Lazy last day in Montrondo with Amanda and Andy, off to Asturias to cooler weather, visiting Llanes, the local beaches, our goat moment, Colombres and its "Indiana" houses, Santillana del Mar, Ribadasella and La Cuevona, home again to the heat of Madrid, friends and family time by the pool, photos from 2008 and other stories of the week.

 Madrid, Sunday 6th July 2025

With my oldest friend Amanda in Llanes, Asturias

Good morning everyone. How are you all? 

I can't believe it is Sunday 6th July, the day our friends Amanda and Andy leave. It seems like yesterday when they arrived. We have had a grand time at home, in Montrondo and in Asturias. I have relaxed and laughed and got away from it all hardly watching the news this week for once.

I left off last Sunday on our last day in the village. We had a very lazy time. It was hot, but not as hot as Madrid and we spent the day playing ludo and Sevens (a card game). We didn't even go for a walk. 

Monday came which was the day we planned to drive from there to El Cuetu. It took a while to close the house and we left at around 10.30. It's a 2.5 hour drive with some spectacular scenery and we only stopped once for coffee somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Before reaching our house we had lunch in beautiful Llanes - a well known seaside town and a very desired location for summer holidays - and made a rather bad choice by booking a table at the Hotel Sablón next to the town beach. The location was amazing; not so the food. Before heading home, we showed our friends a bit of this beautiful town which remains largely unspoiled and has been used in countless Spanish period pieces. The photo illustrating this week's post is of my dearest friend and I by the port and is a repeat of one we took when Amanda and I were there alone in September 2022. 

It's just 14km to our place in El Cuetu, on the main road to the Picos de Europa National Park and we arrived to sunshine which soon disappeared. After that we got fog and drizzle until we left. That was such a pity for our friends as the visibility of the mountains was non existent and of course this glorious coastline is not the same with rain as it is with sunshine. However, Eladio and I, at least, preferred this weather to the high 30s in Madrid which is insufferable. Today will be another scorcher .This week Spain recorded its highest temperature ever; 46ºc in Huelva. 

We did the shopping on the way home at Alimerka, the chain of supermarkets in Asturias which I always find disappointing. Soon we were home, unpacking and settling in. I was pleased to see what a good job Rosa and her team had done of the cleaning. It has never been so clean before!

I was soon on the terrace in the sunshine which lasted about 1h. After that it was cloudy and rained throughout our stay. 

While we were settling in, Carlos Alcaraz, the 2 time reigning champion of Wimbledon, was playing his first round on Centre Court. Would you believe it took him 4.5h and 5 sets to beat 38 year old Fabio Fognini who was playing his last match at the All England Club? I could not have watched it but was relieved he got through to the second round. He then played GB's Oliver Tarvet, aged only 18, who put up a fight but Carlos won in three straight sets. Later this week he played Germany's Struff in 4 sets and today he meets Germany's Rublev at 16.50 in Round 16. His opponents Sinner and Djokovic are also through to Round 16. It's going to be a tough end to the Championship this week coming. 

Back to El Cuetu. Dinner was a delight and so was playing cards until time for bed. We played the only game we know called Sevens endlessly throughout my friends' stay and that so relaxed me. 

Tuesday came and it didn't rain although it was very cloudy. We took our friends on a tour of the local sites starting with the beautiful beach village of Niembru where we admired the church of Nuestra Señora de Dolores and the fjord like beach and amazing cemetery. Here are three photos from that visit to a place I always love.

Niembru

From there we drove to Barro beach, one I would love to bathe in but the weather wasn't up to it although there were plenty of bathers. It's a small cove like beach which, like Niembru, has been used in countless scenes of Spanish period TV. This was what it looked like this week.

Barro beach in the Concejo de Llanes

A must that day was our favourite beach with the unfortunate name of Poó. It's like a lagoon nestled below the huge peaks and green cliffs and with the tide out you can walk to the end. Here I caught Andy and Eladio walking just behind us. I wonder what they were saying?

Playa de Poó

By then it was nearly time for lunch so we drove straight to the restaurant next to Playa de Toró, a beautiful beach in Llanes. I had booked a table at El Mirador de Toró which Amanda knew from her last visit here. It is the best in the area and never disappoints with  views of the beach with its funny limestone formations. 

Playa de Toro which is overlooked by the Mirador de Toró restaurant

Lunch was divine, as usual and I was the only one to enjoy the local cider. And here we are round the table enjoying our meal. The boys had paella and Amanda and I had huge prawns in garlic.  I was enjoying the company just as much as the food. 

