my first ever stalkers Maria and Anna at Las Teresas

This story began last December. Maria and Anna, originally from Poland and now living in Sevilla, had been following my Instagram for awhile and knew that I went to Las Teresas quite often. So one night when they were there they asked Rafa the barman if he knew anything about a Canadian woman who did tapas tours … and just at the moment I walked in the door! I mean, what are the odds? Rafa introduced us and we had a lovely chat during which it transpired that the girls actually knew quite a lot about me and my online doings. My first ever stalkers! I was then invited to their next pot-luck dinner, which to my delight would include perogies, but it turned out I was working that night and couldn’t make it. Finally this past weekend there was another perogy party at Maria’s place in the fabulous Corral del Conde.

It was my first time there and I loved it. From the austere exterior you would never guess that such a lovely courtyard existed beyond the solid imposing wooden doors. A grey rainy morning had given way to blue skies with pretty white clouds, which meant we could eat outdoors. Maria and Anna had set up a large table next to the fountain and my friend Peter @SVQconcierge and I, along with the other guests, ten of us in all, sat down to a fabulous fusion lunch with plenty of wine, great food (spinach perogies, olive pâtés, lamb tagine, almond pastries) and conversation.

[click on images to enlarge]

The Corral del Conde, a 16th century “corral de vecinos”, was historically a worker’s residence holding up to 15 people in each room. It has since been converted into 70-plus apartments of various sizes, but most of them small (20 – 30 square metres). The idea being that people’s personal and social lives would spill out onto the balconies and into the large central patio, creating an unusual communal atmosphere. After lunch I took a little tour of the balconies with Maria and her boyfriend Alberto and I found myself wishing I could live in this very charming spot, though I’d need at least 2-3 apartments and a few sky lights (not much light inside the homes there). But it was a lovely afternoon and once again I found myself grateful for “twitterpower” and the other social media networks that over the years have led to me meeting so many wonderful people in person.

Next time it’ll be my turn to invite Maria and Anna to a rooftop BBQ at casa az. 🙂