Last days in Asturias, discovering new beaches, thousands of migrants cross from Morocco into Spain, "Indiano houses", home again, The BBC in trouble over Diana interview, Suzy gave us a scare, Oli's birthday, the 50th anniversary of the death of Aunty Gloria and her family and other stories.

 Sunday 23rd May 2021

In Colombres visiting the Indiano houses. A happy moment this week

Good morning all. 

As you can see I am now writing from our home outside Madrid after returning from our other home in Asturias.

As I write today, many people, like us, are traveling back from some area of Spain after the end of the State of Alarm on 9th May. I was worried numbers would go up but so far they haven't. The rate in Spain per 100.000 is going down slowly and the vaccination roll out is moving at a much faster speed with an average of 600.000 people being given a jab daily. Worldwide the figures stand today at 3.468.924 deaths and 167.058.099 infections compared to the figures of last Sunday which were 3.338.966 and 163.191.707. In Spain, at least, I think we can begin to envisage life after Covid. 

Today my friends is the 50th anniversary of the air crash in Rijeka on the island of Kirk in former Yugoslavia. In that air crash my father's whole family died, his sister Gloria, her husband Derek and their children, my little cousins, Jacqueline, Michael and Antony. They were aged just 12, 9 and 7. They deserve much more than a mention as their death has marked our lives as a family ever since that dreadful call on 23rd May 1971. I sent flowers of course from my father and I to be placed on their grave.  I have written a tribute which I have included in a special blog post also posted today and dedicated to them which you can read here. 

Today there will be a closed service at the church in Ickenham performed by the Rector, Felicity Davies. I have contributed to it by sending a spoken tribute to be included in the St. Giles' YouTube broadcast. Felicity has been a darling all the way through organising events around this 50th anniversary mark. I want to thank her for that and also the church secretary Stephanie.

I sincerely hope when Covid is over, that next year I can organise a proper commemoration in the village at St. Giles Church.  I was very heartened on Friday when I was sent photos of the grave with flowers from my father and I but also from Breakspear school where my cousins went and from Michael's closest friend Helen G. I was heartened but also very much affected by the photo. I burst into tears when I saw it, remembering 50 years ago and the shock and horror of being given the news. Today I will be thinking of them more than ever. 

Flowers on their grave

Last Sunday it rained again but on and off so we were able to go for a short walk in the morning. We only walked down to the main part of the village, Meré but it was a beautiful walk. Our village, El Cueto, is further up the hill but belongs to Meré. We remarked that we really had chosen a house in a very remote area but that's how we like it. We are not fans of the "tourist track". It was green, so green that it reminded me of Tom Jones' song, "The green green grass of home". You can see how green it is in the photo below.

The road from El Cueto leading to Meré

I may have told you many times - forgive me - that this tiny village is nestled in the mountains of "Ardisana" that are just below the famous "Peaks of Europe" (Los Picos de Europa). The sea is near too - about 5 miles, so our house is in between the sea and the mountains. That's remote but a lovely location and we don't regret our choice.

Eladio on our walk last Sunday. This is the view of the Ardisana mountains just as you leave our village

We walked down to Meré and admired nature at its best. Unfortunately the only bar there was closed. I suspect it opens at about 1 or 1.30 when Spaniards go and have their "aperitivo". Thus we walked back and had our own frothy Nespresso coffee at home. I think the coffee I made is as good as the very best to be found in bars and cafes in Spain. There was time for household tasks, such as doing the laundry and making lunch. That day day we had fish and chips. It wasn't quite the real thing as I fried the fish in breadcrumbs.

The rest of the day was quiet. It wasn't quiet in Rome where Nadal was playing the world's number 1, Djokovic in the final. He won!!   Yes, he did. He won his 10th title there to prove he really is the world's number one on clay and not just clay. He and Djokovic are very equal rivals as in 56 matches they have won 28 (Nadal) and 29 (Djokovic). The next time they meet will no doubt be at Roland Garros where the Spaniard will be hoping to lift his 14th Coupe des Mousquetaires. I will be cheering him on for that. He does make Spain a proud country.

