Fast internet in El Cuetu thanks to Adamo, last days in Asturias, Finland joins NATO, home again, Holy Week in Spain and other stories.

Madrid, Easter Day,  Sunday 9th April 2023

By the El Sablón Beach in Llanes on Tuesday, our last full day in Asturias, not a day for bathing but very sunny. 

.Hello again and Happy Easter friends and readers.

I can't quite believe it's already Easter or the end of it. I can't believe our stay in Asturias, 8 whole days is over either. Soon the trip of our lives will be starting and  I can't quite believe that either.  But let me wind back to where I left off last Sunday.

It  was cold and damp so we didn't go out but spent a lazy day at our modest house in Asturias. I don't think we did anything special at all that day so let me move on.

On Monday the rain went and the sun came out. Thankfully most of the terrible forest fires were put out and life got back to normal there. That's not quite true as lots of tourists go to Asturias for their Easter break so there were more people around than usual. But we only ventured as far as Posada, our nearest town. We didn't have much time there as from 12 to 1, the Adamo man was coming to install a fiber network to replace the Movistar 4G radio router. We did a bit of shopping and were home before he came. 

While I stored the food away and set about making lunch, Eladio watered our flowers - mostly geraniums. I caught him unawares on camera.

Eladio watering the flowers on our terrace

I watched with amusement as a food van arrived. That, my friends, is how many rural villages are served in Spain. It's the same in El Cuetu as in Montrondo. I took a photo but didn't buy anything. 

A food van in El Cuetu last Monday

Then the Adamo man came. It seems a long time ago since this previously Swedish owned fiber network operator contracted me to do their PR. The first time I worked with them was in 2017 to announce the deployment of their network in Santander. Since then they have become the main reference for fast internet in rural areas of Spain. They talk about "empty Spain" but companies like Adamo and those who bring mobile shops, etc, are making up for the lack of services a lot of people complain about in rural areas. Since the pandemic many people have moved to villages, like El Cuetu so it makes sense to supply essential infrastructure like fiber internet. Funnily enough, the chap who came was from Santander, about an hour away from here. This is him up the post where the fiber box is, just opposite our house.

The man from Adamo who came to install fiber internet on Monday

He took a good 2 hours and had to lay down cable everywhere, making the odd hole too (aaggh) but I must say the difference in speed is enormous. Adamo has given us 1 giga, much more than with the radio router. But, unfortunately, with 2 thick walls in between the lounge and the terrace, there was no signal on the latter, the main reason for changing operators.  I got in touch with my friend, Xavi, the CTO and he, miraculously organised for the man to come again the next day and install a wifi repeater in the garage, bless him.  After working with this great company, I am finally one of their customers.

The main news, at least for me, on Monday was that Finland was finally joining NATO. This wonderful Nordic country with a more than 800 mile border with Russia, made the decision shortly after Ukraine was invaded. I think they did the right thing. I really do, especially in these times. Sweden wants to join too but bloody hell, Turkey is vetoing the decision on some claims about Kurds demonstrating in Stockholm. Sweden has always been a neutral country but no longer. Hopefully Turkey will relent soon as it did with Finland.

Best news of the week - Finland joins NATO

Finland, a country close to my heart as I worked for Nokia for 6 years and went very often and have friends there, has a history, as we know, of being under Russian influence and at war, the last being the Winter War, As Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Russia invaded Finland in 1939, something the Finns have never forgotten. The Finns with their famous "sisu", a word I became familiar with during my time at Nokia, won the war but ceded 11% of its territory. No doubt a lot of Finns remember and do not want another invasion from their oppressive and aggressive neighbour. The problem is though that in the after war agreement Finland agreed to remain neutral, acting as a buffer between the Soviet Union and the west. But when Putin invaded Ukraine, an overwhelming 80% of he population were in favour of joining NATO which is understandable. Putin will be furious as one of the main strategies of invading Ukraine was precisely to stop the expansion of NATO. He will be furious at his Nordic neighbour but both Europe and Nato will be stronger with Finland in its fold. 

