Food and Flamenco Music

The Feria de Abril (fair of April) gate is getting dressed up

On a domestic matter, the fridge alarm went off most of the night, finally I unplugged it to get some sleep. Honestly it’s more of a ping than a screaming type but still annoying. Got ahold of Pepe in the morning to learn the “trick” but he didn’t know without looking at it. Magic fingers, did the same thing both Bruce and I did and it stopped, hmph.

We were going to walk to Macarena to view a wheelchair Bruce wants and has actually bought, but we did want to see it so Pepe drove us to the shop. Bruce likes it, so in thanks we took Pepe to lunch. He chose a Moroccan restaurant close by our flat, just up from Museo des Artes, the square that has all the art in it on Sunday. www.restaurantealmedina.com  Food was amazing! Wildly spiced but not over the top, subtle. A bit dark inside compared to most restaurants but provided ambiance with rich reds, blues and colour. Mint tea finished the meal which I would have said no to but it was delicious.

More food, getting so I don’t talk about anything else. Bruce had a dentist appointment which took us within five minutes of Ivan’s Mom and Dad’s “country” house. They go there in the summers when it is too hot in the city, a breeze comes off the ocean which is 60 – 70 kilometers away but they can still feel it.

We were there to get another cooking lesson, kitchen was larger and more comfortable than our flat although that was fun too. Chicken with mushrooms, onion and garlic and cous-cous salad Ivan called Taboulle but Spanish version is different than what we would make, included red and green pepper, cucumber, lemon juice and olive oil – yummy. Ivan bought a flat of local strawberries that were truly huge and awesome tasting. He also had a bottle of apple cider that you have to pour from the bottle to glass from a great height to get it to bubble, well he’s tall and had done it before so we let him take care of that, was very good and smooth tasting.

Sat around a table to eat and chat and then cleaned up, locked up, loaded Dyna the dog and came home. Dyna has lots of energy but doesn’t like to be left alone so Ivan brought her to his place for overnight.

She sat in the front passenger seat between my legs.

I didn’t take pictures of the home or grounds, being a private property but it was absolutely a beautiful place, even had a pool with salt water. Palm trees, many plants and the inside very tastefully decorated, large and light. They bought it from a builder who had many features installed that you don’t often see in Spanish homes, Ivan called it very American, won’t go on, but I'll say it’s homey and elegant all at the same time.

We took Lexi to the Vet to get her toe nails cut. As said, it’s a drama for all of us, Vet is around the corner from the flat so thought it would save Bruce and I , at least, some drama. The Vet was wonderful, conversed in French with Bruce, he’s better in French than Spanish and she was good as well. Anyway they wrapped Lexi in a towel, which we’ve done, but had her on the table which made it easier to control her, idea for next time. Done deal, three euro cost. Yeah from all.

Ivan picked Ryan, Angela and us up to take us to Triana, his parents club for what we thought was going to be flamenco dancing again but was wonderful guitar music and a powerful woman singer. 

Ryan's photo of the passion she shows as a singer

Ryan took both theirs and our cameras to the back of the room and was our photo journalist. You will see more pictures on their post when it comes up at www.jetsliketaxis.com

The new club is just a few doors down from the one we were at before, about the same size, it's called Centro Cultural Don Cecilio. Today there weren’t as many people attending which was good because it was quite warm inside. We had shared some food, had drinks and generally enjoyed being there, among people from Sevillla. There were a few children there, tapping to the music. 

Wonderful guitarist!

Ryan's picture of the two of them.

Attitude! Pepa Montes a flamenco dancer

http://www.flamencoexperience.com/blog/?p=129 There were pictures of many people on the walls, and posters of previous years Feria's. See the chairs, hand painted and seated with woven cane. Ivan said this type of event is exactly what happens at Feria. As we were leaving a group was singing and clapping in rhythm at a table. Ryan and Angela will be here for Feria this year and get to experience it! I teased Angela that she needs a flamenco dress, Ivan agreed, puts one in the true spirit of the event.

Ivan had to park the car far, far away and on his return he picked us the first orange blossoms.

We should be here long enough to catch the wonderful smell that wafts over Sevilla!

After we went to the Triana Market, mostly to get Bruce a feed of raw oysters. Market was closing up which was unfortunate for Ryan and Angela, not to see it in it’s glory. They tried the oysters for the first time and said it was like swallowing a mouthful of sea water when swimming. Polite enough to say “an acquired taste” meaning not really liking, and I agree.

Sunday and we cruise the Alameda as we frequently do. There was a band playing and a march of many people, political I gathered. Lunch in a treed patio, Bruce had cheesecake that was the lightest, best he’d ever had. He’s not an expert, hardly ever orders it, but enjoyed. I had chilli chicken and it was excellent. Both location and food were wonderful, but it started to get crowded and Bruce felt closed in, and in the way, with his chair. On the way there we saw another practise session for Semana Santa. Others had cameras out so I took a picture.

You can see the hat I tried to describe in the previous blog.

On to the local where Alonso gave us a rice dish and mini-hambergesa. New function for the bread stick bag – fits a mini-hamburger just right! I was too stuffed to eat it, must remember to eat lightly before going to Amarillo, Alonso tends to feed us out of the goodness of his heart so I had to carefully stow the food when he wasn’t looking. We never learn do we!

Sadly we leave Sevilla March 23rd and have many more things to do before going so the next weeks will be full.

Cheers, Bx2 and pedicured Lexi Cat