Nadal biting into his 10th Rome cup last Sunday. It's a trait of his to pose biting the trophies he wins.

The rest of Sunday was quiet. I had a video call with Suzy, far away in Nicaragua. If all goes to plan she will soon be home. I was up late watching the end of season 11 of Grey's Anatomy and was devastated when one of the main characters was killed off by the script writers. Boohoo

Monday came and brought sun and again we were determined to make the most of it. Since we bought this house last September this is our third visit and each time we have explored the area to get to know it. We now have some favourite places but there is still a lot to get to know. Once again we headed to Llanes where we had a coffee in our favourite square. Here is Eladio with Pippa in his arms enjoying the moment and the sun.

Coffee in Llanes on Monday in our favourite square. 

Once fortified with coffee we set off on a walk along the famous San Pedro coastal walks, one of our favourite haunts. It is a walk above Llanes on a beautiful path just above the town beach called Sablón.

The Sablón beach in Llanes as seen on Monday

This walk never disappoints and anyone who comes to stay with us will enjoy it too. 

Part of the San Pedro coastal walk

We stopped many time to admire the view and take photos like these below

Eladio and I (with Pippa of course) stopping for photos and to admire the view on the San Pedro coastal walk in Llanes this week.

The walk took over an hour and by then we were hungry. We had decided on another "menú del día" by the port. Before going home we decided to drive past the small villages of Cué and Andrín I had been told were local beauty spots which we were to discover that day. Near Cué we visited the beautiful and empty beach of Ballota. Wow, it was quite a climb up but well worth it.

The Playa de Ballota near Cué (Llanes) which we discovered on Monday

Our next stop was the pretty village of Andrín. We admired it, especially the houses and I even looked up houses for sale there but there were hardly any. No doubt anyone who has a house there will be reluctant to sell.

We got to the Andrín beach pretty quickly and what a beautiful spot. There was a cafe come restaurant at the top and it looked like we were in California. But, no, we were in Asturias. What a magical place.

The Playa de Andrin as seen from the cafe above

We ordered some mint tea just to be able to sit at one of the benches overlooking the beach. What a moment! It was one of those moments you discover a place you fall in love with immediately and never forget. 

Tea by the beach. Eladio at the table overlooking the Andrin beach 

We stayed quite a while just to enjoy the place and sight. No doubt it is somewhere we shall be going to again and again. In fact, as you will read, we went back on Wednesday for lunch. 

We were home late, by about 5.30  and very satisfied with our day. We had made the most of the sunshine and had discovered new places. 

We weren't hungry at dinner time but something about the mountain air here gives you a bigger appetite than in the city. Thus we made a meal of soup, salad, more "cecina" (smoked beef) and some local cider. Later we watched a bit of David Attenborough's Life in colour documentary. He reveals the importance of colour in the animal world. It was right up our street. However, I fell asleep on the sofa, tired from a long day. 

I woke up at about 8 am on Tuesday morning. My thoughts turned to the new guests who had arrived at our apartment in Santa Pola for a week. They are from South Africa and I have no idea what they are doing here or how they got to Spain. But I do know they love the apartment as that's what Lucy, our neighbour there, told us. Great! I had another guest coming this week to our house in Madrid for 3 nights, a chap called Mohcene from Boston MA. I wondered too why he is here. We would meet him on our return. Thankfully bookings are up although nothing compared to pre Covid times but they are up and I am grateful for that.

Unfortunately Tuesday was to be another rainy day. It was not a rainy day though for the more than 8000 migrants who crossed the border from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa. There is diplomatic dispute with our North African neighbours and the border police just let them through in retaliation. It has to do with the fact that Spain allowed the head of the Polisario Front - a group that wants independence from Morocco of the Western Sahara which once belonged to Spain - to see medical aid in this country. It also has to do with the fact that Morocco feels emboldened after Donald Trump recognised the Western Sahara as part of Morocco. 

