A family birthday dinner, off to England, time with my friends Amanda and Andy in Devon, foul weather, eating, drinking, playing cards and having fun and other stories of the week.

South Devon, Sunday 16th February 2025

With my best friend Amanda in Devon this week. We braved the weather as you can see

Hi there everyone. Well, this week finds me home in the UK for the first time since November 2023. I am  staying with my oldest friends, Amanda and Andy in their most beautiful home overlooking the sea in this wonderful part of the country I did not know before I came this week.  They live not so far from Torquay, Torbay and a place called Teignmouth (pronounced teenmuth). Their nearest towns or villages are Shaldon and Babbacombe. I had to look at a map to see where I was staying and  share with you. Here is one I found. This is England's West Country. 

Map of Devon

Devon is sandwhiched in  between Cornwall to the west and Somerset and Dorset further north. I was to learn more about the area during my stay. But before I tell you all about it, let me rewind to last Sunday.

It's amazing to think that only a week ago today, we left our apartment by the coast to come home after our bus man's holiday. What a difference in weather both in Madrid and here. To think just over a week ago we were having coffee in the sun in Alicante where the temperature was 21ºc. No wonder so many retired people live there. 

I took one last photo before we left on Sunday morning of the view from our apartment of the Bay of Alicante, a view I never tire of.

View from our apartment

We had lunch on the way back at one of our favourite places on the A3, Mesón de los Rosales. Love that place. We were home by about 4 pm. The house was full as Oli and the kids had come for lunch. It was great to see them, Suzy of course and Pippa. Above all, I loved seeing the sisters on good terms together. That night though we had dinner alone and went to bed early. I only slept 4.5 hours - not good. 

Early on Monday morning I enjoyed watching Oli live on TV reporting on the Rubiales case. She has borrowed a few of my coats -the ones that no longer fit (boohoo) and looked great in my red one. Here she is, clever girl.

Oli reporting on the Rubiales case on Monday morning

That was the day Trump announced 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium entering the US from any country. The world was not happy. That was also the day that Hamas announced it would delay the next hostage release for this Saturday, claiming Israel had broken the ceasefire. Trump was the first to react saying that all hell would let loose if they were not released this week. God help us. I think he did because on Friday Hamas issued the names of the next 3 (men) hostages to be released this week. This week, thankfully, those who were released were not emaciated but the parading of them continued. 

Life continued in El Bosque, the area where we live and that evening Oli and family were coming to celebrate my birthday belatedly. I was to make fish and chips for 8 and thank God for Tana as it's a very messy process. My sweet grandchildren came bearing red roses with which I was delighted. Here they are in this lovely photo, bless them.

My grandchildren bringing me red roses for my birthday

As I love receiving flowers and my husband never buys them, I told him to look  and learn hahahah. 

Everyone enjoyed this most English of meals and it being a birthday there was, of course, a cake. And below, my friends is the cake moment which is quite funny. Elliot wanted to blow out the candle while they sang and I had to put my hand over his blowing lips to stop him spoil the moment hahaha. Miguel took a video with his new Samsung S25 which you can see here on my YouTube channel. 

Monday came and once again Oli was reporting on the high profile Rubiales case. This time she was wearing my blue coat hahahaha. If she wears my coats, she must think I have good taste I thought. 

Oliva reporting on Tuesday again

The damn man claimed the kiss had been consensual but that was not the case. Believe it or not, the BBC wrote to her that morning to interview her on the case for their programme Newshour at 15h. I didn't know but for her or any employee from RTVE to appear on another TV channel, they need permission. She was gutted it wasn't granted, the main excuse being there wasn't time to process her request. Not fair boohoo.

I spent part of my day packing. I also went to have my nails done and then I had an all important appointment with my new GP, 30 year old Elena Criado, who I loved at first sight. She shared my blood test results and told me my cholesterol was very high. I knew there was a new drug, Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) which is the new weight loss wonder drug. It suppresses your appetite but also brings down cholesterol. To be prescribed with it you have to be pretty over weight and the dear doctor put down in my notes that I weighed a lot more than I do although, my friends, my weight is a state secret and I don't even know what I weigh myself as I detest scales. I wont' start taking it until I get back from England but watch this space. This could be miraculous for me. Let's see. My main reason though for the appointment was to talk about my daughter Suzy. Ideally I wanted the doctor to get her records from Alicante but she told me our hands are tied as she can only do that at a patient's request. So we remain in a Catch 22 position. We can do nothing, just wait for another crisis.  This week too, we learned she is back on dope. But we do not know how on earth she is funding it as we cut the financial cord 2 months ago. God help us.

Finally Wednesday 12th February came, the day of my trip to England. It was also, my friends, my brother George's birthday. He would have turned 70 this week but unfairly died aged 46, 24 years ago of melanoma. He is always in my heart. I love the fact that my dear friends Amanda and Andy knew him too and my family of course. So I could talk about him to them and they understood. 

Eladio drove me to the airport and we left at 7.45 even though my flight to Bristol wasn't until 11.15 but we had to factor in the morning traffic on the M50 ring road. I am so glad I no longer have to face it now that I am retired. Everything went smoothly and my Easy Jet flight landed early to fog and cold weather which was not unexpected. I was flying to Bristol but wouldn't  visit and kept thinking of my roots to the city where my father spent most of his childhood at the  New Vicarage in Henbury and went to the famous public school, Clifton College. My dearest friend Amanda was there waiting for me and it was wonderful to see each other again after more than 2 years. We have been friends since we started grammar school at St. Joseph's College Bradford when we were either 10 or 11. Her husband Andy was also an integral part of my teenage years. He was my father's pupil at Bradford Grammar School and my friend too as he was my best friend's boyfriend. I used to host amazing parties at home, with the blessing of my mother and I well remember my friends' first kiss  happening in our house with my mother and I looking on. Now nearly in our 70's we are still friends and it is just wonderful to be with them here in for what for me is their new home which is gorgeous by the way.

It's an hour and a half's drive from their home to Bristol so bless them for picking me up. On the way home they took me to a lovely cafe for lunch. Called Dart's Farm it's a very enticing place. There I couldn't resist a cup of tea with a scone filled with Devonshire clotted cream and strawberry jam and  a cherry pie. Don't worry guys, I will be starting a diet when I get back with the help of the new miracle drug Mounjaro. 

It didn't take long from there to drive home to my friends' house. And what a beautiful house it is. Above all it has a stunning view. The inside is superbly decorated and comfortable and nothing looks dated like our house I'm afraid. I was taken up to my splendid en suite room with lovely views of the sea and I soon settled in. 

View from my friends' house

It felt so strange to be back in England and to be staying on my own here but it felt good. I loved the independence of my room and just felt at home with my dearest and oldest friends.

If Andy was our chauffeur he was also our chef, throughout and makes delicious healthy food from some healthy cooking app, The Doctor's Kitchen. Interestingly, he has a book called "Food as medicine". That night we had fish and veg with a glass of delicious Sauvignon from New Zealand called Stoneleigh. While Andy made our dinner, Amanda and I started watching a new series on the BBC filmed in Bradford, our city of course. Called Virdee we did not like it. There was hardly a white face in the series which I suppose sums up Bradford today which, this year is the City of Culture. Bradford is a much maligned city but it has its beauty spots such as the Town Hall, St. Georges's Hall, the Cathedral, the Corn and Wool exchanges and many other amazing buildings from the time of the Industrial Revolution. This was when Bradford was the wool centre of the world. Today it is not the centre of anything apart from crime as it has an  astonishingly high crime rate. I still love Bradford because of nostalgia for my childhood but wasn't keen on Virdee. 