Enjoying lunch at Mirador de Toró

To burn off some of the calories, we went on a walk on the beach and up to the cliffs. We were in for a surprise and a funny episode. There was a whole herd of goats grazing on the rocks of the beach while people were lying there. This was our goat moment and we enjoyed it thoroughly. We were gobsmacked at the scene and took dozens of photos and videos. Here are a few.

Goats on the beach

Goats grazing on the cliffs by the Playa de Toró

As I pointed out to my friends, you don't find goats on the beaches in Benidorm. This is the real Spain and we shall always refer to this as our goat moment or episode, hahahaha. 

Wednesday came and it was raining most of the day. Thus we had to skip the beautiful Peaks of Europe and Lakes of Covadonga. Instead we took our friends to visit Colombres, famous for its Indiana houses and Santillana del Mar, in nearby Cantabria, which is one of the prettiest villages in Spain although it is also a bit of a tourist trap.

Colombres, just on the border of the province of Santander, is known for its Indiana houses. Let me explain. These houses are built in Latin American colonial style of times gone by. They are ornate and palatial and a sign of wealth. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some 4 million Spaniards emigrated to "the new world" to escape poverty. Some later left to escape the Civil War. Of those 4 million, a small minority made their fortune and returned to their homeland. They were known as "Indianos" as were the amazing houses they built, This was the first Indiana house we say, Quinta de Guadalupe built in 1906. Today it houses the Museum of Emigration. 

Quinta de Guadalupe, the most beautiful Indiana house in Colombres which also houses a fantastic Museum of Asturian Emigration. 

Eladio and I had visited Colombres a few years ago but had never gone inside. We are not museum enthusiasts but as it was raining the practical thing to do was to go inside. And my goodness, we were bowled over by this one. It was extremely well kept and with its many objects, maps, pictures and live witness videos, it told the story of Spanish and Asturian emigration. Apart from beautiful and interesting I found the whole experience rather emotional. So long ago today, Spaniards emigrated to what must have been richer Latin America and now it is the other way round. Eladio too felt a huge impact. He is the direct descendant of  emigrants to the New World. His father was born in Cuba where his parents emigrated although they did not come home wealthy. His great uncle, the brother of his maternal grandmother, also emigrated. He left Montrondo aged 20 and probably walked or rode on  horseback to the nearest port in Gijón or La Coruña and made his way to Havana. He first worked on sugar cane farms and and stayed never to come back and later fought alongside Fidel Castro. That is why Eladio has relations in Cuba; all of whom are staunch communists, of course. His uncle's son, Rochi, returned to Montrondo a few years ago to see his father's roots. That is a visit we shall never forget. Eladio remembers his mother and grandmother receiving letters from Cuba and also from cousins in Argentina which were read and reread over and over again. We loved the museum and could have stayed all day. Here is just one photo of the inside to share here.

Inside the Museum of Emigration in Colombres

When we had had our fill we went in search of somewhere to have coffee and later visited a few more of the Indiana houses. These are just some of those we saw. One was on sale for 1.8 million euros but probably needed a lot of restoration. If I was younger I would love to buy one and turn it into an Airbnb or hotel.

Some of the Indiana houses in Colombres

It was getting late and I had booked a table for lunch at the Parador in beautiful Santillana del Mar so we had to get going again.

Santillana del Mar which is neither by the sea, nor has it anything to do with saints and is not "llano" flat, is well known in Spain for being a beautiful medieval town with amazing architecture. It is also known for its fabulous Altamira caves where you can find the oldest human paintings in the world. But it is nearly impossible to visit as it needs such preservation. We did not visit the caves and concentrated on the town. Lunch was at the fabulous San Gil Parador. It was Andy's first visit to a Parador, the state run chain of hotels housed mostly in historic buildings. They were inaugurated in 1928 to promote tourism and Spanish heritage. They are synonymous with quality and their restaurants offer wonderful gastronomic experiences with each Parador also offering local fare. Before we went in, Andy took a photo of us outside what was once a luxury family house built in the Baroque style and dating back to the 18th century. 

Outside the Parador in Santillana

Lunch was magnificent but more expensive than usual for a Parador. Later we wandered the cobbled streets and took photos of many of the beautiful buildings only spoiled because of the silly tourist shops underneath. Here are just some of the photos I took.

Santillana del Mar

When we had seen most of the main buildings and streets and feeling a little tired, we drove back to El Cuetu which is 80 odd kilometres away. Once home we followed our usual routine; game of ludo, a light dinner and more cards.