Joining Nato has coincided with general elections in Finland. I was disappointed to see the world's youngest and female PM, Sanna Marin, from the left of centre party, and who had negotiated the alliance, lose the general election. It seems the conservatives have won, strange for such a socialist country. But I think Finland has lost a wonderful leader, just as New Zealand lost Jacinda Arden. They are women who were often compared politically.Let's see how Finland fares with new leadership. I always wish this country well, a country with freezing cold weather but which always comes top in education and happiness leagues. I would move there like a shot if only it wasn't so cold and dark in the winter. 

It wasn't cold and dark on Tuesday, our last full day in Asturias and where better to spend the morning than in the beautiful seaside town of Llanes? But first I had to wait for the Adamo man to come all the way from Santander again.. He arrived while I was showering and running out of cold water. The water is heated by damned gas bottles there and if you run out of gas during the middle of the shower you have to finish it with cold water which is not very pleasant. The man was efficient and installed a replica router (Eero 6 by Amazon) in the garage and voilá we now have full fiber coverage on the terrace. People might criticise nepotisim  (old boy network in English and "enchufismo" - plugging - in Spanish) but it is who you know that often helps you in life even if it's not always fair. So thanks Adamo, thanks Xavi for your great help. He did his job well and after rewarding him with a cup of coffee and chocolate biscuit, he was on his way to Santander and we were on our way to Llanes. 

The excuse to go Llanes was the street market (again) to buy an oil cloth for the kitchen table and get some bits and bobs for Eladio to finish some of his handy work in the house, such as covering up the hole in the wall the Adamo man made to get the cable through to the lounge (ouch). And, importantly to print out my phone number to put in the window of the house. We had been told by neighbours that lots people stop outside and look at it. Funnily enough while we were there a couple who had seen it on Google came to visit. They wanted to rent the first week of August but it's fully booked. I had never thought of putting my number in the window but it makes sense. 

We parked as usual by the El Sablón beach, the main town beach. The other is Playa de Toró which is bigger and prettier. But the Sablón beach has the salient feature of the walkway called San Pedro on the cliffs above. It is the most famous landmark in Llanes and we have walked along it countless times. It was not a day for bathing like when I bathed in the sea at Playa de Póo last week, but there were people braving the cool air. I sufficed with taking pictures like this one.

Playa El Sablón, Llanes, on Tuesday morning

I got Eladio to take one of me and Pippa (of course) to share with you today as this week's feature photo. I like it. Thanks Eladio.

From the beach we walked the short distance into the pretty little walled town.No doubt Eladio was admiring the castle and walls while I was admiring the shops. They are so enticing. What I wanted most though was my morning coffee at the Galerna bar in the famous Plaza Parres Sobrino. The place was packed as you can see below. 

The very full Parres Sobrino Square in Llanes on Tuesday

I don't know who Parres Sobrino he was but I do know the square has been used countless times in Spanish period dramas on TV. And here is my man sitting in the sun waiting for his coffee and my company. Isn't he gorgeous looking? 

Coffee at La Galerna in Llanes on Tuesday

From the square we went to print the document with my phone number to put inside the lounge window and from there to the Tuesday open market.

I bought another jumper and pair of slacks from the same gypsy lady I had bought other slacks and tops from in Posada last week. Later when I got home I realised I had left the bag somewhere so had lost them (boohoo). But we did get a pretty oil cloth for the kitchen table and some hiking type summer trousers for Eladio.

We came home to have leftovers of which I had plenty - soups, cocido and fabada. The afternoon was spent partly outside in the sun. But there was rather a nip in the air so I went inside for that day's Skype call with my dear Uni friends, Adele and Sandra. We spent the whole hour arranging this year's reunion which will be a girly week at our place in Santa Pola. While we were talking, they bought their tickets from Brussels and Nantes respectively. Now, that will also be something special to look forward to. 

Wednesday came, the day we were leaving. The Amazon mirror for the hall never arrived so we put a rather nice one in its place from one of the bedrooms upstairs. I also got Amazon to refund me for the console after our botched job of painting it. Amazon have an amazing customer service but are not that brilliant at keeping to their delivery times. But I forgive them in the case of El Cuetu as they have to come all the way from Oviedo. 

I left flowers and cider for our guests arriving the next day, two Romanian couples. I hope they like our place. The guests who arrived in Santa Pola love the flat which makes me happy. Later in the day I would also meet the new guests at home; Anneliese from the UK (love having guests from the UK), Guiseppe (obviously from Italy) and a young boy, Alvaro from Jérez who has been before and his stunning looking young girlfriend. She is studying to be a policewoman which I thought was unusual. But there you go. 

