Getting into the spirit of Christmas, World Cup continues in Qatar, annual Xmas shopping outing to Madrid, a walk to see Elliot and Juliet and other stories.

Sunday, 4th December, 2022

With our grandchildren yesterday - one of our best photos with Elliot and little Juliet

Good morning again, this first Sunday in December. Christmas is coming but the goose is not getting fat in this house. I have, however, begun preparations for this year which will be much happier than last year. My father died last November and Christmas was not the same without him. I know he will be happy to see us continue the tradition started for me by his own mother so we shall have much more joyful celebrations this year as I get into the spirit of the festive season.

Last Sunday though Christmas was not yet in my mind as I had just returned from my beloved Yorkshire; a holiday that still stays with me. It was a quiet day with guests leaving and guests arriving. I can hardly believe the house is so full at this time of year. Last year we had the horrible issue of our squatter, Felipe Turover which also spoiled our Christmas. It was a story that begun last November and did not finish until April, a story we shall never forget. But we have turned the page and life is good.

It was a cold but crisp day and we enjoyed our walk as we have done nearly every day this week. Importantly that night Spain played Germany in the qualifying group rounds and drew which was a disappointment. That meant Group E's standings were pretty equal. Spain would probably go through but we would have to wait until Thursday when "La Roja" played Japan who, btw, had beaten Germany  - quite a thing but then this World Cup seems to different to all those before it. Who do you think will win? Either Brazil or France I think but the game is still very open. Could the game be "coming home" this year to England after they thrashed Wales on Tuesday night and went into the knockout round as top of their group? Wouldn't that be great? They are playing Senegal today and I think The Lions will win. 

Monday was cold too; well it is December now and after our walk we got news that Olivia was coming for lunch. I hadn't seen her for at least 2 weeks. What a joy to see her and I was dying to see the grandchildren but they were at play school. 

Of note that day, I went to see my physiotherapist, Marisa, for pelvic floor exercises - what a thing but I suppose it goes with age. That and arthritis, though, will not stop me living a full and enjoyable life. Part of that enjoyment is dinner with my dear husband and then news in bed and something we both are interested in watching on TV. That night it was the 1963 version of Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton - the set where they fell in love. But I couldn't stand watching it dubbed in Spanish. I think Burton  had one of the best actor's voices in the world so hearing him talk in Spanish put me  off completely. 

Tuesday came  and the day started, as always, with a cup of coffee, feeding Phoebe and Pippa and breakfast, after which I wrote a bit of this blog. I also finished an important task to do with Christmas - this year's calendar, or rather the 2023 family calendar. I have been doing one each year for a long time and I give them out as presents to those who feature in some of the photos. The most difficult thing is choosing the photos and not leaving anyone important out. Here is the WIP (work in progress) just before I pressed the publish and pay button. 

Making my 2023 family calendar

Choosing the main photo was easy. It had to be of Eladio, the girls and me and Juliet on the stepping stones at Bolton Abbey shortly after the memorial events for my father last May in the UK. I could have chosen one from the Cathedral or interment but thought this one much more joyful and one he would have loved. This is it. I like to think I first crossed those steps holding his hand when I was a child. 

Feature photo of my 2023 family calendar

On  Tuesday I had an all important appointment with my hairdresser, Caty, who charges just 17  euros - a pittance and she is good. I nearly forgot so had to leave the house without showering, something I hate. Caty is very punctual with her appointments as well as quite a fast worker so I was out by just after 11. I came home to find Olivia at home with Juliet who has been a little poorly this week. I hadn't seen her for ages and was to see her walk alone for the first time. It was very special. Here are two photos I took of our little granddaughter on Tuesday that I am happy to share with you.

Juliet walking as I saw her on Tuesday

Juliet smiling as I saw her on Tuesday

I was happy to see her wearing the outfit I had bought for her at Sainsbury's in Keighley. I do love pinafore dresses for girls. Her M&S outfit is for Christmas. Elliot loved his Spider Man and  Incredible Hulk T-shirts. Oli gave them to him for me and I was told he put them both on, one on top of the other! 