It was funny to wake up in Devon, a part of England I really didn't know, on Friday morning. I was happy to find a Nespresso machine and milk frother in my friends' enormous kitchen. Mid morning Amanda drove me to the local village called Shaldon which is described as a quaint seaside village or town. But it was pretty empty that morning and bitterly cold. Our first stop was at the lovely pub and cafe The Ness overlooking the Teign estuary. I had to have a photo to immortalise the moment haha.

Happy to be back in England even though it was freezing cold and very windy

I loved the pub and we were lucky to get seats or rather very comfortable arm chairs next to an open fire. There were people, mostly with dogs there as the UK is such a dog friendly country, unlike Spain. 

We then went for a very bracing walk around Shaldon which was pretty deserted. Amanda told me that half of the houses were holiday homes as Devon is  coveted place for British tourists in good weather obviously. This week was not good weather. Just look at how my friend is kitted out to shelter from the cold. I got a picture of her next to The Ness, a beautiful building I thought.

Amanda outside The Ness in Shaldon

Lunch was lovely; most of it from M+S. Andy and I shared a scotch egg and sausage roll we got at Dart's farm which I adored. Whoever says Engish cuisine is rubbish is very wrong. On the table there were lovely M+S food; prawns, salmon pate and coleslaw, followed, my friends by apple crumble which Andy and I shared .It was a divine lunch. Later Amanda and I played Ludo which I adore and introduced her to when she came to Spain in September 2023. For the record she just beat me after 1.5h play. It might seem a childlike game but I can tell you it has its strategy.

Shortly afterwards my friends took me to M+S where I had a list of lingerie to buy for Oli and myself.  We then walked across the car park to Sainsbury's where I got clothes for my grandchildren. If I had an M`+S anywhere near me in Madrid I would probably spend all my money there, go bankrupt and be so fat I couldn't get in the door  hahahaha.

Once home, Andy started making dinner for us; a concoction made of red rice, prawns and veg, while Amanda and I started watching a series she highly recommended me called Bad Sisters on Apple TV which I do not subscribe to at home. I'm not sure about it yet. The Irish accent was so thick I needed subtitles, unlike Virdee where the Yorkshire accent, however thick, is very familiar to me. 

I slept so so that night, having tried a new sleeping tablet prescribed to my friend which did not work at all. I woke up with a splitting headache which thankfully went after my first caffeine shot. On Friday morning I read that Trump is to impose tariffs on the EU, damn the man. I also read he was pushing for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in a meeting to be held in Munich of all places; so reminiscent of Hitler's time which by the way, did not happen. I also read somewhere that Russia had already been promised they can keep the territory they have claimed during the war. For me these talks are a non starter; totally unacceptable to Ukraine. To quote the BBC, "Trump wants peace .Ukrainians fear what that might look like". However, a headline I saw on CNN worried me too. It is a quotation from Vance the US VP and  reads "US could send troops to Ukraine if Russia doesn't seek peace with Kyiv". I'm not sure I see that happening do you? There was actually a meeting this week in Munich - a big Security Conference, attended by Trump's VP, JD Vance. He took world stage berating European countries for their economy and accusing Germany, Sweden and the UK of censoring free speech. 

It was absolutely foul weather on Friday and I did not go out. It was also Saint Valentine's Day which I always spend with Eladio, except for this year. But we shall celebrate when I get home. How lucky I am to have the husband I have. 

Missing Eladio on Valentine's Day this week

I spent the day inside and we had great fun really and ate well. We had sausage rolls again for lunch; that is Andy and I, as well as some M+S pork pie, neither of which I could resist.  We also had Eton Mess or rather Andy and I did. We both seem to love the same fattening food. I commented that if he and I were married, we would both be obese and that it was a good job we had the partners we do who are so moderate about their intake, like Eladio. I then had a short siesta after which we played Trivial Pursuit which had the most devilish questions. It was a UK edition so not to my advantage as I have been out of the country since 1981. Amanda beat us both hands down. But I beat her at ludo later. After another delicious meal by Andy from the healthy cook book, we all played 3 card brag. We used to be mad on it at school but that was over 50 years ago and none of us really remembered how to play. Thus we turned to a more traditional card game called Sevens which I won each time hahahaha. We really had a lot of fun and games this week and I was in my element, eating, drinking, playing cards and laughing all the time. Oh how I love my friends and wish I saw them more often.

I went to bed pretty late for me after enjoying a day playing cards and a board game which I love but don't do at home as no one is interested I'm afraid.

We woke up to dense fog and rain on Saturday morning. We braved the weather though and went out, for more food my friends. I can't stay here much longer as, like Pooh Bear, if I carry on eating like this, I won't be able to get out of the door to go home, hahahhaa. 

My friends took me to a very special place which is a farm but also has a restaurant where everyone gets served a surprise menu and only when everyone is sitting down to eat. The farm specialises in organic veg and my friends get all their veg from them. Called Riverford Field Kitchen I loved it at first sight. I got more photos that day and here is one of my dear friends outside the "field kitchen" before we went in.

Outside Riverford Field Kitchen yesterday

The whole place was rustic and warm with a great atmosphere. As to the food, it kept coming, dishes and dishes, mostly of amazing veg with some incredible combinations. Our mains was duck in beetroot sauce. But best of all was my sticky toffee pudding for dessert; probably my favourite English pudding of all. Here are some pics to remember that lovely place and meal.

Wonderful lunch yesterday

By the time we had finished the rain had stopped for the first time in a day and a half. Thus we were able to go for a walk. My friends took me to the beach front called St. Michael's Promenade in Teignmouth right next to the railway line built by Isambard Kingdom Brunnel which went into operation in 1846. It is the line that runs from London to Penzance. The 10.000 or so passengers who travelled on it the summer every week then, must have loved the scenery. I did too but it was bitterly cold and rather windy. My friends keep telling  me this area is glorious in the summer but of course I have come in February. But who cares about foul weather when you are in England with your best friends, spending all your time, eating, drinking playing cards, laughing and generally having lots of fun? What a break this has been for me this week and there are still a few more days to go until I return home on 20th. Here is a pics from our walk  by the tacky Teignmouth sign hahaha. 

On our walk yesterday

Andy took more, including this week's feature photo. He also took this one where I was trying to push my hair back and it ended up like this - so funny

A funny picture on our walk yesterday in Teignmouth 

Once home, we all grabbed a glass of that lovely New Zealand wine which I nursed for hours while we played cards and played until it was time for bed.  As teenagers we loved playing betting games such as 3 card brag, poker or pontoon. That was over 50 yeas ago so our memories of the rules were not intact. Yesterday we tried pontoon using lots of coins that Andy has stored somewhere and then went back to Sevens. What fun. I am looking forward to more fun today but please Andy no more pork pie, sausage roll or sticky toffee pudding hahahaha.

That's it from me from Devon today until next Sunday.

