Birthday lunch, Suzy in London, King Charles' visit to the US; a masterclass in diplomacy, a few days in Santa Pola, a night in La Calahorra on our way to Seville, an encounter with a beggar and other stories of the week.

 Seville, Sunday 3rd May, 2026

Great to be back in Seville - such a magical place

Good morning from sunny Seville. We are here and having a great time. Before I tell you all about it let me rewind to last Sunday.

Last Sunday the news was all about the aftermath of the shooting at the White House Correspondents's dinner hosted by Trump at the Hilton in Washington and the visit of King Charles to the US. I honestly thought that not much could be wrought from that after Trump's recent hostility to my country.  I was wrong. He did a marvelous job as we all know now. King Charles III made our country proud.

At home we celebrated Suzy's 42nd birthday with a family lunch; a barbecue again. Her birthday was actually on Tuesday 28th but we put it forward as she was leaving for a holiday to stay with friends in London the next day. She hadn't been back for 8 years since she left the city after 5 years working there. It was going to be a treat for her. 

In the morning Eladio and I went on an early walk through the countryside, again surrounded by the lushness of nature at this time of year. I took a photo of my dear husband by some wild roses to remember the moment.

On our walk last Sunday

As soon as we got back we were out again to get the Sacher cake Suzy had chosen from Manacor and of course I had my morning coffee there. Later I decorated it with strawberries.This was it.

Suzy's beautiful birthday cake

We came home to start preparations for the barbecue which we had outside in lovely weather. Soon Oli and the kids were with us. Eladio was mowing the small lawn by the swimming pool and Olivia caught her daughter Juliet on camera following him. I just have to show you the photo. It is one we shall all treasure for years.

The gardener and his granddaughter

Suzy had invited her friends, Elena and Chati who are sisters. She studied at University with Elena and went to live in London with Chati so they are very close.  I took some photos to remember that moment too. It was wonderful to see just how well Suzy is these days.

Suzy, Oli, the kids and Elena (in pink) and Chati on the left

Ah and here is one of Suzy with the chef, her father:

Suzy and Eladio last Sunday the day we celebrated her birthday

We all enjoyed the gourmet burgers, sausages, chorizo, baked potatoes, salad and gazpacho and of course the cake. Here is Suzy vying with Elliot to blow her own candle.  We had to get out a question mark candle I had as the kids hid Suzy's hahaha.

The all important cake moment

I should tell you it was a full time job keeping the kids' hands off the cake until it was time to sing Happy Birthday. Suzy got lovely clothes from her sister and friends, money from us and hand written birthday cards from both Juliet and Elliot. We were lucky to have Tana there to help us with the lunch and all the clearing up. Later Eladio and I escaped to our quarters to get a bit of peace and quiet.

When I came down they had all gone, Tana too and we were on our own until our golf player guests came back except that we didn't see them until Monday.

A nice end to Sunday was a Facetime call with Kathy to catch up and also make plans for the week we shall be spending with her and Phil when we are in Yorkshire in June. I can't wait to see them.

Monday came and Suzy had "reisefieber"; a wonderful German word meaning "travel fever" and a term my mother always used to use. She would always gather us  in the porch at  6  Heaton Grove to pray before we left.  My daughter had everything she needed to comply with Ryanair's strict rules and she drove the car to the airport and Eladio drove it back. Meanwhile, I went to have a manicure and my nails varnished for my upcoming trip.

As soon as Eladio was back, we went on our walk and once home I started packing for our 11 days away from home. In between time I had to make the lunch as Tana was off and it was then I met my very young professional golf player guests and learned a little about what sounds like a lovely life. One of them was born in the UK and his family moved to Marbella when he was 4. He comes from Essex and his accent is very much from there too. We had a bit of a laugh.

Once they left for their tournament, it was just the three of us at home; Eladio, Pippa and I. That was so rare and rather nice. We had lunch on the patio and then retired to our room where I continued our packing.  I think I had a bit of reisefieber too. We haven't been away since my birthday in February and I was dying for a break. We had arranged a week with our friends - 4 nights in Seville and 3 nights near the Doñana National Park from 2nd to the 9th May. As Suzy was leaving for London, we decided to go early, spend a few nights in Santa Pola to get some sun and beach time and also see the new door. Then we would carry on to Seville on 1st May but break the journey by spending the night halfway there. My trusted AI assistant, Cloude helped me find a lovely hotel in a small , a town called La Calahorra in the province of Granada. With all these places we would be staying at, I had to pack carefully and I later realised I hadn't done it very well!