We managed a siesta and I continued watching the The Fall, that very addictive detective series set in Belfast until later my guilty conscience made me get up and go and join Oli and the babies as she was alone with them that afternoon. Elliot was on top form or rather he was being his usual boisterous self and we have to be careful he doesn't hurt little Juliet which happens quite a lot. I managed about 2.5h there until it was time to come home. I didn't get one photo of my grandson as not once did he stand still. 

Wednesday would be shopping day. I couldn't believe we had run out of all the fresh produce from our last shop, the Thursday before but we had. However, first we had an appointment with the Civil Guard and then had to go physically to our bank, La Caixa. That, my friends is because someone used one of our visa cards fraudulently. The day before we had cancelled the card and that morning had an appointment to make a police report which took a  good hour. What came after was a nightmare at the bank because either La Caixa or just our branch is so inefficient. They had not cancelled the card and took forever to process the report for Visa. It was only when I kicked up a huge fuss did I get the Bank Manager's attention and we were given a new card then and there. My experience with that branch with all the paperwork needed for the court case for our unwelcome "guest" Felipe Turover had been a nightmare and Wednesday was another one. We had tried for 6 months to change branches which now, thanks to the bank manager, seems to be happening. I don't ever want to go back there.

Thus we were super late with our shopping at 3 different supermarkets and were not home till well past 2.30. Thankfully Lucy had everything in hand. The girls had just arrived and we had help unloading everything. Lunch was peaceful and the afternoon too.

Eladio watched the Poland - Argentina match which the latter won, but not thanks to any goals from Messi who is now playing his last World Cup. He is 35, wow! I, watched it from time to time but  had my eyes on the screen devouring the series The Fall. I realised I had never watched season 3. I have to tell you, although different, it is as good as Line of Duty. PD Argentina beat Australia yesterday in the first knockout match and Messi scored so good for him. 

Thursday came and it was 1st December, a month of, hopefully, good tidings. I changed my desk calendar - last year's and there was a photo of my father and me. It was of us together on Christmas Day 2020. Neither of us knew it would be his last Christmas. That made me sad. 

Thursday was 1st December

I didn't have a particularly nice task that morning but it was important - 3 gynecological appointments for my annual "MOT". In Spain you do one once a year from early on. I think I started mine soon after my "babies" were born. So far so good. I hope this year's results will all be fine. My mother had cancer, first bowel and then when she died it was of breast cancer so I did a good thing on Thursday. 

I was at the "Unidad de la Mujer" at the Quirón Hospital in Madrid on time for coffee before my ordeal and at 12 on the dot signed in. Everything went smoothly, even if that included getting my boobs so squeezed they hurt, and I had all three tests done in no time. I was out by 1 pm and hopeful the results would all be negative; i.e. good which, so far, every year, they have been. My heart goes out to those women who were maybe being told that day at that very hospital that they had cancer, the "C" word that frightens us all. No doubt one day I will get it as my brother, mother and even father got it. Only he survived it. 

I came home to a peaceful house and to food on the table. Lunch was a delicious roast shoulder of lamb stuffed with pistachios and figs - not that good for the figure or diet but there were no roast potatoes. It was in the afternoon that my longed for L'Ocitaine beauty advent calendar arrived. It had taken quite a while but made it's arrival on 1st December, the day Advent begins. I had always bought chocolate ones for the girls and my father who would gobble them all in one go, as did Elliot this week, but had never had a beauty one. I didn't even know they exist. Well, they do and there are others such as ones with jewelry. I wanted the M&S one while in the UK but they had run out, typically, already in November. I loved the box it came in and how it opens up to be stood on a surface. Suzy was worried about its effect on the planet but later I learned everything is recycled. I put it in the lounge as our first Christmas decoration. The tree and the rest will go up in a few days time. This is it.

My beautiful L'Occitaine beauty Advent calendar

The first present was a miniature bottle of shower gel. December 2nd brought a tiny, tiny tube of "precious cream", December 3rd brought hand cream and today I got shampoo. 

