Sunday night we met Becky and Sue for our now regular Sunday night dinners. We had not been to Placentines for exactly three years (in 2023 it was a Saturday night rather than Sunday - but who's counting? 🤣) We remembered that it was good and it was still a nice option for the Sunday night get together. And we still have a souvenir of the walk home from dinner that night, a photo that is now hanging above the beds in the guest bedroom. Oh and on the walk home (we were on a street with stores carrying many religious related offerings) Sue and Becky (who are scholars in a way we are not) told us these hearts were the sacred heart of Jesus and it is depicted with the swords that caused his wounds. #learnnewthingseveryday
Three years ago yesterday, on a Sunday night Phil and I visited a restaurant around the corner from our "dorm" holiday rental on night three during language immersion. We met a lovely woman named Blanca and her two colleagues, Manuel and Marcos. They are the heart of Casapuerta's warm welcome. The food was excellent and remains so. Tonight we had some of our favorites. Phil had the tuna tartare and I had the carpaccio. We shared starters of brioche stuffed with beef and asparagus croquetas. Still a regular place on our rotation and a place we always reserve when guests visit. The guys are from Cádiz and many specialties use the red tuna from Cádiz. If you have followed our dining in Sevilla you know this is a regular haunt for us. Three years - a blink of an eye. We could not speak one word of Spanish when we first met Blanca but now she practices her English and we practice our Spanish. It's Spanglish in its finest hour.
and they always make Phil's frites extra crujiente!
Wednesday we ate at home because: Costco. Thursday we went out to Acento and Friday we went to Petit Comité. Had not been to Acento in a while. So we went Thursday night. We usually reserve a slow cooked beef rib but they didn't have any that night. They offered an alternative of a wagyu sirloin from Japan. It was fabulous. The best steak I have had in years. So tender and flavorful. We shared the anchovies as a starter. Then shared the steak. Even had a little bit to take home.
Friday night dinner at Petit Comité. Phil had duck and duck and I had orzo and salmon - marked preparations on the menu. Walked home past many groups outdoors enjoying the dry weather after pretty much five solid weeks of rain from tropical storms off the Atlantic.
Day drinking Friday. The sun was out and that gave us an excuse for a drink rather than coffee. P had an Aperol spritz and I had the quintessential Sevillana drink of Tinto de Verano (the drink of the señoras at Feria.) We relaxed and people watched in the late afternoon along Calle Reyes Catolicas.
I saw this and had to post it- I don't make this up - our new country is seriously entertaining!
What lies behind Spain’s curious and ancient tradition
of holding a funeral for a SARDINE during Carnaval?
While Anglo-Saxon culture demands we cook up a pile of pancakes ahead of the start of Lent, in Spain people will gather to attend a solemn burial of a symbolic fish. The Burial of the Sardine symbolically represents the “death” of Carnival. It brings an end to a week of extravagant celebrations that sees people dress up in costumes and party in the streets, Participants often dress in exaggerated mourning clothes, parodying solemn funerals while escorting a large sardine effigy through the streets.
The procession culminates in the dramatic burning of the sardine. This fiery finale signals the end of days of excess and festivity.
Traditionally linked to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent in the Christian calendar, the ritual is said to represent purification, renewal, and the start of a more restrained period.
Origins and Historical Roots Like many of the religious festivals across the world, this tradition traces its origins to ancient European seasonal festivals that marked the transition of the seasons – this one developed from pagan traditions that used fire to bid farewell to winter and welcome in spring. Over time, these pagan customs merged with the Christian calendar. Carnival became the final celebration before Lent, the 40-day period associated with fasting and reflection.
By the late 18th century in Spain, students and urban groups had begun staging mock funerals to close Carnival and they chose the humble sardine to be the emblem of this theatrical farewell.
Goya and the Burial of the Sardine The ritual’s cultural significance is immortalised in art. Spanish painter Francisco de Goya captured the spirit of the celebration in his late 18th-century work The Burial of the Sardine.
The painting depicts masked figures, lively movement, and a sense of social satire, reflecting the irreverent tone that still defines the event today.
Burial of the Sardine in 2026 In most Spanish cities, the ceremony takes place on Ash Wednesday—the day after Carnival ends. In 2026, this falls on 18 February but some places choose to stage their festival on another day.
The Burial of the Sardine in Murcia and Madrid The celebration in Murcia is widely regarded as Spain’s most spectacular. Unlike other cities, Murcia holds its Burial of the Sardine after Semana Santa at Easter. Recognised as a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest, the event transforms the city into a stage of themed floats, elaborate costumes, and lively “sardine clubs.” Parades are held where participants throw toys and sweets into the crowds, much to the delight of children. The grand finale takes place on Saturday night, when the sardine effigy is burned amid fireworks, music, and celebration.
Madrid has its own version of the Entierro de la Sardina staged by the Alegre Cofradia del Entierro de la Sardina. The procession begins at the Ermita de San Antonio at 6pm before crossing the river and heading into the Casa de Campo for the ritual burning after sunset. Crowds gather along the way.
Smaller celebrations are held in many cities across Spain, so look out for one happening near you. Don your funeral clothes and join the fun.
https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2026/02/17/fishy-festival-why-people-gather-for-a-sardine-funeral-during-carnival-in-spain/
Saturday I went to sit outside and because most all of our local parks are closed due to rodent control right now- I went to sit in front of the Church on San Pablo. It was a beautiful blue sky day and a nice warm 71*.
We had Costco lasagne for dinner and then after dinner- around 10 PM we heard music outside- and went to hte bedroom door and stepped on the balcony to a procession right below us- coming to turn the corner in front of our building.... so we watched for a while...
Sunday dinner with Becky and Sue. Tonight at Señora Pan. Phil and I split the ribs as the starter and then he had lasagne and I had ceviche. Both Becky's friends from Finland had tuna tataki. Becky and Sue shared a burrata salad and a ravioli dish. A nice Mencia red was shared by three diners.
