Home from the hospital, juggling with life, back to normal, visitors and a wonderful trip to Andalucía with Adele and Bernard.

At the Miardor de San Nicolás, overlooking the Alhambra at sun set.

Hello again everyone,

Last time I wrote, some two weeks ago, I was so immersed in my father’s stay in hospital and his recovery there was not much time for anything else. It was a very stressful period and I must admit it got me down more than I would have wanted.  I found myself crying in bed or in the car and nothing else mattered except my Father’s wellbeing.  Eladio and I took turns to spend the night with him and the girls and Olga often spent the afternoons with him and Suzy spent one night too.  Someone had to be with him always.  I was determined for him to eat and get strong and the only way to do so was to bring enticing food made at home for his meals in lieu of the institutional and unappetizing hospital food. We shared a room with another family looking after their grandfather and we were often a comfort to each other.  Rosa and her daughter Lidia will remain in my memories of our time at the Hospital de Alcorcón.  

Grandpa was operated on his hip on Thursday 13^th October and on Tuesday 18^th took his first steps with a zimmer frame with the help of Paqui, the charming physiotherapist at the hospital.  There are so many people to thank but at the top of the list comes Rocio’s father, Juan Ignacio, the head anesthetist at the hospital.  He has been instrumental in care for my Father from the moment we entered the emergency unit and is still organizing all his after care and rehabilitation since we’ve come home.  I want to thank my friends on Facebook for all their support and prayers and for Fátima, Julio and Manolo for coming to see him too and for all the phone calls from Eladio’s family.   

My Father practicing walking after the hip replacement operation, the day he left the hospital.

We finally came home on Thursday 20^th October.  Amazingly our return coincided with the death of Gaddafi, stories of which dominated the world’s news for the next few days.  In Spain, however, even bigger news that day was the permanent cease fire announcement from the Basque terrorist group ETA.  I for one, however, do not believe them and would prefer to see them disbanding and laying down their arms.  In any case, the biggest news for us that day was my Father’s return home which would mark his road to recovery, to his ability to walk again, something we are all determined will happen sooner or later.  Of course he uses a wheel chair most of the time but exercises in the mornings and afternoons with the zimmer frame with the help of Eladio.  Also he goes by ambulance three afternoons a week with Olga to the hospital for physiotherapy.  Finally he is experiencing less and less and pain and as a consequence his appetite is back as well as his zest for life and things going on around him.  He is back to his routine, reading the Daily Telegraph, his Russian books, enjoying his food, sleeping the siesta, watching the BBC news and generally being part of the family.  

The night he came home, was an important night for Olivia and I wish I could have been with her but it just wasn’t possible as I had to be at work for a meeting.  She was acting as an MC for the regional final in Madrid of the U4Energy pan European school competition on energy education organized by the European Union.  The contact came from my friend Sandie who lives in Brussels and to whom I am very grateful as the organizers were so happy with Olivia’s performance that night that they have asked her to be the MC at the final in Brussels on 22^nd November.  There she will be sharing the stage with the EU Commissioner for Energy and I know she will do another “ace job” to quote the organizers. Well done Oli. 

Oli did a wonderful job as an MC at the U4Energy regional finals in Madrid recently.

Oli continues to work for her TV programme, La Mañana de la 1, and she appears most weeks doing live reports but sadly never remembers to tell us.  We missed one appearance while we were at the hospital when she interviewed Gerry and Kate, the parents of the missing girl Madeleine, on the occasion of the presentation of Kate McCann’s book in Spanish.  Funnily enough this was the first time Olivia has used English on screen on TVE1.  This is a story that touches my heart and just as I was writing the above, I clicked on Amazon.es and ordered the book in English.  Amazon.es only launched recently and I don’t know how they are doing.  What I do know is that they are extremely efficient and my book will arrive this Friday with free delivery.   I am sure when I read it that it will break my heart. 

Oli did a piece on the TV about the publication of this book in Spain and interviewed the parents in English on screen.

If Olivia is due some congratulations, so is Suzy.  Suzy has been made a full time employee of Aramark and now has bigger responsibilities such as taking care of special diets at the private Zarzuela clinic in Aravaca. I have yet to see her with her white hospital gown but I am still very proud of her.  Well done Suzy too.

Whilst my Father was in hospital, I had to continue working of course, so always took my PC to his room when I was accompanying him.  I had to go to the office too on various occasions. The day before we came home it was the TeliaSonera’s (Yoigo’s main shareholder) quarterly results announcement and we were to share them with the staff in a Yoigo Morning.  The news was good for Yoigo, nearly 3 million customers and still EBITDA positive.  There was more good news to be shared too the next day when we got this year’s customer satisfaction results from EPSI rating’s study on the mobile telecoms sector.  Yoigo has the most satisfied customers in the Spanish market.  Juggling being at the hospital, going home for my Father’s food and to and from the office was not the easiest of tasks and had me pretty exhausted.  Thank goodness it only lasted just over a week.

Last Friday, the day after we came back from hospital, I had an early morning meeting at the office which meant getting up at 6 to avoid the traffic!  But there was more juggling/organizing to do as Sasha (my cousin) and his Russian wife Svetlana were coming especially to see my Father and I had invited them for lunch.  There was virtually no food in the house so Eladio had to go and do the shopping.  Meanwhile I was to pick them up from the train station on my way back from the office as they would never have found our house nor do they have a sat nav in their car.  Well believe it or not, I got lost picking them up as there were horrific road works and no signs to indicate the way.  Finally I found my way again and eventually picked them up and brought them home for lunch made by Olga.  Thank God for Olga is all I can say, and not only for making the food and trying to keep the house clean but for how she takes care of my Father and all with a constant smile on her face and great enthusiasm.  We are very lucky to have her.