We had dinner on our own which was another wonder. I slept ok and was up at 6,30 on Tuesday morning, the day of our departure. It was also officially Suzy's birthday and I was happy to hear she was having a good time with her friends Sandra and Sara. Both are nurses and work somewhere in St. John's Wood as that is where Suzy's Italian friend Sara lives. I was happy to receive photos like this one from Suzy with Sandra and Sara.

Suzy with her friends Sandra (middle) and Sara who are both nurses in London.

The King too was travelling this week with Queen Camilla but to the US on a state visit to strengthen the so-called "special relationship".  The British ambassador apparently said the special relationship was more with Israel these days in an email that was leaked. The King did a great job and The Times called it a "masterclass in diplomacy". In his speech to Congress  which you can watch here, he stood up for world order, democracy, international law, the Ukraine, Nato and all those issues Trump has outlawed in dictatorial fashion. To do so he used that wonderful brand of humour from my home country. He won his  hosts over, including Trump. I loved some of his quips. There were quite a few but the best one has to be "Dare I say that, if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French". This was in reply to Trump's previous remarks that Europeans would be speaking German without their help in WW2.  The King referred to 18th century colonial rivalry when British victory over France ensured English became the main language of North America. He also thanked the President for the splendid dinner adding "which, may I say, is a very considerable improvement on the Boston Tea Party"  He  made a toast inviting everyone to raise their glasses - whether they contained, tea, wine, Scotch whisky, bourbon or even cola.  These quips related well to the real objective of the State visit which was  to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American Independence. He used these jokes probably to break the ice during this hiatus in the special relationship and to lighten the air but at the same time to subtly bring his host to heel. He certainly broke the ice when in his opening speech in Congress he quoted Oscar Wilde's famous language line: "We have really everything in common with America nowadays except of course for language";  so true in more than one way.  I have to say well done to whoever wrote his speeches which I think may have calmed the waters troubled  by all of Trump's warmongering and abominable behaviour. It cannot have been an easy job preparing for a visit I bet the King would have loved to erase from his diary. But he pulled it off remarkably.  The BBC said the Royals got their mojo back and added "perhaps what made it work for people in the UK was the sense of someone standing up for them, after hearing President Trump's multiple criticisms for so long". He was impeccable and  to quote the BBC journalist, James Landale the address to Congress was "a ruthless, relentless riposte to Trumpism".  Trump may not have got the irony but the rest of the world did. I can only imagine Churchill laughing from his grave. Someone reminded me of his once saying "Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions".  Touché. 

On a lighter note, let me share a video of Trump's amazing impersonator which I came across this week on social media. The Scottish actor Lewis MacLeod is Trump impersonated and includes some of his not so clever jokes. This is it and it is brilliant.

That  morning I had lots of last minute things to do and later realised I had neither packed a coat nor a jumper for our trip which I won't need for Seville but definitely for the coast at Doñana. I would have to remedy that in Santa Pola. 

We had a smooth drive and stopped for lunch in a town called Almansa. AI recommended a rather chic restaurant called Mesón El Pincelín. It was good but not the best.

We arrived mid afternoon to our flat in Santa Pola keen to see the new door which had been such a headache to order and mount. It is looking good but is not perfect. We can see the defects. However, we have a new door and I am not complaining.  

The imperfect new door 

We soon settled in and by 5.30 or so I was talking to my friend Amanda on the terrace which got quite cold and there I was without a proper jumper. We were both excited about meeting in Seville on Saturday. 

I felt the cold that night and put on the heating. I had packed in Madrid where it was so much warmer which figures. I got a decent night's sleep; just under 7 hours in 2 stages and was up at 7ish on Wednesday. It was a bit warmer and I was able to enjoy my coffee on the terrace.

We went out on errands and then finally for a walk at one of my favourite places in the area, the promenade at the end of the old coastal road we always prefer to the main road. Here I took a photo of Eladio to capture the moment.

Back in Santa Pola

Eladio is not often very demonstrative so he must have been feeling happy when I took the photo. He was also feeling hungry and suggested we go early to the restaurant we had chosen for lunch that day. It was Restaurante Casa de Pola just round the corner from our walk and it was our first time there. AI informed me they did very good paellas. Ours was good I must say but we both agreed it was nothing to write home about. 

Paella at Restaurante Casa de Pola on Wednesday

I came home and got more much needed sleep; 1.45h and woke up feeling drowsy. 

