Wmbledon, a short week in Santa Pola, our place by the beach, Oli and Miguel in Thailand and Cambodia, Leopoldo López released from prison and other stories.

Sunday 9th July 2017

A selfie on the cliffs by the Cape of Santa Pola with Eladio

Good morning all,

It's Sunday again and here I am writing from the kitchen at home whilst the dogs sleep under my feet after their breakfast.

Today we are expecting Airbnb guests from the UK, from Yorkshire would you believe. Last Sunday we had Canadians and an Australian.  They would be leaving on Monday morning at midday for Oporto where no doubt they would enjoy tasting the port wine.  I did my 2 walks that day, one with Eladio and the dogs and another in the afternoon with Lucy. In the early evening we had a visit from my bosom friend Fátima who brought her daughter of the same name who has just come back from her second year in the US. She is now 17 and so tall and beautiful it was a delight to see her. I robbed a recent photo of the two "Fátimas" from Facebook where they are visiting Toledo together recently, as we were too busy talking to remember to take a photo.

The two Fátimas, Mother and daughter who came to see us last Sunday

Oli was home for dinner after having returned from Ibiza that day. For the occasion I made 2 Spanish omelets which we enjoyed on our patio which I dub our summer dining room. Meanwhile Suzy and Chati were trying to return to London but their plane was much delayed. I felt sorry for my elder daughter when I saw she didn't get home till 5 in the morning. Luckily she wasn't working on Monday. 

Monday saw the start of Wimbledon, the top grand slam in tennis and a tournament most of England watches from beginning to end. I know that because when I lived in England I used to watch nearly every tournament along with my family. My main interest is how well Spain's Rafa Nadal will do. If I had still been living in England my main interest would be how well Scotland's Andy Murray would do. My friend Sandra in Brussels and her Mother are watching most of the tournament so I know through them that both top seeds have got through to round 16. 

While the first matches were being played, Eladio and I set off for Santa Pola in our old Volvo car. I always want to use the new Mini but Eladio insists on the old Nokia Volvo which he says is far more comfortable. Oh how we miss my Yoigo BMW X6. But we are not complaining. We said goodbye to my Father and to Lucy who we knew would look after him well as she would look after the dogs. For once we weren't taking Pippa as dogs are no longer allowed on our beach and she hates staying alone in the apartment. I left her with a heavy heart as she is such an integral part of us. As I often say, we are not 2 but 3. But it was the 2 of us who had lunch that day on the way at a place we always like, El Mesón Los Rosales. 

Mesón Los Rosales on the way to Alicante.

It's one of the better road side cafés in Spain. It's about 170km from Madrid on the A3, the road to Valencia and Alicante. Apart from a good restaurant and cafeteria, it has a huge shop selling all sorts of gourmet products. I like the building too. Here is Eladio sitting down to lunch. It's by no means cheap but you pay for the quality. 

Eladio sitting down to lunch on our way to Alicante at El Mesón los Rosales

At about 17h we got to Santa Pola or rather Gran Alacant, the "urbanization" where our little flat is, some 8km from Santa Pola  and very near to the Alicante airport ,although thankfully far enough away not to be bothered by the noise. The apartment was cool, despite the heat outside. That's because it's built on a cliff top overlooking the sea. 

Our flat is built on top of the cliffs overlooking the beach

I never tire of the view of the bay of Alicante from the entrance to our flat.

Alicante bay as seen from our flat

Before going down to the beach though we had to settle in and get on with the usual cleaning rituals, unpack and put the food we had brought in the fridge. We got to the Arenales beach at 7.15. There were a lot of people but it wasn't crowded. After our first bathe we walked along the beach to the end and back and then came home. I went to the swimming pool first as I always do and love the view from there too. Dinner was leftovers I had brought with me from Madrid, after which we read on our little terrace until we felt sleepy. It was a cool night (21ºc) and we even had to sleep with a sheet over us. It was a relief from the heat of Madrid. 

Tuesday was Independence Day in the US, not that I have ever celebrated it but I know just how important it is for Americans. Well that day, I had my own independence and was up at 6.30. After my first coffee (note I an incapable of starting the day without one), I set off for what would be my daily morning walk, to the Santa Pola Cape cliffs and lighthouse with amazing views of the sea and especially the little island of Tabarca. 

The view of the little island of Tabarca as seen from the cliffs of the Cape of Santa Pola

I had the whole place to myself and couldn't stop taking photos as the views are breathtaking and there was great visibility that day.

On my cliff top walk on Tuesday morning

The cliffs are very steep and for someone like me who doesn't like heights I don't like to get to close to the edge in case I tumble down hahaha.

The edge of the cliffs

I was back for breakfast with Eladio which we had on our little terrace. It has sea views which is one of the reasons we chose the apartment but these days the trees in the garden are so high they obstruct the view. Later I read the news on my tablet as did Eladio. We both use our mobile phone hot spot to connect our tablets to internet which is really a very neat little invention.

We bought the apartment at Gran Alacant in May 1999, the year my Mother died. The funding came from my severance pay when I left Motorola. It's our little place by the sea but we don't go very often, especially since we built the house in Montrondo. In fact we hadn't been there since last August. We had a daunting task ahead of us as we had decided to do some serious spring cleaning (shouldn't that be summer instead of spring?) mainly in the kitchen and pantry. There was so much junk and old food I wanted to get rid of, not to mention the need to clean all the cupboards and shelves. Eladio concentrated on cleaning the windows and I got down to jobs that I should have done years ago. I'm ashamed to say there were even packets of pasta which had dried up and had maybe been there for 18 years hahaha. It took us nearly 4 hours to do the complete kitchen, the whole of the bookcase in the lounge, windows, floors and surfaces and we would leave the pantry until the next day. In the end I filled more than 4 bin liners and was very satisfied with the work done. I hate cleaning but I do like the satisfaction it gives you of a job well done. We even threw out the old rugs and removed the oilcloth from the dining room table and now I want to upholster the three piece suite. I'm not quite sure what colour to choose. I would like  it in off white but that's easily stained. What would you suggest for the colour of the material?