Cheers all, Masha

A crappy Monday, my knee gave in again, Olivia reporting on the Rubiales unsolicited "kiss case", Trump wants to take over Gaza and expel the Palestinians, to the coast for a winter break and a bus man's holiday, Elliot goes skiing, my birthday and other stories of the week.

 Sunday 9th February, 2025

Enjoying a coffee in the sun

Good morning everyone.

How has your week been? Mine started off being very crappy literally, as you will read on but got better as the week progressed.  My knee caved in again and only on Tuesday were we able to get away to the coast for a winter break. It's actually been more like a "bus man's holiday" to quote my father when my parents taught in the summer holidays, because we had lots to do here as you will learn later too. 

Last Sunday was Groundhog day which was quite appropriate for me as all days leading up to it seemed the same to me. The groundhog predicted 6 more weeks of winter; i.e. bad weather but it's been wonderful here. I went for my first walk since I had an issue with my knee last month and it did me the world of good. It was just half an hour but it felt splendid.

On Monday though, I went for an hour long walk which I would regret as my knee caved in that afternoon. I had obviously overdone it. The day started well for me with Olivia covering the high profile court case of Luis Rubiales, Spain's former head of the Spanish Football Association. I'm calling it the "kiss case".You will remember this creepy man forcing an unwanted kiss on player Jennifer Hermoso just after Spain won the women's Football World Cup championship. He then went on to coerce her into saying publicly that it was consensual. He is also involved in other scandals but this is Spain's Me Too moment in football and sport in general and the media attention has and is being incredible. This week it was one of  Spain's main topics and my daughter was covering it for her programme La Hora de la 1 for TVE, the country's public broadcaster. I can't tell you how proud of her I am. Later she told me that the Discovery Channel from the UK filmed her reporting and will be interviewing her on 21st Feb and she wants me there. Great.  Here are some stills from her live reports.

Olivia reporting on the Rubiales case this week

Her husband Miguel later told me she had been congratulated by some quite high up people in the corporation. Oli never blows her own trumpet so we have to instead.

Monday was very crappy apart from seeing Oli on the TV,  in both senses of the word I'm afraid. It was the day of my dreaded colonoscopy at 8pm which had me on the loo from noon until noon the next day. Unfortunately, the beverage they gave me didn't work as fast as it should have. That meant that my gut wasn't completely empty so they could only see 75% of it. They suggested I come back for another test next week. But, no way I am going through that again. No way. I hobbled there and hobbled back and came out feeling absolutely lousy. My dear husband was there for me. After 2 days of only liquids, it was wonderful to be able to eat again. Generally the day was so crappy I consider it one of the worst in recent times.

The only good news that day was that Trump gave both Canada and Mexico a breather, by delaying the imposition of 25%  on goods exported to the US: How did he do it? In exchange for stricter border controls to stop immigrants and fentanyl from entering the USA. Later in the week he threatened the EU with similar tariffs but not the UK for the moment. 

I managed 6 hours sleep that night and was up early on Tuesday morning and able to watch Olivia reporting live again from the courts in far away San Fernando de Henares. She must have got up before the crack of dawn, poor girl. But as I told her, "don't complain you could be working for a bird magazine or something boring." I did later hear from her that she loves her job. Gosh, job satisfaction is more than important isn't it?

I was still crapping that morning and cursing ever having asked to do the damn test. That day we had decided to come here to our apartment on the coast as many things needed doing. We also wanted a winter break and to celebrate my birthday quietly. Before leaving, we went to A&E where I saw the same doctor who is treating my knee. He told me that I should not walk for more than half an hour. That is very limiting and inconvenient for us, for whom our daily walks are so important. 

As we drove to Santa Pola, I read that there had been a shooting at a school in Sweden with 10 people killed. It probably has to do with the terrible gang violence gripping the country. This, otherwise peaceful country, until no so long ago, now has the second highest crime death rate in Europe after Albania. According to an article I read "poverty is the main driver" in areas called "utsatta" or vulnerable areas. They are probably more like immigrant ghettos although no one wants to use that term.

We stopped for lunch at Mesón San José on our way. Reading the news while my husband drove on afterwards, I was astounded to hear Trump's latest. He wants to take over Gaza and drive away the Palestinians by sending them to Egypt and Jordan, while he turns the area into a sort of "Middle East Riviera". This came during his first meeting with Netanyahu  who was in Washington this week. No doubt it was music to the latter's ears but not to Palestinians or any other Muslim or non Muslim country.  Is this any of his business? Really? Is he mad? Yes, well, we know that. Later on in the week, the man once again insisted that Palestinians be expelled after Israel cedes  the territory to the US who will turn it into some sort of haven. This was his tweet on Thursday afternoon. Honestly, I have no words.

In his own words. Frightening. 

He is making some terrible decisions for democracy in America too which certainly aren't going to make it great again. I read worryingly that he wants to make America all white with special emphasis on Latinos. It is estimated there are some 11 to 13 million illegal immigrants many of whom are fearing deportation. In a Stalin like style he is offering 1000 dollars to people to snitch on them so they can be deported. Just yesterday 300 Brazilians were flown home, shackled again. Does this man have no humanity? Making America great again - his electoral pledge, he is very serious too about annexing Canada as Justin Trudeau let slip this week in words heard when he thought the mikes were off. 

All thoughts of Sweden or Trump mania left my head when we got here. We arrived to find a sparkling clean apartment with a new kitchen sink - the latter took 2 years to achieve - won't go into the details. It was good to see how well the pantry had been painted in our absence and how clean Gina our new cleaner had left it. She is a treasure. We soon settled in to our old flat which we bought in 1999. We were very grateful for the warmth from the AC/heat combo pump we had installed in the main living area last summer.Most people in this area do not need or have central heating but it can get cold. Eladio set about mounting a fruit and veg rack to replace a horrible one we had and a hanging fruit and veg basket contraption. What a difference this all made. I saw Lucy our lovely neighbour who returned to me an heirloom, a very valuable brooch that belonged to my English grandmother which Suzy had brought here. I was so relieved to get it back. I've hardly ever worn it but it's beautiful.

I slept very well that night; 7 whole hours which is a lot for me. I missed Oli on the TV that morning - she doesn't always warn me (boohoo). Later she sent photos of Elliot skiing for the first time. Her husband Miguel had taken him  out of school to enjoy a day skiing. Aged only 5 it was probably the best day of his life so far and he will remember it always. Here he is, all kitted out.

Elliot (5) went skiing this week

And here you can see him skiing with his father in a video where you can tell just how happy both of them were.

Elliot skiing (for the first time) with his father

While Oli was reporting and Elliot and Miguel skiing, we went out to do various tasks. Our first stop was to print some documents to take to the Land Registry Office the next day. Then we drove to Euronics to buy another AC/hot air pump  as well as a large screen Samsung smart  TV, both for our bedroom here. To make it even more comfortable for our stays  in winter and summer, I also invested in a memory foam mattress topper I got on Amazon. Thankfully, Euronics could get an electrician and air con installer to come during our stay. I have long wanted to make these changes which, of course, our guests will also enjoy. It was only after that that we had some free time in the morning - heaven forbid; we do not work in the afternoons, hahahaha.

