Pre-Feria at Taberna del Alabardero

pre feria 2016

If you can’t wait for the Feria de Abril to start (this year it runs from the 12-17th) you can whet your appetite at Taberna del Alabardero, which is hosting is first ever Pre-Feria event. The gorgeous Salón del Magnolio has been decked out with colourful paper lanterns and banners and will be offering feria-style lunches (13.00 – 16.30) and dinners (20.00 – 23.30) until next Sunday the 10th. There will be live music and typical feria food (tortillas, fried fish, Ibérico meats) will be freshly made-to-order in the “caseta’s” pop-up kitchen, which will also be preparing various paellas during mealtimes. To encourage a proper feria “ambiente” a dinner for two will be awarded to one of the couples that come dressed in vestido de gitana and traje corte.

pre feria

Pre-Feria en el Magnolio
April 6 – 10
Taberna del Alabardero
Zaragoza 20
Tel. 954 50 27 21

Semana Santa 2016

ss 16 (2)people waiting for processions, contemplating that other Great Power… 4G

After last year’s “warning” 😉 about coming to Sevilla during Semana Santa, followed by the Twitter shit storm inadvertently caused by me posting this photo on Instagram, I am going to stick with a simple photo essay this year. It was a lovely and gentle Semana Santa for me, running into some processions by happenstance, seeking out others on purpose, and generally enjoying the ambiance since most of my time wasn’t spent in La Bulla (the very Sevillano name for the crush of humanity that congregates on the procession routes). And while I’d never actually choose to get caught up in a serious bulla, I have learned over the years that when this happens, just relax and ride it out. Though it does help to know which little side streets will get you off the main route, and after more than 23 years in Sevilla I am quite experienced in “procession dodging” when I actually need to get somewhere. So for Semana Santa 2016 here are 16 pics I took while out and about this week…

ss 16 (1)mini-nazareno

ss 16 (10)the San Bernardo procession in Cuesta del Rosario

ss 16 (14)chairs galore! Plaza San Franciso

ss 16 (13)Cristo de la Fundación, San Bernardo

ss 16 (12)Los Negritos

ss 16little boy waiting for the next procession

ss 16 (11)group of people from nursing home with “preferred seating” supplied by local bars

ss 16 (9)Virgen de los Ángeles, Los Negritos

ss 16 (8)elegant ladies dressed “de luto” (in mourning)

ss 16 (7)Cristo de la Salud, Los Gitanos

ss 16 (5)costaleros taking a break

ss 16 (6)off-duty Centurian posing for pics

ss 16 (15)María Santísima de la Esperanza Macarena

ss 16 (4)Cristo de la Expiración (El Cachorro)

ss 16 (3)
El Cachorro was created in 1682 by Francisco Antonio Ruiz Gijón. It depicts Jesús at the moment of dying on the cross (Cristo de la Expiración) and is a splendid and very moving work of art. Legend has it that the artist found a gypsy dying in the street in Triana and his face was the inspiration for his Christ. This is one of my favourite processions though I don’t get to see it every year. Glad I made time for it yesterday.

The longer I live in Sevilla the more I see and read accounts of my beloved adopted city by various expat bloggers living here, or by travel writers passing through, and while some are good and honest accounts (I don’t have to agree with them all) there are also many that are frankly just crap. My feeling is… DON’T write about something you haven’t actually experienced first hand. Also, try to approach your topic with an open mind, not with an already fixed agenda. Sometimes I wonder if some of these travel writers have actually been here. And as for the massive expat community here… as long as you are still calling somewhere else “home”, I wonder if you’ll ever really experience Sevilla – or Spain – other than through foreign eyes looking at a foreign culture. I’ve never thought of anywhere else as “home” since arriving in Spain back in 1992. And while I love showing visitors the joys of Sevilla, I guess also feel very protective. Because it is my only home.

ll Feria de Vinos & Ibéricos

feria vinos
The second Feria de Vinos & Ibéricos takes place this weekend in the patio of the Diputación de Sevilla. It’s a great way to sample the gastronomic delights of the province. And entrance is free!

Diputación de Sevilla
Avenida Menendez Pelayo 32
March 4 – 6
Friday 15.00 – 20.00
Saturday 11.00 – 14.30 / 18.00 – 20.00
Sunday 11.00 – 18.00

Semana del Arroz

semana del arroz (1)

Tomorrow the 19th edition of Semana del Arroz (Rice Week) will take place at Taberna del Alabardero, headed by Valencian rice master Juan Tamarit. For the next week you can find special rice menus in the restaurant paired with wines from the non-sherry branch of Bodegas González Byass, including Beronia Verdejo, Viñas del Vero Chardonnay and Beronia Reserva. From the 23th to 25th you can also attend seminars hosted by Juan Tamarit and learn the secrets of perfect paella making, held from 10.00 – 13.30 and 7.00 – 20.30. For more information, or to reserve your space, call Taberna del Alabardero at 954 50 27 21 or contact them by email rest.alabardero@esh.es.

Last Friday I was invited to attend a preview and rice tasting at the Taberna and, upon finding out this was the 19th edition (all of which have been run by Tamarit), my first question was WHY I hadn’t been invited to the previous 18! It was a delicious way to spend an afternoon, chatting with other foodie pals and sampling a wonderful variety of flavours. Chef Tamarit also put paid to the notion that the only true paella is the traditional Valencian version, telling me that if it’s made in a paellera it’s a paella, if it’s made in a pot it’s rice. Simple. And who am I to argue with a maestro arrocero?

Whether you are interested in learning how to make this iconic Spanish dish, or if you’d just like to sample some of the best, don’t miss your chance this week at Taberna del Alabardero.

semana del arroz (5)getting started on a vegetarian paella

semana del arroz (4)paella Valenciana

semana del arroz (6)chef Juan Tamarit with a spectacular squid ink and seafood paella

semana del arroz (3)

semana del arroz (7)

semana arrozchef Juan Tamarit overseeing paellas and arroces

Semana de Arroz
February 22 – 28
Taberna del Alabardero
Zaragoza 20
Sevilla

Tapas Route in Zona Calle Feria

feria de tapa

This weekend you can enjoy specially chosen tapas with a small beer for a set price of 3€ during the Ruta de la Tapa in Zona Calle Feria. Twenty bars are participating and you can also win a prize by voting for your favourite tapa. See the Calle Feria Facebook Page for details. It’s a fun (and economical) way of getting to know the tapas bars in this area.

feria tapas mapclick on map to enlarge