Amazon made a new delivery just after the calendar arrived. It was Season 10 and 11 of Call the Midwife. You probably hate it but I love it. I always tell you I relate to it because I too was born at home and brought up in the 60's although not in East London. It may be cheesy for some but I find it so uplifting and nostalgic.

The programme I watched that afternoon a documentary about  Ghislaine Maxwell called  "Filthy Rich", was anything but. What a terrible woman she was, a woman sexual predator, as guilty as her disgusting partner, Jeffrey Epstein. I can only hope she rots in prison for the rest of her life. More uplifting was the film "The Swimmers" which I watched while Spain were losing to Germany, damn them. I couldn't watch them lose so turned to Netflix. Swimmers is the true story of two Syrian sisters, Yusra and Sara who were professional swimmers. As many others, they had to flee their country and part of their fleeing is swimming to Lesbos when the smuggler boat sinks. Yusra went on to fulfill her dream and compete in the Rio Olympics. But for me it is also the story of all refugees, mostly the harrowing and frightening journeys they have to take to flee war. 

So the World Cup continues in that horrible little Caliphate. England got through after thrashing Wales (ouch) at the top of their  table.  Spain got through but not top of the table as Group E (Costa Rica, Spain, Germany, Japan) became the most competitive of all groups. Spain beat Costa Rica 7-0, drew with Germany and was beaten by Japan 2-1.  Both Spain and Germany had 4 points but La Roja went through to the knockout stages on more goals. No doubt the German team is still  licking its wounds.

Crazy results for Group E in the World Cup

None of this makes sense. Spain should have sailed through all their matches . and so should Germany.  That's the problem with "La Roja". They are brilliant but either play magically or awfully. Well, on Thursday they played awfully. At least they are through now. They play Morocco on Tuesday. Hopefully they will perform their magic as if they don't they will be out again before the quarter finals. 

On the topic of magic, let me tell you something. I have booked seats to go and see the amazing young Spanish magician, Jorge Blass' new show "Flipar". I wanted to book something for Christmas for us, something different and this is different isn't it? The secret is I love magic and I personally know this amazing illusionist or magician so when I saw he had a new show in town, I just had to get tickets.

Jorge Blass, the amazing Spanish magician. 

I used him for events with both Nokia and Yoigo and he was so good he made me cry with emotion each time and that is not easy to do.  Eladio and I once were invited to see a David Copperfield show, something we have never forgotten and I am sure that our evening at the Teatro Victoria this month will be no different. 

Going a bit crazy, I not only booked theatre tickets, I also booked 2 nights away for my birthday in February. I was sort of inspired as I left the hospital thinking I should get more out of life or do more things. I have chosen a boutique hotel outside Toledo, El Cigarral de las Mercedes,  where I once did an event. I am hoping to enjoy two pampered nights there with my husband to celebrate my birthday. I always think of life as a journey that should have lots of calendar dates - a bit like my advent calendar - to look forward to. I am lucky. 

Of course Friday was one of those dates in our calendar. The day we would make our annual trip into the heart of Madrid to the Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor to buy El Gordo lottery tickets and visit the Christmas Market. It is something of a tradition. We go every year and have a fine time. It is also a wonderful start to enjoying the festive season. 

Off we went at around 10.30 or so. We parked at the Corte Inglés department store in "Callao" and walked down "Preciados", the most commercial street in Spain. Everything felt so Christmassy and I felt happy. My first photo of the day was with one of the colourful statues of a "Menina" (made famous by Velazquez the painter). This one was by Lego and I loved the colours. My clothes were colourful that day too and Suzy said I looked great in pink. I love vivid colours. It's not often you will see me in grey, black or brown.

With one of the colourful Menina statues on Friday in Madrid. 

The Puerta del Sol was sadly still undergoing renovation and I am wondering what the changes will be to this iconic square which I first saw with my own eyes, even before I learned Spanish, in the late 70's. Boy, has it changed since then.

In the very heart of Madrid, in the Puerta del Solo, on Friday morning.

You can see I am warmly wrapped up in my cheapo pink fake fur coat which I have in black too.They cost me about 20 euros each but when I wear them I feel like a million dollars. 