On Thursday, our last full day in El Cuetu I was up at 6.30 and had got in 6h sleep which is not bad for me.  That day we took our friends to the elegant seaside town of Ribadasella and later to Cueves, or La Cuevona, a village reached only through a long cave; quite a spectacle. The weather was a lot better with some sunshine and the rain did not come out until 3 pm allowing us to enjoy the town. However, owing to so much rain and cloud not once were we able to take our friends to the very prized destination, the National Park of the Peaks of Europe. That will have to wait till next time.  As we left I took a photo of the house to show you on the only day we had sunshine. It's very humble but we love it.

Our house in El Cueto

Ribadasella, apart from being a beautiful and upmarket town by the sea, is famous for its River, the Sella, or rather for a canoeing competition called "the descent of the Sella". Many of my guests book our house in Asturias for that but I have never been.

We parked by the river and immediately got our cameras out to take a photo on the old bridge that separates the town from the promenade and beach called Santa Marina. This is a huge stretch of beach surrounded by mountains and lined with more Indiana houses.

In Ribadasella on Friday

First things first, we went to have coffee on the main street and explore the boutiques where I nearly always buy clothes. And here we are enjoying life and our coffee as well as lovely Ribadasella. I felt very happy at that moment.

Coffee in Ribadasella

I bought a pretty dress and Andy got a lovely shirt, jacket and jumper which I am sure when he wears in the UK will make him think of his holiday in Asturias.

Next on the agenda was to walk along the bridge to the promenade and again we took photos. Everything looked so much nicer in the sun.

Photos taken on our walk along the promenade of the Santa Marina beach. Just look at those houses.

Soon it was time for lunch and we walked all the way back and to the port to a restaurant called El Tarteru. It's number one on Trip Advisor but actually I didn't like it as the food was far too heavy. But I did enjoy a lovely pistachio ice cream after. Just before we left we returned to the amazing cake and chocolate shop called La Veguina which has the most creative sweets and chocolates you can imagine. We bought florentines and chocolate and I got talking to the owner. I asked her about the "Letizia" biscuits and whether they had anything to do with the Spanish queen called Letizia. The answer was of course and there I got my story of the week. The Queen's grandparents, Moncho and her husband lived in Ribadasella where as a girl Letizia came on holiday and also lived with them. The owner and her husband knew the grandparents very well and when the former TV presenter who she described as a bit stiff and bossy, got engaged to the then Crown Prince Felipe, it was the daughter of the cake shop who urged her mother to name some of the produce after the princess to be. The owner thought it was a stupid idea but mentioned it to Letizia's grandfather who urged her to name any of her products Letizia. She did it and it was breaking news in the area and since then the shop has become famous. She told me more about the Queen as  a girl and her family but that's too long a story. 

We left at around 3.30 just as the rain began which rather spoiled our visit to Cueves to show our friends the unique cave you have to drive through to reach the village where the road ends. Called La Cuevona, I have never seen anything like it in the world and neither had my friends. It's very dark as you drive through and as it is only one lane we were worried stiff another car would come and block us but we were lucky. This is a picture I found online to show you.

La Cuevona, the cave you drive through to reach the village of Cueves near Ribadasella

We parked in the village near the train station which I suppose is transport for anyone living there without a car. The village is stunning with beautiful houses built in the local style with flowers everywhere. Hydrangeas and bougainvillea grow splendidly in Asturias as you can see in these pictures taken in Cueves that day.

Flowers in Cueves

It was raining hard by then so we had to skip the walk through the cave and drive home. On the way we stopped at Alimerka, the local supermarket, to get provisions for the house and guests for this summer's reservations. It was a task I had been putting off but it had to be done before we left.

Back at the house, we all rested and as usual Amanda and I played ludo and won a game each. The evening ended with the three of us playing Sevens again and making a racket in the kitchen. I will miss playing both games with my friends as sadly they leave today. All good things come to an end  and it feels a bit sad today. 

We left at around 10.15 and stopped twice for petrol and coffee and then lunch at a roadside cafe called La Colina. They offered a superb menu of the day for 16 euros each and my friends both enjoyed paella again. We were home by about 4pm and oh my was it hot. Just before I finished unpacking, something I have to do as soon as I arrive anywhere - I'm a bit OCD about that and other things - Oli and the kids arrived. I had only just had time to hug Suzy when I was hugging them too. We all convened around the pool and had lovely family and friend time that afternoon. The girls have known Amanda since they were small and she is like an aunt to them. Here are some lovely pics of our time together that afternoon.

