Sunday March 7th, 2021
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| Very sadly, this week we had to say goodbye to our darling 9 year old Lab, Elsa. |
Good morning friends and readers.
Here I am again, another Sunday during the pandemic.It has been a very sad week for us when we had to say goodbye to our lovely Labrador, Elsa. It's very difficult to lose a dog and only dog owners and dog lovers will understand. She was with us still last Sunday but very ill with an infection in her mouth caused by E Coli (Escherchia coli) which became resistant to antibiotics and probably always was.
Vs a vs Covid, the number of those infected per 100.000 people has gone down to below 150 in Spain.. Not so long ago the figure was higher than 500. This week the global numbers have gone down but not everywhere as the British variant is on the rise in Italy and France and is a cause for worry. If last Sunday the total number of those infected was 114.408.267, this week the figure is at 117.098.766. If last Sunday the total death toll was 2.538.245, this week it stands at 2.600.321.
It's now March and nearly a year since lock down started in Spain. There is a beacon of light ahead thanks to the new vaccines. Here, the "state of alarm" under which our lives are governed ends on 9th May and hopefully, by then enough people will be vaccinated and restrictions can be lifted cautiously. I am hoping that includes travel. My "cabin fever" continues. There has been talk of Easter and possible travel within the country but it's not going to happen. So it will be another Easter at home. Roll on May and the summer say I.
Last Sunday was another quiet Sunday during the pandemic. It was also another quiet Sunday for Oli and her little family. She sent us this delightful photo of her and little Elliot reading together. I think he is going to turn out to be a book worm like his great grandfather.
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| Elliot and his mother reading together at their home last Sunday |
I am a book worm too but recently haven't read anything. My mind just can't concentrate so I prefer to watch endless series on Netflix or Amazon Prime. That day I was immersed in Season 3 of "The Good Doctor".
I also cooked quite a lot. For lunch I made a newly discovered soup: creamy red lentil soup, followed by pork rib casserole.
Sunday was the day Oli finally announced her pregnancy officially. She made this lovely photo to send to friends. I am copying it here as a keepsake.
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| Oli's official announcement. "Juliet is coming" |
The highlight of Sunday was my Facetime call with my dear friend Kathy in Keighley, West Yorkshire, near Bradford where I spent my formative years. We moved to Bradford in 1964 when I was 7. I stayed until I was 24 after 4 years at Nottingham University. I couldn't wait to leave that dark grim city but today I am very nostalgic about both Bradford and West Yorkshire. Although I wasn't born there - I was born in the beautiful University city of Cambridge - I feel that if I have any roots at all, they are in Bradford and West Yorkshire. We chatted for a whole hour and Kathy told me about her first Covid jab. I wonder when I will get mine. Spain is far behind the UK in its vaccine roll out.
Dinner was different that night. I had bought the ingredients to make "paglia e fieno" (straw and hay) a favourite dish I used to choose on our Friday night dinners out at the quasi Italian restaurant, "Ginos". As we can't go there and don't go out to dinner at all, I decided to try my hand at making my own version. I looked up recipes to make it and it's so easy. Mine turned out a treat and was delicious. We hadn't had pasta for so long and it's wonderful comfort food, don't you think? This is the recipe I used.
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| My version of the Italian dish "paglia e fieno". |
Later we watched an interview conducted by the famous Spanish left wing journalist, Jordi Evolé, with Spain's ex PM, the right wing José María Aznar. Evolé's programmes and interviews are always entertaining and interesting.
