Never a dull day hosting guests, 1000 days since Putin invaded Ukraine, farewell Rafa Nadal, to Santa Pola for a few days for work and not play, good news, Christmas comes early for Elliot and Juliet and other tales of the week.

Gran Alacant, Santa Pola, Sunday 24th November, 2024

A happy moment in Santa Pola this week

Good morning everyone from our apartment by the sea where we came on Wednesday to put it back on the short term rental market. We did not come on holiday. They say a break is as a good as a rest but it's been mostly work and no play. I have been up to my eye balls in sheets and towels, copying keys and tweaking tariffs on Booking and Airbnb but we managed to find some  free time for ourselves too, a meal out, a walk here and there and of course we appreciated the good weather  with maximum temperatures reaching 24ºc in November. 

But let me wind back to last Sunday which was quiet as most of the week was; a far cry from my time with Olivia in New York or in London. That day 3 guests checked out, leaving us with just Mohammad and Betty; or that's what we thought until a young boy, XXX, from the Philippines arrived to stay. He is XXX's son who was coming back this week but had to come earlier to be with him.  I won't go into the details but he was brought by the police as he had had some kind of  breakdown. As a friend remarked when I told her "never a dull day". No, there isn't. I could have refused to take him in but I'm a mother too and the boy was in distress and in need of  shelter, after having been expelled from his residence. I felt very sorry for his mother who arrived on Wednesday. Otherwise, it was a quiet day (hahahaha).

Monday came and was another sunny day. Madrid has escaped all the rain storms that have so affected Valencia and other regions. We went on our walk and then into Boadilla on errands where we bumped into our friends Roberto and Mari Carmen. Mari Carmen is a pharmacist who owns a chemist and I was keen to get her opinion on the new wonder drug; ozempic that seems to be the miracle drug for losing weight and is much talked about in the press. It is supposed to suppress the appetite and I was thinking of trying it out (after Christmas,of course hahahaha). Her advice was strongly against it, mostly because of the side affects such as headaches which have afflicted me all my life. She also said that Ozempic is really only effective for morbidly obese people, which, bless her, in her opinion, is not my case. 

It was at lunch that day that Suzy announced she will  not be returning to Santa Pola and will be living  with us. She also admitted what we already suspected that she had weaned herself off her medication and would not be continuing her therapy. On the one hand we were happy as it means she is safe with us but on the other we are worried about how to go forward. At least she is stable at the moment and we are living in relative harmony. But she does worry me. We far prefer her to be with us than alone at our apartment here.  After her announcement I set about putting the apartment back on the rental market with one big problem; my neighbour, Lucy, is no longer able to clean the flat. She sent me a couple of contacts but nothing will be the same without her. Our main task here has been to find someone to replace her.  There were lots of other things to do to start renting again, both on Airbnb and Booking and at the apartment itself. This is the listing by the way. That had me very busy on Tuesday morning and the rest of the week. I had new bureaucracy to comply with for my Booking listings which required two long distance calls to customer care that lasted over half an hour each. One was with an agent in Los Angeles and the other was with a pleasant chap in Bogotá. That's customer care for you these days. As there was so much to do at the flat too  we decided to go this week.

Tuesday was very much a repeat of Monday with not much to report. We went on our walk and had coffee at Alveran. I always love our coffee times together and our wine and pistachio moments. They always bring us together and are often when we make plans or decide on important things.

Doing things together nearly always includes watching the news but of course with mobile phones we usually already know the headlines before. The main news this week, on the international scene, is definitely about Ukraine. Both Biden and the UK and French administrations have given Zelenski the go ahead to fire their rockets on Russian territory. That had Putin furious and I wonder what will happen now; nothing good of course. I am worried about help from the US when Trump returns to the White House. He wants peace but doesn't care about the price for Kiev in terms of loss of territory.  This week marks a 1000 days since Russia invaded its neighbour. Oh how I hate war;  this one in particular and the one between Israel and Hamas. The other news is about Trump, of course and who he is appointing to his administration - all the wrong people like a climate change denier in charge of energy!!! 

The news in Spain is all about the aftermath of the deadly floods in Valencia where reconstruction could take months or years. The floods did not only destroy lives, homes, businesses, cars and infrastructure, it also created a political storm between the central and local governments. This in my mind, will only hinder reconstruction. The King and Queen revisited some of the worst hit areas this week and this time were not pelted with mud. The King, very wisely, stated that the different administrations have to work side by side to help the people affected and quickly. Funding has been promised but is very slow probably because of Spain's notoriously complicated bureaucracy and need of paperwork. There are many examples of why. Here is just one: over 100.000 people have lost their cars but in order to claim insurance they must provide photos. How on earth can they do that if they can 't even find their cars bogged down in mud in garages or piled up in flood affected streets? It's a catch 22 situation which does not help the people affected.  I hope the King's words have not fallen on deaf ears.

Wednesday came, the day of our departure and the main sports news that morning in Spain and in the world was Rafa Nadal's official retirement while he competed for a final time in the Davies Cup in Málaga. Honestly I love the man, Spain's best sport figure ever but honestly I wish he hadn't left the game losing as he did. I think he should have retired at the top of his career, maybe after his last victory at Roland Garros. 

Rafa celebrating his first title  in 2005 in Roland Garros where he beat Federer aged just 19. He won his 14th title aged 36 in 2022. No one will ever beat his 14 victories there. The King of Clay retires this week and tennis will never be the same without him. 