Family and friends time by the pool on Friday afternoon

The children behaved well enjoying swimming endlessly with their father who is an expert swimmer. They were both very interested in Andy's binoculars and loved our friends, Andy and Amanda; Juliet especially so as her best friend is also called Amanda. Wouldn't it be wonderful if her friendship lasts as long as ours has. I spent quality time with Elliot who has a huge thirst for knowledge; his current obsession being about which animals, birds and fish are the largest, the fastest, the slowest and the loudest. I love watching him taking information in like a little sponge and I love his curiosity. Suzy brought out drinks and we all sat around one of the big tables in the shade just enjoying being together. The kids found it perfectly natural that we switched from English to Spanish and vice versa countless times. 

Suzy and I prepared dinner that night after Oli and family left and of course Andy, Amanda and I played yet more rounds of Sevens. We had an early night basking in the air con in our rooms but I found it difficult to sleep as so many things were on my mind.

Saturday dawned and yet again I got just 5h sleep - oh to return to Montrondo to get more shut eye - and we spent a lazy day at home. We only went out to do the food shopping to leave enough provisions for Tana aned Suzy when we go away again tomorrow. 

Andy came with us to Mercadona after which we had coffee at Alverán which he declared he loved, like we do. Then it was on to Carrefour where I loaded our cart with large quantities of all our favourite ice creams. Kudos to Magnum by the way for their new summer "Double sun lover ice cream". It is mango and coconut flavoured and covered with white chocolate and nuts. It was Elliot's and my favourite. Unfortunately each one of them contains 318 calories - oh dear.

It was too hot to have lunch outside so we convened to the air conditioned dining room and were 9 around the table. Tana prepared hake in breadcrumbs with roast red peppers, cauliflower in garlic and mashed potatoes which was divine. Equally divine were the black cherries we had for dessert as well as the ice cream of course. 

We all went off for a siesta later, leaving Oli alone with the kids. But they soon joined us and interrupted our news watching. I was painting my nails red and Juliet wanted hers painted too. Later she grabbed the bottle and insisted on painting Eladio's toe nails also red.  It was rather hilarious to see his feet painted by his granddaughter at what we called "Juliet's beauty parlour" hahaha.

Eladio's toe nails painted by his 3 year old granddaughter Juliet yesterday

They got a bit too frisky with Juliet walking round with the nail varnish brush which we had to remove before any damage was done so Oli whisked them off giving us our peace.

I emerged an hour later to see they had gone and made my way straight to the pool. Andy and Amanda were playing Ludo or the Spanish version called "Parchis" which is far more complicated, in the air conditioned dining room. When they had finished Amanda and I played too after which we convened to the pool where we joined Suzy.

On our last evening together, finally it was cool enough to have dinner al fresco and we enjoyed a huge prawn salad - thanks Tana for peeling them.  We stayed in the kitchen patio for a while after dinner when Andy came across photos of us together taken in 2008, 17 years ago. They were of us together in Santander and in Madrid with the family and in Segovia with my father when Amanda's brother and his wife, Simon and Gill visited. You probably know that my father, Charles Courtenay Lloyd, was Andy's form master at Bradford Grammar School and Simon's House Master too. Here are just a few of the photos which made me think was this really us? Eladio looks like a film star aged 63 with not one grey or white hair. Amazing.

Photos taken by Andy in 2008, 17 years ago. Was that really us?

That was a real trip down memory lane. It was amazing to see us all so much younger, including the girls and lovely to see my father with us, aged I think 89!  We went to bed early last night and I slept relatively well. 

Today is Sunday and it will be another scorcher. We have a complicated day ahead of us as 7 guests from France will be arriving at 5 pm while Andy and Amanda are still here as their flight isn't until 10 pm tonight. We won't go anywhere as it is too hot; or maybe out for coffee at Alverán. I think the kids will be here for lunch so we shall have more friends and family time by the pool.

Tomorrow we are off again and you will read all about it in next week's blog post.

Now it's time to sign off and wish you all a happy Sunday. Cheers till next time,

Masha

c

USA joins Israel and Iran war, Alcaraz wins Queens, Mounjaro doing the trick, Amanda and Andy arrived, our holiday begins, family lunch, dinner with Gerardo and family, off to Montrondo and other stories of the week.

Montrondo, Sunday 29th June, 2025

With our friends on "God's rock" (la peña de Dios) in Montrondo on Friday evening

Dear all,

Well here we are again at our house in Eladio's village in Montrondo in the north west of Spain where it is far cooler than sweltering Madrid. We are here with my oldest friends, Andy and Amanda but more about that later. First left me rewind to last Sunday. 

