Got our international driving licences, to Santa Pola to see Suzy, Pedro Sánchez threatens to resign as Spain's PM, time with our daughter who turns 40 today and other stories of the week.

 Home again, Madrid, 28th April, 2024

With my daughter Suzy who turns 40 today!

Dear friends and readers,

This week has seen us travel to Santa Pola and back. Suzy wanted us to be with her to celebrate her upcoming birthday but wants to spend the day by herself. That's a little sad but at least we got to see her and she received us lovingly. Happy birthday darling.

Last Sunday saw us receive Oli and the kids for lunch on one of the only days this year we didn't have any new guests. Even Mohammad was away (in Portugal). It was a beautiful sunny day and a good time was had by all.

On Monday we had decided to go to the DGT (HQ of the Spanish traffic authorities) to get our international driving licences, like we did a year ago. We were never asked for it last year but we have to have it just in case for countries such as Albania, Macedonia or Montenegro. We can no longer take our Volvo which runs on diesel into the city, so we took the metro. It turned out to be a wasted morning as when we got there we were told that pensioner hours are from 8 to 11. Damn it I thought but then I reminded Eladio that for us time is not normally a problem as we are retired. I shall never forget when travelling in India, asking our driver what time we should meet him. His answer was "time is not a problem here M'am". We always remember those words. So we just traipsed back home on the metro which is free for pensioners (hahaha).

I spent the time on the Metro googling Italian verbs and vocabulary and even lessons I might attend. This is all for our upcoming trip where we shall spend at least a third of our time in Italy. I tried Duolingo but soon realised it is total rubbish and an insult to language learning; at least to me. I did a course of Italian in 1980, after graduating in Spanish and Portuguese but I didn't take it very seriously. I really wish now that I had. However, I know some of the basics and feel very inspired. The new version of Ripley (set in Italy in the 50's or 60's) has inspired me too. We are really looking forward to the Italian part of our trip. I later spent the afternoon on more itinerary planning in France and Italy and this week saw me book accommodation in both Huesca and Carcassonne. Of course I have also looked at places in Aix-en-Provence, Liguria, Tuscay, Umbria and Puglia but will book them nearer the time. I am mostly using Airbnb and Booking but also Agroturismo in Italy which looks splendid.

On Tuesday we were up at the crack of dawn to get to the DGT on time. We were ushered in and were soon seeing a clerk who quite efficiently issued us with the coveted documents. I wonder how many people of our age apply for an international driving licence to rove all round Europe and beyond in their car? Not many, I imagine. And here we are holding them in our hands once we got outside. Hurray I thought!

Happy to get this year's international driving licences. Europe here we come in our Mini again. 

Soon after we were home, the painters arrived. We needed lots of railings, lamp posts and ceilings of some of the terraces painted and had asked for different estimates. Eladio used to do this job which I suspect he hasn't done for quite a few years and I didn't like looking at crumbling ceilings or rusty railings. Thus I was delighted to see the work begin. I even took some photos to record the moment.

Outdoor painting going on this week

Wednesday came, the day we were leaving for Santa Pola so we wouldn't see the job finished and could only hope it was well done. We left around 10.30 intending to have lunch on the way. We chose a new place and were a bit put out that the whole process took well over an hour. Time may not be a problem for retired people as I mentioned above, but I was a bit annoyed as it made us arrive later than planned. Suzy was there to greet us and help us with the luggage including three big supermarket bags with provisions for our stay and for her to consume. It was lovely to see her. This time our stay was incident free - sigh of relief.

It was just before we sat down to dinner that I read the bombshell news that hit Spain that day. Pedro Sánchez, Spain's indefatigable and unpredictable President, published a personal letter on X threatening to resign after what he calls a smear campaign against his wife from the right wing parties.  This comes right after a Madrid judge began a preliminary investigation into whether his wife, Begoña Gómez, had used government connections and peddling to influence business deals. In the very long letter he says all accusations against his wife are false and that he is taking time off to decide whether to continue or to resign. At the end of the letter he writes that he will call a press conference, tomorrow, Monday to announce his decision.

Bombshell news in Spain this week

This is so unprecedented in politics it has left most people speechless. Some say he is playing the victim, others are on his side and some think this is just a political ploy to help win the regional elections in Catalonia but I can't see why. In my mind, if his wife is completely innocent, then he has no need to resign. Why all the theatrics? If Spanish politics are already so polarised, this bombshell news is now the only item on the news of any weight. Will he or won't he? We will know on Monday. Spain is waiting with baited breath. 

Despite the news we still enjoyed pre-dinner drinks on the terrace with pistachios. We had the wine in the lovely vintage wine glasses I got at the local Sunday car boot sale a while back. They are so pretty.

I really slept well that night, for the first time in ages and woke feeling refreshed.  That day the company we have contracted for solar power were installing the solar panels on our roof at home and I know we should have been there but Suzy wanted us here. As with the painters, we hoped they would do a good job. 