 Later I took Eladio to one of my favourite places here, Choco & Latte by Dalua in the main square of Santa Pola where the castle is; in the heart of this small seaside town. I was pining to have a coffee there in the sun and my wish was granted. Eladio took a photo of me which I have chosen as this week's feature photo. It was a happy moment. But we came away having taken a hard decision. There will be no road trip this year. We realise now that we cannot leave Suzy alone at home ever again for more than a week. We haven't told her we are here, for fear she would have insisted on coming with us and then staying to live. She can never live here alone again. Her delusions would get worse and she would take drugs again. So with a heavy heart, we had to make this decision for the sake of our daughter's safety. So no more long walks and no more road trips. There you go. Resilience which was my motto last week is to be my motto forever more my friends. We have to live, despite the very big problem in our lives. There you have it. And we will live and try to be happy. 

As one has to eat to live, on our way home we stopped at Mercadona to get provisions for our stay. I later remarked how easy it is to shop and cook for just two people and not four and a dog. 

I spent the afternoon finishing The Missing on BBC iPlayer and then went on to watch the series Baptiste with the same "French" detective. He is called Tcheky Karyo and was actually born  in Turkey. I love him and I love both series. 

After a dinner of giant prawns with salad, I had an hour long Skype call with my dear friend Kathy (and her husband Phil - at times). It was lovely to catch up. We do miss them and hope to see them this year. I do pine for Yorkshire where they live.

On Thursday morning after another 7h hours sleep (hurray), the first thing I saw on my phone was a video from Olivia. She was reporting again on the case but this time the video was about being a reporter on the streets before daylight. You can see it here. 

Early morning video from Olivia showing her preparations: coffee, her notes, gloves and a brush!

Our morning wasn't quite as early but we had to hurry up to get the Land Registry office as the AC/heat pump people were coming to install it at noon. I had to go there to submit a form to request a registry code number in compliance with tougher laws for tourist rentals imposed by our socialist/communist government. It's funny really but Spain's last right wing President, Mariano Rajoy, who was a Land Registry officer before entering politics, went back to work at this same office when he was ousted from government. The staff there later told me he was a very nice person. Never in his time would he have made such stupid laws around tourism, the very heart of Spain's economy. To cut a long story short, I had to go and print something else, request it online, go home and submit it online, only to go back again physically to complete the process of requesting the damn number. Finally at noon I was done and I now have to wait for a call to come and collect the stupid new document. But I had done it and felt I had climbed a mountain.

I came back to find a group of Argentinians installing the AC/heat pump. They finished while we we were having our lunch after which we cleaned the floor. Oh what a difference the warm room made for our siesta. Not that I slept but I lay on my bed watching Baptiste on my trusted iPad. Lovely. 

On Friday finally we had no more tasks to complete. I suggested we spend the morning in Alicante with the excuse of going to El Corte Inglés (Spain's flagship department store) to get my birthday present and then have a coffee by the beach. And that is what we did. I am very happy with the noise cancelling headphones by Sony in white we got there. I tried them out at the store and was amazed at the quality.  My previous headphones have conked out and I needed new ones to watch stuff on my iPad when I don't want to disturb my husband. 

From there we drove to the port. Eladio parked while I went to look for a table at a bar in front of the Postiguet beach. It was a sunny day, slightly windy but the temperature was 17c which is pretty amazing for February. Did you know that Alicante is the sunniest city in Europe? I found a great table and the bar buzzing with people speaking, well, all the languages under the sun. Here are some photos of those happy moments by the beach on Friday.

Coffee in the sun on Friday in Alicante

On our way home we picked up my Amazon parcel containing the memory foam mattress toppers. It should have been delivered at home but the driver obviously thought it was more convenient to take it to a pick up spot. It contained two  for our twin beds and when Eladio  opened them I was a bit disappointed. They looked hard and thin. But, oh my goodness, about 3 hours later, they had expanded to the right measurement - 7cm - and we immediately put them on our beds. These are them.

Our new memory foam mattress toppers are divine

We didn't want to spend a fortune on new memory foam mattresses here where we don't come very often, so these have been the perfect solution. I am even thinking of getting one for our 180x190 bed at home as I think it's lost some of its foam or spring. What a wonderful idea. The proof would be in the pudding though so I wondered how I would sleep that night. I slept very comfortably. My wishes for our bedroom here in Santa Pola (heating and air con, a large TV and a new mattress) would be complete the next day when someone came to install the giant screen smart TV we got at Euronics on Wednesday. Mission completed along with the admin at the Land Registry Office.  

So when Saturday came, my birthday, I was free to celebrate it, bar the man coming to install the TV at 09.30. He rather spoiled my proposal to have breakfast at Choco & Latte in Santa Pola. Ah, but I had booked a table at a new restaurant for us that had been recommended by people in the area. It was at La Masía de Chencho somewhere on the outskirts of Elche, not far from here. 

I ate 2 mini croissants  and 2 mini pains au chocolate for breakfast while Eladio had his usual healthy stuff. That's when I opened my present (hahaha) and tried it out on my phone, PC and iPad. Then my dear husband presented me with a birthday card he got at the British supermarket, Quicksave, across the way. I had sort of nudged him to do so, but even so, I was very happy. It said on the front "For my really special wife on her birthday". I can't be that special if they make cards saying so can I hahaha? Then to make my happiness complete, Oli and the kids rang. They were so funny. Oli kept lighting  a match while they sang Happy Birthday to you, many times over. Juliet knows the words in English now. Ah, and this week, Oli told me she had learned to write her name. Also this week Miguel did a photo collage of her for school which I wanted to share with you here. Isn't she lovely? Well, not always hahaha.

Sweet Juliet (3)

By 12 noon the TV was working and we were free to leave. Before going for lunch we stopped at the Saturday market in Santa Pola where, wait for it; we got 12 kilos of giant oranges at 1 euro a kilo and 6 kilos of giant mandarins; all locally sourced. They look amazing. Here I am at the stand where we got the fruit.

Buying locally grown oranges at the market

Soon it was time to drive to the restaurant, La Masía de Chencho  which is on the outskirts of Elche in a rural area surrounded by olive groves and palm trees. What a wonderful place it is too. I wondered why we had never heard of it before. We thought La Finca was the best but this is top notch too. And here I am sitting and waiting for the delicious food we would be served and enjoying my birthday.

About to enjoy lunch on my birthday at La Masía de Chencho 

We had fried baby squid for starters, some amazing artichoke dish, followed by rice with cod and vegetables. This was it. It is a local variation on paella and just as good. 

Our rice dish "arroz con bacalao" at La Masía de Chencho

For  dessert I had to go for their home made lemon pie which was divine; really divine. 

And so, full, tired and happy we made our way "home" after a lovely birthday lunch at a new place we shall no doubt return to many times. 

Once home I set up all the apps on the new TV set and soon we had Netflix, Prime Video, Movistar Plus and RTVE Play all working for us to watch at our leisure from the comfort of our now more comfortable bed. 

But Saturday wasn't all about my birthday. On the international scene, and in the 5th release, three more hostages were returned to Israel from Hamas. Very worryingly they were handed over in a terrible state, infra nourished and looking like prisoners freed from Auschwitz. All of them were men and one, Eli Sharabi,  came home to be told something he could never have envisaged. His wife, his two daughters and his brother had been murdered by Hamas when they kidnapped him on that terrible night, 7th October 2023. I have no words to even begin to understand his misery. I really don't. How can he begin to live again?