We didn't rush packing all our stuff and left at around 11 ish after having said goodbye to Loli and wishing her well. She looks after our house and another house in the village but also after her 90 year old mother. She herself has back and leg issues and looks as though she needs looking after herself poor lady. 

I said goodbye to our modest but lovely house which now has my phone number in the window hahahaha. This is it if you haven't seen it before which I'm sure you have.

A last photo of the house before we left on Wednesday morning

Our first stop was for petrol and it had to be at a Repsol service station as Eladio has the loyalty card. That meant we stopped in the pretty little town of Cabezón de la Sal in Cantabria. I don't think I've been before but we must include it next time we go. While my husband filled the tank, I went in search of somewhere nice to have a coffee and I found it. That's where my last photo of this trip was taken -  me and my morning coffee and always with a smile on my face when it's being served haha, especially if I am sitting in the sunshine.

Morning coffee in Cabezón de la Sal on our way home on Wednesday 

We stopped for our picnic lunch somewhere on the motorway just after Valladolid but don't ask me where as it was a nondescript road side cafe. We had our sausage and bread, gazpacho and mandarins sitting in a lorry park but at least it was quite clean and the sun was shining.

As we neared Madrid the temperature got warmer and we arrived to about 21ºc, at least 7 degrees more than in Asturias. We were greeted by Lucy and were soon settled in. I was happy to see the Hot cross buns and Cadbury's creme eggs I had ordered on British Corner Shop online had arrived as well as my 750ml pretty Chilly Bottle for our trip at the end of the month. 

We soon settled into our luxurious house. We had 5 guests but they were not to be seen. Finally that night I met our English guest, a young woman solo traveller. I always love having guests from my home country. She was born in Yorkshire, in Doncaster, but lived elsewhere. We chatted over a glass of wine and Eladio brought in our dinner served by Lucy in the dining room, into the kitchen to have with our guest. She loved the Spanish ham we had bought at Aramburu in Llanes. We spoke about religion for some reason and I was devastated to hear from her that she had left the Jehova Witnesses and is now shunned by that community but also by her own family, even her parents and siblings. That is barbaric in my mind. My mother had a hate of sects which I think I have inherited which is why I was so upset when Suzy started flirting with the Mormons. Thankfully she came to her senses and now wants to burn her copy of the Book of  Mormons. 

I slept like a baby that night in the comfort of our own enormous bed. On the subject of babies, do you remember I wrote last week about the Spanish celebrity, Ana Obregón who acquired a baby girl through surrogacy in the US? Well this week she revealed that she is not the mother of the baby but its grandmother. The baby was fathered by her son Alex's sperm which he froze shortly before his death as it was his wish to have children. This was bombshell news in Spain where Obregón is as famous as the Beckhams in England. The main problem is that surrogate pregnancies are against the law and I imagine there is no law either for or against having a grandchild post mortem in this way. But, actually, I understand her and refuse to judge her. She was devastated when she lost her only son who she brought up as a single mother. Now she can be happy again bringing up his child. 

That was one of the main items of news I read over breakfast in the kitchen on Thursday morning; Maunday Thursday. The others were, of course, the story of Trump being in the dock over more than 34 charges, mostly money related. He pleaded innocent. Of course he did. In China, meanwhile, the French premiere, Macron, together with Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, had gone to visit Xi Jinping, President of "The People's Republic of China", They hoped to instill some sense into him to persuade Russia to pull out of Ukraine. But the war continues, especially the battle of Bakhmut which is resembling more and more the battle of Stalingrad. Why hasn't Russia, so much stronger military wise, won so far? That is the big question. Putin hoped to take over Kiev and the whole of Ukraine in one week. It never happened. 

But these topics were not on my mind that morning when we went to do the food shopping after our absence. We were a bit put out when we saw Mercadona was closed. So off we went to the giant hypermarket Carrefour in Majadahonda. Bur first to H&M to change something I had bought online and while there, as was to be expected, I got more clothes. Don't be surprised to hear I got a red and pink striped t-shirt as you know I love stripes and stripes love me.