Many swam the short length of water using rubber rings. It was mostly young Moroccan men but also families and minors on their own. Many images came out of dramatic scenes this week. One was of Luna, a young Red Cross volunteer who was seen being clung onto by a young Senagalese man. He was crying and desperate and she helped him. When the photo was posted on twitter she was hurled racist abuse by fanatical right wingers but also praised by anyone who respects humanitarian gestures. 

Luna from the Red Cross and the young migrant from Senegal

Another dramatic photo was of a young policeman from Spain's Guardia Civil, Juan Francisco Valle rescuing a tiny baby. The baby thought to be new born as it still could not hold its neck, was riding on the back of its mother while she swam. How desperate she must have been to do that. When the policeman found the baby it was cold and pale and he feared the worst. The good news is that it survived and is now thriving.

The Spanish policeman rescuing a baby during the Ceuta crisis this week

It was the biggest news in Spain this week and a difficult problem to solve. 8000 people in a couple of days has been likened to an invasion. I suppose it is but my sympathies lie with these people who try to come here desperate for a better life. I suppose though a country can't just let in so many people with nowhere to live and no jobs to go to, especially in Spain where we have the highest unemployment rate in the EU. 

A scene from the migrant crossings this week into Ceuta 

The government had to send in the army and the Prime Minister cut short his agenda to fly to Ceuta and the other enclave, Melilla. By Wednesday, more than half the immigrants had been sent back. Immigrants crossing illegally into a country is no easy issue to deal with. By Thursday nearly 6000 had been sent back and the Moroccan government closed the border. That leaves, though, the problem of about 800 unaccompanied minors who have the right to stay. 

Tuesday saw us in our nearest town, Posada de Llanes, again, on various errands, the highlight of which was our coffee in the street. Lunch was fabada for the third time but we didn't mind.

Fabada again on Tuesday for lunch

The highlight of the afternoon was the resumption of my weekly Skype calls with my dear friend Amanda. She had lots to tell as my friend and her husband had been away on holiday, to Scotland. We nattered on until 7.30 pm, nearly dinner time.

That night I couldn't sleep, thinking about the logistics of my daughter getting out of Nicaragua and returning home with all the obstacles she has to surpass to get here. We were expecting her next week but as I write, she is still in Muelle de Bueyes in Nicaragua. She sent me a photo of her riding a horse this week which I must share with you. All my life I have loved horses and wish as a child I had learned to ride. However it was an expensive hobby in the England I knew as a child and when I asked my mother for lessons she told me the nearest I would get to a horse was  my pony tail! I shall never forget that.

Suzy riding a horse this week in Nicaragua. Her boyfriend's family have a farm and lots of horses.

Wednesday came and it was another sunny day but nothing near as warm as here in Madrid. That day we went on errands to Llanes - to print 100 guest registration forms which  have to filled out by guests and a copy sent to the police for each person and each stay (what a bore!). Once again we had coffee at our usual place, La Galerna, located in our favourite square in Llanes which if you ever visit you will love too. The name of the square is Plaza Parres Sobrino. Countless scenes from Spanish films have been filmed here.  There is a photo of me to record the moment and oh my God my hair is in dire need of a visit to the hairdresser. I have an appointment next Wednesday. 

Coffee in Llanes on Wednesday at La Galerna 

Across the way from the bar there is the most tempting gourmet shop, "Aramburu". I nearly always buy something there when in Llanes and that day I got more "cecina". I bought it with Friday night's dinner in mind when we would have Oli and family round.