The lounge of our apartment. We got rid of the mat and oilcloth and now I want to change the sofa cover. What colour do you suggest?

I can't remember what we had for lunch but I know our routine afterwards. We had a siesta, read on the terrace, I had a cup of tea and then we went down to the beach. The sea was a bit rough and as I didn't want to spoil my hair I didn't go in but Eladio did and enjoyed it.

Eladio coming out of the sea on the beach at Santa Pola

After a long walk to the end of the beach and back, about 3.5km, it was time to go home as it was already 8 pm and we had a restaurant booking that night. I do love the long days in the summer when it is light until 10 at night. After a swim in the pool which again I had to myself, I headed back to our apartment to get ready to go out for dinner with Eladio to a new place I had found on internet.

The view from the swimming pool at Gran Alacant.

That night we went to a place called Vintage which is actually the Santa Pola Sailing Club which we had never been to and we loved the location.

Sitting down to dinner on Tuesday night at the Santa Pola Sailing Club (Vintage)

The food was excellent and we ordered too much. The piece de resistance was the monk fish and shrimp paella. We could only eat about half of it and took the rest home for lunch the next day.

Delicious monk fish and shrimp paella at Vintage on Tuesday night

I had wine that night as I also did the night we arrived and amazingly it did not give me a headache the next day. Once I realised I wasn't getting headaches I drank wine each night. Maybe it's the area that agrees with me better than Madrid. In any case it was great to be able to indulge a little and enjoy my meals with delicious red wine; something I always miss.

I was up at 6.30 the next day and already was receiving messages from Olivia. On Wednesday morning she and Miguel were embarking on an adventure holiday to Thailand and Cambodia. They seem to have a penchant for the Far East. Before she left, my Father reminded her that Cambodia used to be a part of "French Indochina". France once owned Vietnam, Cambodia (later called Kampuchea) and Laos. But that was a long time ago. I'm not sure Oli knew that or remembered the Pol Pot regime with his awful Khmer Rouge army who nearly killed all the inhabitants of the beautiful country. One film portrayed that dreadful civil war and is etched in my memory. It is called "Killing Fields". Remember? Thankfully today Cambodia is at peace but no doubt what's left of its older generation remember. And here they are at Barajas airport waiting for their plane to Doha in Qatar. They flew on Qatar airways which worried me a bit as Qatar is much in the international news these days for the animosity of neighbouring countries because of its support of terrorism.

Oli and Miguel about to fly to Doha on route to Bangkok

I wished them well and prayed they would be safe.

Again I was alone on my walk that morning to the cliffs. There were flowers everywhere, especially bougainvillea which unfortunately never survives the winter in Madrid. Here is a collage of the flowers I saw and love, including hibiscus. 

There are beautiful flowers at this time of year in the Alicante region.

They smelled beautiful too. What didn't smell nice were the huge dustbin containers along the pavement. Spaniards are not good about dealing with rubbish and many people just leave odd bits of furniture next to the containers and the whole scene could be something you would  more normally view in Morocco or India. It drives me mad. 

I came back to find Eladio making our breakfast. We love our breakfasts in the apartment, both making it and eating it. Here he is in the middle of the preparations with a big smile on his face.

Eladio making breakfast at our apartment.

After our first meal of the day and reading the news on internet, we got down to the herculean task of cleaning and tidying the kitchen pantry; something we hadn't done for years. Another few bin bags were filled that morning too and taken to the nasty rubbish containers on the street outside. We both felt very pleased with ourselves. Now our apartment was looking a lot better. It's funny how important cleanliness and tidiness are to me. I remember my Father saying when I was a child "cleanliness is next to godliness". I'm not sure about that but it certainly is pleasing to me. 

In the early evening we went down to the beach. By then Miguel and Oli had arrived in Doha. Oli told me they were in Dubai but I knew they were in Doha as they were flying on Qatar Airways hahaha. They were happy to land there and stretch their legs although I'm not sure how much Miguel stretched his as he had a small sprain on his ankle after falling during an open swimming competition recently. In any case here they are smiling at Doha airport before taking their next flight which would take them to Bangkok.

Miguel and Oli at Doha airport on Wednesday on their way to Thailand.

Little did they know their flight to Bangkok would be delayed by 3 hours. Thus they were shattered when they arrived in the Thai capital. 

Our day continued and we read and bathed on the beach as well as going for a walk to the end and back. That night we had another dinner date. We were going to our overall favourite restaurant in the area Maria Picola. It had been closed for nearly 3 years and I rang on the off chance to see if it had reopened and was very pleasantly surprised to hear it had on 1st June last. We've been going there for at least 17 years and know the owner and waiters and just love the romantic terrace and setting, not to mention the food. It was great to be back. We had missed it. The owner  told me he had closed because he had been ill. Thankfully he is better now. But the waiters had changed as had the chef.The food was lovely as always but I could tell the chef wasn't as good as the previous one although I was too polite to say that to the owner. 

María Picola restaurant on the road to Elche from Santa Pola

We reveled in being back and I took lots of photos of the beautiful terrace with its miniature water fall. We were practically the only diners as I suppose word hasn't got out that it's open again. I have done my bit by correcting the information on Tripadvisor and writing a review on Google Places. 

The terrace at María Picola

As always we ordered the bread and ali oli and home made tomato sauce for our pre starters. We ordered so much I was only able to eat one piece:-(

The typical bread or toast with ali oli and tomato dip so typical of the region. 

It's very typical of restaurants in the area to serve it before a meal, but none does it as well as María Picola. We had lobster salad for our real starters and I had suckling lamb chops for my main dish whilst Eladio went for fish as he always does. All in all it was a wonderful dinner and a trip down memory lane. What a romantic restaurant Maria Picola is. I do hope it remains open for years to come and that we can go back time and time again. 