Sasha and Svetlana’s visit was a Russian tonic for my Father or at least I think that is the best way to describe it.  I hadn’t seen them since my Aunty Masha’s funeral in October 2008.  Sasha who lives most of the year in Calpe on the Spanish Costa Blanca is my closest remaining family on my Mother’s side together with my cousins Zuka (Sophie – daughter of Kolya) who lives in between England and France and Andrei (son of my Mother’s eldest brother Sasha) who lives in Canada.

My cousin Sasha and his Russian wife  Svetlana came to visit my Father the day after he left hospital.

Life was slowly going back to normal and the girls that night had a fancy dress party, one week ahead of Halloween.  It was actually their friend, Elena’s birthday.  Below you can see them together with their cousin Paula and her boyfriend Pedro.  Suzy was dressed as an explorer and was even equipped with a butterfly net and Oli was dressed as the mascot for the 1982 Spanish world cup (funny choice eh?). The girls love dressing up and the tradition comes from their school, St. Michael's.  I was never any good as a Mother helping them to do so and dreaded Halloween every year.  In fact it is a celebration that means nothing to me, a pure American pagan festival and another product of globalization.  I would prefer to see Bonfire Night also called Guy Fawkes Night, after the name of the main plotter who tried to burn down the Houses of Parliament in England in 1605.  I loved celebrating it with my family and friends in England on 5^th November when I was a child with fireworks, home-made toffee and bonfires which culminated with the burning of effigies of Guy Fawkes and cannot forget this rhyme: “Remember, remember, the 5^th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot.  I see no reason why gunpowder, treason should ever be forgot”. Unfortunately I forgot to bring up my children to celebrate this tradition so, of course, Halloween has taken over, at least for them but not for me.

The girls dressed up for a halloween fancy dress party with their cousin Paula and boyfriend Pedro.

The next day we were to receive more visitors.  Adele and Bernard were coming from France where they live in Orleans to stay with us for a week and we were going with them for a night to Córdoba and Granada to show them the Mezquita and Jewish Quarter in the former and of course the Alhambra in the latter.  Adele was one of my closest friends at Nottingham University and Bernard is her psychiatrist second husband who doubles up as an excellent painter in his spare time.  We have been meeting up recently once or twice a year, often with Sandie and Jeffer and it was great to host them again.  It was a pity Sandie couldn’t come but let’s hope she can make it next time. We have a lot in common with them, our ages, our likes and dislikes and probably too, similar temperaments, but most of all we share a love of all things beautiful and tasting good; i.e. culture and good food and wine.

It was great to have Adele and Bernard to stay

We spent a quiet weekend with them at home, our only excursions being to the local shopping centre where we all bought new clothes, mainly from Massimo Dutti, Zara’s up market brand, and out to dinner on Sunday night.  We went to the nearby De Brasa y Puchero where we introduced Adele and Bernard to “salmorejo”, the thick gazpacho that comes from Córdoba and which they would soon be tasting in the Andalusian town the following week.  On Sunday we had the last barbecue of the season in their honour.  It was a little cold so we had to dress Grandpa up in blankets and Bernard’s elegant hat in his wheel chair.  In any case it was a lovely family occasion, despite the shower of rain during the dessert when we had to rush indoors.  Of course we also went for walks with the dogs which we all enjoyed and found extremely necessary to work off the excess food we were eating.  When you have friends like Bernard and Adele to stay you always linger over meals, drinking coffee, eating chocolates and serving after dinner drinks like the wonderful port they brought for Grandpa and which we all enjoyed.

Grandpa on the mend the day of the barbecue with Adele and Bernard

On Tuesday, straight after my weekly management team meeting, the four of us set off for Andalucía, leaving my Father in Olga’s capable hands.  It was to be a mental break for both Eladio and I after such a stressful time. 

On the way we stopped at the Parador de Manzanares for a late lunch.  This turned out to be a magnificent buffet the four of us will probably not forget for quite a while.  Very soon afterwards we were driving past the impressive Despañaperros Gorge and into Andalucía.  We arrived in Córdoba at 7pm, just before sunset.

Adele and I enjoying our food at the buffet lunch at the Parador de Manzanares on our way to Córdoba

Both of us have been to Córdoba and Granada on numerous occasions but were happy to host our friends from France in two of our favourite locations in Spain.  I first fell in love with Córdoba on a visit there when I was studying Spanish at Nottingham University and that was over 30 years ago.  When I say Córdoba I refer to the old part, to the Jewish and Arab quarters, to the lovely white and narrow streets and to the magnificent cathedral mosque.  In its heyday, in the 11^th and 12^th centuries Córdoba, which became the capital of one of the Islamic Caliphates, was the most populated city in the world.  Since I first fell in love with its romantic unspoiled whitewashed houses, beautiful hidden patios and winding flowered streets, it has become more of a tourist trap and is now more populated with American and Japanese tourists, who, I hate to say, do not add to the magic of the place.  It is best therefore to explore the orange tree lined streets at night.  And there is no better way to do so than by a horse carriage driven by one of the local gypsy drivers. 

Showing Adele and Bernard Córdoba by night and on a horse driven carriage, very romantic.

There are many beautiful corners and streets to enjoy and explore in the Jewish and Arab quarters, the most famous being the street of the flowers, from where you get a glimpse of the belfry / minaret of the Mezquita.  Another street I discovered this time, is the narrowest street in the Judería and it is fittingly called the Calle del Pañuelo (street of the hankerchief).

Calle de las Flores, the most emblematic and beautiful street in Córdoba

We stayed at the Hospedería El Churrasco in the heart of the Jewish Quarter.  It seemed to be the most popular choice on Trip Advisor for couples of our age.  Getting to the car park via the narrow little streets was something of a challenge. The outside was lovely but I was not so keen on the décor of the rooms which was far too kitsch for Córdoba.  However, we were very comfortable there. Later we heard that the King of Spain had also slept there but it turned out he had only had a siesta.  In any case, this piece of knowledge added to the mystique of staying in the Hospedería.