We have explored much of the area since we bought the house but there are still places on our bucket list. One place is called Colombres and is famous for its amazing "Indiano" houses. These are amazing neo classical or modernist style houses built by "Indianos" (Spaniards who went to America - they called it The Indias which is where Christopher Colombus thought he was going). They were built by those immigrants who made a fortune in places like Cuba or Puerto Rico and returned to Spain, building houses to show off their wealth. This happened at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th. These houses are often called "casonas" and they are dotted all around Asturias. They are absolutely stunning. We started at the most spectacular house there, "Quinta de Gaudalupe" which also houses a museum on the history of the "indianos" and Asturian emigration. 

The magnificent Indiano house, Quinta de Guadalupe in Colombres

The house was gigantic and the land felt more like a park than a garden it was so big too. Here Eladio took the photo of me I have chosen for this week's post. 

From the Guadalupe house we walked to the town hall (another Indiano house). There we found a town map with a route to see some more. I was amazed when we came across the Red House (La Casa Roja). This house features in one of my favourite Spanish TV period series, "La Señora". I have dreamed of that house. Believe it or not it had a for sale sign at the gate. Later I looked it up and saw it was going for 1.800.000 euros which actually is very cheap for a property like that, one of the finest in Asturias. I saw too that the house had been beautifully restored. It has been on the market for a few years probably because it is just too big for a family. Maybe it will become a hotel. If it does, I have to go and stay. If you are interested this is the link to the property. 

The Red House in Colombres - my favourite

There were more houses to be seen but none as spectacular as the Quinta de Guadalupe or La Casa Roja.   I first fell in love with the "Indiano" houses when we stayed at one years ago called La Casona de la Paca near Cudillero. It is somewhere we have stayed at 3 or 4 times. We would have loved to have bought an Indiano house here but they are too expensive or need huge restoration and of course their upkeep is prohibitive. This, by the way, is La Casona de la Paca. I think we first fell in love with Asturias when we stayed there for the first time more than 10 years ago. 

Casona de la Paca hotel - one of the first Indiano houses I ever saw

By the time we had had our fill of Indiano houses, it was time for lunch. Colombres seemed a bit lacking in places to eat so we decided to go back to the Playa de Andrín where there was a "chiringuito" (beach bar) above the beach. I told you we would be going back. It was a short drive from Colombres and by 2.30 or so we were sitting at our favourite table overlooking an almost empty beach.

There was no menu of the day but plenty of "raciones" which are basically tapas but in larger portions. We went for the "rabas" (calamares), octopus and monk fish. We couldn't finish the latter. Of course we had cider to go with our lunch.

Wednesday's lunch at the bar (Chiringuito El Castru) above the beach of Andrin, a wonderful spot.

Very full and happy with our lunch at such a wonderful spot, we left to drive home for a much needed siesta. That night I slept well for once although I was awake at 5.45, far too early. We had planned to return on Friday, the evening before Oli's birthday but early that morning we decided it was better to journey back on Thursday to be on time for all the preparations. And that we did. Over breakfast I learned that I had got the money back from eDreams who, by mistake, had issued and charged me for three tickets for Suzy from San José on the same day and flight. On the phone I had been told it would take anything up to 180 days so it was a huge relief to see the refund just a few days later. On the topic of money I had some excellent news this week. I am due to retire on my next birthday (8th February) which is not long to go. This week I stumbled upon an application on the "Social security" website and was able to simulate what pension I will get. As they calculate your pension from the average income over the last 24 years rather than on your last salary I didn't expect to get the maximum pension. But I was wrong as it turns out I am entitled to the maximum pension which, in Spain, for 2022, is 3308 euros per month gross. Tax is 15%. I don't know how that compares to other countries but it seems very reasonable to me. That was possibly the best news of the week. Sorry for talking about money. It's not the done thing I know but this is my blog diary and is an important story to include as it will affect my life when I become a pensioner. I can hardly believe I am going to be a pensioner next year. Where has all the time gone?

It took us a couple of hours to pack and be ready to leave. We said goodbye to Loli our neighbour who looks after the house and receives our guests and by 11.30 we were in the car and off again. But before we left I took one last photo of the house. Eladio posed by the geraniums he had been tending to during our stay.