There were accolades from all around the world in his farewell and for his achievements which are amazing but I found the way he left the game rather sad and depressing as if he had just pushed his body too far. However,  I shall always respect him and admire him for all he has done for the game. Rafa, there are no words to describe your career. You are loved everywhere and are one of those few people in the world who will always be remembered. Tennis will not be the same without you and no one, no one, will ever beat your 14 wins at Roland Garros. Adios, gracias y hasta siempre. 

We couldn't leave for Santa Pola as early as planned that morning as we had to wait for an electrician who came to fix two bathroom mirror lamps which took some time. There are always things to be fixed when running a huge home with guests. Thankfully the young boy's mother arrived that morning to take care of him but I won't see her until we return this afternoon.  

Our journey to Santa Pola brought back so many recent bad memories with all the crises Suzy had here which are impossible to erase. We stopped for lunch at the Parador in Albacete which was very quiet and arrived here in the middle of the afternoon. Thankfully Lucy had cleaned the apartment for one last time so we found most things in order. What was not in order was the bed linen, always a nightmare here which I had to sort yet once again and I won't go into the details. We were finally sitting on our terrace with some wine and pistachios by 7.30 and enjoyed the moment. It was much warmer here than at home.

I slept relatively well that night and woke up at 7.30 on Thursday morning. The apartment wasn't warm in the morning though and on this visit we have been able to experience and test the new heat pump which is also an air conditioning unit. It is amazing and I honestly wish we had installed it years ago. It heats the apartment in minutes. We had lots of errands to do and some cleaning. I did lots of the cupboards and threw out so much junk. That afternoon we interviewed two potential cleaning ladies but they were just not up to standard. That had me searching the web and I came up with a local cleaning company who sounded, on the phone, as the solution to my problem. We would  meet Alicia who looks after 45 apartments in the area on Saturday morning as well as another contact Lucy gave me and another professional cleaning company I found online. I hoped and prayed one of them would be my solution. Without a cleaning service I cannot rent the apartment as you will appreciate. 

By the time I had finished it was wine and pistachio on the terrace moment again after which we had a pleasant dinner followed by the news. We then resumed a Spanish series - Night and Day - on Netflix which we both enjoy. I slept 7 whole hours that night and woke up feeling great on Friday morning.

My morning was rather spoiled by Booking when I realised that a glitch in their system had spoiled all my tariff work. This listing appeared with the same tariff for every night of the year. I only realised that when I got a reservation for 6 nights in August for a song. That had me on the phone again and on my PC. I had finished by noon and out we went for a much needed coffee. I suggested to Eladio that we also go into Santa Pola for a walk by the port and beach and lunch in town. I needed the break. 

The place was thriving and we soon found a restaurant we liked; La Sal. This is it. We were both keen on having a rice dish but never agree on which one. Eladio likes the traditional paella and I prefer a dish called "arroz a banda". So I booked a table and then we ambled along the port and to the nearest beach. You will have noticed there have been no photos so far in this week's blog post. So Friday was the day to take them. Eladio took the one  I have chosen for this week's feature photo and I took some of him  like the one below.

Time out in Santa Pola in the good weather on Friday

It was great to walk in the sun and forget for a while about sheets, towels, cleaning ladies, etc.  But I wasn't completely free as I had to liaise with a guest arriving on Sunday earlier than planned. Only when I was finally mentally and physically free was I able to enjoy some free time in Santa Pola with Eladio. I may be officially retired but I still work hard my friends.

My prize that day was lunch and I was very sorry I forgot to take a photo of the "arroz señoret" (paella with shelled fish) to show you. But I did get one of Eladio pealing all the prawns from our first course, bless him. I love prawns but refuse to peal them at a restaurant as I hate getting my hands sticky - maybe I'm a bit OCD that way (haha).

Eladio pealing all my prawns at lunch in Santa Pola on Friday

Once home, there was no peace for the wicked. I had to finish organising all the sheets and towels, after new purchases at the cheap local Chinese store and on Amazon. When I was finished it was time for my weekly Skype call with my dear friend Amanda who was back from her niece's wedding in Belfast. We had lots to tell each other and she cheered me up enormously. 

It was  after our call that we got the good news of the week or more like  the good news of the year. My youngest daughter Olivia who has worked for quite a few years for Spain's main broadcaster, RTVE as a TV reporter, has been given a permanent contract. As RTVE is a public service and company, a fixed contract is similar to being a civil servant and is generally a job for life. The main reason for earning this status was her passing the feared exam or oposición in Spain which she took and passed a few years ago and which makes her an official public worker; no mean feat in Spain I can tell you. So well done darling. We are very pleased for you and can't wait to celebrate. It was the news she had been waiting for, along with many others in her position, and finally it happened this week.

Oli sent us the news while out with her husband Miguel who also works for RTVE and the kids, Juliet (3) and Elliot (5). They had taken them to the much publicised Christmas theme park "Mágicas Navidades"  at at town called Torrejón near Madrid. Here are some photos of the lovely time they had. I am not a fan of beginning Christmas before December but was happy to to see my grandchildren's smiling faces while enjoying themselves that evening.  For them Christmas came early this year.

The kids enjoying themselves at the Christmas theme park near Madrid on Friday

I had a quick look at the website and "Mágicas Navidades" is apparently the largest Christmas theme park in Europe. It looks a bit over the top but must be a lot of fun for children, especially those who still believe in Father Christmas and in the Three Kings (in Spain).