The Hospedería El Churrasco, the little boutique hotel where we stayed in Córdoba

After our horse carriage walk we strolled the streets to work up an appetite for dinner and one of our finds was a jewel of a place, the winery (bodega) belonging to the Churrasco restaurant and hotel.  It’s an old house cum winery with beautiful individual dining rooms, each one with different décor, such as the fan room where all the chairs are made in the shape of fans.  From here we walked over the bridge that crosses the famous Guadalquivir River and which has a great view of the Mosque Cathedral at night.

The Mezquita at night as seen from the bridge on the River Guadalquivir

We had planned on having dinner at Bodegas Campos in the Arab Quarter but were disappointed it was closed.  Thus we decided on our all time favourite, El Caballo Rojo, where of course we all had salmorejo, the thick Córdoba gazpacho I am always mentioning. 

At the Caballo Rojo restaurant in Córdoba one of the best and most famous in town

The next morning we were up early for a scrumptious breakfast and then made our way straight to the Patio de los Naranjos, the patio that surrounds the Mosque Cathedral.  I have been here many times but its magic works for me every time.  So much so that Adele took the best photo of Eladio and I that I have seen in a long time; here in my favourite spot in Spain, the Orange Patio in Córdoba.

I am forever grateful to Adele for taking this superb photo of Eladio and I at my favourite spot in Spain, the orange patio outside the Mezquita of Córdoba.

The Mezquita never ceases to amaze me.  It was once the Great Mosque of Córdoba but was turned into a Christian Cathedral when the Moors left after the Spanish Reconquista. Today, tourists from all over the world, including many muslims, like the Iraqui-Saudi couple we met, now studying at Nottingham University, visit this unique building with its characteristic candy like striped columns.  I know Adele and Bernard were very impressed.

The Mezquita inside, half Mosque, half Cathedral, unique.

From the Mezquita we made our way to the Alcázar, the fortress which once upon a time served as a main residence for Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon (and V of Castile),  known in Spain as the Catholic Kings and famous for expelling the Moors and then the Jews from Spain in 1492.  They are equally well known for forming the infamous Spanish Inquisition but also for giving Christopher Columbus their blessing for his first voyage to the Americas.  From its towers you have magnificent views of the Mezquita.  What I liked best however were its gardens, very Moorish in their design and which reminded me of Generalife in the Alhambra.  As Eladio commented, the Moors were masters of water.

The Alcázar in Córdoba, magnificent.

From the Alcazar we went in search of the synagogue, one of only three remaining in Spain after the Jews were expelled.  Two are in Toledo and one small one is in the old Jewish quarter of Córdoba.  Next to the synagogue, there was, hidden away, the magnificent statue of the Spanish Jewish philosopher and physician, Maimonedes who was born in Córdoba in 1135.  I well remember climbing up his statue on my first visit to Córdoba when I was barely 20 to have my photo taken.  A huge group of Japanese tourists had just arrived, when I was about to have my photo taken some 30 odd years later but I didn’t care, I needed to take that photo again and remember my youth.  Lovely to see you again gentle and clever Maimonedes, sorry for making you wait Japanese tourists.  I learned that day from a young student from Córdoda that rubbing Maimonedes foot was supposed to bring luck.  Just in case he was right, I did as he said, after which I had all the Japanese tourists doing the same.

Me with Maimonedes and thereby lays a tale.

And here folks is the  picture of me in April 1977 or 1978 in the very same spot on my first visit to Córdoba.  Note I was wearing my Nottingham University sweat shirt!

Me in the same spot in 1977 or 1978, some difference eh!

After the synagogue we continued walking through the beautiful streets, visiting the Casa Andalusi (well worth the visit) and a typical Andalusian house of its time, now turned into a “zoco” for handicrafts.  

So much culture made us hungry, so before lunch we did what most Andalusian people do, that is have a drink with tapas.  We chose a place I had been on my very first visit, El Bandolero right by the Great Mosque.  Here we enjoyed a lovely glass of the local dry sherry called Montilla, accompanied by croquettes made with oxtail, the local speciality.

Having an aperitivo at El Bandolero bar in Córdoba, love the place.

We had an appointment for lunch at El Churrasco.  We were to partake of food at the same place President Chirac of France, the King of Spain and the Captain of the Spanish Davis Cup team as well as many other illustrious people have eaten. We were given a table in the lemon tree patio dining room and here Eladio feasted on his favourite food, oxtail.  I had excellent gazpacho, not quite being able to face another bowl of the thicker salmorejo variety.

Lunch at El Churrasco in Córdoba

After lunch, we packed our car and left through the winding streets of Córdoba, to take the road to our next destination, Granada, or rather the Alhambra.  The Alhambra is Spain’s most visited monument, a complex of palaces and fortresses set in wonderful parkland overlooking the snow capped Sierra Nevada mountains and built in the mid 14^th century by the Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada.  Alhambra literally means the Red Castle or Fortress and there is still some red on the walls.  It is difficult to explain what is so wonderful about it if you haven’t seen it.  The Alhambra was extended over the years by the different rulers and it seems to me that the buildings and gardens rival with each other in beauty, with a constant theme, that of paradise on earth.  I remember from our last visit our guide telling us that it was the best conserved medieval Moorish architecture in the world.  No wonder it is so famous and so many people come to visit it.

We arrived again at dusk and checked into the Parador, a XVth century convent set in the grounds of the Alhambra and which looked very promising.  The building is amazing; this is where Queen Isabella 1^st was buried for a time.  However the bland and modern décor of the bedrooms and communal lounges and dining were a complete disappointment.  I, at least, had expected décor in accordance with the type of building in question.  The price too was very hefty.  We were comfortable enough and the food was fine, but I was very disappointed to be staying in a room which was very standard and did not make you think you were sleeping in the Alhambra. 