Meanwhile, Eladio was meandering his way around the enormous supermarket with his own list. He always gets to buy the easy and heavy stuff. I did the rest and was a bit frustrated as I don't know where anything is so walked and walked until I found what I wanted. 

I had a happy smile on my face though when we went to have coffee at a cafe nearby and sat in the sun. We were home too late for our walk but would make up for that in the afternoon. We had a short siesta or rather Eladio slept while I watched my new series on the BBC iPlayer, Bloodlands, a detective series set in Belfast. I have gone from Shetland to Belfast (Scotland to Ireland) and thank God for subtitles, hahahaha. The story is a reminder of the "troubles". This Friday was the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement (10th April 1998) and thank God it stopped the IRA. From what I read and hear, there is peace of course but only really on the surface. The real problem never went away and the cauldron continues to boil. The unionists want to continue to belong to the UK and the republicans want to see a united Ireland. Basically the former are Protestant and the latter are Catholic. Again, as has happened so many times in history, religion is at the heart of the conflict. Brexit and the NI protocol have stirred the up till now semi peaceful waters. 

Our walk was long that day. It was to Oli's house to see the kids and to take them some of the hot cross buns. It was over 25ºc so we mostly walked in the shade where we could. It is getting so warm I have urged our swimming pool maintenance guy, Javier, to have ours up and running asap. He is coming next week to uncover and clean it but needs to repaint the edges which have gone green (aarrggh). He says it won't be ready until 1st May but by then we will have gone. 

We had quality time with Elliot and Juliet and it was good to see Oli and Miguel. My goodness though, their hands are full with two toddlers. As we walked home, Eladio remarked it didn't feel so long ago that we had our own children and now we are visiting them and their children. Where has time gone? But we are in a good place. I keep telling myself I am enjoying retirement. Speaking to Loli, my neighbour in El Cuetu, she wished us a happy trip across Europe and added we are lucky because we are free to go. She isn't. She has to look after her 90 year old mother. 

We came home to make our own dinner. Lucy, a fervent Christian, had gone to Maunday Thursday mass with her daughter Liz. It started at 6.30 and didn't finish till 10 pm and included washing of the feet of the congregation!!! I think that's a bit old fashioned but she was delighted. 

We had our dinner outside on the kitchen patio - the first time this year - after Eladio with the help of Lucy got the huge table out from its winter hibernation. I love our outside dining space. It was late but still light and not cold at all. This week the temperature in Madrid has been marvelous and next week it will reach 30ºc. That's not normal though - climate change my friends. I often wonder what will have happened to the climate when I am no longer here. If, when Elliot or Juliet perhaps, read this in, say, 40 years time, I wonder what they will be experiencing vs a vs climate or will they have moved north to Asturias, as Madrid will have turned into somewhere like Dubai? Who knows. I hope I am wrong.

Good Friday came, the day of the "celebration" of the death of Christ. I celebrated with hot cross buns and didn't go to church. Lucy did. All around Spain religious processions have been taking place, the most important ones being on Good Friday and I suppose, today, too, being Easter Day. If you have never seen any or heard of any, like my sweet English guest, they are spectacular and I think there is nothing like them outside Spain. The amazing hooded penitents look like something from the Ku Klux Klan but have nothing to do with them. They were wearing the cone shaped hooded head (capirotes) outfits centuries before the KKK existed. Holy week or "Semana Santa" is something very special in Spain and difficult to explain if you have never seen any of the parades or processions. There are literally thousands of processions. Most of them are of important figures of Christ or the Virgin carried out of churches on big floats carried by penitents. Perhaps the most famous one is the "Madrugá" (early morning) of the Virgin of Macarena in Seville.  Here is  a video I found on YouTube for you to appreciate it. The processions are emotional, dignified, usually silent and very passionate. You only have to see photos taken by the the distinguished Spanish photographer Emilio Morenatti on his Instagram page. A picture explains the emotion felt by the people better than words, like this one for example. 

The passion felt by those watching the Spanish Holy Week processions cannot be described in words. 

I've seen a few in my 42 years in Spain but the one that stands out most was the one seen with my father in March 2008 in Granada. It was the Palm Sunday procession, called "La Borrequilla" - little donkey. It represents how Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. 

La Borriquilla - procession in Granada on Palm Sunday

I wrote about it in my blog all those years ago. 