On Thursday we decided to go into Alicante. I had three objectives, well four in the end: 1) to buy new bins for the kitchen in Santa Pola,  2) get Eladio a decent Panama hat, 3) have a tapas lunch at Nou Manolin and 4) walk to the Postiguet beach via the beautiful Explanada walkway. We did them all and here are some pics to remember the day, including one of the new bins, hahaha. 

The new bins

Eladio's first ever real Panama hat

We bought both the bins and the hat at Spain's flagship department store, El Corte Inglés, known for its excellent quality. Eladio always wears a hat in the summer but they have all been fakes and none of them have lasted so I thought it was about time he got the real thing which should last quite a few years.  I later read him the story of the original Panama Hat. Worried it might make him look old, I quickly assuaged his worries by telling him that this hat is timeless, classic and the epitome of elegance for men. It has been worn by Roosevelt, Frank Sinatra, Humphry Bogart to name a few men who were famous and elegant too. And by the way it is actually made in Ecuador but got its name because it was sold mostly in Panama at the time. I think he looks great in it. 

From El Corte Inglés we made our way to Nou Manolin. It is a  a place we have been to often and never tire of, even if you do have to queue up outside to grab a seat by the bar. It's expensive but the tapas are the best in town. According to the late Joel Robuchon, the chef with the most Michelin stars in the world, Nou Manolin is the best bar in the world. I tend to agree. The food is to die for, service is quick and the atmosphere is a combination of fast and furious but controlled. I hope this photo shows you what I mean.

The legendary Nou Manolin tapas bar in Alicante

With our stomachs full, we walked from there to the Postiguet Beach which was teeming with people. It was 30th April but could have been July. The temperature was 25ºc and I wish I could have bathed in the sea. Instead I took photos and a video. This is the video and below the photos.

Postiguet Beach Alicante on Thursday 30th April

The last photo of the day was taken on the beautiful Explanada walking back to fetch our car. It is of me enjoying the moment and feeling happy and as free as a bird, something I haven't felt for a long time.

Happy to be on the Explanada in Alicante again

I have walked along  the iconic Explanada too many times to count over the years and it never fails to make me happy.  It was built in the mid 19th century but  only got its famous mosaic floor in 1950s. We have to give thanks to the artist Juan Antonio Pascual who created an optical illusion using over 6 million red, blue and white tiles to create a wavy effect. His intention was to mimic the waves of the Mediterranean sea. He did a fine job. 

Our last night in Santa Pola was quiet until I got a sudden reservation for the next day via Booking. It was a slightly complicated reservation as I did not know who the guest was nor his or her telephone number. Anyway by the day's end it was all sorted and a Chinese girl called Qingli arrived at the apartment the next day which had been cleaned by dear Gina who also gave her the keys and showed her the flat. It was very fine timing but we did it. Qingli told me she had come to take part in a paragliding competition which took place by the lighthouse. 

We were up early on Friday for our journey and to give Gina time to prepare the flat. Just as we were having breakfast Oli warned me she would be live on TV just after 8 am. She was reporting on the latest flotilla trying to take aid to Gaza and once again intercepted by the Israelis. I do feel for those poor people. Here she is as seen from our apartment that morning.

Olivia live on TV on Friday morning.

Friday was 1st May and Labour Day the world round. But for me it's my father's birthday. He died aged 102 in November 2021 in our house.  He loved his birthdays and so do we. I know he lives on in my heart but I still miss him every day. I was privileged to have him with us for the last 16 years of his life. If any of you are new to this blog and want to know more about him, let me direct you to the book I wrote for his 100th birthday: The Biography of C. Courtenay Lloyd which can be found on any Amazon site globally. This is the UK link. I came across a photo today of him reading it for the first time. 

My father reading the book I wrote for him for his 100th birthday. He went on to read it countless times. 

Seeing him reading the book I had written with so much love meant the world to me. Let me add one more photo in case Elliot ever reads this post. It is of him with me and his great grandfather on his 101st birthday on 1st May 2020 when Elliot was 8 months old and it's lovely.

Elliot with his great grandfather who he remembers clearly. He hasn't read his book but is fascinated with the pictures. 

Being a great traveller, my father  would have loved our road trip from Santa Pola to the small town of La Calahorra in the province of Granada, a town that sits at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and boasts the best views of the Sierra Nevada.  Many years ago my father took the train to Granada himself and visited the Alhambra. On another occasion he and my mother holidayed with us on the Almeria Coast and we visited the Alpujarra region made famous  by Gerald Brennan, the British Hispanist, who wrote South from Granada.  I  booked a night there as it was the half way point between Santa Pola and  Seville so as not to have driven over 600km in one day. My AI assistant Claude recommended the place and the hotel, Hospederia del Zenete. It's not the Ritz but it's a lovely hotel.

