To Santa Pola with Suzy and Eladio, Carlos Alcaraz Prince of clay at Roland Garros, alone in the apartment, Elliot graduates from infant school, Air India crash, Spanish government corruption scandal, time out with Sandra and Adele and other stories of the week.

 Gran Alacant, Santa Pola, Sunday 15th June, 2025

The three of us together in Santa Pola

Good morning everyone. How are you all? I'm in fine fettle her in Santa Pola with my dear University friends, Sandra and Adele.

I came here last Sunday in two cars with Suzy and Eladio who were staying until they arrived on Thusday. 

 While we were driving down through sunny Spain, two young men were preparing for the final of the most gruelling of the grands slams at Roland Garros in Paris. Roland Garros is a French aviation hero after which the tennis stadium was named. Its slogan is "Victory is for the most tenacious" quoted by the hero but actually first used by Napoleon. Victory is for the most tenacious is what that final match turned out to be about between the world number 1, the Italian Jannik Sinner and the world number 2, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz. The match was the longest in the history of the tournament; just under 5 and a half hours. The Italian led at the beginning by two sets and I, for one, never thought "Carlitos" had it in him to make an historic comeback. But he did, once he overcame Sinner's 3 match points. I think the most surprised player was the latter who although he has won 3 grand slams, had never met Carlitos in a grand slam final nor played a match longer than 4 hours. Many people say that Alcaraz is Nadal's successor. Nadal won 14 times at Roland Garros and holds 22 grand slam titles and is considered the King of Clay.  They both won their first Roland Garros at the same age (22). This is now Alcaraz's second French Open (plus a US Open and Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024) and for now he is the Prince of Clay. For the moment his career seems to be on the same path as his compatriot. But there the comparison ends. Carlos Alcaraz loves tennis and wants to be the best player ever but in his own way and always tries to point out that even though Nadal is his idol, he is his own man. That comes through very strongly in the Netflix documentary about him. Carlos insists he needs to party as well as work whereas the big three, Federer, Djokovic and Nadal, sacrificed their youths for tennis. So far, his plan seems to work and on Sunday he showed the world that "victory is for the most tenacious" because his tenacity and mental strength are what helped him win, as well as the public I should add. I have to confess that even though both Eladio and I were on tenterhooks during that very long match, I was unable to watch it because it made me just too tense. I remember having the same feeling watching Bjorn Bjorg and John McEnroe play Wimbledon finals. Perhaps it is more intense when watching Carlos because he is Spanish and this is my adopted country. It was the same when I watched Nadal play Federer or Djokovic, I just couldn't watch but was delighted when he won afterwards. Carlos is a boy who still lives with his family and of all the photos I saw after his second win, the one with his parents and two brothers is my favourite. BTW I also love the one of him with the ball boys and girls. How sweet of him to remember them.

Carlos with his brothers and parents celebrating his victory last Sunday

I cannot begin to imagine their pride or how they must have suffered during the match. Of course Sinner and his family will have suffered just as much but never touched the glory because after all, no one ever remembers who was number 2 and there is only ever one winner in the Men's singles in tennis. That is sad because he played brilliantly. I know, though, that he will savour the taste of success in many more Grand Slams and no doubt he will, on occasion, beat the Spaniard. If you are reading this and are not into tennis; I am sorry if I have bored you. For me watching important Grand Slams is a bit of a passion which was instilled in me as a child in England when the whole country stopped while Wimbledon was being played. 

I did not instill this in our daughters as Wimbledon was never televised in Spain - not even when Spaniards were playing in the final (boohoo), so Suzy was a bit astonished when she saw us so stressed about the match and so happy when the Spaniard won. She was in her own little world but I think it was good that she came with us to get a bit of sun on the beach.

Last Sunday was all about tennis so let me move on to Monday. In the morning I enjoyed all the news clippings of Alcaraz's win in Paris but I soon had to turn my attention to more mundane matters. We had come a few days before my friends arrived with one mission, to check that everything was ok in the flat after we had had it rewired. We turned up at the electrician's "Sandro" in Santa Pola because we had not been able to get through to them on the phone which was very frustrating. To cut a long story short, we needed them to come back to the flat to put more sockets in, the details of which I won't bore you with.

After talking to the electricians and making sure they would come the next day, we went to have a coffee at my favourite cafe in town, Choco & Latte, in the main square. It's one of my happy places and here is a photo of my handsome husband with little Pippa while were enjoying our time there.

Eladio and Pippa  - coffee time in Santa Pola on Monday

We then had to do some food shopping which included a quick visit to Quicksave, the British supermarket across the road from the apartment. Out of interest, there I got some Yorkshire tea, some polos and bars of Imperial leather soap which I adore. 

In the afternoon or rather early evening, while Suzy was down at the pool, we went for a long walk to the Santa Pola lighthouse which takes at least an hour there and back.  Before leaving I got Eladio to take a photo of me in the gardens belonging to the complex. I fell in love with those gardens when we    bought the apartment as long ago as 1999. Here I am with Pippa, of course. 

Setting off on our walk on Monday afternoon

The cliff by the lighthouse  is another of my happy places and that day we were greeted with a spectacle of people paragliding. It's beautiful to watch and the nearest thing there is to flying for humans, as my husband pointed out, but I could never do it because I don't like heights. Here are some photos to remember that day and that walk.

Photos from our walk to the lighthouse - amazing. 

On Tuesday the electricians came at around 09.30. They took all morning so we had to stay in the flat, apart from a quick coffee across the road with Suzy. But they did a good job and that was what we had come for. 

So we were only really free in the afternoon to go the beach. We got there at nearly 7 pm but enjoyed a swim and a bracing walk to the end where, as always, we sat on "our rock" and contemplated our surroundings. I came home to have a shower, wash my hair and enjoy a glass of fresh white wine with Suzy on the terrace. We had a tête à tête which is always good for both of us. 

Wednesday came, the day of their departure. They left at around 10 am and I felt strange in the apartment by myself. It was the first time ever since we bought the flat. But I had to plenty to do to fill my time and spent the whole morning on practical errands. However, it did feel strange to be doing them on my own and not with Eladio. I even had coffee on my own which was served by a very nice man from Persia he said. His coffee was good; not so his country - his words, not mine. 

I had company at lunchtime though when Gina, the lady who cleans the flat came. I had put on 3 washing loads to ease her work but I did feel a bit uncomfortable eating my left over "spag bol" on the terrace while she cleaned. She does a good job, far better than I could ever do, for sure.

I spent the afternoon reading on my Kindle and writing this blog. I ate a little something while watching the news which was pretty dire this week - Greta Thunberg having to return from Israel after trying to take aid to Palestine, crack down on anti Trump protests in LA- and the awful Austrian school shooting. In Santa Pola I felt very far away from the worlds' crises and was looking forward to my friends arriving the next day.

