Even if you´ve got great Spanish, there´s still a whole load of vocab that doesn´t get taught in the classroom and can complete throw you in the real world. So if there´s a friendly face with a few choice words of English to calm you in your moment utter linguistic brain freeze, then more´s the better. Below are some services and places where English is spoken. I don’t have first hand experience of them all, but they have been recommended by other English speakers in the city.
Health and Beauty
Opticians
Cervantes: Opticas + Colecciones
Ismael and Marta have several opticians shops in Seville. Both have studied English in a bid to make life easier for any visually challenged ‘Guiris’ who find themselves in need of an optician’s services.
Cervantes opticians
Amor de Dios 31, Tel 954 370 936
José Recuerda Rubio 3, Tel 954 645 142
Barni 7, Tel 954 239 300
Chiropractor
Last thing you want to worry about when you can barely straighten up due to a dodgy back is making yourself understood or trying to decipher what your chiropractor is saying, so thank heavens for Quiropráctica Puig. Their team includes Peggy Arne, originally from America who works along her husband Ricardo and daughter Eva, who also speak English.
Quiropractica Puig
C/Bartolomé de Medina, 12 A (antigua C/Capitán Vigueras) Tel 954 546 111/104
Massage/ Reflexology
Mary Biles
A bit of self promotion, but as well as being an ace writer, I am also a Complementary Therapist. I’m trained in Sports Massage, Deep Tissue, Pregnancy Massage, Reflexology and Reiki and I offer home visits or appointments from my flat in the Macarena.
Tel: 635 703 359/ mary_c_biles@yahoo.co.uk
Yoga
There are quite a few English speaking yoga teachers in Seville. Check out this post for details
Psychotherapy in English
It can be tough making that change to live away from your roots, so sometimes a bit of psychological support is needed.
Atención Psicológica Castrillón-Sarabia offer therapy in English
http://www.capasevilla.es/en/
Calle Virgen de la Antigua 11 B, Bajo A, Tel: 954 450 125
Hair
A decent level of communication is most definitely vital when getting your barnet cut. There´s only so much you can do with a crumbled magazine picture with Jennifer Aniston (or whoever is the ´now´ cut of the moment) or the art of wild gesticulation. So a smattering of English is vital to make sure that if it’s a trim you’re after, you don’t come out looking like Sinead O’Connor.
Gloss
The one man hair emporium that is Gloss, is tiny but Manolo caters to all needs, genders and tastes. And he´s really reasonably priced too. Plus he was my first ever blog post!
Gloss, Calle Enladrillada, ner Plaza Roman Tel: 666 860 008
http://iknowalittleplaceinseville.blogspot.com.es/search/label/Gloss
Malado
A gentleman’s barbers run by Antonio, who due to being married to Helen hailing from Wales, speaks perfect English and a bit of Welsh too.
Calle Amor de Dios 45, Tel: 954 382 400/ email peluqueriamelado@hotmail.com
Health Food
Red Verde
You don’t have to be vegan to shop in Red Verde, but you probably do have to enjoy healthy, fresh ingredients. Conchi and Estefania’s little meat free enclave is an utter treasure trove of culinary delights that are kind to your insides, animals and the environment. Conchi will also do her best to help you out in English when needs be.
Red Verde Calle Relator 44
http://iknowalittleplaceinseville.blogspot.com.es/search/label/Red%20Verde
Miscellaneous
Bike Shop and Repairs
Since the introduction of the cycle lanes in Seville, there has been a proliferation of bike related businesses. Bike-Life is run by Englishman called Iain, who by all accounts is a great bike mechanic.
http://www.bike-life.es/en/ Avenida Mendez Pelayo 43
Builders and Architects
When it comes to building works,
understanding each other clearly is fundamental. Seville based
architects, Studio Wet, AKA Jose Gomez Mora and Dani Montes are
thoroughly professional, flexible and speak both English and German.
http://www.studiowet.com/
They share an office space with construction firm G.O.L.E.S S.L. who specialise in works management, tendering, studies and services.
http://golessl.weebly.com/
Lawyers
Luckily, I haven’t had the need to consult a lawyer since I’ve been in Seville, so I can’t vouch for the following law firm personally, but I have it on good authority that they offer their services in English and Spanish.
http://leonolarte.com/
And finally, if you want general tips on how to get established in Seville the following blogpost might help you get on track
Find your feet in Seville
Accommodation
A website that has launched recently in Seville as a multi-media platform to smooth the process of finding accommodation in the city is Spot A Home. Aimed at foreign students or people working away from home who need to find somewhere to live before they arrive, the service personally vets rooms in homes across the city, outlining in fine detail the pros and cons of each apartment or house. You even get to see a rough and ready video of each apartment, however you don’t get to check out the property yourself in person before you book it. Prices look pretty reasonable, and seem to be somewhere between 200 – 350 Euros per room, depending on location and whether a single or double.
Spot A Home – Seville