On Thursday Oli and Miguel finally arrived in Bangkok, exhausted I should add. It's a very long journey and it was very hot when they got there as it would be throughout, both hot and humid as is typical of the area.

Oli in Bangkok on Thursday

It should have been hot and humid in Santa Pola too but it wasn't as the temperatures went down for a short cold spell and rain threatened. On my walk it was overcast and there were spots of rain but the real rain wouldn't come until Friday. That morning we went to the Thursday open market practically opposite our block of apartments. Most of the stuff on sale was pretty cheapo and nothing took my fancy. It was the fruit and veg we were interested in. And here I had a field day choosing which summer fruit and juicy cherries to buy.

At the market on Thursday morning choosing fruit and vegetables. 

These were the remarkable cherries I got and I now wish I had bought more as we finished them far too soon. I just love thick juicy black cherries. They are my favourite fruit.

The thick black juicy cherries I bought at the Gran Alacant market on Thursday.

I also got flat peaches, red peaches, apricots, a disappointing cantaloupe melon, as well as some fresh runner beans which we would have for lunch. Before returning home with our provisions we stopped for a naughty but nice ice cream at the ice cream parlour opposite our apartment. Here I indulged in my favourite flavours; pistachio and coconut. 

Instead of going to the beach in the afternoon, we went on my walk to the Santa Pola Cape cliffs as it was too overcast for a swim. The photo illustrating this week's post is of the selfie we took there. In the afternoons there seem to be lots of visitors to the Cape cliffs but I far prefer it at 7 in the morning when I am practically the only one there. My fitbit was happy with me that day when it recorded a total of 14km in steps during the day. Maybe it was alright to have the ice cream then hahaha.

On Friday morning Oli was whatsapping us from 6 a.m.. It is of course 7 hours ahead there. We were surprised to hear they were already in Phnom Penh and enjoying their hotel room there. It had a marvelous swimming pool. Here's a photo of them in their room with the pool just by it.

Oli and Miguel in their hotel room in Phnom Penh on Friday

It was very overcast on Friday morning and I escaped the rain by a few minutes. It would rain on and off all day. In other parts of Spain the rain was torrential, especially in Madrid where it is unheard of at this time of year. So you see the rain in Spain doesn't only fall on the plain hahaha.

It was better weather in London than in Madrid that day. There was a piece of news from London that day that tickled me pink. Suzy would have laughed and I did when I heard that Rafa Nadal went shopping to Tesco. Imagine. He of course had to battle with the frustrating self service checkout which practically does not exist in Spain. He was helped out by a British fan who couldn't believe what he was seeing and went straight to the rescue. Later Nadal would thank the fan, Nick Roberts,  on Twitter and of course the news went viral. I'm sure Nick will never ever forget this funny episode and I shall always remember it too when I enter a Tesco where usually Suzy comes to my rescue at the self service checkout hahaha. I'm hoping there will be news of his winning Wimbledon for a 3rd time and that going viral too but in the meantime I enjoyed this little tit bit of news from the Tournament.

Rafa Nadal being helped by a fan at a Tesco self-service checkout somewhere in London this week

Friday was a stormy day in other ways too. The G20 summit started in Hamburg among riots from anti Donald Trump demonstrators. Trump was to meet Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel and I couldn't help but notice the thick lines on her face.  It can't be an easy job and I often wonder how she can go on and on and on, like Margaret Thatcher once did. I do hope, on the other hand, that Trump does not do so and something happens soon for him to be ousted from the White House.  The wife of the President of Poland, Agata Kornhauser must have thought exactly the same when she bypassed him without shaking his hand, instead reaching out to his wife, the First Lady who is so much in his shadow. That man has to be stopped and soon. The picture became viral too and I much admire the Polish First Lady for the gesture. 

The Polish First Lady shakes the hand of the US First Lady totally bypassing the latter's unpresentable husband, Donald Trump. 

We stayed inside most of the morning only venturing out when the rain halted to go to the new Carrefour in Santa Pola for a few provisions. It was a disappointing branch with very little variety. We then drove to the town centre and as usual had difficulty parking. We walked up the main street to the castle square and I thought what a boring little town it is. I looked inside some of the clothes shops but found nothing inspiring.  Once home we stayed inside all day as it rained non stop. 

Saturday came and the rain went. So I enjoyed a relatively sunny walk to the cliffs and back before coming back for breakfast. We were leaving that morning which always entails a lot of chores such as washing the sheets and towels and hanging them out to dry until we return. Before leaving I went to the English supermarket across the road, Quicksave, to get some confectionary for my Father. I did not indulge myself on any bounties or turkish delights after all the dinners and ice creams hahaha. 

We left at around 11.45 and as soon as we were on the road we got messages from Olivia who was visiting the famous Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia with Miguel. It is the largest religious monument in the world and was runner up the new 7 wonders of the world. It was originally a Hindu temple but has been a Buddhist one since the 12th century. I would love to visit it one day.

Oli and Miguel at the amazing Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia on Friday

She sent us lots of photos and one I particularly liked is of her kissing a stone face which is part of one of the walls of the enormous temple. It's great isn't it? She told me their guide had suggested it.

Oli kissing a stone face at the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia.

Just as we were approaching our place for lunch, yes once again the Mesón de Rosales, I read with joy that the Venezuelan leader of the opposition, Leopoldo López had been released from prison in Caracas. He is Venezuela's most important political prisoner and had served 7 years of his unfair 14 year sentence. He is now under house arrest but at least he is out of prison and with his family. 

Leopoldo López just as he was released from prison yesterday in Venezuela

It coincided with the trip to Venezuela of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the ex socialist Prime Minister of Spain who has been in diplomatic talks for years now with the Chaves regime, now under Nicolás Maduro. I would like to think he was instrumental in the release of Leopoldo López. The free and democratic world rejoiced with the news yesterday as I did. 

Leopoldo López must have been given a wonderful meal for lunch or dinner when he arrived home yesterday. We certainly had a wonderful lunch that day at the Mesón Los Rosales when we chose suckling roast goat for our meal. 