Our Good Friday (Viernes Santo - Holy Friday - in Spanish) was quiet. We did not go out although we attempted a walk. Flowers are out and spring is in the air and I was going to enjoy it. I even took a photo of Eladio with "Pips" at his feet to share with you.

Eladio and Pips about to start our walk on Good Friday

But our walk was aborted. We hadn't got very far when we received a call from Lucy to say water was leaking in the boiler room. Eladio told her to switch off the water which worried me because of our guests. So we turned on our heels and rushed back. I kept thinking we would never get a plumber to come on Good Friday. But he wasn't needed as my husband managed to deal with the leak after a quick phone call with a plumber. So he made  a quick fix and guests didn't notice. The plumber came on Saturday and replaced some part. It's amazing how expensive plumbers are. No one wants to be one but they do well for a living hahahahaha. 

As I had no other tasks that day and everything was closed, I turned my hand to cooking. I had 4 small pieces of sirloin steak which I decided to turn into boeuf stroganoff, that quaisi Russian dish. The main ingredients are for the sauce: mushrooms, onions, some tomato sauce and a smattering of sour cream and white wine. Eladio loved it. Me too and I wonder why I don't make it more often. 

Soon it was Saturday and the shops were open so I went to do the shopping (again) while Eladio waited for the plumber for the boiler and also a gardener who was to fix leaks in the irrigation system. There is always something to fix in this great big house I'm afraid. 

I missed Eladio but enjoyed shopping on my own which included coffee at Alverán where I ordered a cake for Miguel's birthday lunch today. 

We were having a quiet day on our own while Oli and Miguel took the kids to a farm open to families. Elliot was to ride a pony which had been  booked for an hour's ride but he only lasted 10 minutes as he fell asleep bless him. I wish they had told me as I would have gone with them as I love animals and would have enjoyed seeing Elliot on a pony with my own eyes. But I got some photos like this one. 

Elliot on a pony yesterday

We had a quiet afternoon. I had work updating reservations and communicating with guests coming and going. It's a job I have to be on top of always and one that brings many rewards. When we hear the news on the TV that Easter week tourism has been a huge success we realise we are a small part of it. All 3 of our houses have been full and I am grateful for that. 

It was yesterday that my school friend Geraldine visited her parents' grave at the same cemetery as my parents, Charlestown near Baildon in West Yorkshire. She kindly placed some of her Easter tulips on Mummy and Daddy's grave too when she noticed someone had put a "small silk flower arrangement" on their grave. She said it must have put their by whoever puts flowers on the grave next to theirs. How odd but how kind of them and of course of Geraldine. I love the fact that she puts flowers on my parents' grave for me. Thank you my friend.

Flowers from Geraldine on my parents' grave and flowers from someone else. I wonder who and why. 

That made me happy. If only I could go more often and put flowers there myself. If I do, I shall put some on the grave next to theirs, in thanks. 

We had new guests coming that night, a Chinese family but they weren't arriving until late so we had a quiet dinner again outside on the kitchen patio and served by Lucy - bless her.

Echo, Marco and their 6 year old son, Julin (I think that's how you say it), arrived really late, at 10.30 when the latest arrival time is 9 pm - but no one reads the rules. I loved their son immediately who speaks perfect English and Spanish which is quite something for a boy aged 6. He is so vivacious and fun and kept saying our house was so big, especially their triple room. The father said our house was like "Downton Abbey" - not quite - but that's the biggest compliment I have ever had. The family left Shanghai 4 years ago and bought a house in Valencia which gives them a "gold visa" to live in Spain. They seem happy to be here in Spain and in our house. They are not the first Chinese guests we have had who have upped and left communist China for freer Spain. Good for them. 

Thus I went to bed very late and we got engrossed in an amazing thriller called The Chalk Line (Jaula in Spanish) about a mysterious and lost little girl. It was well done and quite shocking and I was wide awake when we finished it at about 1 am. Thus I couldn't sleep and needed a second tablet which helped me sleep until 7 this morning. 

And today my friends is Easter Day, the Day of Resurrection. Whether you believe or not, it is still a holiday when families get together, have a lovely meal and, of course, eat Easter eggs. That is exactly what we shall be doing but more about that in next Sunday's blog.

Cheers till then and Happy Easter,

Masha.