Tag: sevilla

A Night To Remember

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Jesse and Luisa – Hardcore!

This was without a doubt the most spontaneous and “extreme” Gourmet Tapas Tour I’ve done so far. Just over a week ago, in fact on the night before my 20 years in Spain party, I picked up Jesse & Luisa at their hotel not expecting too much out of the ordinary, though in fact, as the gourmet tours are more flexible than the all-inclusive ones in terms of locations and food, they tend to be quite individual. We started off with some great seafood and then at our second stop, while having some gorgeous jamón Ibérico, Jesse expressed a passion for chorizo and I knew we’d have to hit an extra bar along the way so he could try their venison chorizo speciality. This led to a quick pringá pit stop afterwards and, as Jesse & Luisa were still hungry, we then headed over to our next (fifth!) stop. Up until then we’d been sticking to pretty traditional places and so it was time to go somewhere modern and upmarket to try a bit of innovative cooking, where J & L got to enjoy some fabulous squid and grilled Iberian pork. By this time I realised that we had set a record for the number of tapas bars visited during one tour and so – of course – I suggested we go for one more.

At the sixth and final tapas bar we ordered some beautifully grilled fish (urta), and also desserts. But we weren’t done yet as the gourmet tour includes a round of cocktails. By this time Peter had joined us because it was getting pretty late and so he came to walk me home.  Looking back it probably wasn’t the most sensible thing to do on the eve of my party day, but it just “kind of happened” and so we went with the flow and we all had a great time. The Gourmet Tapas Tour usually lasts about four hours and we visit three different bars and then go for cocktails. On this record breaking occasion we went to six tapas bars and then a special members-only cocktail bar and I didn’t get to bed until well after 2 am. I blame the Harvest Moon…

20 Years in Spain Party!

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Yesterday was Party Day, celebrating my 20th anniversary of moving to Spain. The actual anniversary date was May 25th and my idea then was to spend the rest of the year taking trips here and there, but it also seemed that a party was in order. I chose the last Sunday in September a bit randomly (though I wanted it to be on a Sunday so friends who own restaurants could come), then Sledpress told me it was also going to be the night of the Harvest Moon, which I think added a nice serendipitous touch.

The festivities started off with a fabulous lunch at the Vineria San Telmo with friends who had come into town specially for the party. After that there was a short break to freshen up and then Peter and I went off to Bar Chinkoa to help set up. My first plan had been to have the party on my rooftop terrace but then thought it would be more appropriate (being the Queen of Tapas and all), not to mention way less hassle, to have it at a tapas bar. Happily Manuel and Ana at Chinkoa said they would open up that evening (they’re normally closed on Sunday) so I could celebrate there with my friends. Of course I was a nervous wreck by the time we got there because I never throw parties. I worried that hardly anyone would show up and also had a last-minute extra worry when it occurred to me that people might think the party was “on me” (Spanish style) when my idea had simply been to simply shift the venue from my roof to a bar. But despite my concerns it turned out to be a lovely time.

The best part was that many of the friends who came met other friends for the first time, though they had heard of each other, either from me or via Twitter. And the general concensus was that I have some pretty wonderful friends.

Many many thanks to the gang at Chinkoa who looked after us so well, and also to all you wonderful friends who came to celebrate this very special occasion with me.

Party pics below…

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Centro de Interpretación de la Judería

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The new Centro de Interpretación de la Judería de Sevilla, which opened yesterday, is the city’s first museum of the history and achievements of Sevilla’s Jews, telling their story in words (both in Spanish and English) and pictures along with other exhibits. It is the latest project of the Casa de la Memoria, one of Sevilla’s best known flamenco cultural centres.

It is a very moving exhibit and you can lose yourself in the stories of some of Sevilla’s most important historical figures, such as Pablo de Olavide, José María Blanco White and the mysterious Susona Ben Susón. You can also see the original 19th century painting “The Expulsion of the Jews from Sevilla” by Joaquín Turina y Areal.

I also liked the map of the old Jewish Quarter, which was created especially for the Centre. New exhibits and events are being planned for the future.

Ximenez de Enciso, 22
Daily 10.30-14.00 and 17.30 – 20.00
entrance €6.50
Tel: 954 047 089
Website

Lupi

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[José Manuel & Lupi]

It’s not every morning you pass a guy in the street with a hooded raptor perched on his arm (to be honest, it had never happened before today). And so of course I had to stop and ask him what he was doing there with such a splendid bird. Turns out they were both working! They were standing just below the Metropol Parasol (aka The Mushrooms) and apparently José Manuel lets the beautiful Lupi loose on a regular basis to swoop around the Parasols and return to her perch, thereby keeping pigeons from roosting. Amazing! When you think about it, the Parasols would make a great pigeon hang-out and yet there are never any there. Thanks to Lupi and José Manuel.

It was only afterwards that I realised I had more questions. Are there several pigeon prevention teams that work on shifts, or are a few hours a day with a hawk shadow passing over the structure enough to keep pigeons away? Does Lupi also hunt and kill or just maintain a menacing presence? And who the hell thought this up? I think it’s brilliant. Clearly the entrepreneurial spirit in Sevilla is not dead!

Up On The Roof

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[views from various rooftop bars in Sevilla]

What better way to finish a great day in Sevilla than with a cocktail (or two) at a rooftop bar, looking out over the most beautiful city in Spain and contemplating the stars. Time was when rooftop bars were something of a rarity, or for guests only, but over the last few years a lot of hotels have cottoned on to the attractions of “drinks with a view” in comfortable surroundings, so now you have plenty of choice of where to go. Here are some of the best…

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