I had a wonderful end to my birthday which by the way I shall continue to celebrate tomorrow at home with the girls and Juliet and Elliot. I had bought a mini cake from El Corte Inglés which was divine. It was made of some of my favourite things; pistachio and white chocolate. This was it.

My little birthday cake we or I had last night

Eladio isn't into cakes or many sweet things so I had most of it, hahahaha. Have you noticed the question mark shaped candle? So how old did I turn yesterday? Not telling hahahhahaha.

Last night, true to tradition in Madrid, we went to bed to watch the news. The new TV is a big plus in our room here as is the AC/hot air pump and new memory foam mattress top. I slept like a baby last night and woke up after 8 hours sleep and I am feeling on top of the world.

I don't want to go home today but we have to go back to be with Suzy and I must prepare for my upcoming trip to Devon next Wednesday. I shall have to prepare for the cold in good old Blighty too. If this morning the minimum temperature here was 8ºc and the maximum will be 18ºc or so, in Devon the minimum will be 4 and the maximum 8. But I don't care, I just want to go to England and see my dear friend Amanda and her husband Andy. 

So next week I will be writing from near Torquay. I've never been to Devon except for a stop off at Plymouth once, so will be looking forward to their famed Devonshire creamed teas, as well as fish and chips I hope. 

As I come to the end of this post, all that remains is to wish you all a happy Sunday.

Till next week, all the best, Masha

Resilience, my motto of the week, 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, routine medical appointments, babysitting our grandchildren, Elliot's family tree, air crash in Washington DC, more Israeli hostages released and other stories of the week.

Madrid, Sunday 2nd February, 2025

Eladio with Elliot and Juliet this week when we babysat for them, the little mites. 

Good morning my friends. 

It's February, a new month and the sun is shining. However, this week has been a bit like Groundhog day which is today.  Most days felt similar and were made more depressing by the cold and rainy weather caused by new storms, Herminia and Ivo. They have mainly affected the north coast but we have felt their repercussions here in the centre of the country. Thankfully by Thursday the worst was over and the weather looks good for the time being. I am so glad to have the sun back and couldn't face living in a country without it.  

I read something that helped me this week and it may help you if you are going through a difficult period like me.  Basically it's about resilience when the going gets tough. I liked the article and my motto this week was "resilience" which seems to be mostly called resiliency these days but I prefer the former.  Basically, according to what I read, it "is the ability to bounce back and recover from a setback or difficult experience. It is how we dust ourselves off and get back up when we fall. At its core, resiliency is seeing ourselves as capable of doing hard things and holding the steadfast belief that we can and will navigate the hard parts of our lives; not matter what." The idea is that you can do the hard things AND be ok (or at least try).  The 5 pillars of resilience are: belonging, perspective, acceptance (important), hope (difficult) and humour. I love the last one. It always helps doesn't it? Just a thought ........ and now back to the stories of this week:.

I left off last Sunday when Oli and family came for lunch. It was not a very peaceful occasion with both kids playing up so badly their parents took them home straight after the meal. Oh dear. Shortly after they left, a new guest, Ximena, from Mexico arrived and was staying for 10 days. She is a very nice young student but turned out to be rather needy. I chatted to her about the 4 million Mexicans living in the US and the fear of deportation under the new Trump administration. She nodded, adding her country was very corrupt and had scathing comments about the new President, Claudia Sheinbaum. 

I spent some of that afternoon while waiting for her, watching The Night Agent which is pretty good but not a patch on The Night Manager. Later I watched Season 2 of the former which was rather far fetched. 

Monday 27th January came, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, also called Holocaust Memorial Day as Auschwitz is the greatest symbol of the Shoa. Over 1.1 million people were killed there, nearly all of them Jews. There was a big memorial ceremony at the infamous camp attended by many heads of state and by just 50 survivors, most of them children at the time. Soon there will be very few left. Ironically, as it was the Russian Army that liberated the camp, there was no one there  from Putin's government. That's because he is in nearly everyone's bad books for invading Ukraine.

Olivia, my daughter, did a piece for her programme La Hora de la 1 on TVE that morning about the Spaniards imprisoned in Auschwitz which I am happy to share with you here. She later told Suzy and I that it was harrowing choosing images from TVE's archives. They made her cry which for a journalist is quite something. I was brought up on so many stories of WW2 from my parents, both of whom were much involved, that I am still so fascinated by events in those times. To think my own Mother was imprisoned by the Gestapo sends a chill down my spine. Like my father, she worked for the Allied Control Commission after the war - she for the French in Austria and he for the British in Germany. I know for sure my mother saved many a Russian soldier from being deported and sent to Stalin's gulags. My mind was on it all day.

While this was happening, more displaced people, this time Palestinians were heading north back to their destroyed homes and Hamas announced that 8 of the 33 hostages to be released as part of  the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire are dead.  I am so sorry for their families as I am for the Palestinians; ordinary people caught up in a senseless war. It seems we haven't learned our lesson from WW2.  Just this week Trump suggested Palestine be wiped out and that its inhabitants be sent to nearby Egypt and Jordan. The world is in the hands of a madman, it really is. 

In our Skype call that afternoon with  Amanda, whose father was a Spitfire pilot in the RAF, we spoke about this and many other things. I can't wait for my trip to Devon this month to finally see her in person after so much time - November 2022. 

Tuesday came, bringing with it another medical appointment; one of quite a few in January, February and March; all of them routine, so no worries. I went to the ultra modern Quirón hospital in Pozuelo for an appointment with a dermatologist to remove a cyst on my back. As my brother George died of melanoma, she did a thorough check on all my body; a good thing. I will have the benign cyst removed on 5th March. On that same day I will have my annual gynecological check up too as my mother apart from bowl cancer also had breast cancer which she died of. I am sort of resigned to the fact I will also get cancer at some stage but hope it's late in life. 

Once home and with lunch out of the way, a technician from Samsung came to change the water filter on our avant garde fridge. When we bought it we didn't know it would have to be changed every  6 months - what a bind. Shortly after, a plumber came to mend some radiators which he didn't manage to do and in Santa Pola a stone maker was bringing a new slab of marble to our apartment there so that a plumber, Bernardo, could install a new sink. We have been trying to have it changed for 2 years now and it has proved difficult. Finally the plumber did his job the next day and we shall see it for ourselves when we go on Tuesday. I can't wait for a break in the sun. We also have stuff to do there; change our mattresses, put in a heat and AC pump in our room and hopefully a big screen TV. Let's see if that happens. 

We had the kids coming at around 5 and would be babysitting them while Oli went to her Tuesday afternoon French lessons. We were rather worried about their behaviour but Oli said they had been well warned. We kept them occupied by offering them more decaf tea with biscuits. At one point I was holding Elliot in my arms and telling him he had to behave and not shout and hit people, hahaha. I also told him he was very handsome adding that was something he probably doesn't think about. He replied; "I do"; funny little boy.   Eladio then  took them to the swings as at that moment the sun was out and for once it wasn't raining. I asked Elliot to promise to behave and he replied in English, " I promise" and he did. 

