A week in El Cuetu, Asturias for work and play, beautiful Llanes, Jadoua's story, Eladio's birthday, Póo Beach and other stories of the week.

 Madrid, 28th September, 2025

In Asturias this week - Playa de Póo

Good morning again, this time from home in Madrid. 

Last Sunday found us in our house in El Cuetu in Asturias. We went there to check on the house and sort it out after another summer of renting it on Booking and Airbnb. As you probably know we had a lot of  trouble with our last cleaner but thankfully found another one and mainly went to sort out the bed linen and many other little tasks that were needed.

We decided, however, to go into Llanes in the morning as rain was only forecast in the afternoon and we had to make the most of the sun. Asturias is an area where it rains a lot and the weather can change by the hour. So off we went to the pretty and rather posh seaside town of Llanes. There was no one on the Sablón beach near where we parked but I still took a photo as I love it. One day we must bathe there. 

Playa del Sablón, Llanes

Llanes was once a walled city in medieval times and there are remnants of the castle. The Asturian architecture is unique to the area but similar to the rest of the north coast, stone houses with beautiful balconies and windows often painted different colours. Add the sea and the surrounding mountains and you get one of the pretties towns in Spain.  Here are some examples.

Typical Asturian architecture in Llanes as seen last Sunday

We walked the pretty streets lined with interesting shops and lots of people and made our way to the main square which numerous period dramas have used in Spanish cinema. Called Plaza Parres Sobrino we always have coffee at a bar called La Galerna. And here I am having coffee there that day.

Coffee in Llanes last Sunday

Right opposite is the lovely gourmet food shop, Aramburu which I can never resist and last Sunday was no different. I got some of their cured beef (cecina), home made meat pie, fresh eggs and some chocolate biscuits. We would have some of that for dinner that night.

We came home for lunch and as soon as I had finished my meal, I set about tackling all the linen that was there and which we had brought. I spent a good 2.5h organising and counting towels and sheets. I didn't finish the job the end of our stay.  I was not born to be a housewife, I can tell you but no one else could have done the job.

Monday came and brought more rain. We spent part of the morning in Posada, our nearest town. There I got Eladio's birthday present, more sun glasses - I don't know what he does with them all. We also visited the excellent ironmongers which is a bit like I imagine Aladdin's cave is. They have literally everything and every time we go we always seem to need more things from Ferretería La Plaza. We had coffee of course and then did the dreaded food shopping which included lots of household and bathroom products for ourselves and future guests.  Coming home we felt like birds taking twigs to their nests. It's a bit similar I think. Eladio says we were playing at houses. The afternoon was spent counting more linen and I counted 29 bath towels - more than enough. I ordered lots of stuff from Amazon which was all delivered before we left. I did try to buy some of the items locally but couldn't get them so had to carry on feeding the beast. Bless my husband, Eladio, he did some sewing in the afternoon and mended a pillow case while I made some vegetable soup for our evening meal. I always know the summer is over when we start eating winter soups boohoo. 

We were so engrossed in our tasks that I, at least, didn't pay much attention to the news but of course read the headlines so followed the big UN General Assembly. Did you know that there are 193 member states? That's the whole world except for the Vatican City and Palestine. Palestine was much on the agenda this week and it was good to see Emanuel Macron recognise the state of Palestine, following in the footsteps of many other big countries. There are now 157 countries that recognise Palestine. But from recognition to reality there is a huge stretch because of the firm opposition of Israel and of course the mighty US, with Trump at the helm. Israel continues to annihilate the Gaza strip, killing up to a hundred people a day and a death toll of more than 56.000 since October 2023, nearly 2 years ago. Did you see the photo of a young boy carrying his toddler brother running away from the bombs? This is it.

A Picture says more than a thousand words. This photo embodies the suffering of the people of Gaza

It has stayed in my mind; the total determination of such a young boy  to save his baby sibling and their desperate circumstances. That makes counting towels a stupid task while people in Gaza lack all basic needs. I read that the boy's name is Jadoua and that he and his brother have been rescued by an Egyptian NGO.  I am glad to know the siblings and their family are safe. But what about all the other people suffering like them. When will they be rescued?  And where will they all go if Gaza is destroyed and becomes Trump's new building project which he plans to turn into a resort. The world looks on aghast and accuses Israel of Genocide but doesn't or can't do anything to stop it. Madness. 