After another 2 or 3 episodes of "Night and Day" on Netflix, we retired to bed just before midnight and I slept until 7.45 on Saturday morning. I woke up to rain which is unusual here but I suppose good for the crops and reservoirs. That day we were interviewing 3 candidates for the cleaning job and I desperately hoped we would find the right one as we were leaving the next day. Gina from Romania came at 9.30 and seemed perfect for the job. Alicia who runs a small cleaning company came at 10.30 and Nawal who runs a big one came at 13.30. We debated between Gina and Alicia and in the end chose the latter who, although she is a more expensive option, can offer us a much better overall service; taking care of any problems with the apartment which we can't deal with from afar. We will hand her the keys this morning and hope we have made the right choice.

Unfortunately on our last morning the rain robbed us of a walk on the beach or coffee out. Instead I went to Quicksave, the British supermarket across the way. There I got lots of English Christmas fare to take home including not very good quality crackers, Christmas pudding, sage and onion stuffing and cranberry sauce; all essential for our Christmas lunch next month. I also got chocolates including some of my favourites such as walnut whip, Terry's chocolate orange and some bounties. Naughty but nice.

The rest of Saturday was very quiet, except for a scheduled Skype call in the evening with my Uni friends Adele and Sandra who live in Brussels and Brittany respectively. Adele showed us her newly completed house in Brittany where they moved 2 years ago from Orleans. It looks fabulous and is a dream come true for my friend. We chin wagged for 1.5h and it was a great catch up. What we have not yet agreed upon is our next meet up. I hope it will be soon as I so miss my 4 best friends who all live outside Spain.

And today my friends  is Sunday. I was awake far too early this morning and woke up with a headache, thanks to last night's wine and chocolate - the worst combination. Our mission here is now complete or so I hope. At least we achieved what we came out to do. It's just a pity we didn't have more free time to enjoy our stay here more.  But there will be other times I know.

I must leave you now to have breakfast and pack before we go. Have a great Sunday my friends and cheers till next week,

Masha

c

Fun and emotion in New York. Central Park, Times Square, Empire State Building and the 9/11 memorial on Veterans' Day, Rockerfeller Centre, FAO Schwartz, the MOMA, meeting Fátima junior in New York, home again, a surprise Airbnb guest and other stories of the week.

Home again, Sunday 17th November, 2024

A chance encounter with the famous "Naked Cowboy" in Times Square last Sunday.

Good morning everyone.

Here I am back home after our trip to New York which now feels like a dream. Olivia, my youngest daughter,  and I had been so looking forward to it and it certainly met our expectations. New York is big, it's brash, very expensive, confusing, dirty, both poor and obscenely rich, one of the biggest shopping meccas I have ever seen, mind boggling and overwhelming at times. It's full  of people from all over  the world,  a true melting pot and many, many of them speak Spanish. All the skyscrapers make you feel so small and Madrid is like a village in comparison Honestly, I don't think I could ever live there as I am more of a country girl but New York is always fun and fun we had as you will read on.

So let me tell you the stories of the second half of our stay there. I left off last Sunday. Sadly, that day, we had to check out of our amazing 159m2 suite at The Carlyle where we had been invited by the President of Rosewood Hotels himself and learned how the other half live for two glorious nights. I later found out that the price per night was around 6.500 dollars!!!  We were moving to The Times Square Edition, another 5 star hotel but not in the same league. That's where Illy, the Italian coffee company had booked a room for the other 3 nights for Olivia who was to be their MC for the Ernesto Illy International Award Ceremony on Tuesday in New York. We downsized but moved nearer to the centre.

Before checking out at noon, we took a stroll in Central Park and had a quick glimpse of the famous "Met" (Metropolitan Museum), both very near our hotel. We did not go inside as it would have taken a whole morning and we were only in the Big Apple for 5 nights. No worries, as I saw it last time I was in NY and, no doubt, Oli will return one day. 

We saw Central Park in Autumn, or in the Fall as the Americans say,  It is New York's version of Hyde Park and similar in many senses. It's full mostly of locals either running, strolling, cycling or chatting and eating and enjoying the scenery. Last time I was there, Eladio and I did the classic horse and carriage ride but Oli thought that was too cheesy. So we just walked and feasted our eyes on what we saw. 

In Central Park last Sunday

We were well wrapped up but actually we had very good weather during our whole stay. It hardly ever rained and was never very cold. Thus we had the perfect weather to do all the classic things one does when in New York. I was keen to show Oli "Strawberry Fields", the memorial to John Lennon who was killed in 1980 in the archway of his house, Dakota, where I think his wife, Yoko Ono, still lives. Many had the same idea and I just had to include a photo here of two Trump supporters of whom we saw more than we imagined. We saw lots of MAGA (Make America Great Again) memorabilia. It's funny but it's not.

At the John Lennon memorial in Central Park

Someone was playing and singing Beatles' songs and it was an emotional moment. I then led my daughter to the entrance of the Dakota house across the way from one of the entrances to the park and we took photos.

Outside Dakota House where John Lennon was assassinated

That is where our walk in Central Park came to an end after which we made our way back to the Carlyle, a moderately tall skyscraper. We learned many people live in apartments there who must be "rolling in it", I imagine. They have their own entrance as the concierge told us. This is the iconic NY hotel as seen on our walk back from the park.

The Carlyle as seen on our return from Central Park

At noon we took a cab to our new hotel right by Times Square, which for me is the centre of America in terms of landmarks and it was full of people. Reception was on the 10th floor and we were given a room on the 35th! It was nice but 23m2 compared to 159m2 is pure downsizing and downgrading. However, it was also free and beggars can't be choosers and we very happy to be there. 