Delicious roast suckling leg of goat for lunch yesterday

It was delicious even though I know my vegan daughter Suzy would not approve. It was also rather large and I couldn't finish it, nor did I have any room left for a dessert. In fact it would keep me going until the evening when neither of us had much appetite for dinner. 

We were in Madrid by just after 5 pm and there was no sign or rain although the temperature was lower than usual at just 21ºc. It was great to see my Father and Lucy and the dogs and to be reunited with little Pippa.  In order to keep my fitbit happy, I joined Lucy on the afternoon walk although I didn't really fancy the exercise. 

And today is Sunday, the last day of the tales of this week. I was up early as usual and glad to have slept in our own bed or at least in our bed of our main home. That does sound pretentious but it wasn't meant to be so. It was also great to wake up with Pippa and give the dogs their breakfast. 

Eladio spent the morning mowing the lawn and cleaning the pool for the arrival of our Airbnb guests. I was much looking forward to hosting people from God's own country (aka Yorkshire) They are from Morley near Leeds so we will have much in common. I, for my part, inspected their rooms for any stains on the linen or stray hairs (hahaha) in the baths and also cut fresh flowers from the garden for their rooms. 

Fresh flowers from the garden for my Airbnb guests from Yorkshire

Oli and Miguel, meanwhile, had made their way back to Bangkok and were flying to the north of Thailand to an area called Chiang Mai in the north which I have never heard of. I look forward to more photos and to following their trip vicariously. 

The week coming will be quiet and we have no particular plans. But of course you will hear about it in next Sunday's post.

Meanwhile, all the best to you all,

Masha.

The end of our stay in Montrondo, fire in Doñana, home again, our first Chinese Airbnb guests, a sleep test, the girls in Ibiza and Formentera and other stories.

Sunday 2nd July, 2017

I'm never happier than on my walks in Montrondo with little Pippa. 

Hi everyone,

Another week has gone by and it's now July. Last Sunday we were in Montrondo. I was up at 6 and spent a quiet day, doing domestic tasks, washing clothes, hanging them out to dry, ironing and making lunch. My walks continued; 2 a day and in the morning I went with my sister-in-law and our 2 dogs. Amazingly, Pippa actually went into the river which surprised me as she usually steers clear of water. But here she is splashing away. It must have been the heat.

Pippa in the river in Montrondo, an unusal sight.

In the afternoon we would go on our second walk of the day, this time on the long trek to Murias via the mountain paths and above the river bed. It got cooler on Sunday afternoon; 21ºc and rain threatened. But for our walk it was the perfect temperature. The photo illustrating this week's post is of me at the entrance to "el camino valle" with little Pippa.

I lover our dinners together in Montrondo and on Sunday night I made a simple salad which we had with some Ibérico ham whilst watching the TV. 

What I wasn't happy to hear about that night on the news was the forest fire in and around the fabulous Doñana National Park in Huelva. Its biodiversity is unique in Europe. I have been there twice when I organised a summer party for Yoigo a couple of years ago and fell in love with the area. In fact we stayed at the famous Parador de Mazagón which I heard that night had to be evacuated. 

The dreadful forest fire in Mazagón, Huelva

I could hardly believe it and was grateful later to hear it had only damaged the swimming pool area and some of the gardens. 

The authorities observing the damage caused by the fire at the Parador de Mazagón.

We heard that around thousands of people had been trapped at the nearby beach resort Matalascañas and that the local camping site had  complete burned down. For the staff at the National Park, there was danger not only for the park itself but for the fauna, such as the Iberian lynx breeding centre at El Acebuche. Some had to be released into the wild while others were taken into care at the local police station. The fire could have potentially destroyed years of work fostering this critically endangered species. Thankfully a few days later the fire was put out completely and not too much damage had been done at the beautiful National Park. 

On Monday we woke up to cooler weather which in a way was a great relief after such a prolonged hot spell. Prompted by Eladio and his brother, we went to visit the newly restored bridge and natural spring called La Fleita. It had been restored the year before but the bridge put away for the winter and now it was back. There have been improvements and now part of the water there is like a natural swimming pool which we will no doubt use in the warmer weather this summer. 

La Fleita spring

La Fleita bridge

From there we saw a new sign, "El Molino de la Machorra", the Machorra water mill which had been restored just before the summer by the villagers. I was curious to see it as Eladio told me that his Father used to use it to grind wheat. His brother added that the women used to do the washing in the river by the mill. 

The sign to the newly restored mill.

I'm so glad the villagers are taking care of their heritage and it was curious to see the new mill and imagine Eladio's family using it so long ago.

Eladio by the old mill

As Eladio walked around, inspecting and going down to the river, I imagined he would be thinking about his past. 

Eladio by the river next to the newly restored mill. 

How amazing that he started out life as a little shepherd boy in a remote village in the mountains of poor Spain in the 40's and 50's and amazing too how he progressed later in life. I'm sure when he was grinding the wheat at the mill or watching it being ground when he was young, he would never have imagined how his later life would pan out for him and that he would marry a younger woman of Anglo Russian origin and travel the world. As he told me, he never left the village of Montrondo until he was 11!  

After the obligatory visits to the new landmarks of the village, we took the men on our long walk to Murias above the river bed. 

On one of my many walks in Montrondo

After so much walking, I, at least, enjoyed quite a long siesta. My sister-in-law and I and the dogs walked again in the afternoon and my fitbit was happy with me, registering 13.41km in one day. Thus I didn't feel too guilty having a hearty dinner that night. It's amazing how the altitude and mountain air increase your appetite. It happens to us all. I even think food tastes better there sometimes. Oh, food, glorious food. What would life be without it?