Suzy and I then bathed them in our great big bath tub which they thoroughly enjoyed. As I was drying and dressing Juliet, Suzy and Elliot were on our terrace and I chuckled when I saw my daughter had put my dressing gown on him and I had to have a picture. Doesn't he look funny?

Elliot on our terrace in my great big blanket like dressing gown, one I wear all day long hahaha

Dinner time that day was much better than lunch on Sunday and they ate relatively well. Dinner was followed by play time in the library lounge and when Olivia came to pick them up, they didn't want to leave. So a good time was had by all. 

The news that night in Spain was better than last week. Remember when I told you about the decree with 80 different bills including the pension increase that didn't get voted on because it included so many controversial proposals?  The opposition lobbied for the decree to be separated to include just the most important social measures and this is what happened. Sánchez, our PM, was against doing so but had to give in to his untrustworthy coalition partner, Puigdemont, the Catalan political fugitive who lives in Waterloo. Effectively the government is in his hands. In the end, 29 of the 80 original bills were agreed upon with the fugitive who I can't stand. 

But it's worse in the US than here, I can tell you. This week was the beginning of Trump's new administration and he is cracking down on illegal immigrants of whom there must be millions; now all fearing for their lives. Deportations have begun, including a military plane with shackled immigrants flying to Bogota. The Colombian authorities refused to let it land and then Trump retaliated by imposing 25% tariffs on goods exported to the US. The Colombian President had to give in in the end. This is a terrible situation. The latest is that he intends to send many to Guantanamo, America's version of Auschwitz in my mind.

Another situation happened that shook the US economy this week and spooked the world of Artificial Intelligence. China surprised the world when it announced its version of AI called Deep Seek, the unexpected rival to Chat GPT. Different media gave different figures of how much of the value of leading US tech companies was lost after the announcement, some going as far as 1 trillion dollars. Trump called it a wake-up call and for once I agree with him. I haven't used Chat GPT very much and when I have tried it, often the results were wrong. I tried to make a Christmas card and was disappointed too. But maybe that's because I don't have the premium version. I don't like the sound of Deep Seek which is offered for free, for the moment, as it is biased politically. Apparently if you ask it to tell you about Tiananmen, it doesn't have an answer. I wonder what is says about Chairman Mao? 

Wednesday came, the day of my blood and urine test which had me up early and with no breakfast to look forward to until afterwards. I cheated though and had a tiny cup of coffee before I went. I was gutted to hear at the Health Centre that my GP and my father's, Dra. Pilar Martin, was leaving. Oh dear what am I going to do without her? I was hoping she would be able to help Suzy by somehow getting her into the system here. I wrote to her on Whatsapp, a privilege very few patients have, and she recommended a new young doctor who I have already signed up with. She will be sorely missed and I shall forever be grateful to her for how she looked after my father, especially the day he died.That day was  a holiday in Spain and she was there for me and him, guiding me all the way. I was very upset to hear she is going. 

I was home early and enjoyed a hearty breakfast, reading the news. Mentally I was prepping for the procedure before the colonoscopy test this Monday. The preparations are very strict: From Friday only a sort of white diet with no protein or fiber. From Sunday until the test at 8pm on Monday, only liquids and then on Monday the dreaded powders to be taken with litres and litres of water to clear my gut completely. No doubt I will lose weight but I was dreading the preparation. It's horrible but has to be done every few years. If you have had one done, you know what I am talking about.

On a lighter note, Oli sent us a photo collage Miguel had done for Elliot to take to school with his family tree. I just have to share it with you. 

Elliot's family tree. Notice how Pippa is included (hahaha)

There is not much else to tell about Wednesday so let's move onto Thursday. I woke up to news of a plane crash in Washington DC. An American Airlines passenger plane with 64 people on board collided midair just before landing at Ronald Reagan airport, with a  military helicopter carrying a crew of 3 on Wednesday night at around 9 pm local time.  Both crashed in the Potomac River. No one survived. Trump lays the blame on Biden and Obama's inclusive government, even saying some air traffic controllers were mentally retarded!  Of course they are not. The problem seems to be that there are few of them and that night one was doing the job of two. Another problems seems to be with the Army helicopter which kept changing course and was flying too high. Here is a chilling image of the midair collision.

The moment the American Airlines aircraft and the Black Hawk helicopter collided in midair

I had just finished watching The Departure on Netflix the day before and this news sent a chill down my spine. Whenever there is news of an air crash, I always remember our own air crash tragedy. On May 21st 1971, my father's sister, Gloria, her husband Derek and their children, my little cousins, Jacqueline (12), Michael (9) and Antony (7), died upon landing in Rijeka in a flight that took off from Gatwick. This tragedy lives with me and always will. My heart goes out to the families of the victims of the collision in Washington DC this week, it really does, because I know how they will suffer. It is something that never goes away. 

That day, 8 more hostages were to be released from Gaza in the third exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages. First a young female soldier was released but once again it was done on stage with thousands of Hamas supporters cheering. Then the others, including 5 Thai nationals, were released in chaotic scenes.  Israel protested at the way the hostages were being released and threatened to stall the release of Palestinian prisoners. Later they were handed over and I really hoped that the next liberation of hostages would be done in a more humane way except that I think Hamas  really does not understand the meaning of humane. 

On Thursday while Eladio went for a routine appointment to our dentist, I went out shopping to get the food I am allowed on the preparatory diet (really boring stuff). While out I had a coffee at Manacor and enjoyed sitting in the sun. I need the sun I was told by my Doctora Martin who rang to give me my blood test results that day. She said my cholesterol was a bit high and my Vitamin D (the sun vitamin) a bit low. I shall have to take steps to remedy both. 

We had the kids again in the afternoon while Oli went off to her Thursday afternoon French lessons. This time they behaved so so but we managed. Bath time was the highlight after which we dressed them both in our dressing gowns and Elliot declared he was  Suzy and Juliet was Grandma. What a funny moment it was

The children in our dressing gowns this week. What fun moments we had

Friday was the first day of my preparatory diet with no fiber, fruit, veg or red meat. So I had white toast and coffee with skimmed milk washed down with strained orange juice. Not bad. That morning saw Eladio and I at the town hall on a bureaucratic errand. Oh how I hate Spanish bureaucracy. I really do. But at least it got us out of the house and I was able to have another coffee although not to my taste: decaf with skimmed milk but better than nothing. The best thing was having it in the sun. 

That day the 60's icon, Marianne Faithful died aged 78. She will always be known for having been Mick Jagger's girlfriend. She will also be known for her drug addiction but in the 60's she must have been a very happy girl. RIP.

Friday was also the day that Trump imposed 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, his closest neighbours with whom there is a trade agreement. This is a disaster for Canada and Mexico but not good for Americans either when they see many prices go up. This is part of the maniac's MAGA strategy (make America great again) which I think can only backfire. He also withdrew millions of humanitarian foreign aid with disastrous consequences for poor countries, especially Africa. Trump also imposed a 10% tariff on goods from China and the EU maybe his next victim. He seems to think the world outside the USA  is of no importance and went as far as saying " we don't need their stuff".  Oh damn the man. 