The Parador in Granada is inside the Alhambra.  The building is magnificent but the rooms very plain and modern

It was nearly sun set when we arrived and we didn’t want our friends to miss the view of the Alhambra from the famous Mirador de San Nicolás in the Arab Quarter, Albayacín.  They were not disappointed and here I think we got one of the best photos of our trip, the one illustrating this post.  The view is spectacular and everyday at this time people flock here to see the Alhambra at dusk and when it is later lit up.

Photo of the Alhambra at sun set from the Mirador de San Nicolás in Albayacín

Later we tried to get into the Mosque of Granada, next to the Mirador and I nearly got into a fight with the local attendant.  He wouldn’t let us in, even though the gates were open. I suspect he was Muslim and it was time for prayers and we were not welcome.  Thus we wandered down the steep streets of the Alybaycín area and into Sacramonte, the area where gypsies live in caves and dance flamenco for tourists.  Unfortunately it was too early for any of that and we decided to come back later, which of course, after our copious dinner at the Parador we didn’t.  Eladio and I walked back up the hill to the Parador in order to get a bit more exercise and work up an appetite for dinner.

The next day we were up early, well Adele and Bernard, nearly slept in, and checked out in time to enter the Alhambra with our 10 o’clock tickets.  If you want to visit the Alhambra you have to buy tickets weeks in advance.  You can also buy them through the Parador a few days before.  Unfortunately that day it was raining and we were to visit the wonderful Unesco Heritage site using our umbrellas most of the time.  The last time we were here was with my Father in March 2008.  I think I have been 4 or 5 times but each time is like the first visit, I am equally bowled over and can never remember everything between visits.  What I will always remember though is the Lion’s court with the lions’ fountain, something I only ever saw intact on my first visit in 1980.  Unfortunately it has been under renovation ever since.  In its place, perhaps the most well known palace or part of the Alhambra is the Patio de Arrayanes.   

Probably the most famous building in the Alhambra, the Patio de Arrayanes with its mirror effect

It is said that the Taj Mahal architect copied the mirror effect achieved by the Moors here and which you see in many parts of the Alhambra, including of course Generalife, the summer palace complex of the Alhambra.

Adele and I in the gardens of Generalife, the summer palace of the Alhambra

After our visit we had a bit of fun at a tourist photo shop where you could dress up and sit in what was supposed to be the Lion’s Court of the Alhambra.  This was certainly one of the highlights of the trip and had us in hysterics.  Hope you like the photo too.

Looking the part at The Alhambra

Soon it was time to leave and we decided to stop off in Jaen, the olive growing capital of Spain, and have lunch at the Parador there, a beautiful castle on the top of the hill of the town that we wanted to show to our friends.  They were not disappointed, although it rained throughout our time there and we were nearly blown off the cliff.  The décor inside was absolutely in accord with the architecture of the wonderful Parador Castle of Santa Catalina.  The meal was delicious too and so filling we had to ask for a doggy bag.

The Parador castle, Santa Catalina, in Jaen where we had lunch on the way back. 

Just a few moments later, the wind destroyed our umbrellas as you can see in this hilarious photo.

Eladio and Bernard having a fight with the wind and their umbrellas at the Parador castle in Jaen

We were home in time for a small family dinner.  We were joined by the girls and it was another wonderful family affair at home, this time prepared by dear Olga who had made home- made vegetable soup and Spanish potato omelette for our arrival.It was good to see my Father again and to hear that Manolo, his Russian pupil and “father” of Elsa had been to visit him that afternoon for two hours.  He had given him to read, Tales of the Alhambra by Washingon Irving but in Russian.  Fancy.

Friday was Adele and Bernard’s last day.  I had to work and Eladio had to do the shopping, so they went into Madrid to spend the day, their first stop being the Museum of Modern Art, Reina Sofia where the star exhibit is the Guernica painting by Pablo Picasso. 

On Saturday, their last day, we took them shopping again, to Centro Oeste in Majadahonda, as they wanted to revisit Massimo Dutti and Oysho (both Zara owned). Eladio and I ended up doing our bit of shopping, with new shoes from Sebago for Eladio and a lovely long short sleeved imitation fur waistcoat, a white winter coat and black jacket from Zara.  It was my lucky day!  Later, we went for an “aperitivo”, a drink and tapa before lunch, nearby at a place called La Gitana.  The weather was so warm and sunny that of course we sat outside.  Instead of the montilla sherry we had white wine from Rueda, a discovery for Adele. And here I am toasting them goodbye and wishing them a safe journey home.

Enjoying a glass of Rueda white wine in Majadahonda on the last day of Adele and Bernard's visit

Lunch on Saturday was to be our last meal together and Olga had made oxtail stew using the Simone Ortega cookery book recipe which is how we always eat it at home.  And then there was just time for a short siesta before I had to drive them to the airport to catch their plane to Paris which was leaving at 20.30h and where they wanted to have ample time for even more shopping, this time duty free.  It was the end of a wonderful week of fun and culture and good food together, as well as marvelous conversations and company.  We haven’t fixed a date for our next encounter but I hope it will be soon.  We may well visit them in Orleans, the four of us and from there see Paris.  Who knows?  One thing I do know is that we are now firm friends and will be repeating these encounters as often as we can.  Goodbye Adele and Bernard, it was a pleasure having you.  

Since they left things have been very quiet.  Suzy went off to Salamanca on Sunday night.  She had taken Gaby on a surprise birthday trip to a wonderful castle hotel near Salamanca called ElCastillo de Buen Amor (Castle of good love).  Here is just one picture of her outside the medieval castle.  One day Eladio and I will have to go there too as it looks just like our kind of place.  Maybe Adele and Bernard might join us.

Suzy at the Castillo de Buen Amor in Salamanca (Castle of good love!)