I slept quite well in El Cuetu which I can't explain as the room is tiny compared to ours at home and I don't like the pillows but I got more shut eye than usual which is great. 

Tuesday came and it was Eladio's birthday. Is he really 81? He doesn't look it. We met when he was 35 and I was 23 and we have been together now for 45 years, half a lifetime. I gave him his glasses hahaha and we went out to lunch as you will read. Today we are celebrating it with the family and I am making fish and chips; everyone's favourite.

The rain went away and the sun came out just on time for my husband's birthday. We went into Llanes again where I had booked a table at El Mirador de Toró by the beach of the same name. We enjoyed the walk there and I had to have a photo of the birthday boy. Notice the typical Asturian architecture of the lovely houses in the background. If I had my life again I would love to have bought one of them but they probably pass from generation to generation and are never on sale.

The birthday boy in Llanes on Tuesday

For the record he is wearing one of his three Marks and Spencer long sleeved rugby shirts. This one is years old and still going strong. When Eladio was born in 1944 in rural and poor Montrondo, he had never heard of Marks and Spencer; of course not. 

And here is the Playa de Toró, the other beach in Llanes which I love too and hope one day to bathe in.

Playa de Toró, Llanes

The restaurant overlooks the beach and has stunning views. Here are some photos of the birthday lunch which was splendid, especially as it was washed down with local cider which we both love. We are not beer drinkers but do like the occasional cider, especially in Asturias.

Photos from Eladio's birthday lunch in Llanes 

Eladio chose a bisque soup and fabada (local bean stew) and I chose clams in garlic followed by a divine lobster salad which my husband admitted he should have ordered too.

We walked back by the port through the town to the car park enjoying the views and the sunshine. Here is another photo of the birthday boy and it's by the port, another lovely place to visit in Llanes, pronounced "yah . ness" with the stress on the first syllable and not "lanes" as in streets as an English lady in the village pronounced it. She had her first lesson in Spanish when I told her it was "yah - ness", hahaha.

Eladio by the port in Llanes on his birthday

That day Trump and many other world leaders were at the UN in New York. Would you believe that Macron got stuck in traffic as roads were blocked off by the Presidential motorcade. The French president got out of his car to talk to the NY Police and even rang Trump on his mobile. In the end the roads remained blocked and he had to walk 30 minutes to the French Embassy. Funny story eh? Even funnier but not nice is the story of what happened to Donald Trump when he entered the UN. The escalator got stuck and then the teleprompter did not work. He is now saying it was all part of a plan to sabotage his visit. Really? 

I don't know how they slept with all the world's woes on their shoulders, but I slept well again and woke up on Wednesday to another sunny day in El Cuetu.  I carried on my task of counting and sorting the sheets and I finished it. We didn't know how to store everything until Eladio came up with the brilliant idea of putting planks across chairs in the attic, storing the linen, etc in storage bags (thank you Amazon) and covering it all with a big sheet of plastic. This is what the attic looked like when we had finished.

This is how we have stored all the bedding, linen etc. 

I did an inventory and sent it to the new cleaner along with lots of instructions on how to prepare the house for guests. There are now 29 bath towels, 11 hand towels and 22 sets of bedding; again more than enough.  

Pleased with ourselves, we spent the rest of the morning enjoying Póo beach, that lovely fjord like cove surrounded by mountains near Llanes. We had coffee at La Farola del Mar with views of the dry beach as the tide is always out in the morning. This is another of my happy places and I have chosen one of the photos we took for this week's feature photo. Here are some more.

Views from La Farola del Mar on Póo Beach

Believe it or not some people were bathing and I met a group of people from Ireland who had swum in the sea. It was 19ºc so not warm enough for me but for the Irish it must be. 

We walked on the beach and then up to the cliffs, another happy place and took more photos.It is glorious up there and whoever comes with us to El Cuetu gets to see it too.

Views from the cliffs above Póo beach

We went home for lunch and spent part of the afternoon tackling the terrace - I cleaned all the outdoor furniture and covered it in the garage, Eladio did the weeding and pruned the plants. He also tackled the attic, the garage and the cupboard under the stairs; a job  we had never done since we bought the house 5 years ago. We chucked out so much junk and made two visits to the recycling centre in Póo. 

