Tag Archives: shopping

too many veg!

14 Thursday Aug 2025

Posted by in casa azahar, homecooking, markets, sevilla

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Coming home from the Bellas Artes Museum yesterday I was hobbling up Calle Baños and spotted Frutas Faustino. Which has been there as long as I can remember. Just up the street there is also a butcher, an abacería and a fishmonger. Totally old school family-run shops that have somehow managed to survive in the centre of the city’s gentrification horror.  Faustino’s isn’t that far from my house, but the markets are closer (Encarnación and Arenal) so I normally go to those for fresh produce. Anyhow, stopped in for a couple of tomatoes and ended up leaving with close to 20€ worth of veg (!!!). And if you know anything about fruit and veg prices here, you know that was a LOT.

What can I say? There was a guy ahead of us pretty much buying up the whole place to be home delivered (yes, you can still do that here and it doesn’t cost extra) so while waiting I kept spotting this and that and the other… by the time it was our turn omg. There was just so much. But that’s fine. Went home and made a late lunch that included mar azul tomato with a side of avocado mashed with lots of lime and cilantro. And all I’ve been thinking about since is what I’m going to do with all the rest of the veg. What a happy dilemma.

adios m&s

09 Wednesday Apr 2025

Posted by in retail therapy, sevilla, shopping

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I remember when I first moved here and being thrilled to find that there was a Marks & Spencer right next to the main El Corte Inglés. After more than a year in beautiful but eensy Salamanca this felt like the height of cosmopolitan sophistication. Ever since my Toronto days M&S was always THE place for underwear and also comfy clothing in general. Sadly the M&S closed here after a few years and then I used to actually plan trips to Gibraltar to stock up. Then came online shopping – bliss! – and I had a steady supply of knickers and bras at my fingertips. But I dunno… the past few years both quality and selection has suffered, to the point where this week I was actually forced to go out and shop for new bras locally (!!!).

El Corte Inglés of course. Simply because I can take stuff home to try on and return it no questions asked. It was pretty slim pickings there too as I was looking for non-underwired but eventually a helpful salesperson showed me this one and I was sold. Front closure is a bit of a faff but once it’s on… wow, talk about comfortable. Bought one black, one cream and now I’m set for the summer. Sorry to see M&S go, but it seems to have gone the cheap “fast fashion” route, not for me.

new kipling

26 Thursday Sep 2024

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kipling 24

Still in “back to school” mode… my every-day Kipling bag (the dark purple one) is about 8 years old now, possibly older, and is looking a bit worse for wear. Then while I was laptop shopping at El Corte Inglés last week I spotted this one and decided the ol’ credit card was already taking a beating so what the heck. The colour doesn’t show up well in this pic, it’s more of a deep raspberry red and it’s perfect. Aside from being cute, Kiplings are also lightweight, full of clever pockets and compartments and – my favourite thing – are machine washable. It wasn’t until I got it home that I realised it’s the same model as Peter’s (!!!) but his is two-toned (moss green with a black strap and contrast zippers) so we won’t totally look like bag twins when we’re out and about together. And now I am putting that card away! Lean times ahead…

ugly beautiful

07 Tuesday Nov 2023

Posted by in seasons, shoes, shopping

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ugly beautiful

They don’t look like much, and this is really not my “style” (I don’t do sporty) but damn they are comfy, and that is beautiful. Realised that I needed something a bit sturdier to help with walking now that the KNEES aren’t cooperating. Being slip-ons they are a bit of a bugger to get on (thanks to absurdly high instep) but once in… happy feet! And I’ll black-out that swish silver S on the sides with shoe polish because, ick. Good ol’ Skechers though. They’ve always been good to me.

UPDATE: returned shoes… too clunky!

making do…

16 Wednesday Aug 2023

Posted by in casa azahar, home, shopping

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sheets 2023 (1)

Summer sales always get me thinking about the basics and what needs stocking up on or replacing. And part of the reason for this most boringest blog on the internets (takes a bow!) is that I have a daily account of stuff that happens in my life, including mundane stuff like buying new sheets. A quick check informed me that it was only two years ago that I got new ones. Way too soon to fork out for more new sheets, especially as my top sheets and pillow cases are just fine. It’s the bottom fitted sheets that are fucked. Elastic is shot and there are a few tell-tale L-shaped cat tears that at any moment could rip wide open.

Anyhow, this is either my week for new discoveries or just me finding out that these things were always there and I simply didn’t know about them. So just like IKEA delivering small items for a mere 3 euros, I found out that I can purchase bottom sheets separately from Bassols. Continue reading →