On Sunday we were alone for lunch, so I decided to make a dish Eladio forever craves and one he ate countless amount of times at the seminary school when he was a child.  I made red beans in red wine, again from the Simone Ortega cookery book (1080 recipes) and here is the result.  We have now been eating them for three days running but thankfully they are finished now.  I am sure Adele and Bernard would have loved them as they did the lentil soup I made for their arrival and the oxtail stew Olga made on their departure.  It’s also nice to see how Grandpa’s appetite is back and how he is definitely on the mend since being discharged from the hospital just over 10 days ago now.

Red beans baked for Eladio.  Supposedly his favourite.

And on that note my friends, this bumper edition of my blog comes to an end.  Today is 1^st November and a holiday so the week will be short and there won’t be much to tell you next Sunday, certainly not as much as in this edition.

In any case have a great week.  All the best till next time

Masha

PS, here is a bigger collection of photos of our wonderful trip to Córdoba and Granada with Adele and Bernard

From Stockholm to Andalucía, a surprise on the TV, man of the week, a cucumber crisis and other things.

The four of us enjoying a tourist horse and carriage ride in Seville on Saturday

Hello again my friends and readers.

There is just so much to write about this week, my trips to Stockholm and then to Seville and Córdoba and of course all the things that have happened in between to me or made an impact on me.  These include the Spanish revolution I wrote about last week. 

Eladio and I went to see it for ourselves at the Puerta del Sol last Sunday night after coming back from Montrondo.  The Puerta del Sol is both the geographical centre of Spain as a country but also of the movement also known as 15M (15^th May, the date it started).  I was bowled over at the sight of the peaceful camp type movement my eyes first saw as we came out of the Metro.  Now I knew what it was all about; thousands of mostly young people organized a bit like boy scouts were creating a revolution that hopefully one day will go down as part of Spain’s recent history, something that I will be always be able to say “I was there too. This is a photo of me, the one I like best of the collection I have now posted here on Facebook.

I joined the Spanish revolution on Election Day and was happy to see it for myself at the Puerta del Sol. 
 Now I can say "I was there"

Since our visit the movement has grown, rather than died down after the local elections which were won by a huge majority by the opposition party, the Partido Popular.  In Barcelona this week, the protestors were ousted out violently by the police of the emblematic Plaza de Cataluña to make way for the Barcelona football club fans in anticipation of their team winning the Champions League as this is where their victories are mainly celebrated.  This was much criticized in all corners of the country but thankfully they have been allowed to return after the celebrations took place yesterday.  For yes, Barcelona won their 4^th European Cup on Saturday night at Wembley against Manchester.  I am happy for them but will not hide the fact that I would far have preferred Real Madrid to win.  It annoys me to read that they are now considered the best football club in history.  Hang on a bit, I think that it is still Real Madrid who can claim that place with 9 Champions League cups to their credit against their arch enemy, Barcelona’s 4.  I think we ought to wait for Barcelona to have 9 cups before we make a similar comparison. Don’t you?

The day after our visit to the Puerta del Sol I was off to Stockholm to attend a conference on social media with the team of people from the Mother Company, TeliaSonera, who head this area in their respective countries.  Before leaving at lunchtime however, I had an important engagement in Madrid that morning to attend.  The Spanish Secretariat for Telecommunications (the SETSI) were announcing the participants in what is called a “beauty contest” (name for a tender or call for a proposal) for the allocation of frequencies.  In our case it was for 1800 mhz which can be used to build antennas (mobile phone coverage) for GSM, 3G and even 4G.  It is really important for Yoigo to get these frequencies in order to grow in Spain and offer better services to our customers.  When the envelope was opened we learned we were the only company contesting for this spectrum which virtually means we will get it but for the official announcement we shall have to wait until this Friday 3^rd June.  It really was a big day for Yoigo and the place was packed with the telecoms journalists and our name was in the papers and on internet on a big scale that day and the next.

The opening of the envelope at the Spanish Secretariat for Telecommunications.  A great day for Yoigo.

Thus I left Madrid for Stockholm with a bounce in my heels so to say.  I had to change planes at Berlin airport and it was a bit of a rush.  Also a new volcano, with the godforsaken name of Grímsvötn had erupted in Iceland and was threatening airline traffic again.  Two days later some UK and German airports, including Berlin, were closed as a consequence.  Luckily I was taking the direct flight back and the only effect the ash cloud had on me was an hour longer to our journey as we had to reroute to avoid it whilst crossing German air space.

I arrived just after 9pm and rushed to get a taxi to take me to my favourite hotel in Stockholm, the Skeppsholmen on the little island of the same name just off the centre.  There waiting for me was my colleague Gustavo from our PR Agency Ketchum. I had guessed the kitchen would close early so had asked him to order my favourite item from the menu, the typical Scandinavian prawn open sandwich.  So after checking in I walked into the dining room to find Gustavo at the table and my dinner already there.  This was it.  Not a very good picture but I can assure you it was delicious.

The open prawn sandwich that was waiting for me for dinner when I arrived at the hotel in Stockholm last week.

The day and a half of discussions with my colleagues, many of whom I was meeting for the first time were quite enriching.  It’s great to meet people who are equally interested in social media.  However whenever I scented a hint of fanaticism, I kept pinching myself and reminding us all, that social media is just another channel for communication.  Ok so it’s a two way dialogue but no need to make so much fuss about.  There is a lot of ridiculous hype around social media that is frankly a bit of an obstacle in understanding how to use it for your company, your customers and your and brand.  Our meetings were held at the lovely Skating Pavilion across the road from our hotel and on the tiny island of Kastellholmen.  I loved the building and its location. 

The skating pavilion on Kastellholmen where we had our social media conference last week in Stockholm

The best thing about the conference was meeting my colleagues and they were from some diverse places.  If I remember rightly there was a representative or two from the following countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Lithuania, Estonia, Spain, Nepal, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and last but not least, and this was a new country for me, Tajikistan.  Try locating these last on the map.  I couldn’t do it. 