 I had a spare hour before dinner and went to see my neighbour Loli who used to clean the house before she got Parkinson's disease. She now has problems with the hip but is always in a good mood. We had a great chat together until it was time to say goodbye. Loli is a good neighbour and we are glad to have her looking out for us while we are not there. Gracias Loli!

On Thursday we spent part of the morning in Posada where I had my coffee that day in the sun. We made purchases at the ironmonger; this time a new parasol for the terrace and a portable barbecue. We took the old parasol to the recycling centre and we gave the iron barbecue to a rag and bone man who just happened to be passing. 

By the end of the day we had finished nearly all the jobs we had come to do. Next time we have to paint the radiators and no doubt there will be other tasks. We both spoke about keeping on the house or selling it with all the work it entails but we wouldn't know what to do with the money as we are not savvy about investing it in financial products. It all seems so risky to me. The house in Asturias and the apartment in Santa Pola might be hard work but they are also a modest investment and places we can stay  whenever we feel like it. We are blessed in that way. 

Friday came and just before we left, Héctor, my handyman from a nearby village, came to mend two of the blinds. Only when he finished his job could we leave for Madrid. Its a long journey home - 506km but it's all motorway. Just before we left, I took the last of the rubbish to the container up the road and while doing so spied snow on the mountains - the Peaks of Europe, or in Spanish "Los Picos de Europa" - with mountains around 2.500m high.  Until then I didn't realise we could actually see them from El Cuetu but we can. They are only 14km away. People love the location of our house because it is equidistant from the beautiful beaches of the Llanes are and the Peaks of Europe. It seems the snow came early this year. Just look.

The snow capped mountains of the Picos de Europa as seen from El Cuetu on Friday morning before we left. 

And here is my last photo of our trip. It is a view of our house from the top of the road. Notice the granery (hórreo) on one side and the pile of logs on the other and our house in the middle. 

La Casa del Cuetu - our house at the end of the road. 

We must have set off at around 10.30. Our first stop was for my coffee which when we are on the road is always accompanied by toast and butter, a treat for me which I love. I think toast and butter is the most delicious food which I don't usually eat for obvious reasons - my figure, hahaha. I'm quite happy at the moment with my figure, or rather my weight - my figure is awful - as I can get into lots of clothes and don't look fat at all. Thank you Mounjaro. You are the best thing since sliced bread, hahaha. 

The other stop was for lunch at Asador Siboney in the medieval town of Arévalo in the province of Segovia. We both had roast suckling lamb. Sorry if you are anti meat eaters but I love my meat, especially lamb. This was it. Divine again.

Roast suckling lamb for lunch in Arévalo on our way home on Friday 

We arrived home in the middle of the afternoon to much warmer weather. If it was 20ºc in El Cuetu it was 26ª at home. It was lovely to see Suzy and Pippa of course. I had missed them both. Suzy had been well accompanied for a few days by her bosom friend Copi and they had actually had a party at home in our absence. That was good to hear. It was not good to hear that my daughter was still feeling so depressed. She describes it as having "anhedonia" - a state where you feel no joy. She also has acute stress and missed both choir and her singing lessons while we were away. I hope she goes to her choir rehearsal today. How I long to see a smile on her face. She still thinks she has ADHD on top of everything else but to really know we need a diagnosis. It's so frustrating not being able to help and  of course I felt guilty for being away. 

Yesterday, Saturday was our first full day home and we resumed our daily walks. After our long journey I didn't want to go anywhere and just to chill out at home. The house was full of guests but none of them seem to use the kitchen so we hardly saw them. Thanks to them we can live in this splendid house. 

And today is Sunday and we shall be seeing our grandchildren for Eladio's birthday lunch. I look forward to that but must get on with the preparations. So I shall love you and leave you until next week.

Cheers once more,

Masha

Last days in Santa Pola with Phil and Kathy, a visit to Altea, all good things come to an end, home again, Elliot turns 6, on the road once more and other stories of the week.

 El Cuetu, Asturias, Sunday 21st September, 2025

Elliot and his family celebrating his 6th birthday this week

Good morning to you all this week from Asturias on this first day of  autumn. 