On Tuesday I was up early and the first thing I saw on my phone was a new Airbnb reservation. A young Chinese couple and their two small children aged 5 and 10 who were travelling around Spain would be coming that night and staying for two days. Thus we had to curtail our trip to Montrondo and leave that day. In any case there was a thunderstorm and it was raining heavily.  We packed and shut the house, leaving at around 11 and decided to have lunch on the way at the Parador in Benavente. We love that place as we love all the Paradors we have been to in Spain.

Outside the Parador in Benavente where we often stop for lunch on our way back from Montrondo as we did on Tuesday.

After a little walk in the lovely rose garden in front of the Parador, we left little Pippa in the car. I wanted to leave her in the garden tied to a tree but Eladio was afraid she might be stolen. What an awful thought!. For lunch I completely broke my diet and enjoyed the restaurant's star dish,  suckling roast lamb and chips. Oh glorious chips!

We were home on time to get ready for our new guests who arrived at about 6. They were a nice family but completely invaded the house. There are house rules on the listing but obviously they hadn't read that the lounges are private and completely filled the main one with all their kids' toys. The little boy started playing my grandmother's vintage piano and I imagine he had sticky fingers. That very night I decided to print out the house rules and leave them in the bedrooms as I am not very good at telling our guests not to do this or that. I don't like house rules but they have to be there  after some of our recent not so good experiences. 

They were our first Chinese guests. So far have received guests from; Italy, France, Spain, Korea, Russia, Colombia, UK, Portugal, Lithuania, Switzerland, South Africa and now from Holland, Canada, and Australia. Our next guests will be from the UK, USA and Mexico. It's quite like the United Nations in our house and I quite like it although we do sometimes feel a little invaded. But that's the price to pay to make a little money on the side with Airbnb. Of course we would not do it if we didn't need to. 

That night both girls would be travelling to Ibiza for a night there and a few days in the smaller and even lovelier island of Formentera. Oli would be travelling from Madrid and Suzy from London. They will be leaving today and I know they have had a great holiday with their friends from the "manada", Chati, Rocío, Tere and her sister. Here is Oli on the plane.

Oli on the plane to Ibiza on Tuesday night. 

On Wednesday it was cold and wet. We went on a windy walk with the dogs. It was back to routine and I would go for another walk with Lucy in the afternoon.  She was very excited as her first grandchild was going to be born on Thursday and I was excited for her. 

The Chinese continued their stay and we felt a little overwhelmed by their noise. That afternoon while Eladio was giving a private lesson in philosophy in the dining room, I found the husband and wife in the middle of the big lounge with their huge suitcases on the floor. They told me they were packing for their flight the next day to Amsterdam. I was very surprised and a little put out and kindly asked them whether they could pack in their own room which by the way is enormous. My excuse was not to interrupt Eladio's lesson but of course I don't want any guests doing their packing outside the bedrooms. The man looked amazed. I thought he had heeded my words but Eladio later saw him packing in the hall by the front door. Is this a cultural difference I wonder? Anyway I was sort of relieved to see them go the next day although they were very nice people. 

The girls, meanwhile, were in Ibiza and I was happy to see a photo of them together. I am never happier than when they are together and happy. I suppose that is the wish of most mothers. Well, mine was fulfilled that day and all through their trip which I followed vicariously.

The girls in Ibiza together on Wednesday

In Ibiza they met up with a friend from their Scout days, Cristina who lives there. And here they together are 25 years after they first met as small children with  the Scouts. That was a great experience for them and I think had a positive influence on their childhood. I was also a member of the Scout movement and always remember my time with the Guides and Rangers fondly. 

The girls with their friend from the Scouts, Cristina, in Ibiza this week

That night they all had tickets to go to a typical Ibiza party at the Ushaia discotheque, that is apart from Oli who hates them, like me, I should add.  Instead she took an earlier ferry to Formentera and was the first to check in to their apartment. Suzy told me later that she and the others took the last ferry which leaves Ibiza at 2 in the morning (!) but that the trip had been horrendous because of a thunderstorm. I can understand completely as 1 ferry and 1 hovercraft trip from Dover to Calais years ago stand out in my mind for the rough crossings and people throwing up all over the place. 

That night while they were  partying, I went to hospital for a sleep test that had been scheduled a while ago after seeing a specialist because of suspected apnea. I have had apnea for years and remember the first time very clearly. I was in my early teens and with my Mother and Aunt in her flat in Benidorm. The attacks can be quite unpleasant and after a particularly bad one a few months ago I decided to see a specialist. 

So on Wednesday night I went along to the Quirón hospital with my overnight bag. Soon I was attended to by a friendly nurse called Maica who led me and 2 other women to the Sleep Unit. I was taken into a little bedroom with its own bathroom which was quite pleasant despite there being no window. I got ready for bed and put the TV on to see the Masterchef final. Soon I was interrupted by another nurse who took me along to a another room to place all sorts of cables on my head, fixing them with glue and drying the glue with a hairdryer. I was wondering how on earth I would get rid of the glue in my hair the next day. This is what I looked like hahaha.

Not looking very glamorous on Wednesday night, getting ready for the sleep test. 

I carried on watching Masterchef until Maica came back to continue adding cables and wires all over other parts of my body. I was so tied up I couldn't get up by myself and would need help going to the bathroom. When she finished, this is what I looked like. She told me everyone asked for a photo like me!

Ready for the sleep test

I then took my sleeping tablets and my sleep would be monitored in all possible aspects and the nurses would be able to see me on a screen on their computer. It was funny being filmed all night. But soon I fell asleep but only for about 4 or 5 hours. The bed was comfortable but it took a while to sleep. I woke up at about 4 and think I never went back to sleep although Maica said I did. At about 6.40 I called her and she removed all the cables and some of the glue from my head. I was able to get rid of some of it with a hot shower but would have to have another one when I got home and some of the sticky parts were damned hard to remove. The first thing I did when I left the hospital bedroom was to go in search of a cup of coffee; albeit from a machine coffee. I was home by 7.30 and greeted Eladio who was just getting up. I won't get the results til the middle of August but meanwhile, although it was an inconvenience, I am glad I did the test. 