I slept well that night and was awake at 7 on Monday morning. Eladio got up early to give Elsa her first antibiotic of the day but she wouldn't eat it even though it was tucked into a sausage. She was looking worse and worse I'm afraid and we feared the end. Blood and foam were coming out of her infected mouth and the smell in the kitchen in these last few weeks was foul. It was so foul I had to wear a mask in the kitchen. She had an infection caused by E Coli (Escheruchia coli) which we had been treating for more than 2 months but she wasn't responding to any treatment and the bacteria was resistant even to the strongest antibiotics. The bacteria was the most deadly strain of E Coli and is often dubbed the "super bug". There was nothing to do. If we hadn't put her to sleep, her death would have been unbearable for her. She was already suffering yet she never complained, bless her. A while back Eladio and I talked about putting her to sleep - a dreadful decision to make - but we decided to fight until the end. The end came on Monday, 1st March 2021. That morning he rang the vet and asked them to put her to sleep - I can't use other words to describe this - It was so sad. Reality hit me when the vet arrived with a van to take her away forever. Eladio was so heart broken he couldn't be there. I was heart broken too but decided I had to stay with her for 5 or 10 minutes to say goodbye. I sat on the kitchen floor by her bed stroking her and crying, saying goodbye and telling her how much we loved her and how much joy she had brought us. I also asked her to forgive us. I felt like a criminal. In a heartbreaking moment the vet lifted her up and took her to the van. She put her in and I continued to stroke her. She resisted slightly as if she knew this may be her last journey. Maybe we should have gone with her to the vet to be present with her when she died but we just couldn't. I would have been sick if I had watched it. I was left there feeling so empty and sad I can't describe it. Even sadder were Eladio and Olivia as Elsa was their favourite of our three dogs. She was my father's favourite dog too. Suzy's favourite has always been Norah and there are no prizes for guessing mine (Pippa), but of course we loved all 3. Eladio didn't think Norah our beagle and Pippa our mini dachshund would miss her but I didn't believe that. Later he changed his mind as he watched Norah in a bewildered state possibly searching for Elsa.
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| Norah, our 12 year old beagle, missing Elsa |
When Elsa arrived, Norah was 3 years old and immediately became her surrogate mother. Then, when Pippa arrived it was Elsa who became her surrogate mother. I am in no doubt at all that they miss Elsa. We all do.
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| A lovely photo of our 3 dogs. |
She was the best of our dogs for her wonderful and noble character. Elsa was playful, enthusiastic, food mad, sweet, kind, noble, patient, loving and also very obedient, submissive and completely unselfish. She knew her place in the pecking order and was happy to come third after Norah and Pippa who both vie for first place. Elsa only wanted our company and to be loved and fed as often as possible. Suzy commented she probably gave us more love than we gave her. Her love was boundless and unconditional. Bless her.
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| Every day there is a ritual of giving the dogs some treats. This photo was taken the last time she was still interested in them. |
Labs are great dogs and Elsa was one of the best.
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| Beautiful Elsa. Sorely missed. |
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| A family photo with Elsa. She really was a member of our family. All our dogs are. |
Telling Olivia was the hardest thing I had to do after saying goodbye to Elsa forever. Oli was devastated, very much so and we both cried our eyes out on the phone. Suzy only heard later that day and was distraught especially as she is so far away from us.
We all felt very empty for the rest of the day. I had virtual hugs and best wishes from friends on social media to comfort me which helped I have to say. Thank you everyone. Being Monday I had my weekly skype call with Amanda in the afternoon and I had to tell her the dreadful news. Amanda cried as she is a dog lover too and knew exactly how we were feeling as she has lost 2 dogs. It makes you think if it is worth having a dog if you have to go through losing them 10 or so years later. They make such a mark on you. Everyone said she will live on in our hearts and of course she will but that was of no comfort this week. The kitchen felt odd without her and a very sad place to be.
On a more positive note, my father finally got an appointment for his first vaccine jab - the Pfizer type. We would have to take him to the local health centre the next day as they are not doing house calls unfortunately or at least hadn't put him on the list for one - they should have. It would have been last week if it hadn't been for the PCR test he had to take. Finally it was his turn. I told him and he was glad.
That night I slept fitfully and cried myself to sleep thinking of dear sweet Elsa in "doggy heaven" to quote a friend. No doubt Oli slept badly too but she had to be up early as she went back to work on Tuesday after a week's holiday.
I watched her a bit on the TV. That day saw her doing the social media part as she was standing in for one of the presenters. They all stand in for each other so that they can take days off but social media is not Oli's favourite subject.
We were still reeling from the loss of Elsa. Even though she hadn't been on a walk for a long time due to her illness I kept thinking about her on our walk with Norah and Elsa. She is sorely missed.
