First mass mobile warning alert activated in Madrid, torrential rain in Spain, sweet Juliet turns two, one year since the Queen died and other stories of the week.

Sunday 10th September, 2023

Juliet's birthday cake moment

Good morning friends and readers.

Here I am at my desk on a quiet Sunday morning in September. This week has been very challenging. I can't go into it because it is very private but suffice it to say it has been emotionally challenging. It may seem the life I portray here is perfect, but of course it is not and sometimes I have to censor myself.  This is what keeps me up at night.  Anything else we did or saw this week seemed insignificant, except of course for darling Juliet's 2nd birthday. I was determined that despite everything she would have a lovely birthday.

Last Sunday was the day we left Montrondo, the day torrential rain was forecast for Madrid. Olivia, with inside knowledge, had sent us a warning the night before to say that on Monday there would be more rain in Madrid in one day than in a whole year! The storm, called "Dana" here was being likened in the damage it would cause to Filomena, that freak snowfall a couple of years ago which had us stranded at home for a week. We read that the worst part of the rain would be from 2 to 8 pm, so left the village as early as possible to be here on time to be prepared.  I also warned my guests coming from Norway and France as the advice from the local authorities was not to travel. But we had no choice.

We arrived at around 1 pm at the same time as  Maria and her daughter Thea did from Norway. There was just time to settle them in. And, once we were in our bedroom unpacking, a little bit before 2.30, both our mobiles began to make a strident sound which we had never heard before. It was a mass warning alert that the Community of Madrid had sent for the first time to the population warning them of the "Dana". You can see it here. 

Mass warning alert on all our phones

This is a rough translation of what it said: "Due to extreme storms in Madrid today, we have activated Level 1 of flood plans. Don't use your vehicle unless strictly necessary. Stay at home and be on the lookout for new warnings". Thankfully there was no new warning. 

I later read that this is an EU initiative called an Es-Alert (mobile) emergency warning system. The 

technology used is cell broadcasting - basically a message to all phones within the range of cell/mobile phone towers with no need to know any of the numbers. Thus even our French guests who were on their way, received the warning.  This was a red alert warning  - the highest in its category and I suppose the Community of Madrid wanted people to be prepared. Some of course, thought this was an invasion of their privacy but they are the minority. It was a well taken decision as later there was much destruction and even lives lost. 

We weren't going anywhere of course as we had just got home. It was wonderful to be reunited with Pippa after 2 weeks away. We had a very late lunch and Ikea came to the rescue as I had some of their frozen meat balls, their packet sauce and cranberry jam which we had with  rice Tana had made the day before. 

Pippa joined us for our siesta. I couldn't sleep so watched a delightful Spanish film on Netflix called Ismael.

Lovely to be reunited with Pippa

Before he slept, my husband checked all the guttering and outside drains,. some of which were already blocked. We shut all windows and put away all outdoor furniture. 

It rained all afternoon but to me it didn't seem much rain and I called it a "storm in a tea cup". But my French guests who arrived at around 8 pm told me otherwise. They had had to stop on the way near Guadalajara because it was impossible to drive. It was a mother and father bringing their son to study at the local University, the same as Maria who had brought her daughter Thea, earlier in the day. The mother, Isabelle, is "hija de españoles" - daughter of Spaniards - no doubt descendants of Spanish Civil War refugees who went to France in their droves. They seemed really nice people - also Airbnb hosts. The father wanted to have a paella and once again I had to explain that paella is from the Valencia and Alicante region. I don't know if they had one as I never saw them again until the day they left. They were very unintrusive guests. 

The day ended badly with a crisis we had to deal with which left us exhausted. It's funny it happened just as the heavens opened. That is when the real storm began and the worst damage was caused. Pippa was scared stiff and spent most of the night trembling in my arms. By Monday morning the rain had gone until it came again. The Dana wasn't over. 

Monday was Juliet's 2nd birthday and Oli and family were coming for lunch. I had enough ingredients to make pumpkin soup and spaghetti bolognese - the kid's favourite food - but no cake. So we braved the weather and drove to Alverán. That's when the rain started to fall as I have never seen in Madrid in all my years here - since 1981. I had to record it to show you and this is the video I took. No doubt it was as strong or stronger the night before but I slept through it. So, you see, it was not a storm in a tea cup. 

Later as we drove to Mercadona to get a bit more tomato sauce for the spag bol, I saw a huge flood on the road with emergency workers dealing with it. I think it was the same story all over the area.

Floods near us

Olivia meanwhile was at the scene of the worst damage in a small town called Aldea del Fresno. There a family had tried to drive to Madrid in the night as their house was flooding. The car skidded off the road into a river. One of the daughters was able to get out and walk to the fire station while the other members of her family were struggling to get out and survive. Her mother and sister were rescued but her father and her 10 year old brother, Ethan, were missing. Ethan was found the next day hanging on to a tree where he had been for more than 12 hours. Sadly, the father was found dead nearly a week later. 

Just after I took the video in Boadilla, the sun came out and it looked like the storm which brought torrential rain was over. The only really damage at home was to the swimming pool. The rain had brought mud and it was brown and grey. The maintenance people came that morning and the next and worked hard until it was blue again. So, we escaped the worst of the storm. Hopefully, we shall now enjoy good weather again even though there are showers every now and again. How wonderful though not to have to sleep with the air con on or feel stifled outside. This year has the been the hottest on record as you all know. 

The highlight of our week was the birthday lunch. We hadn't seen our grandchildren for 2 weeks and it was wonderful to be reunited again. They ate their spagbol ravenously. They enjoyed the cake moment where we sang Happy Birthday to Juliet and Elliot blew out the candle but they didn't eat any of the cake. It's always like that hahaha. I left most of it for our guests. 