It seems like we have been on the road all summer. Last Sunday we were still in Santa Pola with our friends Kathy and Phil. On Tuesday returned home to Madrid and yesterday we drove to Asturias. We haven't come on holiday though as you will read later.

This time last week we were probably on our way to the beach where we spent another lovely morning getting tanned, swimming in the sea, walking to "our rock" and having a little something at the "chirringuito" bar before returning home for a shower and lunch. In the evening, we took our friends to dinner to Tutti's which had been recommended to us and is across the road. Tutti's has the same owners as Atípico but we far preferred the latter. That's not to say we didn't have a good time or a good meal as the food was rather good. 

Dinner at Tutti's last Sunday night

Monday, our last day with Phil and Kath, was reserved for visiting Altea, perhaps the most beautiful town in the province of Alicante and always in the top ten in Spain. Altea is very near Callosa where my parents bought a town house in the early 70's. In the summer of 1980 when Eladio and I met and fell in love our first date was dinner in Altea. I think the restaurant was called El Caballo Blanco which no longer exists I am afraid. Altea has two parts, the old town and the new town by the beach. We visited the old town which is the place to go with its lovely white houses and cobbled streets, blue skies and vibrant atmosphere. Here are some photos of our visit to share with you.

Pretty and charming Altea 

We had lunch at La Capella recommended to me by Ignacio, a Motorola colleague, who has a house in Altea - lucky him. And here we are round the table on their beautiful terrace.

Lunch in La Capella in Altea last Monday

Phil, Eladio and I shared the most delicious "fideua" (like paella but made with vermicelli noodles instead of rice). This was it.

The Fideua at La Capella in Altea last Monday

Dessert was an ice cream in the street and coffee for Phil and Kathy in the main square. On our way back to the car we looked in lots of the enticing boutiques and I fell for a gorgeous light turquoise linen shirt for Eladio which he wore when we got home.  On our way back from Altea, we stopped at the Russian Orthodox Church of Archangel St. Michael which is a replica 17th century Russian church with materials brought from the Urals. 

The Russian Orthodox  church in Altea

It was finished in 2007 so a bit late for my mother who was Orthodox to see it. But I lit my candle for her and prayed for all those I have lost. Both Kathy and I donned head scarves at the entrance before we went in. I think it was our friends' first visit to an Orthodox church and I am sure they were impressed. For once I did not cry as we went out. 

Tuesday came, the day of our departure. As I said to my friends, "all good things come to an end". They always do don't they? I am not complaining though as we had a very relaxing and enjoyable time together with amazing weather. Unfortunately it's horrible here in the north of Spain with lots of drizzle which makes me want to go back to Santa Pola boohoo. The Asturian word "orballu" describes well the very light mist like drizzle so typical of the area.

We left the apartment at around 9.30 and dropped our friends off at the airport. They of course were going back to bad weather in Yorkshire. I do love Yorkshire but hate the weather there. We had a smooth drive and were home in time for lunch which had been organised by Suzy and Tana - thank you. It was great to see them and Pippa too. Waiting for us too was our dear friend and ex lodger, Mohammad who we had seen briefly at the beginning of the summer. It was great to have him in the house again. He is like a son to me and always lends a hand. He helped a new student lodger from Jordan who would have been absolutely lost without him. 

Tuesday was also the day Robert Redford, the Hollywood actor, died aged 89. He was my favourite actor of these times and I will always remember him in Out of Africa, one of my favourite films. RIP.

Wednesday was a big day for my grandson Elliot who turned 6 this week. Where did the years go? In all the photos of us with him when he was born we all look so much younger. Turning 6 reminded me of AA Milne's famous poem about his son who is also Christopher Robbin in his Winnie the Pooh books which all children should read. This is the lovely poem, one of the few I know off by heart: 

When I was One,

I had just begun.

When I was Two,

I was nearly new.

When I was Three

I was hardly me.

When I was Four,

I was not much more.

When I was Five,

I was just alive.

But now I am Six,

I'm as clever as clever,

So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

Isn't it lovely? I must remember to tell it to Elliot but I am not sure he will want to be six forever, haha.

