El Cuetu, Asturias, Sunday 17th March, 2024
 |
| Great to be back in Asturias, especially with this sunny weather |
Top of the morning to you all from Asturias, our first time back here since December.
Last Sunday was what used to be called in England, "Mothering Sunday" and it's quite a big thing. Kate Middleton, the missing Princess of Wales due to a stomach operation clouded in mystery, made the news that the day and all because of a seemingly innocent photo with her children she posted on social media. There has been a lot of speculation around her illness and why she isn't back in public service. I suppose posting the photo was her way of saying she is ok and I'm sure she is. I'm sure she just needs some rest. What she didn't need was world wide coverage and criticism that the photo had been doctored in some way. I mean don't we all edit our photos on our phones in an amateur way? The story got bigger and bigger so poor Kate had to issue a statement justifying the editing. Even The Times had a go at examining the photo with a magnifying glass. Just look.
 |
| The picture of discontent |
Frankly for me the topic was much ado about nothing and I honestly think Kate's photo should not have been subjected to such ridiculous scrutiny. I wonder if you agree.
It was not "Mother's Day" in Spain last week which is in May. However, I did, however, perform my role as mother when Oli and the children came for lunch. Because I still couldn't chew, I made something soft; what better than Shepherd's pie? Very British you probably think and you are right. This was it as it came out of the oven piping hot.
 |
| Shepherd's pie for lunch last Sunday |
The house was full of guests that day, as usual I should add. This week we have had representatives from India, Iraq, Spain and Mexico. Funnily enough they were all young and doing similar courses - a Master in Sport nutrition - and ended up making friends. Sarang came to live semi permanently on Tuesday and my other Indian guest, Niranjan, was delighted as the former made curry for everyone. Sarang is from Mumbai and Niranjan from Nasik. I can only imagine they were both happy to be able to talk in Marathi together. If my dear friend Sandra who was born in Bombay had been there, she would have been in her element. PS the only word I know in Hindi is "Namaste". Sandra tells me that in Marathi it is Namaskar. I must say that to them when we go home tomorrow. I love it when my guests make friends. Mohammad posted a photo of him with Sarang, Rocío and Gabriela having dinner and entitled the picture "the nutrition squad". This is it. It tickled me pink.
 |
| My Airbnb sport nutrition guests making friends this week. Mohammad in green, Sarang on his left and the girls Rocío and Gabriela. They are from Iraq, India, Spain and Mexico. It looks like they are eating curry again. |
That night was the Oscars but these days I don't stay up to watch the very long awards ceremony although I remember doing so as a teenager in Bradford, sprawled out on our big yellow velvet sofa.
On Monday I woke up to hear that the much acclaimed film, Oppenheimer (the author of the atom bomb) won nearly all the awards. I was sorry that best foreign film didn't go to The Society of Snow. It went to The Zone of Interest which I have to see. It is about a German officer's family living next door to Auschwitz, so it will be just up my street. Oppenheimer too which is available on Prime Video for just 4.99. So why bother going to the cinema? We shall watch it soon, for sure.
Monday 11th March was the 20th anniversary of the Madrid train bombings at the hands of Al Qaeda - although at the beginning everyone was sure it was the work of the Basque terrorist group, ETA. 11M is our 11S also perpetrated by Al Qaeda three years before.
 |
| One of the brutal images from the 11th March train bombings |
Anyone who was in Spain that day will remember what they were doing when they found out. I was in Segovia with my dear friend Anne. It was her leaving party as the Head of Marketing for Nokia Spain. The morning after, just as were going to have breakfast, oblivious to the bombing which took place around 7.15, her mother rang from Finland to find out if Anne was ok. That's how we found out. We rushed to a bar with a TV and saw events unfold. It is still the biggest terrorist attack on European soil. About 10 bombs exploded on 4 trains killing 191 people and injuring thousands more. It happened 3 or 4 days before the General Elections and most people think the attacks were politically inclined. The terrorists wanted the left wing opposition party to win rather than the right wing PP party in power. After all, in their mind the government deserved punishment for allying with the US, the UK and Portugal in their war against Iraq. Whatever their objectives, the left wing party, PSOE, did win the elections and most probably because of the train bombings.
That was the main news on Monday and most of the week. I remember returning from Segovia 20 years ago this week to Nokia House in Pozuelo but none of us could work. I just went home and sat glued to the TV shocked at what I saw. I even went to the mass demonstration in Madrid the next day, one of the very few I have ever been to.