With some of my social media conference colleagues in Stockholm last week.

Stockholm was at its most beautiful in the late spring.  Everything was green and the advantage of going at the end of May is the long days of light.  There was no time for tourism but just an hour or so for a walk into the town centre to visit shops such as Lindex or KappaAhl.  I did manage to get a pair of tight jeans (size 38 for the record!!) and a typical Scandinavian blue and white striped long sleeved t-shirt that are so in fashion this season.

I remember vividly the conference dinner on Tuesday night.  I had the privilege of sitting next to Vahdat, who is perhaps the most cosmopolitan person I have ever met. He is an émigré of Iran whose family left after the Shah died.  From there if I remember correctly he went to live in Afghanistan.  We spoke about that lovely book, the Kite Flyers and he told me how he related to it so much and how wonderful the Afghan people are.  I could imagine him in the role of one of the appealing little boys in the story. When the Taliban took over they left again, this time to Azerbaijan and afterwards to India.  His parents, both doctors, thought it was time to move to a more peaceful country and wanted to go to Canada but ended up in Sweden where Vahdat landed like an alien aged just 10 or 11.  It was fascinating to talk about immigrant issues in this democratic country which has opened its frontiers always to political refugees.  Now Vahdat is doing a spell in Nepal and again I had a wonderful conversation about that country which I fell in love with when Eladio and I visited it in 2009.  Our conversation took us to Guantanamo and to the fate of immigrants today, something close to my heart as my own Mother’s family suffered from the same fate, but in their case because of the Bolshevik Revolution.  Where you are born is not in your hands but determines the quality of life you will lead when you grow up. 

Too soon the great conference was over and I had to say goodbye to my new friends.  As we are all social media mad, we shall continue to be in touch albeit virtually until next year’s meeting which everyone hopes will be in Spain.  I would far prefer it to be in Nepal or Georgia but I am sure it will end up being in one of the Nordic countries.  In any case I will look forward to it again and to more interesting conversations with my new and exotic friends.

You can see the rest of my photos of my short but interesting trip to Stockholm here on Facebook (where else?).

No sooner was I back then I was off again on Friday, this time with Eladio and the girls. I did have the privilege of one day at home to wind down, sort my work out and generally recharge my batteries fortunately. I can’t remember the last time the 4 of us have been off on our own somewhere.  We were going to Seville and Córdoba and the trip was very promising.  I had been offered two free nights at the Hotel Fontecruz in the heart of the Jewish quarter in Seville, the Barrio de Santa Cruz and we in turn treated the girls to two nights with us.  Our trip there was memorable for the stop at a little village on the way in the province of Badajoz, called Torremejía.  We had left very late after 6pm as Oli had to be at the graduation of her master in TV journalism and the drive would be over 5 hours long so we stopped for dinner.  The only place we could find was a dingy little bar the waiter of which seemed a little reluctant to offer us food.  When I insisted he brought out a hand written note with charming spelling mistakes of the menu at 8 euros each for a three course dinner.  It turned out to be really good and we will remember that dinner for some time I’m sure.

The handwritten menu with spelling mistakes at the bar where we had dinner in Torremejia on our way to Seville on Friday

We arrived in Seville just past midnight and couldn’t believe it was 30ºc at that time of night.  It was impossible to find our hotel and we found ourselves lost and driving round streets where traffic is forbidden.  Finally we found a car park and walked with our luggage to the hotel.  I should add that Seville is notorious, like Naples, for street robberies and it would have been dangerous to leave the car in the street.  We were delighted with our rooms and whilst the rest of the family went straight to bed I went down to the open air swimming pool for a dip to cool off before following them.  I repeated the experience next morning, the following evening and on the morning we left too as the experience of having the pool to myself at a quiet time was something I didn’t want to miss.

Breakfast was superb and we all overate and also enjoyed the papers before heading to a morning of pleasant sightseeing.  I have been to Seville on numerous occasions but was a little overwhelmed and slightly annoyed by the hordes of tourists everywhere.  Seville did not used to be on the tourist map and was wonderful before the Japanese and Americans discovered it I’m afraid.  Thus we had to queue up to get tickets to see the Cathedral, the biggest Catholic Gothic one in the world. We also walked up the Belfry tower which is called the Giralda and dominates the city with its beauty.  We walked up the 35 ramps rather than steps and I found it very easy walking, probably because I have lost so much weight.

The Giralda in Seville

The views from the top are spectacular.  We arrived just as the bells in the belfry struck 12 o’clock and the chimes were so loud we had to cover our ears.

The view from the belfry tower of La Giralda in Seville on Saturday. 

When we came down we promptly decided to take a tour of the city on one of the many horse and carriages that sell the tour to tourists.  It’s not cheap at 80 euros for an hour but well worth the experience.  Our gypsy driver with his thick Sevillian accent drove us through the Barrio Santa Cruz with its narrow white streets and out of the quarter to the Guadalquivir river where we saw the other most dominant monument in the town called the Tower of Gold and of course the famous bull ring, La Maestranza.  From there he took us through the pavilions of the different countries built for the 1929 Universal Exposition. Then we drove into the lovely Maria Luisa park and saw some of the 2000 different bushes and trees it holds as well as the monument to the romantic Spanish poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer.  Our driver even recited one of his poems and I was delighted as I had once studied Bécquer whilst at Nottingham University where I “majored” in Spanish.  Our next stop was the magnificent Plaza de España, the Spanish pavilion of the same Expo.

Just one section of the magnificent Plaza de España in Seville

Here I had great memories of a huge event Nokia put on in 2003 called Totally Board.  Totally Board meant a variety of board sports including skate boarding and snowboarding and fast downhill skiing with a huge snow ramp as well as loud music which appeals to that same youth. That day in September in Seville thousands of people gathered in an electric and magical atmosphere of old and new culture and of snow under a sun which generated some 40ºc at midday and all in what is probably the most beautiful square to be seen in Spain.

