We had a new year holiday that was up and down. We both were sick at some point - in a weird - on and off way. So we canceled several nights dinner plans and spent the time at home. We always stay home on New Year's Eve. so this was nothing new - and we had food on hand for the celebration. So we spent the first part of the week having things like Chicken soup and leftover chili. On New years we had shrimp "rolls" and foie and smoked salmon etc... along with grapes for good luck. A tradition here.
From an article in the local paper - The Olive Press:
A historian says the tradition started in 1882 among poorer residents in Madrid poking fun at the aristocracy in charge of the city. Madrid mayor José Abascal y Carredano was fed up with the excessive parties that spilled out into the capital’s streets around the New Year. At this time, according to researcher Gabriel Medina Vilchez, the main festivities took place on January 5 on the eve of Spain’s traditional Three Kings’ day (Dia de los Reyes Magos).
José Abascal decided to impose a five peseta tax on anyone in search of a good time on Madrid’s city streets.It was a steep levy but it led to some creativity.Few people held parties on New Year’s Eve, except for wealthy aristocrats and government officials who had seen the French bourgeois tradition of eating grapes and drinking champagne on December 31.
As grapes were cheaper in warmer Spain, this meant the Madrileños denied fun on January 5 decided to congregate in the Puerto de Sol square on December 31 when no tax was in place. Puerta de Sol then housed Spain’s Ministerio de Gobernación, which ran the country. To poke fun at the bitter Spanish bourgeois, people began eating grapes before midnight while wishing one another good luck in the coming year. The tradition was so popular that it soon spread all across Spain, including Spanish-speaking countries abroad. Eating 12 grapes leads to a year of good luck and prosperity, and in some areas of Spain it was reportedly believed to ward off witches and evil in general.
On January 1st we ventured out for the first time in days and had dinner at Placido Y Grata. It was mixed. We over ordered due to some confusion around menu items and their size. But Phil got a "para llevar" (take away) bag with his waaaay too big beef cheek. So he got two lunch sándwiches from the same entree as his dinner. My salmon entree was good but also too big- but having arrived more cooked than I prefer I did not take it home for more killing LOL
Our January 2nd meal, was in an overcrowded restaurant. It was peak holiday time here, as we approach Reyes (Three Kings Day). The streets were crowded and it was going to get more so, at least until parade day (January 5th). We have the parade route scoped out and it will be closest to us - about a three minute walk between 7:00 and 8:30. But tonight we were still willing to brave the crowds.
Although the restaurant had every table full, people still came in (with NO RESERVATIONS) asking for a table only to be told "no room at the Inn" thereby replaying the whole Christmas story before our very eyes The kitchen was clearly stressed a bit by several large groups of more than six. But, the service was still cheery despite being "on roller skates" as my Dad would have said. We ordered our usual favorites. Shown on the menu.
We were too full for any desert and Phil was feeling less than stellar so we went home for Magnum mini bars LOL.
January 3rd- another story- Casa Robles. You don't win every time. And sometimes our meal is less than we hoped. This night was one of those nights. Spotty service and missing items on the menu. The steak was not tender, although the mushroom sauce was very tasty. My salmon and avocado and tomato salad had two good elements but hard tasteless tomatoes made for a lackluster dish. Phil's foie was very tasty to me, but he was not happy with the range of temperatures in what should have been a warm dish. He said his shrimp were perfectly prepared. We really wanted to like this old style restaurant with a lovely bygone era decor, but it is apparently resting on its laurels. This was our second visit and it was less enjoyable than a year ago. So I would call it our second and final visit. Not going on our list.
So get this - new flash....BAD weather has forced some areas of Andalucia to bring forward their Three Kings parades. So instead of January 4th for the Herald Parade and January 5th for the Three Kings. We had the first on January 3rd and the big one on January 4th.... Running since 1918, the parade has a 106 year history
(photo credit Olive Press)
Here is what we found - "January 2nd, 2025 UPDATE: Because of the weather forecast (100% chance of rain on January 5th, 2025), the Three Kings parade has been rescheduled to Saturday January 4th, 2025. The start and end time along with the parade’s route remain the same – the only variation is the date (from Sunday January 5th to Saturday January 4th, 2025).
On the afternoon and evening the Three Magic Kings take over the streets, parading through the city to entertain kids before they hand out gifts. They even throw candy to the crowds, and tons of people show up to watch. For the local families it’s one of the biggest highlights of Christmas in Seville. (verified by our buddy Vincent at Acento).
more info on Three Kings from a Sevilla Tourism website:
"Three Kings’ Day, celebrated on January 6th, is all about the Epiphany – when the Three Wise Men (Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar) followed the Star of Bethlehem and brought gifts to baby Jesus. It’s a time for showing respect, celebrating, and exchanging gifts.
But in Seville, it’s way more than just giving presents. It’s like diving into the city’s rich culture, history, and traditions, all wrapped up in the warmth and friendliness of its people.
it’s one of the biggest days of the year, blending religious customs with a fun, festive vibe.
The highlight? A huge parade that winds through the streets, with stunning floats, colorful costumes, and, of course, the Three Wise Men. It’s something that brings everyone together – kids get excited, adults can’t help but smile, and it’s just a beautiful mix of old and new."
"Insider tip: King Melchior (Rey Melchor) is on float #11. King Caspar (Rey Gaspar) is on float #22. And King Balthazar (Rey Baltasar) in on float #33 (the last one)." LOL
So unsure of how this would affect our plans for dinner, we built in extra time to cross town and get to Santa Cruz (behind the Cathedral) the former Jewish ghetto and the oldest section of the city center. We will be completely inside the parade route so that should help... going from the red dot by the "C" in Centro to the red dot along side the Cathedral...
here was our 12 minute route to dinner at Sede México
Saturday night - the same evening as the rescheduled Three Kings Day Parade. Careful planning and we never had to leave the "inside" of the parade route around the city. The parade ran from 4pm to 10pm and there was no missing some impact from the crowds. Again numerous groups of 4-8 people came into the restaurant tonight seeking a table with no reservations. The restaurant had a total of 22 inside seats. There was more seating in the plaza outside but the temperature was less than 50*F when we arrived. On a Saturday night of the holiday weekend you might get lucky if you were a couple or two friends but for full families it's highly unlikely. Anyway..... food was tasty - service was 2/3 attentive happy friendly welcoming and 1/3 grumpy slug who didn't want to be working (a crew of three in FOH)
The Cathedral on the way to and back from dinner on Saturday night -
This brought us to the end of the New Year's week. And the start of 2025 in earnest... kwe will see what it will bring. Clearly we wish for peace, good health, happiness, fun, and adventure for all our friends and for ourselves. Onward.
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