As soon as we had settled in, we went out into the street to explore Times Square which I had seen before but was new for Olivia. It's like Piccadilly but much bigger and brasher. I had always heard there was a naked cowboy there but never saw him last time so I was stunned to find him. I was also stunned he let me have a photo taken of him with a security guard from Times Square. That just has to be this week's feature photo. I later learned that apart from a street performer, he is also a singer, songwriter and occasional actor. When I asked him why he goes round Times Square naked (apart from some underpants with the American flag on them), he replied because he was born naked. I couldn't argue with that and was delighted to have met him.

We took more photos to remember this trip which will be forever etched in our minds.

Times Square on Sunday

We then went tacky souvenir shopping as Oli wanted to buy magnets, mugs, etc for friends. I couldn't believe the prices. We then went into the huge M&Ms store with the pretext of buying sweets for the children but we ended up getting all sorts for ourselves as well. What a wonderful store it is, even if it is tacky and such a commercial mecca.

Even though we had had a marvelous breakfast at The Carlyle, by about 3.30 we were hungry and went in search of food which we found at a Burger joint, called Burger Man, which was actually very good. It looked like something out of a film, a typical American diner. There are many places and things which seem familiar from all the US films and series we see on TV which is another reason why New York is so fascinating. 

Before returning to our hotel, Oli had a craving for an ice cream which we ate in the street and then, tired out and still a big jet lagged we returned to our new abode. There we spent the whole afternoon resting. We watched a marvelous film called Still Alice which we loved and a bit of one called Safe which we didn't. We must have fallen asleep around 8.30 pm and were awake at 5 am on Monday morning.

Monday, 11th November was Armistice Day which is called Veterans' Day in the US. We saw plenty of military around but missed the 5th Avenue parade.  But we saw some preparations on our way to the Empire State Building where we had booked tickets online. These approachable NYPD officers were happy for us to take a picture on 5th Avenue and here comes another iconic photo of this trip. 

My new body guards, hahaha

In the same queue to to go up the Empire State Building, or "line" as they call it in the US, was a group of soldiers ready to take part in the parade and I asked them to pose for me. They did.

Military personnel I bumped into on Veterans' Day last Monday

The Empire State Building with its 104 floors was built in 1930 just before the Wall Street Crash. It is no longer the tallest skyscraper but it is still perhaps the most famous. I learned that the far smaller Tower Building was arguably the first skyscraper to be built in the city in 1889. 

As I went up in the lift to the 80 something floor, I wondered what immigrants fleeing poor countries, wars and famine, must have thought of New York when they arrived. If it's overwhelming to me in 2024 what would it have been like for immigrants and refugees I wondered to myself. I suppose that is the essence of the American Dream. They all arrived at Ellis Island, that tiny island with the famous Statue of Liberty which we only saw from a distance. It is sad to think now that while they were all welcome at the beginning of the last century, today it is the other way round; walls are built to keep them out. Yet, America would not be America without immigrants would it? But I am digressing. The views from the top are amazing and we were lucky we had good visibility. Here are just two pictures of the many we took.

The new Manhattan skyline as seen from the Empire State Building

On our way down we were prompted to buy photos taken of us as we entered and we could not resist them. Here are just a couple of them. Fun right? Yes, we had fun at the Empire State Building.

Great photos created for us during our visit of the Empire State Building

The next thing we wanted to do was visit the 9/11 Memorial in the Financial District. I wanted to walk all the way down Broadway but it would have taken 1.5h. Thus we dared take the subway on our own and we managed it. Here is Olivia at 34th Street I think. 

Taking the subway to the new World Trade Centre

We got off at The new World Trade Centre station  and  shopping centre. It  is impressive and is  shaped like a dove to represent peace.  It is massive.

Inside the new World Trade Centre mall and station

That is where we got off the subway. To replace the twin towers they have built a new skyscraper called the Freedom Building although its actual name is the World Trade Centre and it is now the tallest building in New York. This is it.

The new World Trade Centre or Freedom Tower as it is called is now the tallest skyscraper in NY. 

When Eladio and I were in NY in 2010, there was nothing in Ground Zero. It was just a fenced off area. Today you can see two large memorials to each tower that got hit and where so many people died on 11th September 2001. This is one of them. All around the walls are the names of those who perished at the hands of Bin Laden. 

One of the memorials of the twin towers

As I read them, I shed a tear and have to admit it was a very emotional moment. The world changed after 9/11 and will never be the same again. 

We were of course in the Financial District so we headed along Broadway to find Wall Street which is actually tiny. That is where the New York Stock Exchange is located and we had to have a photo there too.

Outside the NYSE on Wall Street, the financial centre of the world

We then went in search of the famous "charging bull" which represents growth in the market and economy.  Remember bullish and bearish, the terms to describe stock markets? The funny thing is that most people were queuing up to take a photo posing or touching the bull's balls. Honestly? This is the photo I got of this huge statue which has come to represent Wall Street.

The Charging Bull near Wall Street

We had spied a Gap shop nearby which Oli was keen to go into. Would you believe we both bought the same white and black striped cardigan and that we both chose to put it on the next day without consulting each other? We must have looked funny at breakfast and wherever we went, hahaha. 

By then we were famished, hot and tired and decided to take a break and find somewhere to eat. We found ourselves in China town. Oli found a Thai place where we had a very hot green curry and I ate bamboo shoots for the first time. It wasn't my favourite meal in NY but it filled our stomachs.

We then carried on walking until my legs gave in as by then we had walked at least 16km. We had had enough walking and sightseeing and got on the subway again, somehow arriving at 42nd Street, near our hotel. If you haven't been to NY, you will find it funny that streets generally have numbers for names but when you get used to it, it's rather a good idea. We arrived "home" dead but happy. We watched something on Netflix and ordered a salad and chicken sandwich for dinner which we had with a glass of Prosecco. Again we fell asleep early and again we woke up at 5 am the next day.