Wednesday was also a big day for Donald Trump who was in England for his second state visit. The Brits went all out with their pomp and lavish royal welcome.Why on earth would my country want to host the worst US President of all time I asked myself?  Apparently the idea behind it was money of course. The British government led by Starmer was hoping for a 150 billion pound investment and the price to pay was going all out with this incredible royal pageant. I can only imagine the Queen cringing in her grave and I bet her son King Charles was feeling the same but had to put on a show to get US money. Isn't that pathetic? 

Life continued in El Bosque and we went for our much needed walk and then to do the shopping for Elliot's birthday dinner. And here is a photo to prove we went on our walk that day and to show you the beautiful shirt I bought for Eladio in Altea. There you go:

Eladio's new shirt

We managed a siesta in the afternoon to recharge our batteries although I got up early to prepare the dinner which was tiring but a huge success.  Oli and family including Miguel's mother Merche, his brother Alberto and his son Ruben arrived bringing a huge cake made by Merche. While Tana and I were preparing the dinner, they were all outside playing cards. I love this photo I took of Elliot with his grandfather.

Eladio with Elliot on his birthday

We were 10 around the table and it was literally groaning with good food. Just look.

Birthday dinner

Before we dug in, we managed a few photos and I have chosen one of them as this week's feature photo.  I look ghastly with my white hair - must go to the hairdresser soon:(

Of course the cake moment was the most awaited moment of the day and it didn't disappoint. Just look at little Elliot's happy face. 

Photo of the day on Elliot's birthday

We helped Tana clear everything away and I have to say she did a stellar job. She is such a treasure. 

We went to bed happy but rather exhausted. No doubt Elliot too.

Thursday came and we did our usual thing, go for our morning walk and out for coffee and some errands which I love doing with Eladio. Unfortunately Suzy cancelled her job interview which she said she just wasn't up to. She is pretty down these days and I don't know how to help her, poor love. 

Mohammad left that morning and it was sad to see him go and I just hope he comes back soon. We had to pick the kids up in the afternoon and take Elliot to athletics which we just about managed to do. I then had an appointment at my local nail bar which was the highlight of the day. 

I was waiting for my English guests who were arriving late but arrived even later as their flight coincided with Trump on Air Force 1 leaving the UK - damn the man. Thus you had us greeting them at midnight. But it is part of my job and English guests always get special treatment.

 It was lovely to have a chat over a cup of coffee and tea with Emma on Friday morning. She came to help her daughter Eris find accommodation for her year in Spain as a language assistant at a local school. I told her I did the same in 1978 when I was studying Spanish at Nottingham University and came to Madrid to work at a school in Moratalaz. That is where I met Dolores and later my dear husband Eladio but that's another story. Who knows, Eris may fall in love with a Spaniard like me? When I was 20 or 21 I never envisaged living in Spain. Life is full of surprises. 

Friday was quiet and still hot so we went for our walk in the morning.  Suzy was looking forward to Copi coming to stay with her this weekend. If you follow my blog you will know they have been friends since  they met at St. Michael's school when they were only 4. It was lovely to have Copi for lunch and we congratulated her on her wedding and she told us all about her honeymoon in the US and Antigua and Barbuda of all places. We didn't see them again until yesterday morning just before we left for Asturias. They were planning a little party for friends around the pool which is big progress for Suzy who had distanced herself so much from her friends for so long. 

I was up at 7 am on Saturday morning and had breakfast and read the news alone with Pippa who we left at home with Suzy and Tana.  By 10 o'clock we were ready to leave but before our long drive we had to buy food to take here. It's a long journey broken only by coffee at Area in Villacastin where Eladio left his phone on our trip to Galicia. He held on to it tight yesterday though hahahah. We also broke it for lunch at Alar del Rei in Palencia which was so-so. By about 4 we arrived to "orballo" rain at our house. We had brought along so much stuff, a table for the entrance as well as lots of bedding the house needs for all the guests who come and go. Thankfully we now have a new cleaner, Andrea, to replace our nightmare cleaner Rosa who made such a mess of things this summer. Our main mission here is to sort it all out and store it properly. I started on the job and got into such a state I was sweating (and swearing) that Eladio made me leave it for later. Nothing was in its place so I put everything where we like it. I even had to sign out of a Prime Video account set in German by one of our guests which was a bit of a challenge, hahahaha.