Last Sunday we woke up to the news that Trump had joined the war between Israel and Iran to destroy all the latter's nuclear bomb advances. That had the world on tenterhooks. What would happen now? One thing is Gaza - awful - but now another war and with Iran. It didn't bode well. Iran retaliated by bombing a US military installation in Qatar after which Trump called for a ceasefire which the other sides violated. None of this looks good and the world is watching with bated breath. What will Trump do next? Hadn't he promised no more wars in his electoral campaign? You can't trust him of course. 

Much more benign and entertaining was watching Carlos Alcaraz play in the final at Queen's - the runner up grass court championship before Wimbledon. He played against 23 year old Jiri Lehecka who if he hadn't been plagued by so many injuries would be a higher ranked player. He is in fact an excellent player and gave the Spaniard some trouble but he came through winning 7-5, 6-7, 6-2. We watched the whole match which was nerve wracking and, as always, I only really enjoyed the trophy ceremony. Next comes Wimbledon and I am wondering if Alcaraz can perform a hat trick and win again for the 3rd consecutive year. I hope so.

Later Amanda and I had our last Facetime call before their arrival on Wednesday. We were both so looking forward to their visit. They will be here till 6th July and the idea was to spend most of the time in Montrondo and El Cuetu to get away from the heat and for them to see Eladio's village and enjoy Asturias. 

A cheeky group of guests arrived at midnight when the latest time of arrival is 9 or 10 pm. They had booked for 3 but 4 came and I had to sort that out. They were not my favourite guests. Normally I love them all but there always a few bad eggs.

Monday came and it was time to weigh myself. I had dreaded putting on weight after a bit of indulgence during with Sandra and Adele in Santa Pola but I was in for a pleasant surprise. I had lost another 900 grammes and a total of 9.1 kilos. My weight is no longer a state secret my friends (hahha). I know weigh 62.4 kilos and don't have much to lose;perhaps a couple of kilos.  I have 6 more weeks of Mounjaro to go which is certainly doing the trick and I recommend it to everyone. That perked me up for the day for sure.

That morning we met Suzy's therapist, with her permission, for the first time and it did us a lot of good. She is progressing very well although she has her days. We are in a far better place than we were a year ago. I came out feeling hopeful for my daughter who wants to take up  her career in nutrition again and rekindle relationships with her cousins and some friends - but bit by bit. She is doing well for the moment which makes me hopeful.

It was boiling hot that day as it had been for weeks. I had a hairdresser appointment in Villaviciosa at 3pm the wrong time to be in the street. It was 36ºc and it felt like walking in a sauna. I went to Suzy's hairdresser as Conchi couldn't fit me in. I was astounded to pay 61 euros for dying my roots and cutting my hair vs 15 euros for both with Conchi. I shall not be going back to Suzy's hairdresser but at least I no longer looked like a witch with so much white hair.

On Tuesday I was up at 5.30 am, the day the ceasefire was announced but which was promptly violated by both sides which made Trump cross of course.  

I went food shopping with Suzy and of course we also had coffee together. Later Eladio and I met up with Roberto and Mari Carmen who was bringing me my last Mounjaro pen (they all come with 4 injection doses). It was so hot we had to go inside. We were home for a late and light lunch and then had a short siesta. Later we were in touch with our accountant who sent us our income tax returns results and OMG we had a lot to pay which made a big dent in our savings. Airbnb and Booking take their share and then what we are given is taxed quite heavily by the Government damn them. 

After a light dinner soon it was time to drive to the airport to pick up Andy and Amanda who were travelling from Bristol and arriving at 9.25 pm. We were there by about 9.45 but they didn't appear until an hour later as their plane was diverted by a storm and they  got a bit lost. I went in at one stage to check the announcement boards to make sure their plane had landed which it had. While in the Arrivals Lounge I was shocked to see so many homeless people sleeping there. This has been a huge social issue in Spain and big news. The news is now old but these people continue to make their home there. Many of them apparently work during the day but don't earn enough to pay for lodging. You would think our socialist and communist government could do a better job helping them out. We left home in the storm which immediately cooled the atmosphere which was a relief. Finally our friends were with us and we could drive home.  At around 11 pm our time we were showing them their room and feeding them on soup, bread and cheese as they were starving.