On Thursday I was up early as usual but was out much earlier than usual. I had to pick up Sandra from the airport off her flight from Brussels arriving at 8.30 in the morning. We would later go back to pick up Adele in the afternoon who was arriving from Nantes. Luckily the airport is a short drive from here. She was well on time and soon we were in our apartment. She was soon unpacking and handing me tantalising Belgian chocolates. 

While we were beginning our day, my 5 year old grandson, Elliot, was graduating from infant school. He was even wearing a gown and mortar board. It's funny how kids graduate with ceremonies these days at different stages of their school lives. In my day, we only graduated from University. I know, though, that it was  a very proud day for him and his parents. Here is just 1 of the photos Oli sent to us. Isn't he gorgeous?

Elliot graduated from infant school

Next term he will start at junior school and will begin homework which I'm sure he will take very seriously as he is quite competitive.

While Sandra and I were having a cup of tea on the terrace we heard about a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed minutes after taking off from Ahmedabab on its way to Gatwick in London. On board were 242 people people  when the plane crashed into a medical student residency.  1 man amazingly survived. He has a huge tale to tell. More people died on the ground and they are still looking for bodies. It was horrific and while I watched a video taken by a bystander, I could not help but remember the crash my father's family died in on landing at Rijeka airport in May 1971. 

But the big news in Spain was the unfolding of a big corruption scandal in the government that many had suspected but it was audios revealed by the Police unit investigating the case that proved beyond a doubt what happened. 3 men; an aide, Koldo, a former Minister of Transport, Abalos and Spain's number three in the cabinet, Santos Cerdán, had been taking kickbacks in exchange for awarding public contracts for a sum up to over 600.000 euros. Abalos is already been investigated as will Cerdán who stepped down yesterday. Koldos was the middle man who, cleverly I suppose, had taped all their conversations detailing the amounts of money they shared between themselves. The PM, Pedro Sánchez who had denied the allegations so far had no option now but to face the music. He did so in a press conference where he apologised profusely. He is in a shaky position and knows it. Part of his cabinet have been taking side kicks, his wife is being investigated for corruption and influence peddling and his brother is accused of using the PM's influence to get a public sector job and collecting a salary without going to work. Any of these corruption cases should be enough to bring the government down but it's not going to happen. Sanchez did not win the last elections and is propped up by a coalition government made up of separatist and communist parties. For every move he makes, he needs their approval which comes at a cost. It is said in this country that he doesn't rule, but Puigdemont, the Catalan separatist, does with his 7 votes which is a very sad state of affairs. So,  I wonder, if what happened this week will be enough to provoke his downfall? I don't think so which is absolutely unacceptable. 

Life continued, of course, in Santa Pola and at around 11.30 Sandra and I drove there to have a coffee, look at the boutiques and have lunch by the port at La Sal. Here is the only photo I have of that day; a selfie of us by the port.

Sandra and I by the port of Santa Pola the morning she arrived

We duly had our coffee at my happy place; Choco & Latte where we sat for ages catching up. We then hit the shops my friends had loved last they were here in October 2023. I was the only one in luck when I found some lovely blue and white cotton long trousers and some summer shoes for Eladio.

Lunch at La Sal was enjoyable. We ate our favourite things, little green grilled peppers, prawns in garlic oil and mini scallops. Dessert - thick black cherries, was at home. I also had one of the amazing chocolates.

Adele's flight was delayed by just under an hour and at around 6 we set off the airport to pick her up. It was a lovely reunion and we came back to the flat for her to unpack and for us to have our first drink of wine; actually Prosecco. Both my friends came baring gifts. Adele gave us a beautiful Indian scarf and Sandra little cotton shoulder bags which are so in fashion. Mine is yellow and I love it.

My yellow cotton shoulder bag

It was then that my Doctor, Elena, rang me with the blood test results  I did last week after a few months of Mounjaro, especially to see if my cholesterol had gone down. And it had, so hurray for Mounjaro my friends, even if it does take the joy out of eating, hahahaha. 

We didn't spend long on the terrace after dinner that night as we were all exhausted, especially Sandra who had got up at 3.30 to catch her flight from Brussels. I went to bed early and started rewatching a film we saw recently and that I loved. Called "El Maestro que prometió el mar" - the Teacher who promised the sea (to his pupils), it's the unknown story of Antonio Benaiges, a forward looking teacher who enamours all his pupils but enfuriates the authorities with his modern methods. This takes place in 1935 or 36 just before the Civil War. He was tortured brutally in front of his pupils and people in the village and later killed. Still today his body has not been found. It may sound gruesome but his story has to be known. It's on Netflix and I highly recommend it. 

Friday came, another warm but hazy day and it was ours for the taking.  After breakfast and the news - a bit dire again as Israel has invaded Iranian nuclear installations and who knows what the retaliation will be - we went down to the beach. 

It has been hazy all week and is apparently due to forest fires in Canada. We  took  three chairs and as soon as were down, I was the first into the water which was divine; neither cold nor warm. What a lovely time of year to be here. We walked to the end to "our rock" where, of course we took photos like this one.

"Our rock"

Once back to our space on the pretty empty beach we had coffee at the beach bar which was a joy in itself. Before it got too hot we made our way home to the pool where there were hardly any people. I was keen to shower after being in the sea to get rid of all the sand before entering our pristine apartment. We all had a shower and then drove to Lidl for wine and more provisions. Lunch was a small affair after which we retired to our lovely terrace. The terrace gets the sun in the morning and the shade in the afternoon which is a blessing in the hot weather. There we played a card game called Sevens - similar to Pontoon and Adele beat us hands down.

Friday evening was time for my weekly Mounjaro injection which my friends watched with awe and a little trepidation as they don't like needles but honestly the needle is tiny. 

We had booked a table at a restaurant across the road called Atipico which people rave about and I have never managed to go to. We loved it with a capital L I can tell you. Before going in some Italian tourists took our photos, one of which I have chosen as this week's feature photo. Here is another.

Ready to go out for dinner on Friday night to Atipico

We loved the place, especially the food, sort of fusion come Asian. These were the duck nems. Just look.

And below the tacos which we ordered twice

Duck nems and the taco at Atipico

Normally when I am on Mounjaro I have a very small appetite, especially for dinner, but this food was so unique and tasty I ate much more than my stomach would have permitted. We loved the place too which was absolutely full and does not surprise me. We shall be going back on our last night.

We waddled home, all full and tired and my friends carried on with the wine which I didn't take a sip of for fear of a headache. But I couldn't resist some of Sandra's divine Belgian chocolates. As we got ready for bed we kept telling each other about funny memories we had of our time at University and were in hysterics. Some of it is not for writing about here I am afraid as none of us were Goody two shoes so our memories will be kept to ourselves hahaha - I will admit to one though; Cadbury creme egg eating competitions for one. Hahahahahaha.