I stopped working at around 7 pm to write today's blog and at 8.30 or so we sat down to dinner; a chicken salad and fruit. I carried on writing until I was so tired I had to go to bed. Once in bed I continued watching one of my favourite Spanish series, La Señora, on Prime Video. It tells the tale of a rich girl falling in love with a poor boy who are not allowed to continue their relationship and the boy "Angel" is made to become a priest. Sounds familiar right? It was cold in the house and would you believe we had to put the central heating on? You wouldn't believe this was Spain but the north coast is like that and reminds me of my home country.

Thankfully, today, Sunday, the sun has come out and rain is only forecast for the afternoon. I am going to suggest to Eladio we make the most of the morning and start on all  the sheets and towels this afternoon when it rains. We have a huge task ahead of us but we shall do it, come what may. 

Wishing we were still in Santa Pola and heading to the beach, I send you all greetings and good wishes until next week,

Cheers Masha

Another trip to Santa Pola, Carlos Alcaraz US Open champion and World Number 1, Kathy and Phil came to stay, joined by Suzy, Oli in Nantes and a good time was had by all by the beach.

 Gran Alacant, Sunday, 13th September, 2025

With our dear friends Kathy and Phil

Good morning from our pad by the sea where we came last Sunday and would be joined by Kathy and Phil, our dear friends from Yorkshire. We usually see each other once a year, at least but this time it has been 3 years since we last met so we were all looking forward to some fun together in the sun and on the beach and we got it as you will read on. 

We left home, for the umpteenth time this summer, at around 10 a.m. stopping to do a food shop and for coffee and not much more. This was to be our 5th visit here this year so far. We arrived at around 3.30 and after settling in had a makeshift lunch. Gina had cleaned the apartment beautifully so all we had to do was unpack and move in. In the old days we did the cleaning ourselves on arrival and departure which was always a bore. 

Last Sunday was of course the day that the world's top men's tennis seeds were to meet in the US Open Final. Number 1, Jannik Sinner aged 24 from Italy was playing Number 2 Carlos Alcaraz aged 22 from Spain and we were all rooting for Carlitos. If he came out victorious he would become the world's number one again and importantly too would garner his 6th Grand Slam. I felt like Carlos's mother and found the match far too tense to watch. If I was his mother I would have probably had a heart attack. In the end the Spaniard won with his incredible serve and essentially quashed the more predictable Italian who could only gawp at how his rival played in the Arthur Ashe Court in Flushing Meadows last Sunday. Sinner played magnificently of course but Carlos was pure magic. If I couldn't watch the match I loved the ceremony and seeing the young Spaniard lift his second US Open trophy. 

Spain's new tennis wonder kid who has now won the US Open twice aged just 22

Of course I felt sorry for Sinner but only one can win. The Italian lost the French Open final to Alcaraz and Alcaraz lost this year's Wimbledon final to the Italian and so it will go on. These two men will continue to dominate men's tennis for many years as the big three did. They have stepped into the shoes of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic and made tennis just as exciting again. 

We heard from Suzy after the match and before we went to bed. She had been to her first choir rehearsal with her old music teacher, Javier. She was a bit anxious about how she would perform but all her worries were put paid to when her teacher told her she had done really well and he was counting on her as one of the main singers in the concerts they are preparing. I was so happy to hear that and went to bed a happy lady.

Monday came and thankfully we had done the shopping as it was a local holiday and all the main  supermarkets were closed. I loved reading the news about Carlos Alcaraz that morning. Monday 8th was the third anniversary of the death of The Queen and it was probably coincidental but her troubled grandson Harry was in town to see her grave. He later had tea with the King and I hoped that would be the beginning of some kind of reconciliation. Oh what a mess of things he has made. It was back to school for our grandchildren Elliot and Juliet but we didn't get any photos. When the girls were small we took a photo ever year of them going back to school in their uniforms. It seems so long ago now.

We just had time for a coffee at 11ish before driving to Alicante airport to pick up our friends. They arrived to brilliant sunshine and over 30ºc temperature. But it soon turned cloudy and hazy and would remain like that on Tuesday too. Strong rains were forecast and the local authorities prepared for them as if for a tsunami closing parks and even schools but we never saw a drop here although it did rain heavily in nearby areas causing damage in its wake. 