Family birthday lunch

We spent the whole afternoon with the kids and, after they left, our library lounge looked like a bomb had hit it, hahahha. Juliet had spread all our old DVDs which we no longer watch, all over the room. 

There was another positive moment that day when I got a new 9 out of 10 review on Booking for our house in Asturias. It included 10 out of 10 for cleanliness which has always been a bit of a problem there. But, Loli, my neighbour, has done her best since the last bad review. So I rewarded her with a small bonus which made her very happy. Her part in running the rental of the house is crucial. I always say satisfied employees make for satisfied customers and successful business. I was happy with the review and happy with Loli who is doing a good job now.

The day ended with dinner on the terrace by the kitchen. Most of the summer it has been too hot to use, then impossible because of the rain and now we are enjoying it again. 

Tuesday came and it didn't rain which was wonderful. Eladio and I went out to do the shopping and of course had coffee at Alverán, as usual. I somehow got through the day, enjoying chatting occasionally to my Norwegian guests. They brought ingredients to make paella but I hated to point out they should have used olive and not sunflower seed oil.  

I couldn't sleep my siesta so got up to try and read with a cup of tea on the kitchen terrace. I ended up playing the New York Time's Spelling Bee. I am addicted to it but annoyed at some of the very obscure "Yankee" words they come up with.  This week too, Spain's 20 year old Carlos (Carlitos) Alcaraz, the world's number one tennis player was on my mind as he made his way to the semi finals of the US Open which he won last year. Unfortunately Medvedev beat him yesterday. The Russian meets Djokovic in the final today and no doubt the Serb will win yet another Grand Slam. But unlike him, Carlitos has many years to go to catch up and no doubt he will. 

Wednesday came and we had to get on with life which is what we have to do.  So off we went to the Centro Oeste, a nearby shopping centre, to return the old router from Movistar. That was also an excuse to go into the hypermarket there, Carrefour, to get just one thing; their excellent and locally cut Norwegian smoked salmon which we had for dinner with lettuce, creme fraiche and avocado this week. We also had coffee at Rodillo - a well known sandwich bar which also serves excellent coffee and croissants. Oli rang me about Elliot's upcoming 4th birthday when he and his friends will invade our garden on 17th September. It will also be his friends' younger sibling, their parents and Miguel's family; so quite a big party. I had supposedly blocked that day on Airbnb but later realised I hadn't for two of the rooms and there will be 3 guests that day. I hope they come late and that the children are not too loud. 

Lunch was lentils made by Tana - not bad, but a bit thick. I could not sleep a siesta and am surviving on not  many hours a night this week.  I then got two nasty messages from the tax people. The first was a fine for the 2021 tax returns which I had already paid. They had changed the law and then they fine me! Kafkian to say the least. The other was more ominous. They want to go over my tax returns for 2019. Damn them. Pilar, my accountant who did my taxes then, assured me she would deal with this but last time she did she took months. I am in her hands now and furious with the tax people. They bleed you of money but if you have overpaid which was my case for 5 years - a mistake - there is no reimbursement. I could have done without that bad news on Wednesday.

There was no news on Thursday, good or bad, so let me move onto Friday. 

Friday  was the first anniversary of the death of our dear Queen. I remember well when I heard. It was in Asturias with my best friend from school, Amanda. I wish she was coming again this year. But I mustn't complain as my cousin Zuka will be coming to Asturias to see us later this month and then in October I will have the joy of the visit of my dear friends Sandra and Adele who are coming to Santa Pola. That will be a wonderful opportunity to reunite with Suzy, bless her. 

The King, who will always be Prince Charles for me, sent a message which you can see here. He included this magnificent, never seen before, photo of her in 1968, by Cecil Beaton. This is it.

Queen Elizabeth II is photographed by Cecil Beaton on October 16, 1968. 

Cecil Beaton, issued by the Royal Collection Trust/His Majesty King Charles III 2023 via Reuters

When that photo was taken, I was 11 years old and that is how I remember our Queen, the only one I have ever known. There were no official events as the Royal family marked the anniversary in private. Oh how I loved our Queen. 

That day I had a nice appointment at 12 at a nail salon. I went to have the semi permanent (gel) polish removed after which I had a manicure. This time I asked for normal nail polish as I worry that the gel is bad for my nails. I also had my eye brows and lashes died as they are just so blonde or white. Now the eyebrows seem too dark but I was assured by the young Colombian beautician that the colour would ware off. 

I might hate the hair dresser but I love having my nails done. Angelica, who did my nails, etc, took some photos I promised to upload on Instagram and tag the beauty parlour, called D.Uñas. Here are some.

New nails, old hands. 

After my pampering session

Everyone in the salon said I looked beautiful which was lovely to hear as I'm 66 and getting on and there is nothing you can do about wrinkles hahahahah. 

I spent the afternoon quietly in the garden by the pool with Pippa by my side. I was wearing my new cherry patterned espadrilles bought at St. Jean de Luz. It was the first time I was wearing them and I love them. And Pippa, was wearing her new red collar. So we were both wearing something new - mostly red of course. That's my trademark colour, mostly for my lips and nails. I don't bother with any other make up unless it's for a special occasion such as a wedding. 

New footwear  for me and a new collar for Pippa

Saturday came and finally I got off my backside and we went for a morning walk. It did me a lot of good. 

Some guests left and some were arriving and Tana was busy getting the rooms ready. I made the lunch - a favourite recipe. It was stuffed shoulder of lamb. In the afternoon we had a crisis where we had to go far from Madrid to a village somewhere in deep and dark Guadalajara; an area I do no know. The day ended well but we didn't get home until about 1 in the morning. Thankfully, I slept well last night. Let's see what today, Sunday brings. 

And that my friends is it all for the moment. More next Sunday. Cheers till then,

Masha