Tuesday was our last full day in New York and the day of Oli's event but that wasn't until the evening and the day was ours for taking. We had tickets for the "Top of the Rock", the top of the famous Rockerfeller Centre. It is slighter smaller than the Empire State Building but boasts better views. Also, it is like a city within a city with its ice rink, gardens and shopping centre.  Soon too the famous annual Christmas tree will be in view as it had arrived just before us but has still to be decorated. This is it.

The Rockerfeller Centre

Just before we queued up to go in and were admiring the area, I saw a mounted policewoman and asked for a photo as I can't resist horses and love taking silly pictures when I travel. She let me, telling me that Jack, the horse, was not behaving very well that day. I thought Jack was lovely. 

Admiring Jack, a mounted policewoman's horse by the Rockerfeller Centre on Tuesday

Once at the top, we were impressed with the views and again had great visibility.

On the Top of the rock

We were invited to have out photo taken on a beam and people were queuing up to do so. We did too. If you have been there and even if you haven't, you must have heard of the famous photo called Lunch atop a skyscraper taken in the 30's probably by Charles Ebbets. This is it.

The famous photo of workers taking a lunch break on a beam while building the skyscraper at the Rockerfeller Centre

So we had ours taken on a much safer beam which we later picked up along with other photos. These are some of them and they are great, even if they cost a small fortune. I told you NY is expensive. 

A great photo on the beam at the Top of the Rock

Wearing the same cardigans we had bought at Gap

FAO Schwarz, the oldest and most famous toy shop in the US is at the Rockerfeller Centre and I just had to take Olivia there. Just as I had been to their Chicago branch many times to buy my girls toys - especially Barbies,  years ago when I worked for Motorola, I wanted to take my daughter there to get toys for her children and my grandchildren. I told that story to the man outside dressed like a toy soldier who was so sweet and kind. This is him outside one of the most famous stores in the US. Just for you Brits, though, Hamley's is the oldest toy shop in the world. 

Outside FAO Schwarz in New York on Tuesday

If you ever saw the film "Big" with Tom Hanks, you will remember the scene on the floor piano. We saw the piano on the second floor and I had to have a photo. 

The floor piano at FAO Schwarz

We bought tons of very original toys for the children and sweets and decided to walk back to the hotel to leave them there and take a break in shopping and sightseeing until our lunch appointment at 2. 

Lunch was to be very special for me as I had booked a table at Smith and Wollensky where both Eladio and I had eaten on our last visit. It was recommended to me by my dear friend Julio who always knows the best places in town. The restaurant's slogan comes from a critic's headline "A steakhouse to end all arguments". I couldn't agree more. The food is fabulous and Olivia agreed.

Smith and Wollensky, the best steak in town

When we were there last time I remember ordering a piece of steak which was mass massive. I said so to the waiter who replied "this is America Ma'am".  I had learned my lesson and advised Oli that we share a portion which was more than enough.  I think that was our best meal in NY. 

We then walked back to the hotel for Oli to get ready for her event. I wasn't going with her as it was  a corporate gala dinner where I suppose there is no role for the mother of the MC, hahaha. That meant I could rest, write this blog and generally chill out until her return. The only feedback I got about the gala dinner awards held at The Peak was a photo of my beautiful daughter on stage. Doesn't she look amazing?

Olivia ready to present the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award at the Peak, NY.

I had fallen asleep while she was out, watching a film called The Foreigner starring Pierce Brosnan as a former member of the IRA. I loved his Irish accent. Oli was back around 11 and soon in bed, our last night in New York.

Wednesday came and we were up just slightly later. Our flight wasn't until 10.15 pm but we had to check out by 11 am.  I had pancakes and maple syrup for the last time and savoured every bite. We had quite a programme that day until a cadillac (we like to do things in style, hahaha) was to pick us up at 7pm:  tickets for the MOMA, a visit to see the TVE correspondent in NY who is a colleague of Oli's and also a surprise reunion with Fátima junior. You probably all know that my best friend, Fátima, who was my colleague first at Motorola, then at Nokia and also my neighbour, died sadly 5 years ago this year. Her daughter, also Fátima, was 19 at the time and was left an orphan. Her mother had asked me and all her friends to watch out for her daughter and take care of her as well as we could but she is very independent and really never needed us. It was only through Gloria, Fátima's sister, that I learned Fatima junior was living in New York so we quickly organised a meetup before we left.  It was to be the cherry on the cake of our 5 days in New York. 

We walked to the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) and spent about 2h inside which is more than enough. I was deadbeat when we came out. I adored the Picassos, the Monets, the Magrittes, the Matisses, the Andy Warhols and the Van Goghs but  was disappointed that Starry Skies was not on display. But I was not too impressed with the abstract art which I have never understood. There was one painting that was just grey and black. What the hell does that mean? Here are some pics of my favourite pieces and some of my least:

Magritte The Lovers

Needs no introduction

I read that Andy Warhol painted cans of Campbell's soup just because he loved their soup. Oli didn't really get it as Campbell's is practically unheard of in Spain. But I ate it as a child. And that's art, apparently.

Needs no introduction

Is this really art?

After our visit, Olivia spent nearly an hour in the very enticing design shop. I sat and waited as honestly I didn't need to make any purchases. From the MOMA, we were take the subway to 26th Street but got lost in translation as the station we needed on 53rd street was closed. We made it the TVE studio half an hour late but we made it. Oli and Sara (Rancaño) were happy to reconnect as both of them had worked for España Directo. Sara showed us the premises and even the rooftop from where she makes most of her reports. She actually has to stand on a small ladder so that the skyscrapers behind her stand out enough.  I took a photo of the two RTVE journalists in that very place. 