It was time for lunch when our friends settled in, remembering the place well as they had been here in 2018. Later we spent time at the pool which we had to ourselves. It was lovely but a bit spoiled by the clouds and haze.

Kathy and Phil in the pool on Monday afternoon

We came back for drinks on our small but lovely terrace at around 7pm and have continued the tradition since then. It's my wine and pistachio moment; one I always love and maybe it is not good for my figure but it is for my morale. We went out that night for dinner to La Masia de Chencho, a recent discovery on the outskirts of Elche. We just love that place, the food and the ambience and the class it exhumes. We ate splendidly and I'm afraid I only took a photo of the entrance while outside smoking and texting to my friend Amanda who we had taken there  in the spring.

The entrance to La Masia de Chencho surrounded by very tall palm trees

We were sure it was going to rain on Tuesday so took our friends to visit Elche, famous for its date palm grove and palm tree parks. But we couldn't visit them as for precautionary measures all the parks had been closed as had the schools. All we could do was have a coffee and walk along the old streets. I had an unfortunate incident at the cafe where we were menaced by nasty looking pigeons wanting the nuts that came with Kathy and Phil's beer. I have always hated birds since I watched the famous Hitchcock film and my worst nightmare came true when a a nasty looking pigeon flew to our table but first landed on my head. I screamed of course and we quickly removed the nuts but they still kept coming so we moved to another table. I will not be going to that cafe ever again. What a horrible experience. It's funny how some films can cause trauma. Suzy was traumatized by the film Jaws and refused to go into a pool or the sea for many years. Even today she will only go in knee deep. I was once traumatised by a Dracula film and when my father found me crying in the lounge he rang either ITV or the BBC to complain. 

Anyway, after that we wandered the pretty old streets and came to the proverbial town sign you now see everywhere and took some pictures.

In Elche on a very hazy day

The sign is in front of the beautiful Basílica but that was also closed. From there we walked towards the car park to drive home but stopped at a shop called Ale Hop which we all love. I always buy something there.

On our way home we stopped at Quicksave to get beer for my friends and some ice cream. It was after our lunch and during our siesta - yes we have one everyday here - that Suzy arrived in the Mini.She had felt lonely at home and came to join us although she was only here for 3 nights. 

On Wednesday the strong sun reappeared and we all decided to go down to our beach. Here we are walking down.

Going down to the beach on Wednesday

 Being September it wasn't at all crowded and we bagged a spot right on the front. Kathy and I went in first and then Eladio.

Eladio going into the water

The beach was clean as was the water and it felt refreshing. Soon we were being visited by the Senegalese immigrants who sell mainly large bed covers in pretty covers which people also use to lie on on the beach. When I was here with Sandra and Adele in June I bought 3 as bed covers for the apartment and they look lovely. 

A young senegalese boy selling his wares to Kath

Kathy bought one for a sofa at home and was pleased with her purchase. It was then time for what would become our daily walk on the beach all the way to our favourite rock which I consider one of "my happy places". Once back to our spot, Suzy had arrived and we all made our way to the nearest beach bar - called "chirringuitos" here.

Refreshments at the beach bar on Wednesday

Eladio and Phil couldn't resist a plate of grilled fresh sardines - not my cup of tea but Eladio's favourite. 

Soon it was time for lunch - 2pm nearly always and Suzy had gone up to lay the table and have her shower. We spent the rest of the day at home chilling out. I got a sudden booking for just one night at El Cuetu for the next day which had me in a a bit stressed as I thought the minimum stay was 3 nights - later I had to talk to Booking to change that. It meant I had to talk to Andrea the cleaner to get the house ready which she did and in the end all went well for me and for the group of bikers. 

I sorted it all out on Thursday morning while trying to make my breakfast and spaghetti bolognese for lunch so it would be ready when we came back from the beach.

On the way down we stopped at the proverbial Chinese shop to get yet another parasol - our guests break one every year. Soon we were on our favourite spot on the beach and when Suzy joined us she took a photo.

On the beach on Thursday

The three of us were sitting in the sun while my Spanish husband hid under the parasol and was even wearing a t-shirt. As my friend Joanna pointed out he was neither a mad dog nor an Englishman sitting in the midday sun. She is right, yet he is just as brown as us or more.