I slept so so that night and was up at 5 when I took another sleeping tablet and woke again at 7.15. Again today, Saturday is for the taking and we haven't planned it yet apart from Sandy's birthday dinner tonight at La Masía de Chenchu. 

In the morning we went down to the beach again and enjoyed both a bathe and a walk. Then I bought a large beach cloth type thing which I wanted for our bed and loved. This is the moment after buying it and then a photo of it on our bed. I want to get more for the other bedrooms. 

Fun buying a bed cover from an immigrant from Senegal on the beach yesterday

What it looks like on our bed

We came home to shower and then went out again to Santa Pola at around 1.30 - the wrong time of day to be out in the sun in Spain. We had a tiny lunch at Choco & Latte and then wandered round the shops, most of which were closed. Again I got more shoes and so did my friends at the boutique where I got the pretty long trousers. I then took my friends to the very attractive shop, Ale Hop at the end of the port and the walk was  hot. They loved Ale Hop and we all came out armed with gifts for our grandchildren and nieces. Here's a photo to prove it.

My friends loved Ale Hop

We came home at around 5 and spent the time resting and playing cards until it was time to go out again. I had booked a table at La Masía de Chencho, a place we love, to celebrate Sandra's birthday which was on 10th June. 

La Masía de Chencho

It was a fabulous dinner although my friends thought service was too fast. I wasn't complaining as I like that. Otherwise I lose my appetite in between dishes. The food was, as always, divine. We left feeling very, very full. Before leaving we took some photos to remember the night.

Dinner last night at La Masía de Chencho

The drive home was a bit scary in the dark as the restaurant is out in the sticks but I got us all home in one piece. Once home we were very tired and without much ado, retired to bed.

I was up at 6 am this morning and will now have to leave you to have breakfast with my lovely girlfriends. What a wonderful time we are having. It's a total break from my routine life. 

I hope you have enjoyed the read. Cheers now and happy Sunday,

All the best, Masha

c

c

Home from Montrondo, warm weather, 3.5 months on Mounjaro, my first bathe of the year, lunch at Filandón with Julio, Elon Musk and Trump at war on social media, a reunion with Mohammad and other stories of the week.

 Madrid, Sunday 8th June, 2025

Highlight of the week - going out for lunch with Julio

Good morning everyone. I hope you find you all well. 

This time last Sunday we were on our way back from Montrondo and today we are off to Santa Pola. We've had a lovely week at home now that the warm weather is here to stay and the pool has been the main attraction for our grandchildren, Elliot and Juliet. So let me tell you all about it.

I was up at 05.30 in Montrondo which was far too early but it meant we set off early for Madrid. We left the house sparkling clean and I hope it remains so until we go at the end of this month with our friends Amanda and Andy.  We aimed to be home for lunch but the journey took longer than anticipated because of roadworks on the A6. We were rerouted many times and I was desperate for a coffee which we didn't find anywhere until 12.30. By then I was famished and had a large piece of toast which meant that once home I was not hungry for lunch which dear Suzy had prepared for us. It was good to see her again but I could tell immediately she was a bit down. I think she was lonely poor soul. This weekend she went to Copi's hen party with Oli; her first proper social engagement in many years and I hoped it would go well.

It was so hot in Madrid compared to Montrondo that we had to put the air conditioning on in our room for the first time this year.  We also removed the duvet. At 5 pm, our IT handyman, Luis, came round to change the battery in my 5 year old HP PC.  He fixed other things too in both mine and Suzy's PC. He was with us for at least 1.5h and only charged 20 euros. Thank you Luis

Oli and family came after he left to make use of the pool as their community pool doesn't open until the middle of June. They came many times this week and it was a joy to have them. Here are the four of them taking their first bathe together this year.

Oli and family in the pool last Sunday

Monday was another hot day and was the day I took the plunge myself and had my first bathe of the year. When we are alone I skinny dip. Suzy caught me on camera hahahaha.

Recorded - my first bathe of the year

I later washed my hair under the shower by the pool; something I love doing and can only do when there are no guests around. We have had plenty this week; Anne from the Ivory Coast and Lucila from Argentina as well as repeat guests, Elena, Leonardo and Julen as well as Javier and Diana.  Thankfully they were mostly out during the day.

Oli joined us for lunch which of course we had outside as we have all our meals now when it is not too hot.  When she left I had a surprise video call from my cousin Zuka who I haven't spoken to for far too long. This summer we shall be going to see her in France. How lovely to have plans for the summer. 

It was on Monday that the volcano on Mount Etna in Sicily erupted. It was big news but not for locals. My friend Joanne was on holiday in Sicily and saw the plumes of smoke close up. Wow!

On Tuesday Oli and family came again to use the pool and it was during their visit I was alerted to the fact that there was and is a water issue in our neighbourhood where the water comes from wells and not the Madrid Canal de Isabel II. I'm not really sure what happened. I think one of the wells was leaking and needed mending but it meant the water was cut off that night and we were told not to irrigate our gardens. We didn't know for how long. El Bosque where we live seems to suffer from all sorts of power cuts, water issues, telco problems, etc and that's because all the infrastructure is very old and the town hall we belong to doesn't think that El Bosque (a gated community) is their top priority. Anyway, by the end of the week the pipes were all fixed. 

I have nothing to complain about when you think of the starving population in Gaza or the war in Ukraine. There is no sign of peace between Russia and Ukraine but this week they at least exchanged prisoners. This came after a daring military operation planned by the Ukrainian secret service when hundreds of drones attacked Russian military sites, bombing at least 40 planes. It was 18 months in the planning and must have made Putin furious. 

In the afternoon I had an appointment with my GP, a young doctor called Elena, the one who prescribed me the weight loss drug first patented for diabetics. I have been on Mounjaro for 3.5 months now,   since 21st February and so far have lost 8 kilos. I persuaded her to prescribe it to me for 2 more months and then taper off with the lowest dose; 2.5mg. It's expensive but really worth it as it takes the suffering out of trying to lose weight. Basically you can eat what you want within reason but you tend not to eat much because appetite is suppressed as Mounjaro slows down digestion leaving you feeling full for longer. Elena had initially agreed to prescribe it not so much for weight loss but to reduce my level of cholesterol. Worried about any side affects on my pancreas, she arranged for me to have a blood test the next day and she will be ringing me on 12th with the results. Many more people would benefit from Mounjaro if it was covered by the health service  which it isn't for weight loss; only for diabetics. Honestly it could resolve obesity in the world. The only thing we don't know is what happens when you come off it. Time will tell. Meanwhile, I am delighted to have lost so much weight and to be under 10 stone again. 

It was prawn night that evening for dinner, as we call it and Suzy joined us as she loves them as much as me. I make them in a salad with lettuce and avocado which is divine. 