I felt pretty tired on Thursday. This week I have had lots of little errands to do and one was to go the Corte Inglés to return my lovely pink Gap girlfriend jeans. There was a small stain which I tried to remove with hand soap and cold water and believe it or not the colour ran and in place of the stain there was a white patch. Thankfully the Corte Inglés being the Corte Inglés agreed to change them. At the same time I bought the same trousers in light pink. I had also ordered the same ones in white, online from the GAP UK site. There was a mix up as I ordered the 04 US size I had bought at the Corte Inglés but a UK size 4 arrived which was obviously too small. After chatting to a customer care agent, I was told to order a UK size 10 (38 in Spain). Well, believe it or not it was too big this time. And now I have had to order a UK size 8. Well I can tell you I am not a size 8 but have read, sadly, that Gap apparently makes their sizes bigger on purpose so that bigger ladies feel good. What a stupid strategy, don't you think?

While I was shopping, the girls were enjoying their first day on the beach in Formentera. Here is the photo they sent us. Again it made me happy to see them happy and together. But I do wish we could have been there too.

The girls together in Formentera on Thursday

If I was happy, Lucy was ecstatic and very excited as that afternoon her first grandchild was about to be born.  Just after we came back from our afternoon walk together, Mia Nicole was born just after 6pm in Paraguay, weighing nearly 4 kg and soon Lucy had photos of the new born baby. I was so sorry she wouldn't be able to see her for at least 2 years but thank God for modern technology as she can talk to her family on whatsapp or skype and can get news and photos every day. 

Friday was a quiet day and the weekly food shopping day at our local supermarket, Mercadona.  Thankfully we were alone at home as our Chinese guests had left on Thursday at midday. But the respite wouldn't last long as that evening we would be receiving more Airbnb guests, this time a middle aged couple from Holland. They were travelling from Marbella where they had been living for the last 6 months and would be stopping here for just one night.  We welcomed them and left them to it while we spent time reading by the pool where, by the way, I was twice hit by bird s***. There must have been a nest in the trees above me. That night being Friday, Eladio and I went out to dinner to Ginos. I ate heartily thankful that the scales that morning told me I was maintaining my weight loss. Thank goodness for being able to eat what I want occasionally. Dinner was great and so was the wine which unfortunately gave me a headache the next morning. 

The Dutch couple left early the next morning. In fact, Eladio only saw them once. I started preparations for our next guests, a family from Canada and one Australian who had married one of the daughters. As the Dutch were having their breakfast, I went into the garden to cut flowers to place in the guest bedrooms and around the house. I cut roses, hydrangeas, purple and white hibuscus (Chinese rose or rose mallow I think they are more commonly called) as well as jasmine. 

Flowers from our garden for our Airbnb guests

After our morning walk, I decided to spend the first part of the day cooking. After all, I'm pretty much free from work at the moment. I made "salmorejo" a sort of gazpacho made with tomates, garlic, bread, olive oil and vinegar, a dish we love and which hails from Córdoba. The garnish is chopped boiled egg and Spanish ham. This is what it looked like. It tasted even better.

The salmorejo I made yesterday

I also made lamb chops for lunch with vegetable pure from potatoes, carrots, onions and courgette which was delicious. Just before lunch the book I had ordered through Amazon for my Father at lunchtime the day before arrived. My Father was amazed at the speed. He had asked me to find him an old copy of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. from the top shelf of one of his bookshelves.  When I found it I saw just how old it was and a bit torn too with yellowing pages and small print. It had been mine when I was at school and practically impossible to read. So now my Father is reading the new version avidly. I'm glad he is. 

After lunch I had a short siesta before the Canadians and Australian arrived. I was joined of course by Eladio but also by Pippa who never leaves my side if possible.

Pippa having a siesta with us this week

Soon my new guests arrived; the parents, Vicky and Kevin who now live in Abu Dhabi, their daughter Erika who lives in Australia with her Australian husband Luc who had made the booking and their other daughter Elisha who lives in Ottawa. They had met up for a family tour of Spain and Portugal a week or so ago in Lisbon from where they travelled to Lagos on the Algarve and then to Granada to see the Alhambra. 4 of them were wearing Canada flag t-shirts and I wondered why. They told me it was Canada Day and also 150th anniversary Canada Day so I had to have a photo. Here they are, my Canadian and Australian guests and very welcome they are too.

My Canadian and Australian guests who arrived on Canada Day yesterday

They later celebrated in style and made a barbecue outside. Our kitchen was once again invaded and we had to quietly have our dinner in the dining room. Again that's the price you have to pay for being an Airbnb host but I think it's worth it. 

The girls continued their holiday in Formentera and this is the photo I got of them yesterday on a beach on that lovely island. It looks like they were partying too.

The girls on a beach in Formentera yesterday

Whilst our guests partied, we went upstairs to bed. Later Eladio would go down to inspect everything was ready for the night or more like  shut doors and switch off lights and put the dogs to bed in their kennel and many other  things that have to be done daily before shut eye. 

And today is Sunday. Thankfully the weather is warmer but not too warm. I was up early as usual and enjoyed a bit of quiet time on my own. When Eladio came down for his breakfast, the dogs rallied around him, hoping for crumbs from his plate. This is something they do every day so I thought it worth taking a photo  for this week's blog post as they are so cute. 

The dogs this morning hoping for crumbs from Eladio's breakfast. They are such a sight. 

Today will be quiet, I hope at least. Our guests will be off to Madrid for a bike tour of the city and also for a bullfight at Las Ventas. That's not my scene and I wonder what they will think of it. The girls won't be going, preferring to visit the new Zara gigantic flagsthip store recently opened near the Castellana. I must go there one day soon.

It's the girls' last day in Formentera. Suzy's flight is at 11 tonight but Oli's is earlier, at 5pm. She will come home to have dinner with us and hopefully sleep here too. I look forward to that as I haven't seen her for more than a week. We won't see any more of her for a while either as tomorrow we are off to our flat by the beach at Gran Alacant and on Wednesday she and Miguel are going to Thailand and Cambodia for a 3 week holiday. Wow! Lucky them!.