Before any shopping, our first stop would be coffee together at a luxury hotel. If last year it was at the Palace, this year it was at the Four Seasons Hotel on Calle Sevilla  and Calle Alcalá, next to Sol. 

The Four Seasons hotel in Madrid. 

This building is one of Madrid's most iconic. It was once the Palacio de la Equitativa ( The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States) and then was bought by the Banco Español de Crédito which would become Banesto. Today it is this magnificent hotel, beautiful both  inside and out. What I loved most about it were the Christmas decorations, especially the Hermes shop entrance - amazing. Eladio thought Hermes was the entrance and nearly went inside. I said if he wanted he could buy me one of their silk scarves for 300 euros. I had to have photos of this beauty spot to share with you and of the entrance which was magnificent too.

Outside Hermes in Madrid which is part of the Four Seasons Hotel. 

Outside the opulent entrance to the Four Seasons Hotel in Madrid on Friday

Opulent is the only way to describe the lobby which was magnificent. We sat right next to a ceiling high red Christmas tree surrounded by opulence, yes, and luxury. We could only afford a coffee there hahahahaha. I did see an entrance with the words "private apartments". I can only imagine they are for the ultra rich. But I confessed to my husband that I do like luxury. I always have but I don't crave for it. I am happy with my life.

Coffee at the Four Seasons Hotel in Madrid on Friday morning

The coffee was fabulous, the location too and we couldn't have felt in a better mood. From the Four Seasons we went in search of lottery tickets for Spain's El Gordo Christmas lottery. It is a very Spanish tradition to buy and share tickets at Christmas. The idea used to appall me but now I finally understand it. This is Eladio's main motivation of our annual Christmas outing to Madrid. And here he is with his 10 tickets, some for us and some to be shared. 

Eladio with his lottery tickets

Will we win anything? Probably not but it is nice to think we might do.  Most people go to an establishment called "Doña Manolita" to buy their tickets and we would too if it wasn't for the queues. Spaniards hate queuing but will queue from 5 in the morning to get tickets from Doña Manolita. Not us. 

People queuing up to buy Christmas lottery tickets at Doña Manolita as seen on Friday in town

Whether they have more chance than us of winning is doubtful. What is not though is that El Gordo is the lottery with the highest winnings in the world or so they say. Just one "décimo" (a 10th of a ticket costing 20 euros) could give you winnings of 400.000 euros. That wouldn't be bad would it? 

My mission was not buying lottery tickets but buying quality "turrón" which is a Spanish sweet delicacy mostly made of almonds and consumed almost only at Christmas. There are two main types, the hard one and the soft one - el duro y el blando. The hard type comes mostly from Alicante and the soft from Jijona in the same province. I actually prefer other variants but my husband and daughter Oli adore the traditional types. This year I had my eyes set on visiting Casa Mira, the most famous "turrón" shop in the city. Normally the queues are phenomenal but we were lucky on Friday and were served quite quickly in this super traditional and quaint establishment. We bought 5 or 6 "blocks" of home made turrón and I couldn't believe the bill came to 125 euros. Oh well, I thought, this is only the once and hoped we would enjoy it. I broke my diet to try the fruit and marzipan turrón I had bought for myself. Eladio said the hard version was delicious - it was practically all almonds. 

Eladio at the "turrón" (sort of nougat) shop Casa Mira on Friday morning

From Casa Mira we made our way back to the Puerta del Sol again from where we walked to the Plaza Mayor to see the annual Christmas Market. We go every year and there is only really one stall I like where I always buy some sort of mechanical/musical ornament to add to my collections. This year I bought a pretty carousel. 

The red carousel I bought at the Christmas market on Friday

As far as Christmas markets go, this one is not a patch on the ones you find in Germany or Scandinavia but it's still quite festive. Next Saturday I am going to the St. George's Anglican church Christmas market and am hoping to find some nice British fare. 