The highlight of the day and of the week was taking my father for his first anti covid vaccine - the Pfizer one as Astrazeneca is only being given to those under 55. The appointment was at 16.45 and we left with my father in the car and the wheel chair in the boot. At the health centre we were greeted by members of local Civil Protection agents there to help old people into the clinic. That was such a lovely gesture. Last week and this week it's the turn of those aged over 80 and for front line workers; police, teachers, etc. So there were a lot of oldies waiting for their jabs. My father was definitely the oldest. I think he would have been first on the list if he had been able to make the appointment last week. Everything was very efficient and the atmosphere was pleasant, calm and caring and I was able to go in with him. I asked if I could take a photo and I was allowed to. This is it, my 101 year old father - soon-to-be 102, having his first anti covid jab 101 years after the last pandemic, the so-called Spanish flu. It was rather an historic moment for him and for me as well as humanity.
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| My father, Charles Courtenay Lloyd, "the trooper" getting his first anti Covid vaccine this week |
When I shared the photo with my friend Amanda, she said "what a trooper". I totally agree. I was hoping for a little badge or similar but was told he wouldn't get his certificate or card until the second jab which is on 25th March. As is customary we had to wait 15 minutes in case he got a reaction but he didn't. We watched out for side effects but he seemed to be absolutely ok. Yes, what a trooper. Later I heard from his nurse that the elderly don't get side affects, or far fewer than younger people because the former's immune system is weaker. Good to know.
Once home we both had a cup of tea in our separate rooms. No doubt my father was reading something erudite while I binge watched season 3 of The Good Doctor. Ah but it wasn't as erudite as usual as he was reading the biography of Captain Tom which he says he is enjoying thoroughly. I want to read it too.
The rest of the day was the same as every day, a repeat of most evenings during the pandemic. But I did call Suzy to have a chat and a catch up and she seemed in good spirits. If she is feeling good I feel good. That's all a parent wishes for his or her offspring.
Wednesday came. That day we were expecting a new guest who would occupy the ground floor room so there were lots of preparations for María's arrival. She only came for 2 nights and was here for something to do with the local Uni. Meanwhile, Felipe, our Russian born Spanish guest, keeps extending his stay. He is like part of the furniture now.
All was well on Wednesday until Lucy showed us a huge and very nasty bruise on my father's leg. It looked awful and I nearly went into shock. How had it happened? We had no idea but suspected his leg must have got knocked while getting into or out of the car when we went for his vaccine. We saw the beginning of the bruise the moment we arrived home from the vaccine but didn't think it was important. How wrong we were and we were shocked when we saw how it had swollen the next day at lunchtime. I immediately whatsapped his doctor sending her a photo of the ghastly bruise which was already bleeding. I was wondering whether to call an ambulance but hoped for his doctor to answer before risking a hospital visit. Dra. Martín was not at the health clinic but soon replied. She prescribed a high dose of antibiotics and to keep his leg up and to put ice on it. She also promised to send a nurse the next day to tend to the bruise or wound. I was relieved but still worried. The next day she didn't send a nurse and I had to insist as I was worried stiff about my father.
We had to go to the chemist and beg for the antibiotic which you can't get over the counter but promised to bring the prescription in the next day. Thankfully, we are well known at our local chemist and got the dose. The incident stressed me out and I was worried sick. First there was Elsa and now the problem with my father. I had two small glasses of red wine at dinner which I think helped to calm me down and to sleep well later.
We watched the news of course; covid always covid, the vaccine but there was also a royal scandal that day. This was the latest in a series of scandals to hit the Royal House of Spain. The Spanish Infantas Elena and Cristina; sisters to King Philip VI of Spain, had been vaccinated in Abu Dhabi. They were apparently offered the vaccine there while visiting their exiled father, the former King of Spain, Juan Carlos I.
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| The Infantas Elena (left) and Cristina who were vaccinated against Covid in Abu Dhabi while visiting their father the exiled former King of Spain, Juan Carlos 1 |
It offended people waiting their turn in the vaccine roll out. This caused a huge hoo ha. Vaccine tourism really exists and if you can afford 50.000 euros you can go to Cuba or The Emirates for a 3 week luxury holiday that includes both jabs. "Vaccine tourism"? What has the world come to? I mean just how selfish is that?
In the UK things were not good at Buckingham Palace either. While Prince Philip is in hospital and may die - Prince Harry has been asked to come back from the US to see him (or say goodbye) - The Times reported on a case of bullying on the part of Meghan to some of her staff. Meghan and Harry hit back and accused the Palace of leaking this story on the eve of a tell-all interview with Winfrey Oprah to be aired tonight in the US and tomorrow in the UK.