Outside our hotel in La Calahorra

I had never heard of the town of La Calahorra but soon realised it is known for its Renaissance castle of the same name and which has featured in many cinema productions including Dr. Zhivago, The Good The Bad and The Ugly and more recently The House of the Dragon. If I had known I would have got tickets. It's quite an imposing structure and not at all like the usual castles you see in Spain. It is in fact unique. Built between 1509 and 1512 it is the earliest example of Italian Renaissance architecture outside Italy. Unlike Spanish castles built purely for defence, the Castle of Calahorra, although austere on the outside, was designed as a luxury residence on the inside. 

The castle of La Calahorra as seen from our hotel

Maybe we will come again. We had lunch at the hotel restaurant which offered excellent food but the noise was horrific. I have never been in such a noisy restaurant. I think more than the people talking loudly, the fault was with the acoustics. Eladio told me I should look forward to a quiet meal at Betty's in Ilkley where you can hardly hear a pin drop haha.

Later we wandered into the  town to explore its Moorish streets and eventually to walk up to the castle although it was closed. It's quite a walk. We bumped into two local ladies on their constitutional who served as local guides. Here are some pics from our walk in the town and up to the castle and back.

Exploring La Calahorra. 

We came back to the hotel to have a little something on our terrace as were not hungry enough to go to a restaurant. 

Saturday 2nd May finally arrived, the day our friends Andy and Amanda were flying to Seville. They weren't arriving until quite late at night so we aimed to get  there before to get everything ready for our stay.  I had booked an Airbn apartment in Triana, opposite the old city, across the bridge over the Guadalquivir River. I hoped we would like it. This is it. 

We left the hotel at around 9.30 and had a 330km drive to Triana on the A92 which links all of Andalucia. We got to Seville at around 13.30 and had to find somewhere to park. It was no easy feat but we found a spot just up the road from our apartment.  First things first - we went in search of a supermarket to get a starter kit of provisions which we found at a local market and at Aldi. Lunch was at a terrace on the street at a nondescrepit bar served by a hoarse waiter. At just after 3pm we got into the apartment to find the lift was not working. No way were we lugging all our stuff up the stairs. I complained to the company renting it and they were going to send someone to help. I later learned they manage 500 apartments in Seville! Meanwhile, we sat on a bench outside the flat waiting. 

Waiting for help with the luggage

 I spied a beggar on the next bench who looked in need of some money or food so Eladio asked him to take our luggage up to the flat in exchange for some money. He was very scraggy and probably didn't weigh much more than our big suitcase and I was afraid he might fall at any moment. But he didn't. Later we would need him to help us with our friends' luggage too, hahaha. It was quite a hilarious moment.

Finally we were in the flat which is quite decent and we soon settled in. It always takes a while to unpack, put the food away and set up all the technology, hahaha. By 5 or so I was sitting on the terrace with not much of a view but I love the orange tree in the corner.

In the early evening we  went out to explore a bit while our friends were still flying. We walked up Calle San Jacinto, the most popular street in Triana (the neighbourhood on the other side of the river Guadalquivir) full of people. We got to the lovely Santa Isabel II bridge and stopped to take photos. The view from the bridge of the Giralda and Gold towers brought back to me the magic of Seville and we went with the flow feeling very happy.

Photo taken yesterday evening from the Triana Bridge 

We crossed the bridge and walked on the other side of the river along Paseo de Colón until we got to the Gold Tower passing the Bull Ring, probably the most famous one in Spain, and  the Maestranza Theatre. The Torre de Oro is a 13th century 12 sided military watch tower built by the Moors. It is a beautiful building and I had to have another photo.

Eladio in front of the Torre de Oro (Gold Tower)

From there we walked across to Triana again on the other bridge which I think is called San Telmo. The atmosphere everywhere we walked was so vibrant it was catchy and we walked with a spring in our step admiring nearly every building we saw. The view from that side of the river is wonderful too and I have chosen a photo Eladio took of me with the Gold Tower in the background.

We walked home to have a light dinner and enjoy the flat until it was time to go and fetch our dear friends from the airport. They were dreading the new rules, the dreaded EES (Entry/Exit System) where passport stamps are now replaced by finger prints and facial images. They feared the queues more than anything. All I can say is bloody Brexit. In the end they madwe sure they were the first in the queue and were out so fast we were late picking them up in our Uber.

They loved the flat and I am so happy we have made this trip happen.

So welcome my friends. Bienvenidos a Sevilla.

Today is Sunday and ours for the taking in this magical city.