UK had a similar outlook when Brexit went into force 5 years ago that day. To think we fought for peace in Europe and then went and left the EU for ridiculous reasons. Not only that, the vote was so divided, it really shouldn't have gone ahead. I was furious of course for having my EU citizenship stripped without even being able to vote. Today I have Spanish nationality because of bloody Brexit. I think secretly many people now regret the decision but say nothing about it. What the hell, the EU is on the UK's doorstep, why leave and pay the consequences, especially in trade and freedom of movement? Damn it.

I had good news in the afternoon when I went to see my traumatologist. It was to get the results of the MRI on my knee. Thankfully it's not bad enough to be operated on (sigh of relief). What I have is arthritis and wear and tear on the menisci which I think I can live with. I was cross with myself when I got home for having lost or left behind the report and the prescription he had given me. That means I will have to go back.

I slept little and badly that night and woke up on Saturday to news of another air crash in the USA. This time though the aircraft was a Mexican medical airplane so no doubt Trump will blame the Mexicans and not any mentally retarded air traffic controllers. It crashed into a residential area of Philadelphia and all six on board died. It also killed one person in a car and set houses on fire. How awful. 

3 more hostages were to be released that day as part of the Gaza ceasefire. I hoped they would not be displayed in public like the others but they were, once again although the handover was less chaotic.  

Our Romanian guest Cristiana left that morning after 10 days staying in my father's old room. This is what she wrote to me before she left: "I think I am leaving, it was a pleasure to stay here, the house is absolutely stunning and the people living in it… amazing human beings 🥹 thank you so much! It was a pleasure meeting you and your family!".  Comments like this make it all worthwhile; not the bureaucracy in Spain for renting short time on Airbnb. 

We had a quiet day yesterday and today promises to be quiet too. No doubt I will be very hungry as I can only have liquids. On the bright side, I might lose some weight hahaha. The answer is resilience  isn't it?  

So that's it from me for the week. All the best, Masha.

A quiet, cold and rainy week, first two groups of Israeli hostages released, Elliot and Juliet try tea for the first time, Trump sworn in as President again, a bit of pampering with Suzy, coffee with our Chinese friends and other stories of the week.

Madrid, Sunday, 26th January, 2025

A coffee with Suzy after having my nails done on Blue Monday, supposedly the most depressing day of the year.

Good morning again friends and readers. How you are all doing? I'm as OK as I can be. For us it has been a quiet, cold and very rainy week. We are so used to the sun here that when it rains I find it depressing. In the UK, mostly in Ireland and Scotland, Storm Eowyn has leashed its wrath with what the press are calling a weather bomb. I read it was probably the strongest storm to hit the UK in 10 years. Wind speeds of up to 115 mph were recorded, over a 1000 flights were cancelled and many people were without electricity. So, I shouldn't be complaining about the weather here in comparison. If you read my blog post last week I'm happy to tell you my knee is better but I still have to rest it so no walks again for me this week either.

Last Sunday was not depressing. It was the day the Gaza ceasefire came into force. 3 young Israeli women hostages were released, Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher. They were the first small group of the 33 to be released in the first part of the ceasefire agreement. We saw their release organised by the Red Cross live on TV as did their mothers. I can't imagine the emotion and relief when they finally held their daughters in their arms 15 months after their kidnapping by the evil terrorist group Hamas. Very few details of their detainment have emerged but I'm sure they had a horrible time underground in filthy tunnels. I pray for their mental health and recovery. Another 4 women were to be released on Saturday. Their mothers and families will have awaited the moment with great anxiety. Imagine being in their shoes.  I keep wondering why they haven't released the youngest hostage, a baby aged just 10 months old only. 

Olivia and the kids were coming for lunch that day and I had everything prepared. We had a bit of a shock before their arrival as Juliet had to go hospital. It happened when she showed her mother a broken thermometer which she took out of her mouth. Had she swallowed the mercury? Was it dangerous? She seemed ok but you never know. It was 5 year old Elliot who told his mother they should go to the hospital, "just in case". Eladio joined them and found Juliet (3)  in high spirits. 

Juliet with her mother who was in high spirits at the hospital after giving Olivia a scare

It turned out the thermometer contained non toxic gallium and not mercury so this was a storm in a tea cup thankfully.

It was after lunch that my grandchildren tried tea for real for the first time; well decaf tea. Suzy had made some for herself and they wanted to try it. Would you believe they loved it and wanted more? I had to have a photo.

Elliot and Juliet trying tea for the first time with Suzy

With their tea they had some biscuits which they dunked in their drink, "just like Daddy". I thought that was very funny. Dunking biscuits, cake, croissants, etc is a very Spanish and French thing. When I was a child in England it was pretty faux pas. My penchant for dunking croissants in coffee began as a teenager at Gare du Nord station in Paris and I've loved it ever since, as have I croissants when they are good. 

Elliot and Juliet dunking biscuits in their tea which they tried for the first time this week

Monday came and it was a foul day. It's rather ironic that Trump's inauguration should fall on Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year. OMG. But Suzy and I braced ourselves and went out for a little pampering to have a nail manicure. We later went to have coffee at Alverán. I always have coffee outside in the sun in Spain but not this week. That day we had to go inside which was depressing. Suzy took the only photo I have of myself this week which I have used as today's feature photo. Not a great one but at least I have a smile on my face. You all know I hate going to the hairdresser but I love having my nails done. I always think a woman should take care of her hair and nails. She should take care of her body too; an area I rather fail at although I am now on a semi sort of diet to shed some of the  many kilos I put on this winter. 

Trump being sworn in as the 47th President, as he was the 45th 4 years ago, was frankly so depressing I didn't want to watch it. I can't stand the man and his crazy ideas.  However, I couldn't really avoid seeing some of it on the news that night. One picture did strike me though and it was taken when he tried to kiss his Slovenian born wife (an immigrant btw), Melania. She was wearing the oddest hat which completely covered her eyes. Maybe she didn't want to watch the ceremony either, or maybe she didn't want him to actually touch her face. Just look.  I bet underneath it all she hates him. But then, why did she marry him? Only she knows. I mean, imagine going to bed with the monster? Uggh.

The hat thwarted kiss at Trump's inaugural ceremony

He promised a new golden age for America. It looks like the dark ages to me.  As soon as he was sworn in, he began to sign hundreds of decrees previously prepared, all of them doing away with any good work Biden had done. In a nutshell, he  pulled out of the Paris climate agreement and the WHO, will put an end to diversity (he said there will be only two sexes; men and women), flout climate change (drill baby drill) and close the borders to new immigrants, as well as carry out mass deportations. He wants to stop the right to nationality for immigrants born in the US.  Later in the week, he pardoned all those far right criminals who stormed the Capitol 4 years ago causing death and destruction. He also told Putin to stop the war in Ukraine otherwise there will be more sanctions. I don't think that will work. Then to rock the boat even more, he gave his blessing to those radical Jewish settlers who continue to destroy, attack or take over areas and homes in Palestine. He probably doesn't even know where Spain is as he asked whether it belonged to the BRICS countries with their emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). That did not go down well down here at all.   He threatens huge taxes on imported goods from friendly and non friendly countries and  is generally behaving like a  bull in a China Shop. And he will carry on and the world will not be a better place because of him. I really mean it when I say God bless America. He will not make American great again. My husband did watch the ceremony and was awed by the pomp. He was also puzzled as to why the citizens of the US call their country America when it is a continent and not a country. He has a point there. He was also surprised at the religious aspects and the mention of God in the ceremony although the President forgot to put his hand on a bible which his wife had in her hands.  That would be impossible in Spain now a secular country. If a Spanish King or new President used a bible or said God Bless Spain, people would have their guts for garters. That's enough of the newly instated 47th US President for now. 

