our infrastructure. We are well used to never wasting a drop of water but some neighbourhoods here have already been suffering power cuts. Please know this.

And yes, I know that I work with tourists on my tapas tours, but again, over tourism has not meant more work for me. My small group tours have always been in demand and the main issue I have with the plethora of new food tour companies is that they shove groups of 10 or more into *my* small intimate bars and really spoil the vibe. So no, I am not anti-tourism, just anti-mass-out-of-control-overtourism.

I’ll also go as far to say that most residents here aren’t anti-tourism per se… but we are tired of seeing our communities destroyed by corporate greed and government mismanagement. When you are seeing the protests, the demonstrations, when you see TOURISTS GO HOME spray painted on your AirBnB rental… this is not about you, the visitor. But the government is happy to play it that way and create a false Residents vs Tourists divisive issue because it takes the onus off them.

My point is… you are welcome. We love to welcome you and have you enjoy our city, our culture and all that it has to offer. But perhaps in exchange you could also do us a small favour, which is to respect our city and our culture (and I know that most of you do!). There are some ways to help out… for example, you could book independently-run hotels and make sure your holiday apartment is actually legal (those locks hanging off window bars, or anywhere with nobody there to greet you… nope). Sure, it might cost a bit more, but I kind of think we’re worth it, and so is everywhere else you will want to visit. What do you think?