I was happy that night to see Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning champion get through to the Semi Finals at Roland Garros. He then played  Musetti   and won after the Italian sadly had to quit.  But the semi final to watch was Djokovich vs Sinner; the match of the tournament, until then,  I suppose. Sinner was on fire and beat him in 3 difficult sets. And now Sinner (23)  and Alcaraz (22) meet in the final today.  Alcaraz has played amazingly but I think Sinner is playing better at the moment. The final is  at 14.30 and I shall miss the match. May the best man win which I hope is the Spaniard. In any case, if it's not this time it will be another. They are the future of the Big 3 and will excite tennis fans for years to come. If Sinner wins it will he his 4th grand slam and if  "Carlitos" beats him, it will be his 5th. Exciting tennis is being played at Roland Garros despite the end of the Big 3. 

Wednesday saw me at the local health centre for my blood test.  One is supposed to go on an empty stomach but I never do as I just have to have a cup of coffee after waking up. Otherwise I would probably faint. In any case I don't really think a cup of coffee (with milk) will affect the results much or at least I hope not. 

Wednesday was the best day of the week, the highlight being lunch out with Julio at El Filandón, one of our favourite restaurants. It was to celebrate our friend becoming a University Professor ("catedrático"). He's so clever and I'm so happy for him. We got dressed up for the occasion, something we don't get to do often so I got Suzy to take a couple of photos of us. Note we are both wearing our white denim jeans. Eladio said he looked like a painter or plumber, hahaha. He didn't. I chose one of them for this week's feature photo and here is the other.

Dressed up and ready to go out for lunch midweek

It's not often we go out during the week which made Wednesday's outing quite special. 

We left early to stop and buy him a belated birthday present. We chose a blue polo shirt from Massimo Duti. While at Centro Oeste I got two lovely short sleeved polo shirts for Eladio as well as a set of gorgeous wine glasses from Zara Home. I don't really need wine glasses but they are so beautiful. These are them.

Our new wine glasses from Zara Home

I was attracted by the style and the different coloured stems. They are very, very light, they almost feel like plastic. I read the are made of a very resistant glass called borosilicate. Have you heard of it? I hadn't. 

We got to El Filandón half an hour early so enjoyed the surroundings before we went in and we took some more photos like this one of me.

At El Filandón on Wednesday

And here is one of Eladio at our table while we waited for Julio to arrive.

Eladio at El Filandón

We enjoyed a glass of wine while we waited and I ate a whole roll of bread with butter. It was great so see Julio again, the last time being 3rd January. He was looking good and happy with life. We had lots to catch up on while we ate some delicious food. The men had fish and I had the hamburger. Dessert was pancakes and lemon pie which we shared. I was so full when we left. Dear Juli treated us as he always does and we promised to see him again in July at ours for lunch. He always wants me to make him "cocido" which I will. 

We were home late and hit the sack immediately and would you believe I slept from 5.30 to 7pm? Neither of us were hungry for dinner as you can imagine.

Thursday started with a video call to New Zealand to talk to my dear cousin Katty, Zuka's daughter. It was good to catch up with her news but sad not to see her this summer. The time difference couldn't be greater. While I was having breakfast she was about to make their dinner, hahahaha. 

We went out mid morning that day for coffee with our friends Roberto and Mari Carmen who had brought me my Mounjaro as she is a pharmacist, bless her. It's always good to catch up with them. I hope they can join us in July for a few days in Montrondo. 

In the afternoon I continued watching the excellent series about the Lockerbie plane crash which happened in 1988 and which I remember well. It's called The Bombing of Pan Am 103 and is on the BBC iPlayer. What a tragedy all round. Later Oli and family joined us again and swam in the pool. Wanting to use our lovely new glasses I brought them out on a tray with wine and pistachios and orange juice for the kids. I drank too much of the lovely Marqués de Riscal verdejo wine from Rueda which gave me a huge headache that night. Thus I couldn't continue watching the Pan Am Bombing series.

Eladio was watching Spain play France in the semi final of the League of Nations. Would you believe Spain was leading 4-0 and the final result was 5-4? My God it was close. Now Spain plays Portugal in the final today in Munich. May the best team win and may it be Spain. 2 of the 5 goals were scored by 17 year old wonder kid, Lamine Yamal for whom the sky is the limit when it comes to his future. He may even win this year's "Ballon D'or   and if it's not this year it will be another one. Even I found the match exciting although football is not really my thing.

Suddenly it was Friday, the end of the week and it was another lovely sunny day. We went for a walk, our first in a long time after which I skinny dipped and showered by the pool. Thankfully no guests were around. 

The main news on my iPad seemed to be the all out war on social media between the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, and the most powerful man in the world, Donald Trump. The Tesla guru helped him win the elections and then worked for him cutting costs everywhere until their relationship went sour which I predicted from the very beginning. Musk is furious with Trump's latest internal budget but I'm sure there is more to it than that. Two such big egos could never work side by side smoothly could they? 

We were on our own for lunch as Suzy went to the hen party. Later we heard she had felt a bit overwhelmed but it was good for her to socialise. I spent the afternoon by the pool with my lovely new iPad. I had a Facetime call with my dear friend Amanda who is coming soon and I can't wait. Later we watched Alcaraz beat Museti but the most thrilling match was between the Serb Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner, the past and future of tennis. I think it was the only time I wanted the Serb to win but it wasn't to be. 

Saturday was 7th June, my dear mother's birthday. To think she died so long ago, in 1999 but I still miss her dearly. She went far too early in life. She would have loved to have met Elliot and Juliet. Oli brought them in the morning so she could to day 2 of the hen party but this Suzy didn't join her. Who brightened up my day was Mohammad who came for lunch.  Remember my Iraqi guest who lived with us all of last year? He has come back to Spain and will be working in Murcia and wanted to see us while in Madrid. That was a lovely reunion. I had made "spag bol" for lunch and here is the picture I took and which I am not in, I'm afraid. 

Lunch with the kids and Mohammad

While Eladio looked after the kids, Mohammad and I had a good catch up. Although his visit was short, it was sweet and I hope we see him again soon.  It's unfortunate he couldn't stay here but there was no room in the inn I'm afraid this weekend. I took him back to his accommodation and as I returned, new guests were arriving, a Franco Spanish couple from France coming to visit their daughter who is studying here. Shortly afterwards the kids' father picked them up and I felt awful telling they couldn't use the pool as the guests would be using it. That's one of the drawbacks of renting rooms here at times. 

Our day had been pretty hectic so it was good to rest afterwards but for me there is no rest for the wicked. I spent part of the late afternoon on guest related activity. I have a lovely English family coming to stay in Santa Pola next month. Bless them, it is their first time abroad and they would end up in our house. Of course I am helping them with everything they need. Their latest request was whether there would be any milk in the apartment when they arrived. What can I say?