Oli with her former colleague Sara (R) from TVE, now their correspondent in NY

It was interesting to listen to her experiences covering the Presidential election campaign as well as the behind the scenes life of a foreign correspondent. 

We left on time to meet Fátima junior at 4 pm and had decided on Le Pain Quotidien near Bryant Park. That was where we had our lunch; lentils and a cake for me. It was pure joy to see Fatimina as we call her, now 24 and a graduate of international relations.  She studied at the UEM near here but also in Grenobles and Los Angeles. Today she is living in New York and working for Global Fund for Widows, the world's largest nonprofit organisation dedicated to empowering women and widows financially. Fatimina's CV at just 24 is impressive.  Her boss, Heather Ibrahim Leathers, of Egyptian origin and ex Wall Street, founded it and was a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. Much of Fátima's work has to do with the United Nations where she goes often. I later read that  her NGO, "having earned United Nations Economic and Social Council accreditation (ECOSOC)   has been advocating widows' rights on a global scale. Upon the death of their husbands, widows are often denied access to justice and credit. They are also frequently subjected to harmful traditional practices". 

As she was telling us all this, I could only think just how proud her mother would be. It was a very joyous reunion and it was great to catch up after so much time. Fátima junior, if you read this, I take my hat off to you. Well done sweetheart. Before we parted, Oli took a selfie to remember this very special moment of our trip to NY.

A wonderful and unexpected reunion with Fátima junior in New York just before we left

After parting we walked back to our hotel, The Edition in Times Square and passed all the madness created there. We also walked into a drug store to get a sandwich for my flight as the food is awful on Air Europa. Olivia, travelling in Business Class would be well fed, hahaha.

Soon the Cadillac, a brand new version I had never seen, pulled up on 42nd Street. The "greeter", a lovely Indian lady from the Punjab, drove us to T4 at JFK airport, the biggest. We were there on time or so we thought but hadn't factored in just how long the security queues would be and at one point I thought we might miss our plane. Thankfully we didn't and it left on time. The plane was half full and I was lucky there was no one sitting next to me which meant that I could stretch out on three seats. That way I got at least 4h sleep. We left at 10.30 NY time which was 04.30 Spanish time and landed in Madrid at 11.30 local time. I got off the plane feeling like a zombie and dying to be home and to have a shower. I was at our house by 12.30 after dropping Oli off. And there was my faithful husband waiting for me at the gate to carry my luggage and there were Suzy and Pippa to greet me too, as well as Tana. The Carlyle might be fantastic but there is no place like home. I couldn't face lunch so unpacked, gave  my presents to Suzy, had a shower and went straight to bed. I slept for 2.5h and woke up at 5ish feeling jet lagged. I could face dinner but not wine. I was bushed. 

I managed a reasonable night's sleep but was woken by a beep from my Airbnb app at 1.30. It was someone wanting to check in the next day (Friday)  for a couple of nights. Only when I read the message did I realise that I knew the guest, Lola (Z)  from Nokia Málaga, a long lost colleague.  I knew her very well but hadn't seen her for more than 20 years! She now lives in London and is married to  a Brit. It turns out her sister lives in the next street to ours and she was coming to a big family do and needed somewhere to stay rather than sleep on a sofa. What a small world we live in. Amazing.

I woke up on Friday morning at 07.30 to carry on texting with Lola. She asked if I wanted anything from England and I asked for a mint chocolate Aero bar (divine). Eladio and I did the shopping that morning and Tana, bless her, met and greeted two other guests coming (Leonardo from Brazil and Raúl who I think is Spanish). We came home with enough food to feed an army. That's what I always think and then it only ever lasts a week. We had a pleasant lunch with Suzy who I had missed while in the US, of course. 

It was on Friday that I finally caught up with the news this week.  Anything we watched on American telly seemed to be only about Trump and the people he is nominating for government. That includes Elon Musk (X - Twitter) as his Chief Efficiency Officer (imagine). When they weren't talking about Trump there were adverts and they seemed to be mostly about health insurance. God save America if Trump does away with Obama Care. And when I read the news from England about the resignation of Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury over his handling of sex abuse in the church, the Church of England, I was appalled. In Spain, more floods hit Valencia and then Malaga and other areas but thankfully this time people were alerted by SMS and no lives were lost. But these "Dana" storms are getting worse and worse each year. 

That night Eladio and I were up late watching a new Spanish period series called "Valle Salvaje" which had us hooked. Thus I woke up late on Saturday morning  and Lola who had arrived the night before, was already in the kitchen. We spent a good 2 hours together catching up and later Suzy joined us. That's because when she was in London they met. Isn't the world a small place? Suzy took a photo of the two of us which I entitled "Nokia connecting colleagues". Here we are together, happy to be reunited by Airbnb 20 years on. What a beautiful surprise and coincidence.

With Lola, my surprise Airbnb guest who was my colleague at Nokia and who I hadn't seen for 20 odd years. It was lovely to reconnect. 

When she left for her family gathering, I started on lunch for our family gathering. Oli and co were coming and I was making Spanish "cocido madrileño". Before going out to get some ingredients I needed for lunch and to have coffee with Eladio, I went up to Suzy's room to ask her to watch the hob. And there she was with little Pippa who is with her always. They are very close and I think Suzy is more her person now than me. That only makes me happy. The thing is that Pippa makes us all happy. I had to have a photo to share with you and remember the relationship.