That's it from me for this week which has been one of the best in a long time.

Cheers from Seville,

Masha

Ceasefire in Iran extended, our first barbecue of the season, homework with Elliot, explosion of nature and birdsong in our garden, centenary of the Queen, reunion with Arja from my Nokia days, shooting in Washington and other stories of the week.

 Madrid, Sunday 26th April, 2026

On one of our walks this week, surrounded by nature. Wish the photo would do it justice.

Good morning again this last Sunday in April. 

The weather has been amazing and we have enjoyed meals al fresco and the explosion of nature in our garden as well as choruses of birdsong at dawn and dusk. The variety of birds and flowers in our little parcel of land outside Madrid makes it an oasis of peace and beauty at this time of year especially. The late Queen of England who would have turned 100 this week was a great lover of nature and animals. We only have Pippa now but I would have loved to fill our garden with a donkey, a pony and more dogs. Eladio said if I did that we would have no garden left haha. Did you know that there is an initiative in Spain where donkeys are put to use as natural firefighters by grazing on undergrowth that fuels fire? I read about them in the Doñana National Park but apparently the idea is being spread to other parts of Spain, especially after the terrible forest fires we had last summer.  The donkeys live a good life  grazing happily while protecting the environment. 

Peace has not been reached with Iran. This week saw a halt in negotiations after the US seized an Iranian tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.  Trump extended the ceasefire but it is still very fragile, as is the ceasefire between Israel and The Lebanon. Meanwhile oil prices continue to increase and are putting in danger flights this summer for lack of kerosene. Lufthansa recently announced thousands of cancelled flights. I hope that doesn't affect our flight to Manchester at the end of May.

With such good weather we had our first barbecue of the season last Sunday. In the morning I went to pick up a gorgeous looking cake I had ordered from the upmarket Balbisiana bakery. I went to nearby Pozuelo to get it and while there ordered a coffee and a small cake. I was a bit cross they were served in paper at a cost of over 9 euros which maybe Parisian but not Madrid prices.The cake looked gorgeous and it was on the inside - sponge, strawberries and cream - but none of us really liked the icing. It looked as though it was made of royal icing but it was thick butter icing in pink; quite off putting. We only ate a bit which is a shame. It is the second cake I have bought from Balbisiana that has disappointed me and I will not buy one from them again. I love their little tartlets though. This was it; looked nicer than it tasted.

The beautiful looking cake from Balbisiana which was a bit of a disappointment. 

It was Eladio's job to do the barbecue and here he is about to grill the sausages and hamburgers.

Eladio about to grill the meat on the barbecue last Sunday

It was just us with Oli and the kids and a good time was had by all. Later we spent time with our grandchildren and Oli asked us to help Elliot with his homework. I was to help him with his English spelling test and Eladio with Spanish vocab. He is a clever little boy but does not have much patience. He is only 6 and still mixes up his b's with his d's. In any case it was pleasant to be with him and I hoped he did well with his spelling test this week.

Helping Elliot with his homework.

On Friday Oli sent me his results: 9 out of 10. The only word he got wrong was "dump".

9 out of 10 for Elliot's spelling test on Thursday

Of interest that afternoon, a wasp stung me while I was making a cup of tea. I didn't see it on top of the tap when I was pouring water into the kettle. I screamed in pain and had everyone alarmed. It was the first time I had ever been stung by a wasp and luckily after the initial pain it didn't give me much bother. 

Monday came and our last guest, Vicky, an Argentinian girl who had been with us for 10 days left. We thought no one else was coming until Thursday but I was wrong. In the end we only had one guest free day this week. It's amazing the amount of bookings I got this week. I have more than 45 upcoming reservations and have to be on top of my work in order to run all the bookings smoothly and correctly. 

The weather was marvelous again and I caught Suzy on camera with Pippa on the front lawn sunbathing. This was one of the photos.

Suzy in the sun on Monday

As we were leaving for our walk, I spied the flowers which had blossomed almost over night. They are one of my favourite flowers in the garden; mock orange. In Spanish it is called Celindo and I think it is referred to as dogwood in English. We had the same tree or bush in our previous house in Boadilla and as it always blossoms in April, just the fragrance brings back happy memories of our lives in Rio Tajo when the girls were small. The smell is nearly as nice as jazmine. 

I love it when the mock orange blossom blooms in our garden

On our walk we were surrounded by lush green and wild flowers, many of them being bluebells which I love. I got Eladio to take a photo  I have chosen as this week's feature photo. I  love this time of year when nature explodes. It's warm but not too hot and everything is lush and green.  Just look at the lovely blossom from the horse chestnut trees by the pool. 