And today is Sunday and we are off again this time joined by Suzy and Pippa.  But of course you will hear all about it if you read my blog next week. They will return on Wednesday and from Thursday I am going to spend 8 whole days with my Nottingham Uni besties, Sandra and Adele in Santa Pola and we are going to have wonderful girly time, that's for sure. 

I shall leave you now and get on with all that's needed for our trip and journey. Wishing you a happy Sunday, cheers from Masha

,

The heat came, Roland Garros tribute to 14 times champion Rafa Nadal, retail therapy with my husband, a stop for wine and ham in Rueda, to Montrondo for 4 wonderful days, Eladio and his scythe, market day in Villablino and other stories of the week.

 Montrondo, Sunday 1st June, 2025 

Our first stop in Rueda for wine and ham since last September

Good morning friends and readers.

It's lovely to be writing this week's blog post from Montrondo, the village where my husband was born and which means so much to us all. We hadn't been back since the beginning of last September, so quite a while. We came, mainly, to spring clean and get the house ready for when Andy and Amanda come. But we had time to enjoy the village and of course the good weather.  

The heat came to Spain this week and in Seville the temperature reached 40ºc. I think it reached 37ºc in Madrid but in Montrondo it's always much cooler because of the mountains. The village lies at over 1000m high so you would never get 40ºc here. We have had a lousy and rainy winter so I am glad the good weather is here to stay, because it will, but I do not like the extreme temperatures. Who does? 

Last Sunday in Madrid it was a pleasant 28ºc. I had slept well, we went for our walk and wish now I had swum in the pool as we had it to ourselves. Soon I must take the plunge.

On that day the organisers of the French Open, better known as Roland Garros, organised an amazing celebration of Rafa Nadal's tennis performance there. In his career he won 22 grand slams and 14 of them were at Roland Garros. He didn't get much of a send off in Spain but I suppose it was much more fitting for it to take place on the Philippe Chatrier court. No other tennis player has ever won Roland Garros so many times - Bjorn Bjorg comes second with 6 titles - and possibly no other player will ever rival Rafael Nadal who is the King of Clay. There are 4 grand slams; Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open and the French Open. The most prestigious is Wimbledon but they say the most difficult and tiring is the French Open because of playing on clay. Being a great fan, I had to watch the tribute. The place was packed with everyone wearing brown t-shirts (for clay) with Merci Rafa written on them.

The Roland Garros tribute to Rafa Nadal last Sunday

 

 

As the French Open had started that day the place was full of course but anyone who was anyone in tennis was also there, as well as all of Nadal's family including his two grandmothers, wife and baby Rafa. I loved his humble speech in halting French, in his native tongue and also in English which he had to learn on the circuit. The big moment was of course when the Big 4 were all together. Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were with him to celebrate his career. After all they were very much a part of it. It would never have been the same without them. I mostly loved the rivalry between Nadal and Federer and miss it dearly. And then the French surprised Rafa with a beautiful gesture, a tile on the very court he won on with his name, footprint and his 14 wins. This tile will be there as long as the French Open continues to exist. 

Rafa's footprint to be forever at Roland Garros - the Big 4 together.

 

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I think that was the most emotional moment for Rafa and for anyone watching.It was also very gallant of the French to put on such a ceremony for the Spaniard. Over the years the public came to love him, despite his not being French. In his speech he said he felt like an honorary Frenchman. Merci Rafa is all I can say.

Monday came and it was time to weigh myself - I do so every 2 weeks while taking Mounjaro. I was gutted to see I had put on 400 grammes but not surprised after 2 meals out, a birthday lunch and Oli's cake.  

For once that morning, Oli told me on time to watch her live on TV. I do wish she would always tell me and wouldn't be so blasé about it. Anyway, I was happy to watch her, not so the story which was about houses affected and ruined by works done on one of the Metro lines some years ago in San Fernando de Henares.   

Oli live on TV on Monday

The temperature reached 30ºc that day and when I was ready for our walk, wearing summer clothes, my husband said it was too hot for our walk boohoo. Instead we went to Manacor for coffee and made plans for coming here and to Santa Pola next week. 

Suzy was very down that day. She is going through a period where she is becoming aware of her condition and that is very, very hard. Oli came for lunch which helped. They later had a tête à tête which did her good and we had another one later. I felt so sorry for my eldest daughter and will do anything for her to be happy.

That was the day the crazy man in Liverpool drove into crowds celebrating the Premiere Cup. He is a 53 year old former Marine who used his car as a weapon and has been accused of injuring 70 people while taking drugs. It beggars belief.

What also beggared belief was the incident that day where Macron's 25 year older wife, Brigitte, slapped him viciuosly on the face as the couple were about to leave their plane upon landing in Vietnam. It was caught on camera and a lip reader later said she had used a four letter word and called him a loser. As they walked down the steps of the aircraft she refused to take his arm. Obviously their relationship is not all roses and sunshine. You don't often hear of women beating their husbands but it happens.  

We live in a crazy world. That was the word Trump used to describe Putin that day in frustration for the Russian leader not agreeing to a peace plan with Ukraine. Did he really ever believe he would?

Tuesday came and Eladio was up early to mow the lawn before it got too hot. That's one hell of a job but he still refuses to hire a man to do it for him. I wish he would. When he had finished I took him clothes shopping. He usually hates that but I insisted after having had a look at his shorts and summer trousers which are nearly all old, torn or stained. I was determined to get him some lovely slim fit white denims and white shorts. We bought all of them at Zara and Cortefiel. At the latter I even got myself a pair of denim shorts. I don't have great knees but need shorts for the summer. As Eladio said, "they are your knees", bless him. 

New denim shorts for me with my ugly knees

In the end it was retail therapy we both enjoyed and it did us good.

Meanhile, the King (aka King Charles III) was in Canada on an official state visit. He was there too to bolster relations with Canada which is part of the Commonwealth. Neither Canada nor the UK want Trump to claim the country as another state. I wonder what Trump was thinking if he watched which he probably did.

Amanda and I had a FaceTime call that afternoon - no more Skype calls - how odd. It was good to catch up as we hadn't spoken for about 2 weeks. I can't wait for her and Andy to come at the end of this month. We are going to have a blast. 

When we had finished, Suzy and I went out on errands together. She was a bit better that day thank goodness. Sometimes it's a step backwards and then a step forwards and you never know what the day will bring. 
 

Wednesday dawned, the day we were going to Montrondo. Sadly, Suzy didn't want to come with us. Hopefully she will one day. It's been a long time. 

The one thing I love about the drive here which is over 400km is the stop at Palacio de Bornos, a wonderful winery in Rueda, the area which produces the best white in Spain in my opinion. We nearly always stop to have a glass of wine and a platter of fresly cut cured ham. I have to add that we also buy white chocolate with almonds which we have in the car afterwards.We were warmly welcomed by the staff and enjoyed our food and drink on the terrace outside so that Pippa could be with us. That is the photo I have chosen as this week's feature photo. Rueda is another of my happy places in this world. While there we got a box of 6 bottles of our favourite white wine, Palacio de Bornos (Verdejo) and three bottles of red - Lleiroso from nearby Ribera del Duero. 