I was up at just after 6 am on Wednesday morning while my friends slept. The day was ours for the taking and we had something to look forward to, dinner in Madrid with our friends Gerardo and family at Quënco, the place Eladio and I celebrated our wedding all those years ago. I consider them my Spanish family since I lived with them during my year in Spain as a young student of Spanish from Nottingham University. Gerardo and his sister Irene to whom I taught English in exchange for board and lodgings, were 13 and 11 and I was 21 when we first met. To think they are now 58 and 60 and I am 68 shows how our friendship has lasted nearly a lifetime. Their family were an essential part of our wedding with Irene and her sister Julieta being my bridesmaids and Gerardo driving me to church. They met Amanda who came to visit me in Madrid in 1978 and of course at the wedding so she is also  their friend. They have been back to the restaurant many times but we hadn't been very often. Would you believe the owner still remembered me when I made the booking? We were in for a very nostalgic and beautiful reunion where our marriage began in the company of people who meant and mean so much to us. 

Amanda and Andy's arrival marked the beginning of a holiday for us both and we were going to have a great time. 

Tuesday's storm freshened up  the air and it was a lot cooler. Thus we took our friends and Pippa on our hour long walk in the woods which we all loved. It was time for coffee at Alverán when we got back and Suzy joined us which was a pleasure. We came home to find Oli and family already at home and waiting for us for lunch. We had the most delicious and wonderful reunion lunch all together made for us by Tana who is such a blessing in our lives. Here we are around the table on the kitchen patio just enjoying being together as well as the food. I love it when my dearest English friends come to visit - it makes me go all British again hahahaha.

Family lunch with both girls, Miguel, Elliot and Juliet. 

We all convened to the pool later but we oldies did not join Oli and family in the pool. That must be a sign of our age. We were all rather impressed with how well 5 year old Elliot swims under his father's keen supervision. Miguel is a first class swimmer so he couldn't have a better teacher.

At around 7 pm we set off for Madrid leaving the car at the local Metro station and taking the train to Cuzco, one stop away from the Real Madrid stadium. We were soon at Quenco and arrived before our friends. We were led to our table on the small but lovely terrace I remember so well. It was like stepping back into the past. We spoke about the vicar from England who married us, Brandon Jackson who was an important figure in our family. We Googled him to see his age as I couldn't remember and were devastated to read he had died in 2023 aged 88. He was an essential part of our wedding and it was sad to learn of his death that night when we revisited the venue where we had our wedding party. Andy took some lovely photos of Eladio and I and Amanda before Gerardo and company arrived and I particularly like the two I am reproducing below.

 

Quenco revisited  ´- what a happy night.

Soon Gerardo and his wife Vicky and Irene and her husband Tomás were with us and it was all hugs and chatter and a while before we ordered. I honestly think ours was the happiest table at the restaurant that night. Here are some pics to remember it. 

Quenco revisited with my best friends and my Spanish family. Oh how I love them all

A great night was had by all and we were sad to say goodbye but it was getting late.

We were home by midnight and all slept amazingly well, given three of us are dreadful sleepers. Only Eladio always sleeps like a log; lucky him.

I was up at 6.30 on Thursday, the day of our departure to our beloved village, Montrondo, where Eladio was born and where we rebuilt the family house. Amanda had been there before it was restored over 30 years ago but it would be Andy's first time. We told them we were going to the end of the earth in a way as Montrondo is so rural and remote, lying at the end of a road before the mountain range we love so much. Only 10 or 11 people live there all year round although many come back for the holidays, like us. We would be getting away from the heat of Madrid as being so high up and in North West Spain Montrondo always enjoys cooler temperatures. 

Before we set off I got a photo of Andy and Amanda having breakfast on the kitchen patio.  

Andy and Amanda having breakfast on our kitchen patio before we set off for Montrondo

As we set off we were all looking forward to our traditional pit stop at Palacio de Bornos in Rueda, a village in the province of Valladolid and famous for its delicious white wine. We would drink the wine accompanied by local ham, cheese and bread as well as chocolate which would serve as our lunch that day. We got there on the stroke of 12 midday which was very early for a Spanish lunch but we didn't care. Being Andy's first time there, I arranged some wine tasting for him which must have been one of the highlights of his day. 

Wine tasting in Rueda

And here we all are around the table enjoying the food and wine. Palacio de Bornos is one of many happy places as those of you who read this blog or know me will appreciate. 

Lunch in Rueda at Palacio de Bornos

It was a 2 hour drive from there to our village and we arrived at around 3 pm to find it bathed in sunshine and everything green and lush. I love Montrondo at this time of the year.

Soon we were showing our friends  the house and  their quarters. It always takes a while to settle but when we were finished and after Eladio had got out the outdoor furniture, Amanda and I were playing Ludo (parchis) which I introduced her to when she came to stay in 2022. 