So my friends, that's it for this week. Just let me wish you all a great week ahead before I sign off.

More from me next Sunday, cheers till then,

Masha.

PS you can see a bigger selection of photos from our stay in Montrondo here. 

Hottest weather in 52 years, fire in our village, summer solstice, the Queen dresses down for the opening of parliament, to Montrondo for a long weekend and other stories.

Sunday 25th June 2017

Happy in Montrondo this weekend.

Hi my friends and readers,

This week I am writing from our beloved village, Montrondo, where we came on Friday to spend a few days and enjoy the cooler temperatures.

I left off last Monday which was a very flat day after the weekend birthday party which left Eladio and I pretty exhausted. I had put in many months of planning and suddenly it was all over. But on the whole I am really happy with how it went. It also shows I can put on a party without any external help; although I must say it would have come in handy. 

On Tuesday we took Norah to the vet for a check up after 2 weeks of anti tic treatment and also got the results for Elsa our lab's test. The good news was that she doesn't have the dreaded leishmaniasis. Pippa, on the other hand, is allergic to any of its preventive treatment, so we shall have to be careful with her.

On Tuesday we had a respite in the weather or rather, the extremely high temperatures we have been experiencing for the last 2 or 3 weeks gave us a break that day, if only for one day.  It was probably 5ºc less but it was a relief.  It even tried to rain but didn't manage to. Meanwhile in Portugal they were still putting out the dreadful forest fire which took the lives of more than 60 people. A photo later circulated on social media of the fire fighters taking a rest. They must have been exhausted.

Portuguese fire fighters taking a well needed rest

We heard on the news that day that we have had the hottest weather for the end of June in 52 years. Well I certainly do not remember prolonged extreme heat of nearly 40ºc for such a long spate at this time of year. I like the hot weather but this has been just too much. Thank goodness for the air conditioning. I can only conclude that it has something to do with climate change, the one that Donald Trump and the DUP Irish party deny is happening. Well it's pretty evident isn't it? 

Sick of the party food leftovers, we threw them all out on Tuesday and that afternoon I went to the luxury supermarket, Supercor as I had a craving for thick black cherries. It's the time of year for cherries. They are a bit like ham or melon, each one is different. You can only get the standard ones at our usual supermarket, Mercadona, and as cherries are my favourite fruit I decided to buy some of the luxury ones. I also bought the best ham available and dinner that night was just delicious. 

On Tuesday Olivia left for Valencia to be with Miguel. The next day would be their 5th anniversary together and they would be celebrating. What a lovely couple, what a lovely partner Miguel makes for Oli. I wonder when or if they will ever tie the knot.

Miguel and Oli on the eve of their 5th anniversary 

Wednesday was the first day of summer, the solstice and of course the longest day in the year. It was to be a long day for the villagers in Montrondo as a fire had struck the night before on the mountains looming over the village. It had been hot there too, hot and dry enough for a fire to start. It's said it started because of a thunderstorm, from lightning but you always wonder if it wasn't arson. I could not believe it when one of the villagers started posting photos. The area affected is called "Las Calenturas" (the hot place) rather fittingly.

The fire started at night 

In full blaze

It was to be a long day too for the firefighters from León who came with 3 helicopters and over 50 people. It wouldn't be put out till the next morning. I spoke to one of the villagers who told me she wasn't worried as it was 1 kilometre away. That to me seemed very close and dangerously near  the houses. 

It was to be a long day too for the 91 year old Queen of England. On Wednesday she attended the Opening of Parliament and the Queen's speech was much written about after the hung parliament result of the recent general elections. Her speech will have to be voted on and Theresa May still hasn't got the support of the Irish party, DUM. For the occasion Her Majesty dressed down. Instead of the usual ceremonial wear and crown, she wore an ordinary outfit. What wasn't ordinary though was her hat. She wore one that looked dangerously like the EU flag. Was this a sign she is for Brexit or against it? We will never know but of course Brexit is the main issue in the UK now and the hat was much commented on.

The Queen's EU themed hat at the Opening of Parliament

I'm not sure why she did not wear full regalia, one of the reasons possibly being she was in a rush to get the speech over and go to Ascot where she can be more herself. Her speech, written by the Government, was more about what was not included than what was included. For example there was no mention of the dreaded visit of Donald Trump.  The UK government right now is in a shambles, with no clear direction for the future, especially because of the Brexit negotiations. I wonder how that will turn out. 

I should add that my Aunt Valya, the wife of my Mother's younger brother, Nicky, turned 92 that day, just one year older than the Queen. I am sure she wasn't interested in her fellow nonagenarian's speech and would have been celebrating in her adopted country France where there is far more interest in their new and young President, Emmanuel Macron. Happy birthday Aunty Valya.  I look forward to seeing you again soon in August at Marie, my cousin's wedding. 

On Thursday our new Airbnb guests arrived. They were a group of 6 from Italy here for their daughter's graduation at the local University. I knew they would be difficult as Lisa, the lady who had booked, had been writing to me with questions for months. Those that write often with lots of questions always prove to be the most troublesome. She had wanted to hold a party for 15 (forbidden) and turned out to be quite demanding. They wanted to bring friends to our pool (not allowed) and insisted a lot. Eladio had to intervene. I suggested they go to the local pool in Boadilla which is a lovely public swimming pool in huge grounds. That day I hardly saw any of them but on Friday there would be more problems.

It was on Thursday, once again a very hot day, that we decided to go to Montrondo to escape the heat until the following Wednesday when I have to be back for an appointment to do a sleep test to check my apnea. In the afternoon I had a date to meet María an ex colleague from Yoigo. She wanted to give me a birthday present she had forgotten to bring to the party. It was a lovely Tous scarf I shall treasure although I won't be wearing it for a while because of the heat hahaha. The day was running late but I still had to do the food shopping to leave Lucy and my Father provisions and to take some to Montrondo. There are no shops in the village and I usually take everything we need, thus avoiding a boring trip to the supermarket in Villablino, about a 30 minute drive from our house. 