The Plaza de España in Seville when the Nokia Totally Board event took place in 2003 with its huge snow ramp.

Later we walked through more of the old streets of Seville, including the most famous of all, Calle Sierpes.  It was here in 1983, the year we got married, that I brought my parents to visit on a trip from León, through Portugal and Huelva and to the capital of Andalucía.  And it was in this street late at night when we were walking back from the Cathedral that a motorbike passed my Mother and the driver snatched her bag.  Eladio and my Father tried to run after it, Eladio shouting “ladrones” (thieves) but all we could do was go to the police station to report the theft.  There we found a crowd of other tourists in a similar situation and I remember being of great use to the police by serving as an unpaid translator for a night.  My Mother had lost their passports, jewelry, medicine and money.  I remember the next day begging at the British Consulate for replacement passports and after much pressure from us, as we had nothing to identify my parents, they were issued with passports which would be valid just for their journey back.  So being in the Calle Sierpes on Saturday brought back vivid memories of that most unforgettable experience.

The Calle Sierpes in Seville where my parents were robbed in 1983 and which we visited on this trip

For lunch we happened upon what turned out to be one of Seville's best restaurants, Casa Robles.  I can't recommend it highly enough.  The local gazpacho was just superb as was the rest of the meal.

My beautiful girls at Casa Robles in Seville on Saturday

The afternoon was spent with a siesta and in my case with my book by the pool.  I am reading and loving “American Wife” by Curtis Sittenfield, a novel based on the experiences of the wife of the last President of the USA, George Bush.  I can highly recommend it.  It was one of 4 books I picked up last week at Stockholm Arlanda Airport.

Later we wandered out into the streets of the Barrio Santa Cruz and then down to the Cathedral.  Here we decided to have a drink and chose a place I was familiar with from one of my last visits, the EME Cathedral Hotel.  It has a marvelous terrace with great views of the Giralda but was a bit noisy so we decided to have our drink in the hotel terrace right on the street and opposite the Cathedral.  Here we ordered mojitos and a piña colada.  Eladio, being the moderate sort of person he is, had a diet coke and there was nothing we could do to persuade him otherwise!

Having a cocktail on Saturday afternoon in Seville and watching the world go by

Over our lovely cocktails we watched the colourful world of Seville in May go by.  We saw tourists of course but also the beautiful Sevillian women, girls in first holy communion dresses and even small children practicing how to carry religious sculptures on a float as in the typical processions that happen in Seville mainly at Easter.  It is such an important tradition that small children are taught the art early on in their lives.

Sevillian children learning how to carry a float for the famous processions.

Olivia and Eladio soon rushed back to the hotel to see the final of the Champions League between Barcelona and Manchester but Susana and I were not so interested.  We joined them later and had hoped to order a meal in our room to watch the match only to find out that this was not possible. Thus Eladio and Olivia very generously forfeited the match to go out to dinner with us.  We went to the nearby Giraldillo and had a table outside in the Cathedral square, the most privileged one in town.  However the food was nothing great and the meal was very expensive.  So if you go to Seville, do steer clear of this restaurant.

The next morning after a late and lovely breakfast we packed and checked out and walked to the car park to pick up our car.  You can see the full set of photos of our visit here on Facebook.

Our next destination was the nearby city of Córdoba, a city I fell in love with when I first visited it as a student in 1980, over 30 years ago.  I loved and love the old Jewish Quarter with its white streets and beautiful patios.  I remember being pestered mercilessly by young amorous Spanish boys, something that wasn’t going to happen today.  Córdoba used to be the Moorish capital of Spain when the Moors ruled the country until they were fought off by the Spaniards and left in 1492 (the same date that Christopher Columbus discovered America and I can’t help adding here this phrase I learned at school and have never forgotten: “in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue”). In this same year the Jews were also expelled from Spain but there is plenty of evidence still of both their mark and that of the Moors on this quaint and magical medieval town, at least in the Jewish Quarter.  Like Seville, Córdoba was very hot, probably even more so and seemed to have even more tourists than the latter which again felt overpowering.  We took a walk around the old streets and fought our way past big groups of tourists to the most lovely of streets I have ever seen, the street of flowers, “calle de las flores” from where you can catch a glimpse of the Cathedral Mosque belfry tower. 

The stunning Calle de las Flores (Flower Street) in Córdoba

We would have to wait until after lunch to visit this magnificent monument as it didn’t open until the afternoon.  Meanwhile we had a table reserved at Córdoba’s flagship restaurant, the Caballo Rojo (red horse) where Eladio and I always go when we come here..  The girls were not that impressed and I suspect it’s not quite what it used to be.  In any case we enjoyed the thick gazpacho called “salmorejo” which comes from this part of Spain. Eladio of course had the oxtail, the most recommended dish on the menu and he didn’t complain.

Delicious salmorejo at the Caballo Rojo restaurant in Córdoba on Sunday

From the Caballo Rojo we walked across the street to the beautiful Patio de los Naranjos (orange tree cloister) which surrounds the cathedral cum mosque we had come to visit.

The Cathedral Mosque in Córdoba is spectactular

I have seen it many times but it never ceases to amaze me, from the inside more than from the outside.  Once a beautiful mosque known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba with its characteristic white and red arches, it was turned into a Christian Catholic Cathedral when the Moors left after the Spanish Reconquista but what they built has been left intact.  Thus you get a unique building that combines both religions in its architecture at least. 

Inside the Cathedral Mosque in Córdoba

Sufficiently filled with culture, food and too much heat for our liking, we left the city in the mid afternoon and drove home to Madrid.  You can see the rest of the photos of our quick visit to the beautiful and ancient city of Córdoba here.

