Tag Archives: seville

just another day…

04 Saturday Feb 2012

Posted by in food & drink, friends, restaurants, retail therapy, sevilla, spain, wine, work

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Yesterday started off as usual, though I was a bit miffed at having to miss the gym due to a late morning meeting. But the meeting went well and after a late lunch at home I thought I’d stay in and get some work done. I recently got commissioned to write a short piece for a very prestigious travel mag and wanted to get a good start on that. But I had a couple of other things on my to-do list and thought I’d get those out of the way first, and so I popped over to take a wine photo for one of my social media clients and then planned to pick up a new dish draining rack on the way home and get back to work. But first…

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internations

20 Friday Jan 2012

Posted by in sevilla, spain

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Last night I went to my second Internations monthly meet up. They started having them here in October. And I think it’s going to be a nice evening out once a month (as long as I don’t have a tapas tour, which will be another sort of nice evening out).

Basically it’s a way for expats (really dislike that term) to meet and share their experiences of living in a foreign land, though there are also a few Spaniards in the group.

Last night’s meet up started off early (7pm) at the Horno San Buenaventura, the idea being that people could have a coffee and snack before heading out later for a tapa. Around 9 o’clock we headed over to the Plaza Alfalfa for tapitas and more chatting at La Bodega. I actually preferred the second location because it was easier to mingle. And even Peter was being all chatty – quite possibly due to the beer. He sure wasn’t too chipper this morning and by a total stroke of luck his two morning classes rescheduled so he could stay in bed a bit longer.


I’m not usually much of a group person, though I was a member of the AWC for awhile. This group seems a bit more lively than the AWC. First of all, it’s not just women. And the Internations meets are in the evening, which I like better. So we shall see.  Seems like a great way to meet new people. It’s kind of like twitter, but with everyone in the same room.  🙂

16º celcius

15 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by in welcome

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Just over four years ago, I wrote a post about how the old casa az was often 13º celcius in winter. Early mornings it was often 10-12ºC, which with the draughts made it extremely painful to get out of bed in the morning.

Fast forward to winter 2011-2012…

The coldest I’ve found in what I still call the “new casa az” (though it’s been almost a year now) has been 15ºC, first thing in the morning when overnight temps have got close to freezing. Normally early morning indoor temps are between 16-18º here. And no draughts thanks to double-glazed balcony doors (which also help keep out the noise from an illegal after-hours bar across the street, but that’s another story).

Plus I have central heating. For the first time ever in Spain!

So when I first wake up I put on the heating while my flatmate Peter puts on the coffee, then I snuggle back under the duvet with cats and iPhone while the place warms up and coffee brews… and then I get up to start my day. Comfortably.

Don’t get me wrong. I still wear three layers and a scarf while at work in front of my computer, but the difference is that I’m not still freezing cold after all that. The central heating is set to a maximum of 20º which is perfectly comfortable. And well… it just somehow feels so darned GROWN UP that I can live comfortably in my home, for the first time in almost 20 years.

Sure, I’m still a bit worried about what the next electicity bill will be, but I like that this “new” casa az never actualy gets as cold as the old one did, and that my flatmate is now making enough money to help me pay the bills, and that I put on the heat in the morning… because I can!