Last days in Santa Pola with Andy and Amanda, a walk on the beach, playing Parchis, visit to Elche, home again, Pippa goes to the vet, helicopter accident in New York kills a Spanish family of 5, celebrating Miguel's 50th birthday, and other stories of the week.

Madrid,  Sunday, 13th April, 2025

Celebrating Miguel's 50th birthday this week

Good morning again friends and readers.

It's good to be home again but what fun we had with Andy and Amanda in Santa Pola. It was a real break for all of us and a break from the horrible news coming from Washington.  Being with my oldest English friends, I probably became a bit British this week which I hope didn't make my husband feel left out.  We didn't watch the news until we got home on Tuesday thus I am not going to go into the intricacies of Trump's imposition of mad tariffs to most countries in the world. All I can say is that the man is crazy. 

I left off last Sunday when we had two more full days together. That day we took our friends to our beach called Carabasi. It is a large beach and is surrounded by dunes where turtles live. Here is a photo of our friends going down the wooden walkway to reach the spot we always go to. We are creatures of habit.

Our friends walking down to the beach last Sunday

We have always loved it. It was such a beautiful day we could have bathed but didn't have the kit. Other people were bathing and I envied them. Instead we took a walk on the beach all the way to the end, passing the nudist part where our friends were a bit shocked by the odd exhibitionist. I am used to them; my friends who are English are not. I was keen to get to the end to our favourite rock where we always sit and contemplate the view and life. From there you can see our blocks of apartments on the cliff above and the Island of Tabarca on the horizon. As I told my friends it is one of my happy places. I think they felt the same. We got a kind passerby to take a photo of the four of us on our rock to share with you here.

The four of us on "our rock", one of my happiest places in the world.

Our English friends were wearing factor 50 sunscreen protection but we weren't and our faces and hands got very tanned, apart from the ring around our eyes protected by our sunglasses. We then walked back and were lucky that the beach bars were open which meant we could have a coffee by the sea. It was another wonderful moment.

We had booked a table for lunch at La Sal by the port in Santa Pola and the place was teeming. It was our second time there during our stay. I enjoyed the starters, especially the mini scallops but was too full for my garlic prawns. It was a bit of a pain that I couldn't really enjoy our lovely lunches out as much as I should have, owing to the appetite suppressant drug that I am taking. It takes the edge off the enjoyment of food after a very small intake. But my companions tucked in and enjoyed their fresh fish. 

La Sal is on the promenade by the port and after lunch we strolled towards the end. There we spied a shop called Ale Hop but more than the shop we spotted a toy duck we had seen on someone's table at the restaurant. Oh how we laughed when we discovered it talks back to you and dances too. We both got one, one for my friends' grandson and one for me. This is it

My talking back duck

Oh how we laughed. Later we found more interactive walking and talking toys and I got a kitten for Juliet and a dinosaur for Elliot. I love Ale Hop and could have spent the afternoon there. But it was so lovely outside we continued our walk until it was time to go home, for my husband's siesta. Andy worked out that my husband's siestas make up for 7 years of his life. We all think this may be the secret to his good health at 80.

Once home, Amanda and I played Ludo which calms us both and is so relaxing. We actually play the Spanish version called Parchis which is much more strategic. Did you know that Rafa Nadal always played parchis in between matches? He would have known just how therapeutic it is.  My dearest friend who I am now missing so much took a photo to remember the moment.

Playing "parchís" - related to Ludo and which comes from India. 

We also played a lot of cards, always Sevens, the only game we can remember the rules for. I love Sevens but wish I could remember how to play Hearts, Whist, etc. 

We all slept well that night and woke up refreshed on Monday morning, our last day together. Having shown our friends nearly all our favourite haunts, it was time to show them the town of Elche, famous for its palm trees, its spectacular botanical gardens called "Huerto del Cura"  and the Basílica.  Of note Elche is home to the biggest palm tree park in Europe. I think my friends saw more palm trees on this holiday than ever in their lives. Elche, the second biggest town in the province of Alicante, is inland and always much warmer than on the coast.  That day the temperature reached 25c. Going home to England must have been a bit of a weather shock for our friends.

Before I continue, I must tell you that Monday was our son-in-law, Miguel's 50th birthday which we would celebrate later in the week. He is Oli's husband the father of our grandchildren Elliot (5) and Juliet (3). They met at the TV station they work for, Spain's national broadcaster, RTVE, where she works as a reporter and he as a cameraman. I mentioned him last week when I wrote about the open sea water race he swam 10 times between the Island of Tabarca and Santa Pola. He used to be a champion open water swimmer. When we celebrated his birthday on Friday I learned from him that he was always in the top ten. I also heard he used to swim in a race from Ibiza to Formentera which is 30km long and takes 14 hours minimum! Imagine.