Eladio with our purchases at the Christmas market in the Plaza Mayor

Pleased with our purchases - lottery tickets, turrón and the carousel, we left the Plaza Mayor for our next destination. I wanted to buy Eladio's main Christmas present -  a smart watch, like mine, to go with his Samsung Galaxy so where better than the Samsung Store (the only one in Spain) at the Corté Inglés department store in Callao where we had parked our car? We could have bought it there but there were huge queues to set it up so we later bought one at another Corte Inglés on our way home that day. I broke the rules this year by not waiting until Christmas day for him to open his present  and Eladio is now the proud owner of a smart watch. I think I am even happier he has it than he is bless him.

By before 2 pm we were parked near the flat we bought when we first got married in a residential area of Madrid (Francisco Silvela street). We bought it in 1983 and moved out in 1988 but Eladio's brother and sister-in-law, Dolores still live there. Going back is always a trip down memory lane. We hadn't seen them since the summer and it was good to meet again. Dolores prepared a delicious lunch with mini scallops (zamburriñas) for starters. She knows I love them so thank you so much for making the effort. I loved them.

Both Eladio and his brother like their siestas so we didn't stay long but will meet again on Saturday for the English Christmas market. Eladio never got his siesta as we stopped to get his watch and were home quite late. 

All in all it had been a great day, one I look forward to every year. We should go into the city more often as it's not very far really. Actually this month though we will be going a few times; to the Anglican church, to the Magic show and also my friends to have lunch at a famous restaurant that specialises in Cocido - Lhardy - after Christmas. 

Saturday was to be quiet until we got a call from Olivia to come and help with the kids as Miguel was working all day yesterday. We were about to go on our walk so decided we would walk to their house. It's only 2.8km but takes just over half an hour. It was a gorgeous crisp and sunny day and it was nice to be going on a different walk and to see our grandchildren. I realised that it was December 3rd - Pippa's birthday, bless her. Yesterday she turned 8 years old. Long may she live. That day she was wearing her red winter jumper as you can see in the photos we took of each other on this special walk. 

On our walk yesterday to Oli's house with Pippa - in red - on her 8th birthday (so happy to see myself looking slimmer - long may that last too!).

 All I can say is long may she live - what a blessing she is in our lives and I wouldn't have it any other way.

It was little Elliot who opened the door for us and I scooped him up in my arms. It was lovely to see him again after such an absence. Our grandchildren were on top form and, for once, Elliot behaved quite well. I think he is generally better behaved in the mornings or at least he was yesterday. As Oli's hands were full I decided to dress him except that he insisted on doing it by himself. He chose the Spider Man t-shirt I had bought him at Sainsbury's. He hardly needed any help and I praised him for his efforts. He looked pleased. There was one moment when both kids were sitting next to us on Oli's amazingly comfortable sofa so I suggested she take a photo of us. I have chosen it as this week's feature photo as I think it is the best one of us with our grandchildren taken so far. I love it so much that, after a suggestion from a friend on Facebook, I turned it into a Christmas card. This is it. 

The photo with our grandchildren taken yesterday that I turned into a Christmas card

Oli was having lunch out with friends and we stayed to help her get the kids ready and tucked into their car seats. From their garage, saying goodbye to Elliot and Juliet, we set off to walk home. What a lovely walk it was but a bit far. My smart watch was pleased with me yesterday with about 12.000 steps.

We came home to a lunch of leftovers - some bean stew from Oli which Eladio carried home in a ruck sack (hahaha) as well as the remains of the roast lamb.

The rest of the day was spent quietly. It was only interrupted by the arrival of my latest guest - Ximena from Colombia. She is staying until 19th December. A group of 3 from China are arriving tonight and will also be staying until 19th. So, quite a full house at the moment. I was sad to hear from Ximena that she lost her husband aged only 51, last year to Covid. As both her sons are studying in Europe she has come to live here for about a year and will be looking for accommodation from our house. I wish her all the luck in the world.

Today should be quiet, unless we get another call of help from Olivia. I hope we don't as I plan on making roast beef which will require being in the kitchen for most of the morning. Let's see.

Now that I have come to the end of my stories of the week, it's time to publish this blog post and get on with the day. Wishing you all a happy Sunday wherever you are, cheers my friends until next Sunday.

All the best, Masha.