Once again we went on our walk to the end of the beach and sat on "our rock".

On our rock,. one of happy places

Our morning on the beach ended with coffee time or beer time but this time no sardines, hahaha.

We came home to take 5 showers in turn and then ate the delicious "spag bol". That evening I had booked a table at Atípico, the most popular restaurant in the area which is just across the road from here. As we were all dressed up I got Suzy to take some photos of the 4 of us, one of which I have chosen as this week's feature photo.  The food is divine, sort of Asian, fusion and very creative and I had been 3 times but it was a first for my fellow diners. It was very full so I was glad I had booked a table. While waiting Kathy took a lovely photo of me with Suzy, so finally I have a photo of her to include in this week's blog post.

A lovely photo of Suzy and I at Atipico

Just to give you an idea, here are two of the starters we shared: duck nems and a creative dish of patatas bravas.

Some of the food at Atipico

When we had had our fill, including some chocolate croquettes for dessert we left the restaurant to walk back and that's when we saw the full moon which was red coloured. I had to have a photo to share with you.

The full moon shimmering on the sea water on Thursday evening

Friday dawned and Suzy left at around 10 am. We were sorry to see her go but she had things to do, mostly practice for her choir rehearsal today. It was another beach morning for us which panned out the same as on Wednesday and Thursday.  I made "bitki" for our lunch that day, a staple food in our diet at home and our friends loved them. We had them with fresh asparagus and Padrón peppers.

We chilled out for the rest of the day and the highlight every evening was our wine or beer and pistachio moment on the terrace before dinner. I later heard from Suzy that she was home safe and sound and of course enjoying the company of dear Pippa who must have gone crazy when she saw my daughter. 

Saturday came and we had different plans. We wanted to go the Saturday market in Santa Pola to look at clothes and buy fresh veg and fruit. Yesterday my other daughter, Olivia, was on her way to Nantes with a friend from the language school and I was excited for her.  She had lunch at Pilgrim,. a restaurant run by my friend Adele's son Ben but unfortunately he and his wife were away. Oli who is in love with France, the language and anything French must be in her element this weekend. We got some photos and this is one of them. 

Oli is in Nantes this weekend

Meanwhile we drove to Santa Pola and parked by the bus station across the way from the large Saturday market. There we had a field day and we all got something: Phil got shirts, Kathy a flamenco dress for her niece, shoes for Eladio and  yellow imitation Berkenstock sandals for me. 

Eladio showing off his new shoes

On our way out we bought three small melons for 2 euros. It's melon season and they were delicious. From the market we drove into the old town and parked by the castle. I was keen to take our friends to another of my happy places, a cafe in the main square called Chocco & Latte which has the most divine cakes and croissants. Here we took more photos  like the ones below.

At one my happy places, the cafe in the square next to the castle in Santa Pola yesterday

Notice Eladio and I are dressed in the same colours. We were both wearing a blue top and white shorts which funnily enough was not intentional. After our drinks, the men stayed behind while Kathy and I explored the boutiques. I didn't find anything but Kathy got a long denim dress. The next stop on our agenda was lunch at La Sal on the sea front by the port where we have been a few times. Eladio and Phil were keen on having a paella while Kathy and I shared delicious starters; scallops, cod fritters and calamari. This was the "boys'" paella and they ate every bit of it.

Phil and Eladio's seafood paella yesterday at La Sal

We would have gone straight home after such a delicious lunch but had to stop on the way at blo*** Mercadona to get stuff we were running out of. Once home we chilled out taking a siesta which my friends are seriously thinking of incorporating into their day once back in Yorkshire. This was followed by our usual evening routine; wine and pistachios, a light dinner, a chat on the terrace and so to bed.

I think last night was my best night so far and I must have  slept about 7 hours. Hurray. Today is Sunday and we will be going down to the beach again for more fun and sunshine.

So that's it from me now until next Sunday when our lovely holiday together will be over as good things always come to an end.

Cheers for now,

Masha

PS forget to mention it was my best friend Amanda's birthday on Saturday 13th September. She turned 69 which I will do in February. We met aged 11 at St. Joseph's College which means we have been friends for 57 years, nearly a lifetime. Happy birthday my dearest friend.