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Tag Archives: spain

summertime dreaming

07 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by azahar in sevilla, spain, summer, travel, trips

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

spain, summer, travel, trips


I think it was while I was watching Rick Stein’s latest programme on Spain that I first got the idea of taking a train trip across the top of the country. And talking with Ricardo yesterday brought it all back as he is from Galicia and our conversation had turned to travel. So I asked Ricardo for some ideas of where to stop and it turned out that we will have to dedicate at least a few hours to this topic once my plans firm up a little.

The first concern will be money, of course. But if Peter continues working as much as he has been then he should be able to take some time off and come travelling, and we both should be able to keep the house going in August without working fulltime. But my main concern is the cats. I reckon this trip will take at least ten days, and there is no way I can leave Azar – even with a cat sitter checking in – for that long. So I will start looking for someone (Jessica, are you reading this?) who might want to come and stay here while we’re gone. Of course the beginning of August isn’t the best time to visit Sevilla, but I’m sure someone wouldn’t mind free accommodation in exchange for cat sitting.

Next, how to go? I was thinking by train because, well, I like trains. But Ricardo said that taking buses between stop-offs might be easier (and cheaper) as there are more bus routes. So this would mean flying Sevilla-Santiago and later flying home from San Sebastian. Another option is to find a friend with a car who also fancies this summer adventure…

And so, it’s all up in the air and depending on many, many things, but it’s very exciting to think about. I’ve never had a summer holiday like this before.

Have you got any summer travel plans?

cádiz 2012

04 Sunday Mar 2012

Posted by azahar in birthdays, friends, holidays, photos, spain, travel, trips

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

birthday, cadiz, day trip, spain, trip


Yesterday’s day trip to Cádiz was wonderful! First time we’ve had blue skies, which made a huge difference. We arrived at 11.30 in the morning, went straight for some “elevensies”, then strolled around the old centre and visited the market. After that a bit of tapearing, a drink on the beach, walk along the seaside – and suddenly it was time to go home! Got back around 8pm to three very hungry and pissed off kittehs and then relaxed with a film and a snack. A really nice day!

Cádiz 2012 photo album

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another cádiz birthday

01 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by azahar in birthdays, spain, travel, trips

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

birthdays, cadiz, spain, trips


That photo was taken in March 2005 when I took Peter to Cádiz for his birthday – I can’t believe it was that long ago! Then in November 2008 we went again when our friend Craig came to visit. But we haven’t been back since. And so as tomorrow is Peter’s birthday we thought it would be a good idea to go back to Cádiz. The only question is whether to splash out and spend Friday night there too, or just go for a day trip on Saturday. Still deciding…

almost spring…

27 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by azahar in weather

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

seasons, seville, spain, spring

It was one of those glorious late winter days that felt like spring, so when one of Peter’s classes was cancelled this morning I thought it might be a good time to check out the new park I’d heard about near the old Expo site. Well, it’s new-ish. Called the Jardines del Guadalquivir. I actually don’t know what was there before, but they either transplanted a whole whack of trees or else just turned some of the land along the riverbank into a park. Probably late winter isn’t the best time to visit a park, but it had that strange “unfinished” feeling that new parks have, like the neighbouring Alamillo Park. And the Jardín del Agua (water garden) and see-through maze (see photos) were a bit of a disappointment…

So we didn’t linger. And once home it became clear that it was much warmer outside than inside, so I opened up all the balcony doors to let the air in and the cats out. Oh man, did they love it. Of course, now that Luna has become a ninja kitten escape artist I became worried that she might scale the plastic mesh on the sides of the balconies that go right to the top of the railings and so I cut them down. In fact, I may take off all the plastic mesh now as there is little risk of her falling or jumping off the balconies now, but there was a real risk of her climbing up to the top of the railings just because that’s what she does.

Later I added more mesh to the upstairs door so that Luna can’t climb up and over anymore, and it was just so lovely being up there in the warm breeze. Got me thinking of all the improvements I’d like to make to the terraza this year, and also about making the upstairs room more “liveable”. It’s still mostly a semi-storage area and study, where Peter teaches his classes at home. But neither of us hang out up there much. So that’s another project in mind.

Have you started making plans for spring?

pigging out in style

07 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by azahar in food & drink, restaurants, sevilla, tapas, twitter, wine, work

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

iberian pork, sevilla, seville, spain, tapas


One of the perks of having run the Sevilla Tapas blog for almost five years now is that I occasionally get invitations to interesting (usually food-related) events. What’s also interesting is that – as a blogger – I am getting acknowledged as “press” and even – gasp! – as a writer.

Yesterday I was invited to Restaurante Alcuza by gastronomy photographer Manolo Manosalbas, to preview their “Iberian Pork Days” menu, which will be available to the public starting today until March 3rd. Everything from starters to dessert featured cerdo Ibérico de bellota, the best of the best, made from acorn-fed blackfoot free-range pigs.


I have to admit that I wasn’t crazy about the ice-cream, but everything else was sensational and was perfectly accompanied by wines from Bodegas Torres. After six tapas I was quite happily stuffed! I was also glad to have a chance to revisit Alcuza as I had first gone there almost two years ago but hadn’t been back. Question of too many tapas bars, too little time and money. But I will definitely be back to Alcuza again soon.

Looks good, doesn’t it?

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