One last photo before leaving Casa del Cuetu on Thursday morning

This time I had prepared a picnic for our lunch as the weather was good. We aimed to enjoy our picnic by the River Pisuerga in the pretty village of Alar del Rey which we had discovered on our journey to Asturias 9 days before. We got there late as Eladio took a wrong turn on the motorway which had us heading for Bilbao instead of Valladolid (aarrggh). We had the place to ourselves and were soon set up for our delicious picnic of Wiener Schnitzel with fresh tomatoes followed by strawberries and some Lindt chocolate. 

Our picnic lunch in Alar del Rey on our return journey on Thursday

We were home by about 18.30, a couple of hours after our latest guest, Mohcene (Mo), had arrived. He is a young Frenchman of Algerian, Jewish and Muslim origin (interesting) and seems very very pleasant. He is in Spain working remotely and was attracted to our place because of the pool and garden as so many people are.

The garden was nearly overgrown in our absence and the roses and geraniums were in full bloom. The rain and sun had done their work. The geraniums in Asturias seemed paltry in comparison.

Geraniums in our garden - in full bloom upon our return.

As soon as I got out of the car I went straight to see my father. He had missed me and was overjoyed to see me. He is not usually as expressive so I was happy too. He told me he had been well looked after. Thank you Lucy.

It took a while to unpack and feel at home again. It was far warmer here than in Asturias with the temperature in the high 20's. Thus we could have dinner outside which we enjoyed thoroughly. We may have 4 houses, but this is our main house the place which is our home. It was lovely to be home and to sleep in our gigantic and ultra comfortable bed. That night I slept really well.

Friday came and I was up early at around 6.30. As usual I read the headlines. If in Spain the main news was the Ceuta crisis, in the UK the headlines were full of the story of the BBC and the Lady Diana interview in 1995 on Panorama by Martin Bashir. The story has been cooking and boiling for quite some time but this week the Dyson report was released accusing the BBC of deceit in getting her to agree to it by using fake documents that showed people close to her were spying on her. We all remember the famous interview where Princess Diana said her marriage was rather crowded don't we?

A scene from the famous Panorama interview

It was a huge scoop for the BBC but very wrong that they made her accept to do it using deceit. The BBC has apologised of course and also sent letters to the main members of her family including her sons. This week Prince William, the future King of England accused the BBC ultimately of her death. This is because the interview caused his mother to be robbed of the security she needed and which she didn't get when she suffered the fatal car crash in Paris. He also said it worsened his parents relationship. He and Harry are furious with the BBC This may have happened a long time ago but it had negative repercussions then and now. 

On the TV that day in Spain Olivia was presenting again. We hadn't watched her much in Asturias and it was a pleasure to see her again live. She posted a lovely photo of herself and co presenter Igor, getting ready to go live. We are so proud of her.

Oli and her colleague, Igor, about to go live on TV on Friday morning

I would have loved to see more of her but I had to get on with the day and there was lots to do, especially related to her birthday the next day. 

I came home to make the birthday cake, my Victoria sponge cake, made to my grandmother's recipe and decorated it my way with cream, jam, icing and fruit. This is what it looked like. It's Oli's favourite and is actually quite easy to make.

My birthday cake for Oli which I made on Friday

Oli and family were with us by late afternoon and we spent time by the pool. It was a warm day and they went in. Actually Elliot fell in and had to be rescued by his father. Our pool is dangerous for kids as the water is deep apart from the steps to go in. Thankfully he was ok but gave us a shock.

Family time by the pool on Friday afternoon

I had prepared a stupendous dinner which Eladio and I enjoyed immensely. Unfortunately neither Oli nor Miguel were very hungry as they had been to lunch to a Michelin star restaurant in Villaviciosa where they were served 10 dishes each! If I had known I wouldn't have made such an effort. Here is a photo of our dinner table with Elliot and Oli. Much of the food was produce I had brought from Asturias which we had with Asturian natural cider (the best), poured by "Isidrin".