For Sunni Muslims that day marked the beginning of Ramadan. Mohammad who is a Shia Muslim started his month of fasting on Tuesday. You see, politics also divide Muslims. Amazing.
I didn't fast on Monday but it has felt like it at times with all the dental treatment I have undergone. I can still only really eat soft food. Oh when will this be over or rather, when will my mouth feel normal? My gums were still sore from the bleaching which made things even worse. All these things were discussed during my weekly Skype call with my dear friend Amanda. Oh how lovely to have a close friend to get things off your chest. I do wish we lived nearer. I wish the same of my other best friends, Sandra, Adele and Kathy.
Tuesday put me in a better mood as we got the good weather back. The sun shone and the weather is going to be great at least until Easter. That day I worked more on the contents of my book or rather travel diary of our road trip last year from Spain to Armenia. It's mostly a compilation of the 8 blog posts I wrote during the trip; one every Sunday; that, the maps and itineraries, accommodation and of course an introduction. My dear friend Sandra helped me with the front cover which is probably going to be this one or similar. No doubt, my editor will be Amanda, bless her, just as she was with my father's book. Adele, Sandra and I spent all week debating the title and subtitle and no doubt we could carry on for months but at some stage I have to make a decision. This is work in progress. Hope you like it.
 |
| Draft front cover of my book, the diary of our road trip to Armenia - 14 countries in 50 days, two oldies in a Mini. |
The book is just for us really but I shall have a shot at publishing it on Amazon Kindle. So watch this space.
Wednesday was another anniversary. It was 4 years since the State of Alarm after Coranavirus was declared a pandemic. Gosh! I heave as I think what we all went through. But, I and my family were spared. We were very lucky. For our generation, this is our WW2, relatively speaking of course. It is something we shall never forget as it affected us all.
We went out on errands and had coffee together at Manacor. Eladio took a photo of me. At the time I was wearing the provisional bridges in my teeth which felt odd but my husband thought looked great. Bless him.
 |
| Coffee with my "new teeth" (provisional) on Wednesday at Manacor. |
We were going to stay with her on Thursday when she sent a message to ask us to postpone our visit until next week. That put a spoke in our wheels but we soon decided we were going to travel anyway - I had done the packing -but to El Cuetu in Asturias instead. In any case we had to come here before Easter when our first guests of the year arrive. But before leaving I had my dental appointment to put in the 3 new bridges, the final ones. We drove there with our luggage and food as well as Pippa and got to Majadahonda a least an hour too early. So what did we do? We went to have a coffee on the lovely pedestrian precinct Gran Via and we sat in the sun. Here is a photo to prove it.
 |
| Coffee in Majadahonda on Thursday |
By the way, we were both wearing blue and white stripes that day -a coincidence. I was at the dentist by 11 for my 11.15 appointment. I honestly thought it would be one of the easiest sessions but it was pretty awful. I came out feeling like a zombie and couldn't even smile to show my teeth as my mouth was completely numb. I was not in the best of states for a 5 hour journey to El Cuetu. Thankfully Eladio drove. We stopped for lunch at a godforsaken place in Simancas near Valladolid. Of everything they had on the menu, I could only eat an omelet, the softest food available. It just served to fill my stomach. One of my teeth under the bottom bridge was throbbing and aching, something I had mentioned to my dentist. He told me it is common to feel sensitivity after putting in a new bridge due to some possible inflammation in the pulp of a tooth after such extensive treatment. As I write now it is feeling better and Dr. Google has informed me this side effect normally disappears within 2 or 3 weeks.
We didn't get to El Cuetu until at least 5.30 or 6 and I felt tired. Apart from the teeth, I had been on my phone nearly the whole journey with Airbnb related work. I may be retired but I haven't stopped working .I can't believe just how popular our house outside Madrid is with guests. There hasn't been one night this year, so far without any.
So it was quite a relief to arrive to an empty house. But it was cold even though my neighbour, Loli, had put on the heating that morning. It's 100 years old and is not energy efficient. But it wasn't cold in bed and I had brought my dressing gown so I was fine. However, because of the pain in my tooth and the uncomfortable feeling of the new bridges in my mouth, I slept pretty badly.
I was up around 7.30 on Friday morning and soon greeted with sunshine. In Russia people started voting on Friday and I think the polls close today. They will mostly be voting for the maniac Putin -as there is no opposition, especially since he did away with Alexei Navalny. Damn the man who has been in power for more than 24 years and will probably die in power.