Pippa is always with Suzy (sweet).

While having our coffee at Manacor that morning, Eladio and I reached the decision that we shall finally not be building the wooden garden house. The estimates for making it habitable were prohibitive as well as the cost of the town council licence, not to mention furnishing it.  We goth agreed that had we been 10 or 20 years younger, it may have been a good idea but not now. So that's the end of one chapter. Others will come.

We were home on time for me to make the finishing touches for the family lunch and Oli and family arrived just as everything was ready to serve. It was great to see my grandchildren again and to hold them in my arms. I had bought lots of bubble gum (gob stoppers) for Elliot from FAO Schwartz but it was not easy to show him how to make the bubbles. I hope he learns as I spent a fortune on them hahahhaa.

Their visit was a great end to a wonderful week. I love travelling but I also love coming home. Don't you?

Today is Sunday and we have no plans. Let's see how it pans out. Wishing you all a good Sunday, that's all from me for this week. 

Cheers Masha

Family time, aftermath of the Valencia floods, Trump won the US elections. And we are off to the USA. Staying at the Carlyle, Hi and cheers from New York. A day in Brooklyn and Manhattan with Juana, Oscar and Pati

 Carlyle Hotel, New York, Sunday 10th November, 2024.

With our dear friends Oscar, Juana and Pati on Brooklyn Bridge yesterday

Good morning all or should I say good day or good afternoon to those of you reading this from Europe. 

It's quite extraordinary but I am in New York with Olivia, my youngest daughter. We travelled on Friday and are here till Wednesday. I have come as Oli's luggage and we are here because she will be moderating an awards ceremony for the Italian coffee company, Illy,  this Tuesday. It was the perfect excuse to come and has been something we have both been looking forward to for quite a while. 

Before I tell you all about it, let me rewind to last Sunday and recap what I did this week before we left which wasn't much really. The highlight was last Sunday when Olivia, Miguel and the kids came for lunch and part of the afternoon. It was precious family time and I made curry for the occasion which everyone always loves. Here are some photos to remember the day.

Precious moments with the family last Sunday. I love this one of Suzy and Pippa with Elliot. 

While we were enjoying family time, the King and Queen of Spain were visiting the Ground Zero area of Valencia where 74 towns or villages were hit by flash flooding on Tuesday 29th October. More than 200 died, many people lost their homes and cars and livelihood, businesses were destroyed as well as most infrastructure in the worst natural disaster in Spain's history. People were angry at the slow reaction of the central and local government so when the King and Queen and PM and local Governor, Carlos Mazón arrived to see the town of Paiporta where 70 people perished, tempers were high. They were pelted with mud and the PM was hit on the head. It's understandable that people are cross but violence is not acceptable. However, in his favour, the King and the Queen, stood firm and faced the music by talking to the people and listening to them. They ended up hugging some of them. Since then the emergency services have got their act together and with the amazing help of thousands of volunteers, the path to normality is being built. It will take months though for a total reconstruction of the area. It has been and still is a total tragedy. 

The TVs covered it all week and that day, Oli had to go into work for a special programme recorded mostly from the worst affected areas in Valencia. Good for her.

The rest of the week was pretty normal for us. We went on our walks, had coffee out, did the shopping and errands, etc so won't go into that as it's quite boring.  The only real news I have is about the wooden house which, after receiving an extortionate estimate for making it livable in, we are now having second thoughts. 

The biggest news of course this week were the US elections and the massive win by Donald Trump who we will have to put with now for another 4 years. Despite all his misdoings, his court cases, .his crazy personality and behaviour, Kamal Harris, a coloured woman, was just not a good enough candidate for the Democrats. I wonder if America is ready for a woman President. I fear not. Israel will be happy with Trump at the White House but I'm not so sure about Zelensky in Kiev. Undocumented immigrants in the USA won't be happy either as the upcoming President has vowed to deport them. It's a mess in my view.  I wondered what sort of atmosphere we would find in the Big Apple just a few days after the elections. 

The week progressed quietly while my reisefeber progressed too. That's a German word my mother always used before we travelled and means something like butterflies in your stomach and literally "travel fever". Before leaving the house on trips, my mother would gather us in the porch at 6 Heaton Grove, Bradford, to pray. She had reason too. In 1971, my father's sister, Gloria and all her family perished in a plane crash in Rijeka Croatia. So, when I board a plane, I still cross myself, the Russian Orthodox way. 

Friday, the big day came and I was ready or as ready as I could be. It was also the third anniversary of the passing away of my wonderful father who died on 8th November 2021 aged 102. I still miss him every day of my life. I inherited my travel bug from him, so no doubt, he would love to know that I am in New York this week. Bless you Daddy (and Mummy and George) always.

I packed on Thursday and made sure I had all my necessary documents and checked in online. Oli flew business class paid for by Illy and I went tourist class of course. I was happy for Oli though as I have travelled business class many times during my corporate years. One of the things I had to pack or carry with me were all my pills. Not wanting to get detained for carrying "narcotics" which happened to me crossing into Georgia from Armenia (codeine), I looked up the rules. You can take prescription medication but must carry the prescription in English. Obviously I only had them in Spanish and on my phone. I hoped that would be enough. I dreaded US immigration from so many bad experiences in the past even with a British passport so that was the part of travelling to the US I was not looking forward to. 