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| A still from the already filmed upcoming tell it all interview with Prince Harry and his American wife, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex by their friend and neighbour Oprah Winfrey. Won't be able to watch it her in Spain, I'm afraid. |
Meanwhile, the Palace released a statement saying "we are very concerned" about the bullying claims and promised to launch an internal inquiry. In an excerpt from the upcoming interview, Meghan said "I don't know how they could expect that after all this time we would just be silent if there is an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us", to which she added: "And, if that comes with risk of losing things, there is a lot that has already been lost". It has indeed and this battle of accusations is doing no good to the House of Windsor nor to the cause of the Sussex's. The UK news is full of this and on the latest budget as well as the issue with the post Brexit Irish border. It's a right royal battle and one that is badly timed. I'm sure the Queen is losing a lot of sleep over it. Will she watch the Panorama like interview with Lady Diana, but with her grandson Harry and wife Meghan, on Monday night? I read today in The Times that, according to a courtier, she is cheesed off with the idea of the interview and wouldn't be up late watching it. I would like to but it won't be aired in Spain. If the Queen hates anything it is the family's "dirty linen" being washed in public. The Firm (a term coined by Prince Philip by the way) will be shaking in its shoes. I wonder how the British public perceive this. Are they on the side of the Queen or are they on the side of Meghan? I guess the former. But we shall see.
These were again the main stories in the media when I was having my breakfast the next day.
I did a bit of my own freelance work that day when I published our house in Asturias as a holiday home on a site called Travel Nest that in turn publishes owners' listings on a host of sites such as Airbnb, Booking, Flip Key, Holiday Lettings, House Trip, Home Away and many more. I am already on the biggest; Airbnb and Booking but wanted Travel Nest to list the house on all the others. It's quite a difficult process and I had some help from the company's customer care people, including calls from Kate and Jake who are based in Edinburgh. Kate was very helpful. By Friday my listing was on most sites.You can see it here on Trip Advisor. However, if you reading this and are interested, you are welcome to get in touch and book direct and thus avoid commission fees which can be steep.
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| Our house in Asturias - happy to welcome direct bookings from here. |
On Thursday my highlight and not a nice one was an appointment with the dentist at midday to put in the dental onlays or overlays as they are also called (like partial crowns). It was at 12 noon so I rushed to prepare our lunch and go on our walk before I set off. I had to wait a while and unfortunately only 2 of the 3 onlays were viable so I shall have to go back for the third some time soon. I was lucky no anesthesia was needed and that I was able to eat normally again, at least on one side of my mouth, hahahaha. It felt good.
As I left the dentist I had a message from my father's doctor to say he should continue with the antibiotics (obvious) but that the nurses hadn't deemed it necessary to make a home visit to tend to the very nasty and angry bruise on his leg. She told me just to keep it clean. I really would have preferred someone to come and take a proper look. I would insist the next day.
Talk on the news that day was also about vaccine passports - they may well happen - to boost tourism and about what to do with Easter Week. It's far too early to lift restrictions so that we can go on holiday at Easter, however much we all want to leave our homes. Thankfully sense prevailed and the Spanish government proposed all areas be closed off for travel and curfew from 10 pm to 6 am. All this came while figures were decreasing in this country, finally. We are now down to 128 cases per 100.000 population. Not so long ago that figure was above 700. We need to get down to 50 cases or less for life to return to some kind of normality and we also need to have 70% of the population inoculated. I don't see the latter happening until the end of 2021 unless the roll out really speeds up.
Friday dawned and I was up at about 6.30 and Lucy had already fed the dogs and our cat, Phoebe. The dog feeding time is no longer the same without Elsa. Walks aren't either. Oh, how we miss her. Still worried about my father's bruise, I messaged his doctor to say it was worse (it wasn't) to insist a nurse come to see it. This time she agreed.
Meanwhile, Oli was at work. I watched her live early that morning and did not like what she was wearing. It looked like a man's over sized shirt which it was.
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| Olivia's unfortunate choice of clothing on Friday |
Later she sent us a tweet a viewer had published about TVE not having enough budget to clothe its presenters (hahahaha but not so funny IMO). I asked her why on earth she wore that horrible shirt like dress. She said she chose it to hide her bump but hadn't looked in the mirror as she was on a tight schedule and had no time. I chastised her and warned her to look in the mirror every time and also not to be embarrassed about her bump nor try to hide it. I think that was a lesson for her. Thankfully the next time she appeared live she had quickly put on a pair of leggings under that awful shirt. It may have been Oli's fault but I really think her stylist should have warned her or said something.