But we were't thinking about him when we drove to our nearest town, Posada de Llanes. Eladio took a photo of me as we left - for this blog of course. This is it.
 |
| Outside our village house in El Cuetu on Friday morning |
In Posada we needed things from the ironmonger. However, the market was open and I couldn't resist a visit. I bought a light blue and white summery jumper which I put on later as my other jumper was far too warm. I also got some pretty multi coloured sneakers from a great shoe shop called "Pisando Fuerte". That's where, Sandra, Adele and I had some bought shoes when we came here together in 2021. I later looked up the brand and it's Corina. I think they are wholesale shoemakers who supply to places like Pisando Fuerte.
 |
| Lovely new sneakers I bought on Friday in Posada. The make is Corina (must remember that) |
By then it was time to drive to beautiful Llanes for coffee at La Galerna where we always have coffee in that lovely and distinguished seaside town. But first we parked and walked to the pretty town beach called Playa del Sablón. I had to have a picture which you might like to see as I am wearing the new blue and white striped summer jumper. Nice eh?
 |
| By the Sablón Beach in Llanes on Friday morning |
We were lucky to find a free table in the sun at La Galerna. We had been pining to have a coffee there since we were last here in December. Across the way is that splendid gourmet shop that specialises in Asturian sourced food. Called Aramburu, I always get fresh eggs there, some pie, chorizo and sundry. I don't buy the famed Asturian cheese as you probably know I hate cheese. Odd you may think,...
Just before we left Llanes I took a photo of Eladio (and Pippa - of course) at La Galerna.
 |
| Eladio (and Pippa) at La Galerna in Llanes on Friday morning |
I always get a good feeling there and so does my husband. It was getting late and before heading home for lunch we had to stop at the ubiquitous Almerka supermarket to get household goods such as loo roll, bleach, washing powder, etc, to leave to Loli. I also got a box of cider and packets of crisps for our guest welcome packs.
Lunch was very easy as I had brought it with me; Asturian bean stew which needed heating up and voilá.
That evening between us we got the TV working again. Frequencies have changed - again - and we had to get a TV decoding device. It all came in Italian but somehow we managed. I don't know what we watched that night as I soon fell asleep. I got my best night's sleep during our stay and on Saturday morning I woke up surprised to feel the pain in my tooth was receding. Finally, I could enjoy our stay here.
We chilled out in the morning, sitting in the sun on our terrace which is looking a little forlorn as most of the flowers are dead or haven't come out yet. I took a selfie to see what my new teeth look like and this is them. What do you think?
 |
| My new teeth. Finally I look good in lipstick |
 |
| Coffee on Saturday morning |
We were surrounded by nature, lots of cows and a bull. There were also hens and cockerels. With this scenery I had to take a video which you can see here. When Oli sees my videos, she always says I would have been a good reporter. Thank you darling.
We were soon off again, this time up the mountains - the Peaks of Europe - where we had booked a table for lunch in the pretty village of Asiego (or Asiegu as it is referred to here). We had been to Casa Niembro last September and were impressed with the place and the food. Asiego boasts the best views of the famous mountain, El Naranjo de Bulnes - more often called Pico Urriellu in Asturias. It is over 2500 m high and is not the highest in the Picos but the most famous probably because of its unusual shape. Here is a photo of Eladio and Pippa with the famous mountain in the background. .
 |
| In Aseigu yesterday |
Casa Niembro did not disappoint and was quite full that day as the weather was spectacular. We tried the typical "tortos" which I have only ever seen at this restaurant. These are them and they were delicious. They are a sort of puffed up bread made with corn.
 | |
| Tortos with ham and vegetables - mouthwatering |
Local cider was served and we had nearly a whole bottle. We both chose baby goat for our second course and Pippa who was under the table got lots of titbits. Lunch in Asiegu has been the meal I have enjoyed most since the start of my dental treatment. Of course, my diet went out of the window that day but who cares. I refuse to be a fundamentalist when it comes to dieting hahahah. We came home and both had at least an hour's siesta. I woke up feeling a bit whoozy but good. Life is good my friends.
And today is Sunday, our last full day here before we return home tomorrow. The day is ours for the taking.
Wishing you all a happy Sunday, all the best until next week,
Cheers Masha
c
c
c
No comments:
Post a Comment