I had eaten too much at lunch but everyone was hungry at around 6.30 pm so I served them an early dinner. It doesn't get dark here till 10.45 pm so when they had finished, we suggested a walk around the village for them to see it and get their bearings.  The most important building is the church which was built in the 1770's. It was where people dressed up to go on Sunday's, mass being the only event of the week. Eladio was baptised there, took his First Holy Communion there and more importantly it was where he was ordained as a priest aged just 24. Here too we attended his parents' 50th wedding anniversary and latterly their funerals. We went to get the key from Manolita, one of the few people living here all year round and after greeting her walked across the lush fields to the old church. On our way we took some photos which I am happy to share here.

Walking round the village and showing our friends the church on our first day here.

The church is small but beautiful, with its centre piece being the amazing altarpiece Just look.

Inside the church

We also admired the very old pews and confessional boxes from where Eladio often took confession. Andy asked him if he had ever heard anything that shocked him but he said he never did. I wonder. 

From the church we went to visit the very Spanish like cemetery where his grandparents and parents are buried in a family niche. If you have ever watched Almodovar's "Volver" where the women are sprucing up the graves in one of the first scenes, you will see just how similar this cemetery is. Spaniards seem to love putting plastic flowers on graves; something which horrifies both Amanda and I but who are we to judge? 

In the cemetery in Montrondo

I then invited my friends to climb up to the belfry but only Amanda came up with me. It's quite a place with its huge bells and wonderful views of the village. Here is a photo Amanda took of me which I particularly like.

In the Belfry in Montrondo

I was under strict instruction from Eladio not to even attempt to ring the bells. I wouldn't know how but was tempted. My husband does know how to ring them and often did it in his youth. I explained to Amanda that the tolling of the bells in Spanish village is a true form of communication. Depending on  the number of tolls and pace of the ringing, it could mean a death, a birth, marriage, etc, even war. And all the villagers know what each type of ringing means. 

From the church and belfry we walked back to return the key to Manolita and then took our friends to the village common, El Campo, and then to the end of the road where the mountains begin. Andy and Amanda are keen bird watchers and were pointing out lots of them, some of the names I had never heard of but then I am not a great fan of birds thanks to Mr. Hitchcock.

It was still early by the time we got back so Andy, Amanda and I played sevens (a card game) until it was time for bed. I could not have been happier in their company and in our lovely village and country house.

I slept quite well although I woke up far too early on Friday morning. Friday was market day in Villablino, the nearest town to here and I always love going. Villablino is a former mining town which was once very rich until the coal mines closed some years ago.  My father-in-law, like many people from villages in the area, used to work in the mines and would cycle  every day there and back on a torturous mountain road. It must have exhausted him. Thankfully he gave up mining when he married Eladio's mother and took over the family farm.

The 30 minute drive is over a spectacular mountain pass which never fails to impress. Before shopping we had to pick up the family lawn mower that we took last time to be mended. Here is Eladio picking it up. 

Eladio picking up the lawn mower in Villablino

By then it was coffee time which we had at Bar Amigas across the road. We sat in the shade as it was so hot. I have never experienced such heat in this area and it was only 27ºc but it felt like 40ºc, And here is a photo to remember the moment.

Coffee in Villablino on Friday

All the bars in the town serve free food with coffee, as you can see on the table. My friends were amazed that the bill for 4 came to only 5 euros!

We duly did our shopping at Gadis, a supermarket where you are spoiled for choice. We then walked to the market but it was so hot, we just wanted to leave. We had lunch that day at Cumbres de Omaña in Senra, some 4km from Montrondo at what I call "the grumpy man's bar", The owner is very unwelcoming but the food they serve is good country fare and the portions are enormous. Being on Mounjaro I found it far too much. 

We came home to chill outside in the coolest place here, on the terrace behind our house. Amanda and I played Ludo - or rather the more complicated Spanish version called "parchis". I have always loved this game and passed on my addiction to Amanda. I couldn't have felt happier playing my favourite game in our lovely village in the mountains with my oldest friend.

It is so calming and distracting and I always tell my friends that Rafa Nadal played it before matches. I needed calming down as a crisis was unfolding at home which, thankfully, Olivia dealt with. There is always something.

We went for our walk in the evening when the sun was not so strong. But even so it was very, very warm but not as hot as in Madrid where the temperatures reached 40ºc this weekend. We took our friends on the old path to the next village, Murias. That was the path or track the villagers used before the road was built. There are great views of the village from there so I had to have a photo of my companions to show you. 

On our evening walk on Friday along the old path to Murias

The halfway point between Montrondo and Murias is a rock which the locals call "la peña de Dios" and means God's Rock and I would love to know who named it. Every nook and cranny in this area has a name,  many of which I have learned over the years since coming for the first time in 1984. We spent a while there trying to get a good photo of the four of us; one of which I have chosen for this week's feature photo. It was a lovely moment and I so enjoyed showing our friends the rock and the path and beautiful surroundings. Here is another one.