Our stop was at around noon so I wasn't hungry for lunch when we arrived in the village. I love the house we built 10 years ago from the shell of Eladio's family home but I hate arriving with all that that entails. We have to open all the shutters and clean a lot of surfaces before unpacking and filling the fridge. But once it's done, I'm happy. 

We came to good weather. Both of Eladio's sisters were in the village and we spent some time with them. We all had coffee together (decaf) on Pili's terrace and caught up on each other's lives. I slept well that night as I nearly always do here apart from last night.

We woke up on Thursday knowing we had  a big job to do. We had to spring clean the house thoroughly. As I told Amanda in our call this week, Montrondo is the only house we don't have a cleaner for and I wish we did.  My main job was sorting out bedding, changing sheets in the upstairs bedrooms and then I got down to the nitty gritty. I cleaned 3 bathrooms and all the doors and windows on the top two floors while Eladio had the terrible job of removing pigeon excrament from the upper floor terrace. They are the bane of this house and he keeps coming up with solutions to ward them off but none have worked so far. I had a break for elevenses and went with Pili to Senra to have coffee at the grumpy man's bar. While there I spoke to Suzy and she then spoke to her aunt who she hasn't seen for so many years. It was an emotional moment. My daughter has promised to come this summer. I really hope she does come. 

After lunch Eladio got out the sun loungers and put them in the back garden where I spent some time reading while he slept - he can sleep anywhere. I had to take a photo to share with you. It was a very relaxing moment.  

A moment of relax in Montrondo

 We later convened at Pili's and had another decaf. Later we were joined by Manolita, one of the most important people in this village. I always love to see her. We talked about politics would you believe? While we talked Eladio was cutting the grass in the back garden which had grown enormously. He used the scythe he used as a boy and it's no mean task I can tell you. Here he is with his garden tool.

Eladio and his scythe

I then got him on video explaining what he was doing. It's a classic. Enjoy although it's in Spanish

 

Eladio cutting the grass with his very old fashioned scythe

Of course scythes have gone out of fashion and there are more advanced tools today but my husband prefers his scythe. Not many people know how to use them these days. It's quite an art and I love to see him using this old fashioned tool which I know brings him back so many memories and not all good as his father used to use him as a work horse in the summer holidays.

Suddenly it was Friday which is market day in the nearest town to here, Villablino.  It was once a rich mining town but today the population has dwindled. However, it does a roaring trade by serving all the surrounding villages like Montrondo. There are no other shops anywhere near here so we always go to Villablino to do our shopping and on a Friday so as to coincide with the weekly market.

We went to do the shopping at Gadis and to a couple of ironmongers and of course had our morning coffee.  Coffee in Villablino is a ritual. You get it served with a platter full of sweet pastries and tortilla, hardly any of which we could eat. But I loved the moment. 

Enjoying coffee in Villablino

We later went to the market which was nearly closed. But I managed to find a lovely denim jacket. I have never owned one and always wanted to and now that I am a bit slimmer I thought it looked good on me. This is it. 
 

My 20 euro denim jacket made in Italy which I bought at the market in Villablino

And guess what? I got more shorts for Eladio, this time denim ones. Now we both have denim shorts, except that Eladio's legs are pleasanter than mine, haha.

Knowing we would be home late and not wanting to make lunch late, I booked a table at La Bolera in Robles de Laciana on the outskirts of Villablino. There was a 15 euro menu of the day but I chose a platter of cecina and a salad. Cecina is similar to braseola and is a typical product of León. The cecina they serve at La Bolera is the best I have ever tried. I wish I knew where to buy the same one. Here I am enjoying the cecina and below is a photo of Eladio leaving the restaurant, one I rather like because of the surroundings - it's all green. 

Lunch at La Bolera in Robles

Once home we made a beeline for the sun loungers to lie under the shade of the apple trees, except that Pippa beat me to it. Just look at her in my place hahahaha.

Siesta time in Montrondo this week. Just look who is in my place, yes Pippa!

We had had a lovely day which ended with a light dinner of leftovers and falling asleep watching rubbish on Netflix.

Saturday came and there was more cleaning to do. This time I tackled the ground floor, the doors, windows, our bathroom and all the surfaces in our room. It was quite a job but I was pleased when I had finished. Eladio, meanwhile hoovered the whole house We also changed our sheets, sorted out more bedding and did loads of laundry. Everything dried quickly in the sun and by the end of the day our house was sparkling clean and ready for its next visitors. 

While cleaning I made "cocido" stew for lunch and to take leftovers home. We didn't finish our work until the late afternoon. Only then could I go out and read under the shade of the apple trees, my favourite place here and another happy place for me. I have many as you know.  We went to bed far too early, at around 10.15 which probably explains why I woke up ad 5 am this morning.

Today is Sunday and it's 1st June, the beginning of one of my favourite months. I love the long days with light until nearly 10 pm. We have to go home today but will be back  at the end of the month with our friends.  

We've had 4 wonderful days here, spent mostly cleaning but in peace. We didn't once go for a walk but will make up for that when we come back in a few weeks time. We shall be leaving here early so as to get home for lunch. I always love going home after a stay away but am not looking forward to the heat.

That's it from me for this week. Sending you all the best from Montrondo, cheers and thanks for reading this post,

Masha. 

A sunny week in May, news from St Giles Church in Ickenham, remembering Aunty Gloria, Olivia turns 40, birthday celebrations and other stories of the week.

 Madrid, Sunday 25th May, 2025

My lovely girls Suzy and Oli with their father Eladio on Oli's birthday on Thursday at Tuareg restaurant

Dear all. How has your week been? This has been one of the best so far this year.

Last Sunday we left Santa Pola and drove home on time for lunch outside. We have had all our meals oudoors since we got back as the weather has improved dramatically. It really has been a sunny week and hopefully that's the end of the rain. It was 27ºc when we sat down to eat lunch made by dear Tana.

On Sunday lots of things happened on the international scene. It was the aftermath of the ridiculous Eurovision Song Contest which used to be a lovely event but no longer. Austria won with a stupid song and Spain came last but one with a useless song. Israel came second which stirred the political heat and would you believe Spain gave Israel 12 votes?  That's all due to the ridiculous voting rules where one person can vote 20 times.The whole system seems rigged. But no more about this silly event.  Much more dramatically a Mexicn naval ship lost power and barged into Brooklyn Bridge killing 2 people. How can that happen? In Rome, meanwhile, the new Pope Leo XIV was literally being enthroned in a far too sumptuous ceremony in front of more than 150 delegations. The happiest news for me though was hearing that Carlos Alcaraz had beaten Janik Sinner in Rome that very day and won the Italian Open. Let's see how the reigning champion gets on at Roland Garros starting soon. 