Now back to Elche. We parked in the centre and walked to to the old town to see the 17th century Basilica built in the Valencian Gothic style. It is famous for the Mystery play (Misteri d'Elx) which is a liturgical drama from the Middle Ages that reenacts the Dormition and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. All the actors and singers come from Elche and they spend a whole year rehearsing. We went a few times many years ago and it is very special. This is the Basílica from the outside. According to my husband who is an ex priest, a Basílica is a Cathedral without a bishop. He should know.

The Basilica with its blue domes so typical of the area

After admiring the inside and outside of the religious building, the oldest working church in Alicante, we headed to the proverbial tourist sign of Elche and took photos there like the one below.

Amanda and I playing the fool in Elche

These days most towns seem to have a tourist sign and we all flock to them don't we?

Later we had our customary morning coffee and then walked slowly towards our main destination in Elche, the Botanical Gardens. Called El Huerto del Cura (the orchard of the priest), Eladio and I first went there in the summer we met in 1980 and have been back many times. It was founded by a priest called José Castaño Sánchez in the 1870's and is the most important part of the palm tree park in the city.  It is home to the most unique date palm tree in the world. Called the Imperial Palm Tree it owes its name to the Empress Sisi who they say was entranced when she saw it in the autumn of 1894. The tree consists of a male date palm with seven branches that have grown symmetrically from the same trunk. That is what makes it unique.  Once again I took a photo of it to show you.

The Imperial date palm tree at El Huerto del Cura in Elche

We spent a good two hours walking around this oasis that houses an amazing collection of palm trees and cacti from all over the world as well as beautiful ducks and a very ostentatious peacock. This beautiful bird showed its feathers to all and sundry and my friend Amanda captured him on camera. Watch and enjoy

The peacock at El Huerto del Cura showing off

For our last day together I had booked a table again at La Masía de Chencho which we liked so much the last time. It was a great meal, except that 8 large prawns fished in Santa Pola cost 100 euros! It was during that meal I got news that our eldest daughter was having a meltdown at home, despite the medication. From then on I just felt so guilty for not being with her and guilty for having gone away. In the end we decided to stick to our plans to return on Tuesday morning as there was nothing we could do that night. 

Once home I managed to get through the rest of the day but of course slept badly. We were all up early on Tuesday morning and were ready to leave at around 10.30. We dropped off our dear friends at the airport and I hope to see them again at the end of May here in Spain. We then drove all the way home with just one stop for coffee and petrol. Home by 3.15, Suzy was waiting for us to have lunch together on the terrace in the sun. She melted into our arms and since then she has been a lot better. I was so glad to be home and so guilty for having been away. She had lost 3 kilos in our absence but thankfully began to eat again when we got home. Pippa wasn't well either. We soon noticed she could not walk up and down the stairs so we carried her and got an appointment with the vet on Thursday. Being a dachshund, we worried it was her back that was affected so we took great care of her meanwhile. 

On Wednesday Suzy joined us on our shopping expedition which I think cheered her up enormously. While out, we had coffee together in the sun at Manacor. Then Olivia joined us for lunch which we had outside again. It's not often the four of us are alone together for a meal so it felt rather special. 

On Thursday I went out with Suzy again at her request. She was so kind and sweet to me and expressed gratitude which I don't deserve. She has nothing to be grateful for. We are her parents and will always be there for her. Pippa came with us as we were taking her to the Vet in Majadahonda. I had quite an experience there. Suzy was parking while I waited inside. A boxer was being treated and when it was about to leave it had a heart attack. Thankfully the vet resuscitated it. The vet's 16 year old dachshund, Klaus was walking around the clinic. Pippa always greets dogs of her own breed but not Klaus. I think that's because she was petrified at being at the Vet. I got a great photo of Suzy with both of them. I do hope Pippa lasts as long or more as Klaus.

Suzy with Pippa and Klaus at the Vet

The Vet examined Pippa thoroughly, including an X-ray and concluded she had some pain in her back because of a pinched nerve. She gave her anti inflammatory medication and she was prescribed 10 days of rest with no walking up and down the stairs. As I am writing, she is a whole lot better and it's difficult to stop her going up and down the stairs as she is much faster than us all. Pippa who is 10 has always been a healthy dog so I am crossing my fingers this was just a small crisis and that her back will last her all her life.  She had put on weight as I had been feeding her new dog food which apparently was full of fat. She is now on diet food, poor thing and has to lose about 600 grammes. It was sad to see her not moving and in pain and it's lovely to see her well again.

We came home to have lunch outside again but Thursday would be the last day we did so as the rain came back on Friday damn it. I made "champiñones al ajillo" (grilled garlic mushrooms) for everyone, inspired by having made them for Andy and Amanda in Santa Pola. These were them.