I was up at 6 on Friday morning with plenty of time for breakfast, a short read of the day's news from The Times before I started packing, mostly food, for Montrondo. I had to ring the vet before we left for them to come and give Norah her daily injection whilst we were away. We also said goodbye to the Italians and left them in the capable hands of Lucy. Once again they asked if they could bring friends to the pool and once again we said no. We thought we had been very clear but once on the road Lisa sent me a whatsapp message insisting on bringing them, telling me they had nothing else to do!  She then rang my phone and carried on insisting and even offered money. She got louder and louder with her request and even started crying. We couldn't believe her behaviour. The advertisement says very clearly, no parties and no outside guests. Eladio had to intervene and in the end she accepted. I rang Lucy to warn her and have not heard anything since. They are leaving this morning, Sunday, and I am glad I don't have to see them again. These are the "cons" of being an Airbnb host. There are many more "pros" but once in a while there will be guests who give you trouble.

We carried on our journey until we got to Rueda. You won't be surprised to read that we enjoyed a nice glass of white wine and plate of ham and bread at Palacio de Bornos as we always do when driving to Montrondo.

At Rueda (Palacio de Bornos) on Friday morning on our way to Montrondo.

We got to the village just before 2pm and were aghast to see 2 forest fires. The one in "Las Calenturas" had started again and there was smoke coming from "El Cueto", the mountain in front of our house. There were helicopters flying over them and offloading water. We couldn't believe it as we had been told the fire or fires had been extinguished. Throughout our stay helicopters came every day to check the fires had stopped.  Even though they had been extinguished days earlier, the problem apparently it that the fires go very deep inside mountains and can revive at any time.

A helicopter above El Cueto mountain. 

Thankfully since Friday afternoon they were put out completely and helicopters come twice a day to check the area. People here say that they haven't experienced Montrondo to be so dry in a very long time. Another effect of climate change. Both fires, from what I could see, were very near the houses.

I checked the temperature when we arrived and it was 27ºc, 10ºc less than Madrid. We had a late lunch then I had a conference call with my new Swedish telecom client. Thankfully they gave me a respite until Monday, so I was as free as a bird this weekend. We had a late lunch after which I lay down on a sunbed in the shade in the back garden enjoying my book. Eladio's brother was here with his wife and at around "tea time" we had tea and I served fruit, instead of the usual biscuits. I have plenty of them left from before my dieting which started in October, but prefer to avoid temptation and not serve them.

I was keen to go on my first walk as in Madrid, due to the heat, I have only being going on one early in the morning. My sister-in-law joined me and we would enjoy many walks together this weekend. Of course we were also joined by our dogs. Pippa was in her element. The countryside was blooming and we walked through swarms of pretty butterflies and past past lovely wild flowers. We chose our new path, the one that goes up into the mountains and across fields and woods parallel to the river and above Murias, the next village.

"El Camino Valle", one of the beautiful paths on our walks to Murias

We got back at around 9. It wouldn't be dark until at least 10.30. It was the night of Saint John here, Midsummer in other countries and many people would be lighting bonfires around the world. We didn't. We just had a simple but lovely dinner on our kitchen terrace, enjoying being here immensely. Our night finished with another episode of "Stockholm" on Netflix. As usual I fell asleep before it ended. 

Saturday came and I was awake at 6 a.m. I took Pippa outside and was amazed how cold it was, just 9ºc at that time in the morning. It was a welcome change from Madrid where the lowest temperatures were in the mid 20ºcs. We had a leisurely breakfast and while the men cut the grass, my sister-in-law and the dogs went on a morning walk to Murias and back, as always on the old path which is much nicer than the road. The village was looking at its best. I love it in the winter but far prefer it in the summer. 

Montrondo, our little paradise.

I snapped away and especially love the photo of the village with the horses in the fields. I also took a photo of the sheep in another field just as we approached the old path to Murias.

Sheep in the village

On our way back we took both dogs to drink water in the river. It was such a beautiful spot. That's where I took the selfie which is the photo I have chosen to illustrate this week's post. 

By the river yesterday

I came back to make an easy lunch, after having done some washing. I do like my domestic tasks here as they are so relaxing and also pretty easy if there are only 2 of us. Lunch was roast chicken leg with vegetables followed by a delicious fruit salad.  I fell asleep watching the news and slept until nearly 5. 5, of course is "tea time" and this time we had it at Eladio's brother's place as we watched the helicopters inspecting the mountains. Thankfully the fires were completely extinguished. There was more tea to be had a little while later at Eladio's sister's house and then again I went for a walk on the old paths and above the road with my sister-in-law and the dogs. I just love that new walk. 

Our beautiful and newly discovered walk.

Pippa loves it too and yesterday she walked, according to our fitbits, more than 12km which is a lot for her tiny little legs hahaha.

Pippa enjoying the walk yesterday. Notice just how dry it is.

Again I was home by 9pm and starving for dinner. We laid the table outside but soon realised it was too cold to eat outdoors; what a difference from Madrid. Once again I fell asleep watching "Stockholm". I think it ended yesterday so I will have to ask Eladio for the spoilers hahaha.

And today is Sunday. The sun is shining but the forecast is for cooler weather. I don't mind as I've had enough of the heat. There will be more lovely meals and walks today and not much else to tell in my blog post next Sunday. It is so relaxing here and that's why we came, apart from to get away from the heat.

So my friends, I have come to the end of the tales of this week. As you will have read it's been a quiet week. Next week promises to be so too, although I will have work to do for my new client and will also be receiving more Airbnb guests from both Holland and believe it or not, Australia. Let's hope they are not as troublesome as Lisa's Italian group.

All that remains for me now is to wish you all a great week ahead,

Cheers till next time,
Masha