Friday's pre birthday dinner

If Elliot had given us a shock by falling into the pool, Suzy, far away in Nicaragua gave us a much bigger shock which I only recovered from the next morning. She texted me on Friday afternoon to say she had 6 out of 9 typical appendicitis symptoms. The problem was that she was in a small town called Muelle de los Bueyes, 5 hours from the capital, Managua. I got her travel health insurance company to call her and they did but said she had to go to the capital or to a local public hospital. After lots of calls and texting she went to have an ultrasound which cost a paltry 8.5 US dollars. We heard at 2.30 am in the morning that the diagnosis was confirmed and that she would have to be operated at the local hospital. That's all we knew until Saturday morning. The radiologist told her the appendix was enlarged and could rupture any time and we all know what that means. We were so worried we hardly slept.

I was up at 7.30 on Saturday morning with no more news so I rang her boyfriend Erick. He was at the local hospital and told me Suzy had been operated on (traditional cut) at 20.30pm local time. It was 23.30 local time when I spoke to Erick and he told me the operation had been successful and that Suzy was still in the recovery room. I think I cried with relief. He sent me a photo of her as she was coming out of anesthesia. Poor sweetie. 

Suzy just after her operation on Friday night/Sat morning

Later we spoke to her and to Erick who we saw for the first time. I am grateful to him for looking after her.

Suzy with Erick after the operation

My daughter told me the hospital was a third world nightmare (lots of flies, no masks, etc) but that the doctors were good. They were Nicaraguan who had studied medicine in Cuba. She wanted to get out of there asap. She was also the only "foreigner" there and said she felt like a monkey in a zoo as everyone looked at her and talked about her for being Spanish. Funny I imagine. Of course she cannot now fly home next Friday as the doctors said she needs at least 2 weeks to recover before flying. So on Monday I shall try to change her ticket. I am dreaming of the moment when she is home and safe. What an experience. 

I was very relieved at the news  and thus I could now concentrate on Oli's birthday. It's hard to believe she turned 36 yesterday. She is still my little girl though. Eladio went to get churros, porras (thicker version) and hot chocolate for our breakfast. We laid the table with all our finery and I added some of my beautiful roses to grace the table.

Oli's birthday breakfast

Both Eladio and I needed a walk afterwards, our first since we got back. It did us a lot of good. Once home I had to prepare the birthday lunch which, as always, was to be fish and chips - the fish being fried in beer batter- 

Fish and chips for Ol's birthday yesterday

We had a peaceful lunch as Elliot slept through it only waking up when we got to the cake moment. I'm not sure he understood what was happening when we put the candles on, Oli blowed them and we sang Happy Birthday to her. Here is a photo of the birthday girl.

The birthday cake moment 

Miguel took a video which you can see here. 

As Eladio and I had hardly slept the night before because of Suzy's appendicitis in Nicaragua and all the worrying, we were in dire need of catching up on our sleep with a long siesta. I couldn't believe it when I woke up after having slept for 2 whole hours. I felt so much better.

We then joined Oli and family and I read Elliot his favourite book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which he demands me to read over and over again. Oli took a video to remember the moment which you can see here. I sent it to Suzy who hasn't seen Elliot since October when she left for Central America and who is she is dying to see again.

Dinner was Friday night's leftovers as none of us were hungry. How could we be?  We were in bed late and missed the news. We also missed The Eurovision Song Contest. I used to watch it as a child but it has got more and more bizarre it's no longer my thing. I heard later that Italy had won. Ok, well done, no doubt I won't like the song. England got nil points and Spain very few. 

Today of course is Sunday, 23rd May and as I said at the beginning of this post, the 50th anniversary of the death of my father's dear family, a family I loved so much and who I have always missed. I will be thinking of them more than ever today as no doubt my father will too. God bless them. God bless you too for following my blog and my life. It's comforting.

All the best then my friends, until next Sunday,

Cheers / Masha