Monday came and I had slept better than usual.  With all the rain and sunshine our roses were running wild and many needed pruning. That's my only job in the garden - well, I also deadhead the geraniums when I remember - and I did it that morning. Eladio caught me on camera coming back with a splendid yellow rose. Oh, how I love our roses.

 

Returning from pruning the roses

As I write, I know they need more pruning so I shall do so straight after publishing today's post.

The news that day was mostly about elections in Portugal, Romania and Poland and that Trump was to have a phone call with Putin about peace for Ukraine. The former came away saying peace talks would begin immediately but it hasn't happened so far. 

We went shopping and then to Ikea to get  a desk for Suzy. Oli joined us for lunch and it was just the four of us that day. Suzy's mood had improved a lot since we got back from Santa Pola and I attribute it to her facing all the demons there. She has been in a better place since, thank goodness. Oh, how she worries me.

Eladio set about mounting the new desk - he is good at those things -and I caught him on camera to remember the moment. I love that my husband is good with his hands.

 

Eladio assembling Suzy's new desk from Ikea

I was doing something on my computer and it crashed. I could not login with my Microsoft pin and kept getting a message to say they couldn't load my profile. It was impossible to talk to a person and all online help was pretty useless. I resorted to their Twitter handle and although they were sympathetic they couldn't do anything. It was obvious this was a Windows issue and not an account issue. Thus I rang a PC wiz we know and he would come the next night. I was dreading having to buy a new PC but not worried about the content  as I have everything stored in the cloud hosted by One Drive (Microsoft). I learned that the hard way when my computer crashed during the pandemic and I lost everything. 

In England that day, some were celebrating a post Brexit deal signed with the EU which will probably bring some improvement but very little.  Oh bloody Brexit!

On Tuesday I was out with Suzy on errands which included coffee at Manacor. We bumped into our Russian neighbour Ekaterina and invited her to coffee. It was good to spend time with her. Katia is a volunteer with the Red Cross and she has promised to introduce Suzy there to see if she too can lend a helping hand. That would be just wonderful. Watch this space. We had lunch outside again and I have a photo to prove it.

 

One of our lunches outside this week

We babysat for our grandchildren Elliot (5) and Juliet (3) in the afternoon while Oli went to her French classes. They behaved so so and were best entertained when given their notebooks and crayons. Here are the little mites outside drawing. I have to say Elliot seems to be very talented at drawing. 

Elliot and Juliet drawing

Our grandchildren have such a wonderful upbringing with all their needs and more catered for, not so the poor children and babies of the Gaza Strip which Israel is destroying daily. Did you know that since the beginning of the Israeli Gazan war on 7th October, 16.503 children have been killed, 900 of them babies. That is a terrible average of 22 children killed a day. On top of that the Israeli government has stopped any aid getting into Gaza until the last few days after international pressure. I understand the Israelis need to counter attack the terrorist group Hamas, but not children and babies or the general population. The Jews underwent the Holocaust and yet they are the instigators of the genocide in Gaza. Dont' they see that? I can't stand it.

Later that night, Luis, the PC wiz, came to inspect my PC. Within the hour he had it up and running again. On the downside, he had to take out the battery which was bulging, in case it exploded (gosh) and I have ordered a new one. He only charged 20 euros. What a guy. Thank you Luis for saving my computer, the one I am writing on now and without which I would be lost.

On Wednesday we resumed our walks. The flora had grown so much that at times wewere knee deep in flowers or grass. But it was beautiful. I love this time of year when the temperatures rise, the days are long and everything is green. It is of course the gateway to the summer. Thus this week I have been able to wear summer clothes and have been happy to see myself fit into some I wouldn't have been able to wear last year but can now thanks to Mounjaro. What a discovery.

At 11.30 I had a coffee date with my friend and neighbour Elena. It was good to see her again and to catch up on each other's lives. I don't see a lot of her as she and her husband seem to spend their lives on cruises.

It was while I was with her that I got a message from the new Rector at St. Giles Church in Ickenham. That's the village outside London where my father's family lived. His sister Gloria and her husband Derek bought a house there on 18 Ivy House Road when they married and shortly afterwards his parents bought one too on 17 Hoylake Crescent when they retired so as to be near Gloria. Derek and Gloria had three children, my cousins, Jacqueline, Michael and Antony. We were very close to them, spending every Christmas in Ickenham and then on 23rd May 1971 they met their death in an air crash while landing at Rijeka airport in Croatia. You probably know the tragic story. They had met on the island of Krk and when my grandmother died and they inherited some money, they decided to take their children on holiday to "Mummy and Daddy's island", except that they met their death there. I was 14 at the time and the children, 12, 9 and 7 and when I was given the awful news by my mother, something died inside me. I was given a cross to bear that I shall carry to my grave. I knew this week was the 54th anniversary of their death so was surprised to hear from St. Giles. The Rector, a woman called Christine, wrote to tell me that the lovely Memorial window built for them had been damaged in a break in in 2024 but that they had lovingly restored it and that this Sunday they would be redidicating it. Oh my God, that brought it all back but at the same time, it was so comforting to know what the church was going to do after all these years. I wrote back immediately to send Christine some information of their story, a story that never left the village either. There are people who were children like me in 1971 and who all remember the event and who knew my little cousins very well. It is comforting to know that they have lived on in many other people's memories, not only mine. If only Christine had told me earlier, then maybe I would have gone to London to be at the church this Sunday. Dear Gloria, Derek and my little cousins, this is a beautiful event in your memory today. If you don't already know, I have carried you all in my heart ever since you left this earth, too early in life. It is my dear Aunty Gloria I mourn most. She was my father's youngest sister and they adored each other in a quiet English way. You were my own English aunty, a wonderful, jolly and sensible person who cared for everyone around you. I loved you and always regret never telling you so. God bless you all. 

When I told my family, Olivia remarked "The Brits are so good at this". She is right. What other church would bother to restore a memorial window built more than 50 years ago? Thank you Christine, thank you St. Giles and the people of Ickenham from the bottom of my heart. 

While this was going on a terrible shooting took place in nearby Pozuelo. Andriy Portnov, a famous Ukrainian ex politician who sided with Russia and was embroiled in corruption in Kiev, had just dropped off his children at the American school when he was fired at and killed in a question of minutes. This took place as children were entering the school. Olivia commented how close the mafia or whoever did this, is to where we live. It seems like a story from the US and not from Spain so rather shocked the country. Who did it? The Russians, the Ukrainians or was it a revenge killing. Whatever it was it was rather too close to our home for our liking. Olivia who covered the case told me the fees at the American school are 2800 euros a month so the man must have been pretty rich.