Grilled garlic mushrooms - champiñones al ajillo

Friday came and I woke up to the terrible news of a helicopter accident in New York the day before. There was a family of 5 on board from Spain which of course was big news here as well as worldwide. They died along with the pilot. Agustin Escobar, his wife Mercé Camprubi and their three small children were seen smiling before boarding the tourist helicopter which promises great views of New York at 300 euros per person.  They were supposed to have been celebrating the wife's 40th birthday but instead met their death. How tragic that a whole family met their death that way. When I read the news I was reminded, of course, of my father's sister Gloria and her family who all died in an air crash in Rijeka in 1971. The helicopter broke up in mid air and plunged into the River Hudson in what I have read must now be the 31st helicopter accident in New York since 1980. All I can say is RIP but that I would never take that route. I once took a helicopter from Helsinki to Tallinn over the Baltic Sea and I loved it. A few years later there was a fatal accident on that route and I thought I will never do that again. Helicopters can be dangerous, of course but more so in Manhattan due to congested air traffic in such a small space.

The three of us went out that morning to get things for the birthday dinner we were preparing for Miguel that night. But coffee in the rain is not the same as in the sun. It rained all day and looks like  it will continue over Easter until the end of April. It's a repeat of March and I am so glad we had a reprieve when Andy and Amanda were with us in Santa Pola. 

Just before Olivia and family arrived, it was time for the fourth dose of my second Mounjaro pen which has finished now. I shall start the first and last next Friday. I have not weighed myself since we left for Santa Pola but don't expect as much weight loss as at the beginning. On Tuesday I shall see - crossing my fingers.

We went all out to prepare a lovely birthday dinner including small Spanish omelette, ibérico ham and  a salad with at least 40 peeled prawns (thanks Tana) and the table was laid with the best finery. I was dying to see our grandchildren mainly because I wanted to give them their new interactive toys and some clothes we had bought them at a lovely boutique in Callosa. Juliet adored her cat and Elliot was fascinated with his dinosaur but I think it was the duck they liked best hahaha. Here they are with their toys.

Elliot and Juliet with their new toys

Before we sat down I had to dress up the birthday boy in silly stuff I got a few years ago at the local Chinese shop. Chinese shops sell everything but the kitchen sink in this country hahaha. He's looking good for 50 I think.

Happy birthday Miguel

Before we tucked in I had to have a photo of the family which I have chosen as this weeks' feature photo and which I especially love as Suzy is smiling.  While at the table I remarked to Olivia who was opposite me that it was in this house in February 2007, 1 year after moving in,  that I celebrated my own 50th birthday. And there I was thinking that was old at the time. Now I look at Miguel and he looks so young. 

When we had all had enough prawns, ham and tortilla it was time for the cake or rather cakes.Not sure what cake he likes best, Suzy and I went for a variety of small cakes and of course bought far too many. I had got some firework like candles for the occasion which are very spectacular but you can't blow them out haha. This is the moment I recorded on camera too.

The cake moment on camera

I also took a quick video to share here.

The cake moment on video

When we had stuffed our faces with cake, me included and despite my earlier injection, we had fun with the kids. Elliot loves to run so I timed him running around the table. Juliet always has to imitate him and in the end I had the whole family competing. Oli came first at just under 5 seconds and Elliot a close second.  Elliot is taking after his father and is very competitive.  Hence always doing well in the open sea swimming races. It was a really lovely evening and I was pleased get a message from my son-in-law thanking us for the dinner. It was a great end to the week and lovely to see the family again. Next week they will be spending Easter in Montrondo so we wont' see them for a while, bless them.

Yesterday, Saturday, was a really quite day. Walter our Colombian guest left for Athens and Rome with his daughter who is studying here and we didn't see our other guests, a French couple and Raúl, a repeat young student. The highlight of the day was a walk in the woods with my husband but not with Pippa who has to rest. I can't believe how much the vegetation has grown and it's lovely to see plants in flower. There were some lovely yellow flowers and as I as wearing my yellow coat, I got Eladio to take this photo of me. 

On our walk yesterday - "it's all yellow".

I later sent it to the girls, writing the words "it's all yellow" They know what that means. Once we were in the Cotswolds and took a video of me in a field of yellow rapeseed in which I am heard saying "It's all yellow". That always makes us laugh.

Today is Palm Sunday and will be even quieter than yesterday I imagine. I have yet to think what we will have for lunch. It's my responsibility to put food on the table and every day I have to think of something. We'll see.

That's it from me friends for this week. I hope you have enjoyed the read and I wish you all an enjoyable day.

Cheers till next Sunday which will be Easter Day.

Masha