Tuesday came and it was another freezing cold and rainy day. Oli asked me to check an email she was sending to Narges Mohammadi, non other than the Iranian woman human rights activist, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2023. I was impressed and can't wait to see the interview. 

Despite the weather, we did go out that morning. We had a coffee date with our Chinese friends whose English names are Amanda and George. They and their 12 year old daughter were our Airbnb guests two years ago after they left China for Spain. Since then we have met occasionally and we admire them for their courage. It's funny as their daughter now goes to our daughters' old school, St. Michael's in Boadilla. And, just as we walked into the cafeteria (Manacor), sitting there were old friends from the school; Inés and her daughter Beatriz who was in Suzy's class. Inés and her husband live in a house right across the road from the school. We had bumped into her occasionally over the years but we had not seen Beatriz since she left school over 22 years ago. And there were our Chinese guests waiting for us and my attention was divided between them and our old friends. Here are two photos I took at Manacor that day. It was lovely to see our Chinese friends as well as Inés and Beatriz and her brother Fernando who joined them later. 

Inés and Beatriz, friends from the girls' school days

Amanda and George, our Chinese friends with whom we had coffee this week at Manacor

Our Chinese friends told us that it was the Chinese New Year at the end this month and that it's the Year of the Snake. We also learned they are both Sheep from the Chinese Zodiac horoscope. We looked up ours and I am a rooster and Eladio is a monkey. I later looked up the predictions for Roosters this year and  this is what I read: "The Rooster Chinese Horoscope 2025 promises to be highly favourable for Roosters in terms of employment, business ventures and entrepreneurial endeavours". If it refers to my renting business that is good news. Monkeys (Eladio) seem to be promised good fortune too. This is what  I read "They will enjoy a steady financial situation and not have to worry about their cash flow". I sincerely hope that is true. As we left, we wished them a very Happy New Year. 

Once again I braved the weather that day as I went for my afternoon hair cut appointment and the dyeing of my awful roots. I hate going but it is an important task. Conchi did her work speedily and well and I left with just 18 euros less in my pocket. Gosh, she is cheap. Now both my nails and my hair were in good condition, as I like them to be.

Wednesday dawned and as I didn't plan to go out, I showered and put my pyjamas on again. I love being in my pyjamas and dressing gown at home. Do you? I was certainly not one of those travelling anywhere that day. I was stunned to hear that 1.4 billion travelled abroad in 2024 and that 94 million of them came to Spain and some to my house too. Spain was the second most visited country after France with 100 million visitors. However, and this is big, tourists and visitors spent a whopping 126 billion euros here vs 71 billion in France. I got some of that and spent it too on our amazing road trip last year. I read that tourism accounts for about 13% of Spain's  GDP. I honestly thought it was more. So where does the other money come from? Agriculture? No, that's only 3% believe it or not. The main sources of revenue come from the car industry (Spain is a huge manufacturer mainly of French cars), medical technology (new one for me), chemicals (really?), ship building and the textile industry - of course, Zara and co I suppose. We are also supposedly a big exporter of professional services whatever that means. In any case, tourism is looking good unless our communist and socialist coalition government spoil things, especially with restrictions on Airbnb hosting and the purchasing of housing by non EU countries. Spain's economy is apparently booming although you wouldn't notice it on a day to day basis, but according to The Economist, "Spain deserves a fiesta". We do, we do. Pensioners also deserve an increase in their income which promised to be 2.8 this year in line with inflation. However, something happened to halt the increase. That day in the Spanish parliament a huge bucket list of decrees was voted on in one bill including pensions. It did not go through as the government didn't have enough support. You would think that all parties would agree to  pension increase and they do. What they didn't agree to were all the other decrees sneakily included in the one bill. I was furious at the news. I can only hope this can be revoked somehow. Of course it could if it went through Congress as a single bill or if the government issued a special decree. For now it's all about political games which is infuriating as it affects people's lives. Damn the government we have. That news was not a good end to the day. 

Thursday dawned and although it still rained, the sun came out a little and the temperatures went up a tiny bit. I can't wait for the good weather again.  I slept well and once again as I didn't go out, I just showered and put my pyjamas on again, hahahaha. At breakfast I did not see my latest guest, Cristiana, a 22 year old Romanian girl who came on Wednesday. She is studying in Utrecht and is here on an exchange programme. When I showed her the house, she said  it was so gorgeous, it felt as if she was in a film, bless her. We aim to please, of course. 2 more guests were arriving that day, Leonardo (a repeat guest) and Elena. I looked forward to greeting them. 

On Friday we were out and about. We went to pick up a traffic fine from the post office. We can no longer drive our old Volvo diesel car to the local train station damn it. I then stopped at the local clinic to pick up the instructions and some vile powder to be consumed for a dreaded colonoscopy on 3rd February. It's just preventative as my mother had bowel cancer but I am not looking forward to the horrid preparations to clear my gut hahahaha. We then went for coffee after which we did the weekly shopping. It was lovely to be out and about and to have the house full of healthy food. 

On Saturday, earlier than expected, the 4 Israeli women hostages were released as announced. The exchange rate was high; 200 Palestinians in their place. They were the second small group of the 33 to be released and they are Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag. They are soldiers and were members of the unit of observers posted around Gaza to watch for any signs of Hamas activity. They were supposed to be "Israel's eyes on the border" but their pleas went unheard. This was the night of the big debacle on 7th October 2023 which caught Israel unprepared. If only their pleas had been listened to. Now they are home but with scars; mostly mental of course. How on earth do you get over something like that? In contrast to last Saturday's huddled release, this time the terrorists displayed the women on stage in Gaza claiming victory from Israel. That was not popular and the Israeli government was disappointed a 5th hostage, civilian Arbel Yehud, had not been included as agreed. In retaliation Israel delayed allowing Palestinians to return to the northern part of the Gaza Strip. This ceasefire agreement is very fragile. 

Life continued as normal here in the middle class bubble we live in on the outskirts of Madrid where life is generally safe. That morning I accompanied Suzy to the hairdresser in Villaviciosa and we had coffee together.  Here she is just after the bob cut. She doesn't like having her photo taken so I had to sneak this one.

To the hairdresser with Suzy on Saturday

The outing did us both good and I think she enjoyed a bit more pampering.  I suffer for my daughter but I suspect she suffers a lot more. If only she would agree to medication and therapy. For the sake of peace we often ignore the elephant in the room in our day to day relations. In any case, she prefers not to talk about the delusions when I carefully try to reach out to her and question them.

The rest of the day was quiet too. I watched a lot of The Night Agent - an excellent spy series. I have also re watched The Night Manager this week. Oh I do love spy stories don't you?

Today is Sunday and Oli and the kids will be here for lunch, so I must leave you now and get on with the day as it is already late and I have lots to do.

Cheers then my friends until next Sunday. All the best till then,

Masha