The pink and white blossom from some of the horse chestnut trees in our garden

Credit has to be given to the gardener, my husband, who keeps it looking good. He mowed the whole lawn this week which is quite a task. A lot of the  lushness will be  gone by August when he will fight to keep the garden green. But right now it is perfect.

Lunch was leftovers - we hate to throw food away in this house. The highlight of the day, after some Airbnb admin work  was my weekly Facetime call with Amanda. We shall be together this week in Seville and I can't wait for that day to come.

We had dinner al fresco with Suzy and I served a divine cantaloupe melon with ham. I always find them not very sweet in Spain compared to France and Italy but this was sweet and I have bought another one this week.

The news that night was a bit grim. Apart from the tanker seized by the USA, an Israeli soldier was filmed vandalising a statue of Jesus Christ in the Lebanon. I found that disgusting. 

A terrible thing to do - an Israeli soldier vandalising a statue of Jesus Christ in The Lebanon.

What I loved that night was the birdsong from the terrace of our room. Thanks to the Merlin ID app, introduced to me by Andy and Amanda, I identified hearing a nightingale, a black redstart, a Eurasian Blackcap and blackbird and even a small owl. I was fascinated. But the next morning was even better.  There were so many birds chirping and singing at about 7 in the morning on Tuesday, including a goldfinch, a ring necked parakeet, a dove, a blackcap, a coal tit, a black redstart, a woodpigeon, a warbler, a raven, a swift, chaffinch, great tit, blue tit, greenfinch, a common starling and of course a house sparrow. This is proof and AI at its best.

Some of the birdsong in our garden this week

I was never a bird lover, especially after being traumatised by the Hitchcock film, The Birds. I hate birds landing on my table while eating or having a coffee, but I do like birds in their natural habitat. We look forward to hearing and hopefully seeing some rare birds when we visit Doñana. It is a bird paradise so our friends will be happy.

Tuesday was 21st April and would have been the late Queen's 100th birthday. Oh how we miss her. She was a constant in my life as I was born when she was on the throne. Her son, now King Charles, led tributes to her life. He posted a video which I watched avidly. This is it. He described her as steadfast and a wholly devoted figure. He recalled that twinkle in her eye, when she appeared in the lovely Paddington sketch made for her Jubilee in 2022, the year she died. I couldn't think of which picture to choose for this post and finally chose one from Paddington bear's Instagram. It's lovely and hopefully will make you smile. I think she would have liked it too.

Our dear Queen would have turned 100 this week.

In the recorded speech her son said his "dear mamma"  would have been deeply upset by the troubles in the world today. On a brighter note he spoke of her belief that "goodness will always prevail. Let us hope he is right. The Royal family marked the centenary with some events and plans. The final designs were revealed for a permanent memorial in St. James' Park featuring a statue of the Queen and Prince Philip and what I'm not so keen on, a tiara like glass bridge. Her daughter Princess Anne officially opened the new Queen Elizabeth II garden in Regent's Park. It is good that we should continue to remember her in this way.

Talking about memories, that day Oli sent me a wonderful photo of times gone by. It was of Suzy and her bosom friend, Copi taken when they were about 5 or 6. This is it.

Copi and Suzy aged 5 or 6. 

What a lovely photo it is; one to treasure. I love to see their friendship going strong after nearly 38 years when they first met at St. Michael's school in Boadilla del Monte in 1988

I spent part of my morning fixing a time to meet with some of my oldest school friends from St. Joseph's College  when we go to Yorkshire in June. We have chosen to have brunch at Betty's in Ilkley. I already had a booking there for Eladio and I when we are in Bradford, so that will be two visits to my beloved Betty's.

Before our morning walk I lured Eladio to the churros bar in Boadilla and this time my "porra" , the thick type of churro, was enormous. Just look.

A rather large "porra" which was divine. 

We then went on our lovely walk both to enjoy it, get the exercise and work off some of the calories ingested by the porra hahaha. I was loving the wild flowers and thick and tall grass but I mostly love the great big dandelion clocks you get in the countryside here in Spain, so much bigger than the ones in England. I had to blow them of course and got Eladio to take some pics of me behaving like a child. It's nice to do that sometimes. Here is one of the pics.

Look how big the dandelion clocks are on our walk.

In the afternoon I discovered more flowers that I love blooming in our garden and had to have another photo. The flowers are known as guelder roses but look more like snowballs. And here is another photo of me enjoying the flora at this time of year.