Olivia sent me a taxi at 11.30 even though our flight wasn't until 3.30. It takes about an hour to the airport but she wanted to be cautious because of the rigmaroles of flying to the US. She was probably right.  We were flying, against our wishes with Air Europa, instead of with Iberia at the insistence of Illy and you knew the quality wouldn't be great but who cares I thought. And here we are waiting at Terminal 1 for our big journey.

In the departure lounge at Barajas Airport

The flight was on time and quite smooth really. While Oli enjoyed a good meal in Business Class, mine wasn't too bad as I had pre ordered a special meal. The flight was long, just over 8h but with a few pills I managed to get some sleep.

We had left Madrid at 3.30 pm and arrived at JFK around 6pm. Immigration was not as daunting as usual and by 7 we were at our fabulous hotel. I think I told you we managed to get treated to a two nights The Carlyle while we were in London for the World's 50 best hotels. This was courtesy of the President of the Rosewood Hotel chain. We were even give a double suite which costs at least 2000 euros a night, imagine!  The other three nights were courtesy of Illy and we will be moving today to the Times Square Edition, another 5 star hotel. What luxury. 

The Carlyle is an iconic hotel in the city and wee were astounded to be given the suite Roger Federer always stayed at when he played in the US Open. The suite was astounding and beyond our imagination; comprising 2 master ensuite master bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, various closets, a kitchen, a huge lounge and a near wrap around terrace. 

The view from our terrace

That is where I could smoke and enjoy part of the NY skyline. What luxury. I have stayed at some incredible hotels over the years but this takes the biscuit. Here is a video I took of us entering and oohing and aahing at everything. 

We were so tired we were soon in bed and I think I managed about 4 hours sleep until I woke up at 5 am. We obviously had jet lag but who cared. First things first and were down for breakfast at 6.30 where we specially enjoyed the pancakes; mine with maple syrup.

By 9.30 we were ready to go. We were meeting our ex Nokia colleagues who live in New York, Juana, Oscar and their daughter Pati. We hadn't seen them since they left Madrid in 2022. We decided to walk and enjoy seeing some of the main streets of the city that never sleeps. Here is Oli outside the Carlyle for starters.

Oli outside our first hotel

We were meeting our friends at Bryant Park and walked there via some of Mid town's most famous avenues; mostly along Madison and 5th Avenue. Oli, being a huge fan of Audrey Hepburn had to step inside. We also went past the Trump Tower and had no inclination to go inside. Bryant Park was full of Christmas stalls but I loved most was the outdoor rink.

The ice rink at Bryant Park 

It was great to reunite with Juana and Oscar and their daughter that morning. I mean, what better hosts than them in the city of NY which they know so well. Our friendship dates back to the year 2000 where I worked with them at Nokia.  They took us first to the Grand Station and then to  42nd street right by the UN building and to the ferry that crosses to Brooklyn which is worth visiting and far less touristy than Manhattan. I enjoyed the boat trip. Here are some pics to remember it.

On the ferry to Brooklyn

At my suggestion we got off at Williamsburg which is where the majority of the NY Hasidic jews live. Having read and watched Unorthodox and always being interested in groups of people who live outside mainstream society, it was going to be quite an experience. We got to see some of the men in their Jewish finery on the Sabbath. 

In Williamsburg yesterday

If you want to see what it was like, here is a good video taken by Olivia who I think was pretty taken by our experience in Williamsburg yesterday. 

Brooklyn has a lot going for it and is far less crowded than Manhattan. By 1.30 or so, despite the pancakes, we were peckish. Pati found us a great pseudo Italian place for "brunch" called Evelina.  The weather was so good we were able to eat outside and what a wonderful lunch we had. From there Oscar and Pati guided us to the famous Brooklyn Bridge which I had crossed in 2010 with Eladio in my last and only other trip to NY. We caught it just before sunset and the views of the NY skyline, now excluding the Twin Towers, was to quote New Yorkers, "awesome". It's not a word I like as it gets over used but I think it's fitting for yesterday.

Crossing Brooklyn Bridge yesterday with our dear friends 

A passerby took a photo of the 5 of us which I have chosen as this week's feature photo. We are so grateful to Juana, Oscar and Pati for being our guides yesterday. Unfortunately we won't see them again as they will be away. So it was  great that we managed to see them for at least  one day. Juana is a veritable expert on NY and all things American. She has a high powered job with Microsoft but finds the time to be an Instagram influencer and even appears weekly on a Spanish chat show (La Roca on La Sexta) where she talks about America. I'm very proud of her. If you want to follow her, this is her handle @juanadream

Once back in Manhattan, we found ourselves next to the City Hall and from there we took the subway together. We  took the same line, the Green one, and parted ways at one of the streets - most just have numbers here. We got off at 77 street and it was a short walk to our hotel on 76th street but near Lexington Avenue, Madison Avenue, The Met and of course Central Park. We were not hungry for dinner but decided to buy some fruit (and chocolate) from a local deli to have with the bottle of Moet Chandon that the hotel had left in our suite. And that's what we had for dinner. Just look.

Dinner last night was champagne, fruit and chocolate, the best combination

There wasn't much we could watch on telly apart from some rather bad local TV channels and were unable to watch Netflix despite using some mirroring app. We gave up in the end and retired to our rooms and incredibly comfortable beds at around 9.30 local time. I slept like a baby but was awake this morning at 5 am - around 11ish in Spain. And here I am now writing from the beautiful lounge while Oli is going over the script for the awards ceremony she has on Tuesday.

So that's it for now from New York. As you can see we are having the time of our life. What  a wonderful break from our routines at home. Aren't we lucky. I keep pinching myself to see if this is real and it is my friends.

Thus I shall love and leave you now until next week.

Cheers Masha