At God's Rock on the old path to Murias

The light was excellent for photos so I asked Andy to take a photo of Eladio and I and he took a good one. This is it. 

Eladio and I on the old path to Murias on our walk on Friday evening

On our way back we had to take more photos, this time by the Montrondo sign at the entrance to the village. I wonder how many photos I have taken there over the years; the same as at God's Rock, hahaha.

A photo here is a must for everyone we bring to Montrondo.

We came home to have dinner and we were all hungry although my appetite was nowhere near as big as usual thanks to Mounjaro. 

The day ended with the three of us; Andy, Amanda and I, playing Sevens again. I felt a bit bad at winning all three games. I don't know how I do it hahahaha.

I had not too bad a night and got up at 6.30 am on Saturday morning. It was to be even hotter that day meaning we could not go for a walk until the late evening. We had lunch booked at the old prison in Murias, now turned into a restaurant and hotel called Hotel Rural la Carcel. There was nothing to it but to stay at home and make use of the back garden where there is shade. Amanda and I played Ludo again of course while Andy and Eladio read or turned to their phones. Eladio lay under the shade of the apple trees on one of the very comfortable summer beds. It was such a relaxing scene, I had to have a photo. This is it.

Relaxation mode - Eladio under the shade of the apple trees yesterday morning.

We relaxed until it was time to drive to Murias. Normally we would have walked but it was far too hot. Our friends loved the hotel, both the building and especially the gardens and here we took more photos like the one below of Amanda and myself.

Hotel Rural La Cárcel

Thankfully inside was cool. The dining room was once the prisoners' refectory and Eladio told us stories from his past. Especially interesting was the story of his father being arrested by the Guardia Civil in Franco's times for possessing his father-in-law's revolver and some dynamite for which he nearly got sernt to the prison where we ate yesterday. Thankfully it never happened. 

 

Lunch was good but for my taste the menu was pretty heavy. Eladio and I went for lamb casserole which was disappointingly tough. Below is a rather nice photo of me with my husband.  

Having lunch in the prison yesterday

It's quite a good place to eat out but as expensive as Madrid in our opinion. We all concluded that the grumpy man's bar was a  better option.

 As we left, Andy who is nuts on birds, wanted to see the stork family that lives in its nest above the church in Murias, up close. It was hot but we were interessted too. And here is my husband admiring the storks.

The stork family in Murias

I am not keen on birds myself but love storks. They are such homely and romantic birds apart from being elegant. Besides, they bring babies don't they? Andy used his binoculars and spied a whole family, the couple with its fledglings.

We spent a while there admiring the storks until it was just too hot and we had to go back. Eladio and I went straight to our bedroom for a much needed siesta after the heat and a big lunch. I slept for an hour at least, sleep I really needed. So did Amanda who doesn't get enough either, after which we played ludo. We waited for the heat to recede before we went on our evening walk  This time we took our friends along the main road to Murias. Here Amanda took a photo of me by a signpost indicating distances to local places and not such local places - quite a funny signpost really. This is it. 

 

 

On the road to Murias from Montrondo there is an intriguing sign post. 

Even more intriguing were the shadows of our bodies while we walked in the evening sun. Amanda took a video as it was rather a funny moment. 
 

 Before we reached Murias we took a turn through a birch tree lined path up the hill and past the river which takes you to the top of the villages. It's the most beautiful walk I know in the area. The only thing was we were plagued by flies the  whole time. Andy said the walk should be called "The Lord of the flies" and he was not wrong. I just love the tree lined path and insisted on yet another photo.

On our walk yesterday to the top of the villages above the main road

The walk would take us all the way to the end of Murias. It is beautiful but the flies were a total nuisance. Only when we reached the village did we get rid of them. Once in the village we took the road back to Montrondo and were glad to see we had done over 12,000 steps that day. 

 We had a makeshift dinner after which we more or less went straight to bed as we were so tired from our exertions. I slept really well last night totalling 6.5h hours and once again was the first to wake up. And here I am in the silence of the house finishing this week's post. And what a wonderful week it has been. Next week promises to be great too as tomorrow we shall be leaving for Asturias on the coast to stay at our new but house in El Cuetu. It will be far less comfortable than this one but there is a lot more to do in the area. You will hear all about it next Sunday when all good things will have come to an end as they always do.

Meanwhile, let me wish you a happy Sunday,

Cheers all till next week,

Masha