Friday is our weekly food shopping day and off we went. First to the chemist, then to Mercadona and afterwards we had our weekly coffee and "porra" at the local churros place. Then we were off to Carrefour, Ahorra Más and BM - quite a lot of supermarkets in one morning. I wish we could do the shopping just at one place but none of them has everything on our list. You probably wonder why we don't do our shopping online. I think I would do it for basic items but our local Mercadona does not deliver to our post code. We were home just in time for lunch which was steak and chips as it was Friday.
Friday was an historic day for Christians. That day, 84 year old Pope Francis traveled to Iraq of all places. He went there on a mission of peace (what else?) and to comfort the 300.000 Christians who live there as a minority. Before the war there were at least a million more but after being persecuted by ISIS, they left the country.
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| Pope Francis landing in Baghdad on Friday |
It is the first time a Pope visits that beleaguered war torn country. I admire him for his visit.
Nearer home the King of Spain, together with the country's socialist PM, Pedro Sánchez, was visiting Catalonia for the first time in many months, a land where he is no prophet. He went to visit the Volkswagen manufacturing plant in Martorell where soon the first electric cars to be manufactured in Spain will be made. Not one member of the local government was there to greet him which shows just how much the monarchy is despised in Catalonia. Instead he was greeted by the regional chief of police! The monarchy has never been popular there but after all the royal scandals which are never ending, this unpopularity has exacerbated even more. I wonder too what the perception of the people on a national level is now. The story of the Infantas and their vaccination trip to Abu Dhabi will only have tainted the monarchy further.
This weekend the Pontiff met the 90 year old Grand Ayatollah Ali as-Sistani, Iraq's most eminent Shia Muslim cleric and also the spiritual leader of all Shia muslims.
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| The Pope with the Shia Muslim spiritual leader, 90 year old Ayatollah Ali as-Sistani |
Both the Catholic and Shia leader called for unity at the meeting as well as for more dialogue between the faiths. It was a rare sight, the white clothed Pope and the black clothed Ayatollah and neither of them with a mask on. But it was a sight for hope and reconciliation too.
I spent a lot of the afternoon watching a new series called "Taken" on Prime Video. Not as good though, it reminds me of Homeland. In between, I video called Oli who was making pizza and had just recovered from one of Elliot's tantrums. She told me she was feeling dizzy - no doubt Juliet is playing up. I was happy to hear they were coming for lunch the next day as they were visiting a flat nearby at 10.30. Their visit was something to look forward to and I immediately began coming up with menus for our family lunch.
Saturday came and it was to be a sunny day. Once I had lunch on the go, we went on our walk and upon our return we found that Oli, Miguel and little Elliot had already arrived. It was a joy to embrace our little grandson. I was soon tasked with giving him his lunch which he had while watching Peppa Pig. I love Peppa Pig too and far prefer it to American cartoons. I also believe it's better for him to be immersed in British spoken English. He probably doesn't care. He seems to understand both Spanish and English very well indeed but so far hardly utters anything more than "no" (his favourite word) and our names; grandma, grandpa, etc. It's funny to watch him pointing to parts of his body when we ask him where they are. He has recently learned "chin", "forehead", "bottom" and "tongue".
We all had a siesta after my menu of carrot and coriander soup, "fabada" and also "patatas revolconas" but later convened to the lounge where Oli and Miguel were trying to watch The Americans, keep an eye on Elliot and house hunt, all at the same time. If that isn't a juggling task I don't know what is. They found a flat they wanted to visit near here so left Elliot with us for a couple of hours. It gave them a break which they much needed and gave us a chance to have some quality time with Elliot. I was the main entertainer.
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| Eladio making Elliot laugh |
When he tired of his toys, I got Eladio to bring up his ball park which he hadn't seen since he got it for Christmas from his uncle, Miguel's brother. He was delighted and so was I.
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| Elliot in his ball park |
What a great invention. It kept him occupied until his parents returned. They came loaded with food for dinner and we made pasta again.
I slept well last night and didn't wake up until 7.45. Even Elliot wasn't up so I had a quiet breakfast before publishing today's blog post. He's just come to find me now so I must sign off and wish you all well until next Sunday.
Cheers till then,
Masha
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