By our guelder roses also known as snowballs. Love them

What Suzy and I did not enjoy that afternoon was a shopping trip to Majadahonda as just after parking, the rain began which we hadn't expected. We looked in a few shops, found nothing and decided to go home, except that the heavens opened and we had to take refuge under a cafe awning. Even so, we got drenched. It was rather an unfortunate outing. I suppose the rain is good for our garden, hahaha. 

That night I got an extraordinary email from the Stratford Literary Festival. It praised the book about my father and asked me to participate as an author. I could hardly believe my eyes and neither could Eladio. Later emails asked for a fee to build a booth to promote my book which is when I began to suspect that this could be a scam. Indeed it was a scam and very clever phishing that is apparently being targeted on a global scale at thousands of authors. Had I agreed, I would have sent some money and that would have been the end of the tale. What a horrible world we live in. 

Wednesday was the day that Trump announced the ceasefire was to be extended until a peace plan was reached. Olivia did a piece on that story for her programme on TVE which you can watch here. Wednesday was actually quite a difficult day but I won't go into that here as it is a little private. Some things I have to keep to myself. 

So let me move on to Thursday which was International Book Day. For the occasion my granddaughter Juliet's class had to dress up as a character from a book. She went in a Disney Snow White outfit I bought for her at a second hand market in Santa Pola a while ago. She looked lovely.

Little Juliet dressed up as Snow White for International Book Day this week

I do hope she grows up to be a reader and book lover like me and my immediate family. My love of reading began when I was about 7. The Tozcek family next door to our house at 6 Heaton Grove in Bradford were moving and Paula their daughter gave George and I her whole  collection of  Enid Blyton books. We devoured them and that set us off reading all our lives. I am not an intellectual reader. I prefer biographies or books based on real life stories. If I had to say which is my favourite book of all time it would be "A town like Alice" by Nevil Shute. There are many others but this is a book I have gone back to many times over the years.

Suzy came with me to do the food shopping that day and we also had coffee together. She was a great help. I came home to make our lunch that day when we would be joined by Olivia - a real pleasure as it is not often just the 4 of us are together. 

I made a popular summer dish, "salmorejo" as a starter followed by hake meunière with spinach and home made mashed potatoes. Here is the salmorejo which is similar to gazpacho but thicker and always garnished with egg and ham.

Salmorejo

And here is a photo of Oli, Suzy and Eladio just before we sat down to have lunch together.

Family lunch on Thursday

I managed a 1.5 hour siesta in the afternoon which helped me catch up on a bit of sleep; sleep I am always deprived of.

Dinner was al fresco too and I must show you the "chirrimoya" (custard apple) Suzy shared with us as it was just so enormous. It was one of the best I have ever had.

Suzy dividing up an enormous custard apple we shared for dinner one night this week

I was a bit upset that evening when brushing Pippa's teeth, to notice she has lost one front tooth. I can only attribute it to her age; 12 going on  13. I hope she doesn't lose anymore. 

Friday was the highlight of the week. I was meeting Arja S who, when I was at Nokia, was first head of communications for Nokia Networks and then became SVP for communications of the whole group. She is of course Finnish and just one year younger than me and I hadn't seen her for many years. I think the last time was on a trip to Helsinki when I worked for Yoigo in about 2014. I well remember meeting her for the first time in the impressive Nokia House in 2000. I was introduced to her as having come from Motorola. Her first words to me were "what's it like being in the enemy camp?". It was the moment in time when Nokia overtook Motorola as the number one mobile phone manufacturer. Looking back, it felt good to be at Nokia House, the world HQ in Espoo outside the Finnish capital. I have fond memories of my work related trips to Finland, a country I came to love very much. Arja had come to Madrid for a long weekend with friends from her time as SVP of Finnair Communications where she went to work after she left Nokia when it was famously bought by Microsoft.   I had given her some tips and recommendations of places to stay, where to eat, what to see etc and we agreed to meet for a coffee and a chat. We met at a new cafe for me, one in the Palacio de Cibeles or Cibeles Palace. It is a wedding cake type building which is a landmark of the city, first being the HQ of the Spanish postal company, Correos which it still is. It also serves as the Town Hall and a cultural centre. 