This killing followed the killing of 2 Israeli Embassy workers in Washington the day before. 

In our FaceTime call that afternoon, Amanda and I talked about this and of course got up to speed on each other's lives as we like to do. I can't wait to see her and Andy when they come for 12 days at the end of June. Oh what fun we are going to have. 

Thursday 22nd May came and it was Olivia's 40th birthday. Gosh, where have the years gone?  How can my happy and hard working little girl be 40. She is now a mother and wife in her own right and I am so proud of her. She brings us so much joy. 

Suzy and I went out for coffee and to get cake for her lunch which we would have at El Tuareg, a Moroccan restaurant nearby, just the four of us. Saturday would be the official birthday lunch with our grandchildren but on her actual birthday it was just the four of us. How lovely. As soon  as we got to El Tuareg I took a photo of my girls and Eladio and have chosen it as this week's feature photo. Suzy looks so much better in it I think. This week she started group therapy and I hope it helps. She seems to be in such a better place this week bless her. 

Apart from the little cakes we got, I also took a bunch of yellow tulips (bought at the petrol station I am afraid) and a tiara and band for her to wear. I had to have a photo of that too. Look

 

Olivia at 40

Her present was a restaurant voucher for her and Miguel to enjoy a night out on their own while we babysit the kids. We had such a lovely time that when I got home and bumped into a young girl in the kitchen, I had forgotten a guest was coming that day. Thank God I had told Tana who had checked her in.

The rest of the day was quiet, a rest, The Good Doctor, a light dinner on the terrace, followed by the news. I was appalled to hear that Trump has forbidden the University of Harvard from accepting foreign students, including those who are already there. This comes after accusations of anti semitism, links with China and inclusion practices. Does the man have limits? I guess not and he interferes everywhere damn the man. I have heard  that immigration officials look at people's social media profiles when they enter US soil so I can only conclude I will probably never be let in again; not that the US is on my bucket list anymore, having been many times and having always hated the way I was treated by border officials.  What has America come to I ask myself? Not a land of freedom, but an autocratic state, reminiscent of fascist or communist countries of the past. And yet half the population voted for him. I don't get it, I really don't.

Friday came and would be busy thus I was up at the crack of dawn at 5.30 am. I wanted to write most of this blog as I wouldn't have time at the weekend. Then we had to do the shopping and Suzy had to take a medical test to renew her driving licence, or rather change her UK one back to a Spanish one. Meanwhile, she shouldn't be driving but she does. Suzy helped with the shopping until she had to go off to for her first group therapy session. She was rather nervous and didn't want to talk about it later. Oh dear. Anything can trigger her ups and downs. 

Meanwhile, Eladio and I went out for lunch to redeem a voucher Olivia had bought us for Christmas. Her choice was a seafood place called El Barco de Aparicio in Pozuelo and was full so is obviously very popular. We were spoiled for choice and I went for seafood, small scallops, delicious shrimp fritters and large prawns in garlic. I also ordered razor clams but had to send them back as they smelled strange. I couldn't finish half of my food (thank you Mounjaro) but neither could Eladio who had ordered a fish and bean stew followed by grilled turbot. Niether of these would have been my choices. It was lovely to sit outside in the good weather and be wined and dined with excellent seafood. Here are some pics to remember our outing that day.

 

Lunch at El Barco de Aparicio in Pozuelo yesterday courtesy of Olivia

I was even busy when I got back as I was waiting to receive 2 new guests, one of who didn't get here until 10 pm that night. I also had to make Oli's Victoria sponge cake with Suzy. I used a trusted recipe but it came out rather lopsided and took a lot longer than the recommended 20 minutes. This was it as I took it out of the cake tin.

 

Our rather lopsided Victoria sponge cake

We left it in the fridge overnight and on Saturday morning I sliced it with difficulty but managed. I then made the whipped cream and icing. Suzy filled the sponge with the jam and cream and iced the top. Later we would decorate it with blueberries and raspberries. It wasn't very professional as some of the cream will spilled out but I knew it would taste delicious. We made it because it's Oli's favourite.

And this was the result my friends. 

 

Oli's sui generis Victoria sponge cake for her birthday

Only then could I join Eladio and Pippa on our walk. Once home I set about making the beer batter for the fish and the mushy peas. Tana did the chips. Oli, Elliot and Juliet arrived soon and by about 2pm (our lunchtime) we were sitting at the table about to dig into home made fish and chips. I had to have a photo before everyone started eating. 

Yesterday's birthday lunch; fish and chips of course

The kids loved the cake moment as do we all and we had to do our very best to stop them sticking their fingers in the cake before it was served hahahahha. And here is Oli with Elliot and Juliet while we all sang  Happy Birthday to you which Juliet wanted ro repeat over and over again.

 

The birthday cake moment

Oli is nor very happy at turning 40. I told her to worry about her age until she turns 60 or 70 but not 40 which is the age in which she is in her prime. 

We later adjoined to the swimming pool which we had to our own as all our guests were out doing exams. We had a fun afernoon trying often hopelessly to get the kids to behave and not hit eachother. Here is a moment when they were both at peace.

 

The kids by the pool yesterday

I enjoyed being with Oli and Suzy alone and with the kids. At one stage their friend Copi rang about her wedding and hen party. She is getting married in July and they will be her bridesmaids. I think this is somehing which Suzy is now looking forward to. I love to see her talking enthusiastically with Copi, something we couldn't have dreamed of a year ago. She has even reconnected with another friend from the past. Piano piano my friends. And here are both girls talking to their oldest friend Copi.

 

Suzy and Oli on the phone to Copi yesterday

With us of course was Pippa, all afternoon. Everything looked splendid. The flowers around the pool were in bloom and the vegetation could not have been greener. I caught Pips on camera surrounded by flowers. Here she is, our little dacschund who is an integral part of the family.

 

Pippa always with us

The afternoon did not end well when Elliot pushed Juliet into the deep end. I didn't see him do it as I was in the kitchen with Suzy. We heard screams and rushed to see Oli coming out of the pool fully dressed with a very shocked Juliet. Elliot swore he didn't do it but Juliet said he did. What a fright. Thank God Oli and Eladio were there. This is how pool deaths occur and there are many recorded in Spain every year. It was a rather shocking end to a lovely day together but thankfully all's well that ends well. 

When they left to go out to dinner, none of of us was hungry so after eating just a bit of fruit and yoghurt we retired to our quarters.

I slept relatively well last night and look forward to a quiet Sunday at home. This time next week I shall probably be writing to you from Montrondo where we haven't been since last August. We need to clean the house and get it ready for Amanda and Andy's visit in June. The weather promises to be good there too so I am looking forward to our trip to Eladio's village. 

That's it from me now for this week so let me just wish you all a great Sunday. Cheers till next week,

All the best Masha

c