Thursday morning was spent outside. We went to have a coffee by the beach. It was so lovely to be back. Then Suzy persuaded us to go for a walk on the beach, not that we needed much persuasion. But first for some photos on the promenade - with Pippa, of course.  I chose one of them for this week's feature photo - Suzy and I together which doesn't happen often. I like it. People say Suzy looks a lot like me although we don't see it. Do you think so? Ah, and here is one of Eladio and I which I particularly like. I always think my husband is "drop dead gorgeous", an expression the late Lady Diana used to use:-)

By the beach on Thursday morning 

Well, he is. 

The walk on the beach in the sun was glorious. Here are father and daughter posing for me as we set off.

Father and daughter on the beach

At the end of the beach there are some rocks and there is one particular rock we always sit on when we get there. I call it "our rock" and I told Suzy it is one of my favourite places in the world. It is. From there you can see our apartment on the cliffs above and on the horizon the island of Tabarca. So we had to have yet another photo there care of Suzy. 

On our rock - one of my favourite places in the world

 I came back with a sun kissed face or so Eladio told me and I wasn't planning on sun bathing. On our way home we stopped at an ubiquitous Chinese shop, a bit like a very large Poundland, to get some things Suzy needed: a yoga mat, candles, incense, a frying pan, etc. I then quickly nipped into the English charity shop next door and tried on some shorts. It was quite unusual that the ones I tried on in the patio outside were all too big! 

Lunch was  a family affair at home and the afternoon was spent quietly. 

Friday was our last day with Suzy and the day we would celebrate her birthday which is actually today. We offered to take her out to lunch but she preferred to have our meals at home- She also wanted to make her own cake. We did go out with her but only to the ubiquitous Mercadona to get the ingredients and some more provisions. While she made the cake and our lunch, we drove down to the beach to the same cafeteria as the day before for that morning's coffee. Called La Milla, it's on the seafront and makes an excellent cappuccino. Facebook reminded me that one year ago that day, we were having coffee in St. Mark's Square in Venice. Soon we will be in Italy again and I will be able to have as many cappuccinos as I want, haha. We then ambled along the palm tree lined "explanada" with its harlequin  type tiles and spoke mostly about the bombshell political news in Spain. Here is a photo of Eladio on that walk. 

On our walk by the sea on Friday

We came home to the smell of a cake baking and lunch nearly ready. Thank you Suzy. The afternoon was quiet and for once I managed an hour's siesta. Suzy was out in Alicante and had taken the car. So that was our moment to start a new series on Netflix. Called The Asunta Case.  It is the story of the death of a Chinese girl, Asunta aged 12  in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, which gripped the nation. Asunta  was adopted by Rosario Porta and her husband Alfonso Basterra. They were a well off middle class family - she was  a journalist and he was a lawyer and their life seemed idyllic until the day Asunta went missing. Her parents were soon charged with her death through an overdose of sleeping tablets and smothering. No one has ever understood the motive. The mother later committed suicide in prison and the father is still incarcerated. I remember Olivia being sent to report on the case and her interviewing the family lawyer about the sleeping tablets. It truly was a case that shocked the country and something we will never forget; a but like the Moors' murders in England when I was a child. But did they really do it? I have my doubts although the evidence is there, albeit circumstantial. 

Suzy was back on time to prepare her pre-birthday dinner with us. It started with wine and pistachios on the terrace when we gave her her card and present. I can hardly believe my daughter is 40. I remember it as if it were yesterday when I squeezed her out of my body and how when she was handed to me I felt like the happiest woman in the world. The present was the latest version of my father's book which I actually had to order on Amazon.co.uk. She wanted it and said it was the right time to read it. I think I know why. I had to have photos to remember the occasion like the one below. I love it when my daughter is happy. 

Celebrating Suzy's birthday on Friday

Dinner was splendid: prawns with garlic, fresh asparagus, avocado and sweet potato pure. The pièce de resistance was her cake made with chocolate and almonds which we loved. 

Birthday cake moment with Suzy on Friday

Of course we sang Happy Birthday and she blew our the candle. Later I spent quality time with her on the terrace while Eladio "played the piano" - how he describes doing the washing up (hahaha).  It was a long time since we had had a normal and relaxed mother and daughter tête à tête.

We were up early on Saturday and ready to go at 9.30 which is very early for us. Suzy saw us off and I wondered when we would see her next; perhaps in July after our road trip.

The journey was smooth and as we left so early, we were home on time for lunch. Tana had made it and all we had to do was sit down and consume it. We were very hungry. There were supposedly 9 guests in the house but I didn't see any until this morning. We later retired to our quarters to unpack - well me as I am always the one to pack and unpack. I also had a hot shower and washed my hair which was in dire need of a haircut. I conked out on our luxurious and enormous bed but couldn't sleep. Instead I turned to Netflix to watch more about the Asunta case.

And today is Sunday. The sun is shining but rain threatens. I can hardly believe that in one week's time we will be off on our travels. 

So let me leave you now to get on with the day until next Sunday.

Cheers for now,

Masha