It was a wonderful break in my routine to go into Madrid on my own to meet an old friend and colleague. We caught up over a cup of coffee for me and a cup of black tea for her which she learned is called "té negro" in Spanish. I then took her for a short walk in the Retiro Park, Madrid's equivalent to Hyde Park or Central Park. About the same size as the former and smaller than the latter,  it is much more beautiful because it was once a Royal Park  and ornate in parts.  It was  opened to the public in 1868. Known as the lung of Madrid, El Parque del Buen Retiro is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which I think it well deserves to be. When we lived in Madrid from 1983 to 1988 we used to take the girls there every Sunday morning. We would buy them sweets and take bread for them to feed the ducks in the grand lake and later walk along the main promenade enjoying the activities from the buskers. The girls especially loved the puppet shows. I took Arja through the entrance near the Puerta de Alcalá to the lake where I took a photo of her and we had our picture taken. It is a pity it was cloudy as the photos don't do it justice.

With Arja at the Retiro Park on Friday

Both being innate communicators we chatted non stop from the moment we met to the moment we parted. We reminisced and spoke of some of our colleagues fondly. Marianne and Mark were two we mentioned. I wish we had had time for more reminiscing. Those Nokia days from 2000 to 2006 were for me the golden era of telecommunications. I loved the Finnish culture and we all worked hard but had a grand time and travelled the world spreading the brand to all 4 corners of the world. 

We parted at about 12.30 as Arja had a date with the Prado. I haven't been for so many years and must go one day; after all it's on my doorstep. I took the metro back using my trusty OAP free transport pass and was home in a jiffy. It only took me 35 minutes there and 35 minutes back so I don't know why we don't go more often into the city. We should. 

I came home to join Suzy and Eladio for lunch and soon had to leave the house again; this time for an appointment with my hairdresser Conchi. I just couldn't go to Seville this week with such white hair. Aarrggh. 

In my absence, a new guest had arrived. Eladio greeted Carlos a personal trainer from Asturias which we know well. He must be into fitness quite a bit as he went in the pool and then used our bike to ride to the supermarket to get provisions. He came by car but wanted to use the bike. Like most of our guests I found him to be a very pleasant person.

The news that night was not good for tennis. Carlos Alcaraz, now number 2 in the world, holder of  7 grand slams and reining champion of Roland Garros, will not be competing in Paris owing to a complicated injury in his wrist. I am so sorry for him. 

The other news was ridiculous and once again it came from Trump. Apparently he wants to see Spain leave NATO as we are not supporting his war with Iran. Well, who is? Sometimes he makes you laugh but mostly he makes you cry. The latest is that talks will be resumed in Islamabad but not directly between Iran and the USA.

On Saturday I finally found where we are going to go to celebrate our wedding anniversary this year. It is on 21st August so always difficult to find good places and avoid the heat. I had looked at the coast of Cádiz and didn't find anything. Where I really wanted to go was to Biarritz where I used to spend some holidays with my parents at my Uncle Kolya's flat or flats there. I have always wanted to stay there again and have only ever passed through. Also it's not easy to find a good place there that fits my criteria; near the beach, parking on site, a terrace or balcony and good reviews; and all this for a decent price. I found it here so let's see how it goes. Meanwhile, I booked a table for dinner on our anniversary at the Terrasse & Rotonde Brasserie belonging to the famous Hotel du Palais, now owned by Hyatt. No way could I ever dreamt of my parents taking me there, hahaha. I shall drink a toast to them that night. You see when they first met and fell in love, my Mother took my father to Biarritz to stay with her brother Kolya and they must have gone many times in the 50's. Imagine what it was like then; certainly not as crowded as now. I wonder if it is still as chic as I remember. I so look forward to taking Eladio there and we shall be spending a whole week. It will be something to look forward to. 

Suzy was at work and Eladio and I went out to get some cash and pay another bloody traffic fine but I enjoyed my coffee at Manacor this time; a change from Alverán.

Saturday was a good day and today Sunday promises to be good too. Today we shall be celebrating Suzy's birthday which is actually next Tuesday 28th but she will be in London so we are putting the family lunch forward. It will be all of us and two of her friends, the sisters Chati and Elena and once again we shall be having a barbecue. 

I imagine Donald Trump's day will not be good as he reels from last night's shooting. The biggest news of the week came this  morning. I woke up to read a shooting happened during the White House annual Correspondents' dinner at the Washington Hilton Dinner last night.  An armed guest at the hotel aimed at a security checkpoint with the objective of entering the event hosted by Trump and shot a Secret Service agent. His main objective was to  kill the President in what would be the third attempt on his life in the very same venue another shooter tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan in 1981. Thankfully no one was injured and the shooter, 31 year Cole Tomás Allen,   was detained immediately.

There will be no shooting here today during our quiet celebrations. 

Next week I shall be publishing my blog from sunny Seville, a trip I have planned with much detail and love.

Hear all about it next Sunday.

Cheers for now,

Masha.