It was great to be home and that evening we were in for a pleasant surprise.  Olivia had gone off to the cinema with her beau but had told us to watch a documentary report she and her fellow students had done as a project for the TV master degree and which was being showed on TVE.  We never managed to see it as it was probably rescheduled so I started making our dinner when Susana and her boyfriend Gaby called us urgently to the sitting room where they were watching the TVE1 evening news.  Suddenly I was watching my beautiful daughter Olivia on the screen talking about what the master degree in TV journalism meant to her in a short report about it on the national news.  You may be wondering why this would be on the news and the answer is that Spanish TVE sponsors and organizes the course.  Oli looked spectacular and everyone who saw her thought the same.  We are so proud of her.  Now after a short break (she’s gone off to London today for a 4 day visit with her Erasmus friends, Shino from Japan, Sandeep from India and fellow Spaniard Rafa) she will be working for 3 months as a trainee for the TVE 24h evening news programme with a famous news presenter she admires enormously, Vicente Vallés. I can only hope that they will take her on afterwards but that could be a pipe dream, however good she is, as TVE is not hiring people, rather firing them in these times of crisis.  In any case the experience will be fantastic.  Well done Oli!!!  By the way you can see it here on this link at minute 43 but you may have to buffer the video on your pc first. 

Vicente Vallés,  presenter for the TVE24h news programme who Olivia will be working with this summer

Later that night, inspired by our use of the pool at the hotel in Seville, Eladio, with Gaby’s help, removed the tarpaulin cover on our own swimming pool to get it ready for the summer.  Eladio spent most of yesterday filtering the water and generally repairing its condition.  So who was the first person to use it you may ask?  Not me as it was too cold yesterday but Olivia who enjoyed a nice long swim, despite the cool temperature.  Later the three of us went for our hour long daily walk with Norah, something Norah will have missed in our absence of course.

Right now Suzy and I are working and writing from our summer office right by the pool.  You can see from where in this picture below.  Nice place to work eh?  I certainly think so.

Eladio removed the cover and cleaned the water of our pool yesterday. 
The table you can see is where I work from in the Summer

I’m nearly at the end of this week’s late blogpost but still have some news to share with you.  Yesterday Suzy, Oli and I went to visit Elsa, the Labrador puppy we are getting soon.  You will remember we went to see it at Manolo’s house when it was 5 days old and tiny.  Well yesterday, now at about 17 days old, it had grown to 1.6kg and its eyes are nearly open.  Here she is in Suzy’s arms.  In this link you can see more photos of our visit yesterday.  We shall be going again every week now to watch her progress until we can finally bring her home when she is 2.5 months old.  Can’t wait!

Suzy and our 17 day year old labrador Elsa

On the news front, if last time I wrote the man in the news was the French banker Dominque Strauss Khan, this week it is definitely someone called Ratko Mladic. He was the author of the biggest massacre after the Second World War and was finally arrested after 16 years in hiding.  The massacre happened in Muslim Bosnia in 1995 in a place called Srebrenica.  Here some 8.500 boys and men perished at his hands and those of his henchmen, when he was the Bosnian Serb Army chief.  He has come to symbolize the Serb campaign of ethnic cleansing of Croats and Muslims along with the Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic.  Reading about Mladic’s crimes, I wholeheartedly agree with the term he is associated with, “The butcher of Srebenica” and am happy he will finally face a trial in answer to his crimes.  Unfortunately many Bosnian Serbs consider him a national hero. Thankfully the rest of the world doesn’t. 

Ratko Mladic, known as the butcher of Srebenica was finally caught last week and will be tried for his horrific crimes.

The other man of the week in the news since my last post was Barack Obama who with his popular wife Michelle went on a state visit to my country, the UK. I loved all the pomp and pageantry in the reception they were given by the Queen of England and just had to include this lovely photograph of the visit.  I think the main item on their agenda was what to do with Libya, or more concretely, the madman Colonel Gaddafi, but the visit also served to strengthen the already close ties between the two nations, as if no one knew these two countries are already  probably the strongest allies in the world on just about all fronts.

Barack and Michelle Obama visited the UK last week

The man of the week in Spain must surely be Alberto Contador for winning the Giro (cycling tour of Italy) on Sunday.  He was awarded the famous pink jersey called the "maglia rosa" and it was his second win in this country, much to the chagrin of the Italians of course.  Believe it or not in the ceremony they played the wrong national anthem of Spain.  This has happened on other sporting occasions around the world and is quite unexplicable and in my mind unacceptable in these days of internet where organisers should be able to get the right music at the touch of a finger.  In any case my hearty congratulations go to Alberto Contador.  I write that with a heavy heart though.  I was once part of the cycling world and am saddened to see the sport tainted with stories of doping, including Contador's own unresolved case which certainly puts a damper on what otherwise would be another magnicent page in the story of Spanish sport.

Alberto Contador, Spain's man of the week who won the Giro on Sunday

The news in Spain, apart from the 15M revolution and national politics, is all about what is now called “the Spanish cucumber crisis”.  10 people in Germany have died because of a bacteria called E.Coli which somehow was introduced into Spanish cucumbers exported to countries like Germany, Austria and Holland. Up until today it wasn’t clear whether the bacteria appeared in the deadly vegetable where it is grown in Spain or where it has been handled in the country it has been exported to.  Meanwhile the crisis has caused untold damage to Spanish agriculture, something the country certainly does not need in the current financial crisis.  I heard earlier that the results from initial tests prove that E.Coli was introduced outside Spain and I certainly look forward to the whole thing blowing over.  But of course I am terribly sorry for the damage it has caused as well as the loss of lives. 

Could hardly believe the story of the so-called "Spanish cucumber crisis" and we don't even eat this type here in Spain.

And with that hope in mind I come to the end of this week’s very packed blog post which I hope you enjoy as soon as I upload the photos, include the links and finally publish it.

Cheers my friends till next week.

Masha