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| Shopping with Olivia and Suzy, it was great to be with both girls. |
Hi again,
It’s Sunday,
Suzy has gone and Christmas is over, at least the main part of it. So let me tell you how it has been.
Last Sunday
night Eladio and I drove to the airport to pick Suzy up. She hadn’t been home since August and was
coming to spend Christmas with us and would be at home for one full week. Whilst Eladio was in the car outside I waited
for her inside the terminal but there were so many people we missed each other
and finally I found her outside. The
reunion was sweet and tearful; tears of joy.
We drove home where Olivia was waiting and the four of us would be
reunited. Oh how wonderful that feeling
was.
Monday was a
full day and I spent most of it with Suzy as I would all week, when she wasn’t
out meeting her friends. First we went
to the hairdresser where Suzy would get a new hair cut to go with the new
colour of her hair – darker and no longer red!
Then we went to the dentist for her dental appointment after which we
made our way to Centro Oeste (shopping centre) where Olivia was waiting for
us. The picture illustrating this week’s
post is of that moment. It was lovely to
be out shopping with both my girls.
I spent the
afternoon cooking as that evening we were hosting a very special dinner. It was for Mar and Mariano, a journalist
couple we are very close to and their adopted eleven year old Chinese son
San. We have dinner with them every year
at Christmas and it was our turn to host them again. San is very close to the
girls as Suzy, and Olivia, sporadically, was his private teacher for many years. Since Suzy left for London, Copi (a great
friend of the girls since about the age of 3) has taken over as his private
teacher. So Copi came to dinner too. Dave, another friend and spare teacher when
Copi can’t make it came too, as did Juli a great friend of the girls. There were 10 of us around the packed dinner
table which looked like this before our guests who always arrive late, came.
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| The table laid for dinner on Monday night. |
And this is a
photo of all us at dinner. Sorry about the quality.
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| Mar and Mariano and all our guests around the table at home on Monday night. |
For the record I made chicken Waldorf salad
for starters. The main dish was baked
hake with béarnaise potatoes and asparagus.
Pudding was simple: strawberries and cream. Afterwards we gathered around the fireplace
(lit for the first time this year) and caught up on how our year had been since
we saw them last year. The “kids”
meanwhile “played” with San. I just love
this photo Juli took of them with him.
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| The "kids" playing with San, from left to right: Copi, Suzy, Dave and Olivia |
The next day
of course was Christmas Eve which in Spain is even more important than
Christmas Day. Again I spent all day
cooking, this time with the help of Fátima, although I had cooked and frozen
part of the menu beforehand.
I was so engrossed
cooking that I missed a whatsapp from Olivia telling us she would be live on
the TV at 12.15h reporting from Madrid Barajas airport on Spaniards, like Suzy,
coming home for Christmas. Thankfully I
could watch the report later. You can
too if you click here and fast forward to 02.00.
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| Olivia reporting for TVE on Christmas Eve |
It turned out
that, as usual, I made far too much food. My family was very impressed with the
table. This is the picture Olivia took
before we sat down and tucked in.
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| Our Christmas Eve table |
The photo of
all of us around the table was taken by Fátima who joined us for our Christmas
Eve dinner, but I’m afraid it didn’t come out very well.
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| The family on Christmas Eve |
Christmas Day,
the most important day for the English, finally came and we spent it as we
always do. We were up early for a formal
family breakfast. Whilst I was preparing
the table the girls would have been opening their stockings. But the day only
starts when we are sitting around the dining room table for breakfast – notice the
girls always wear their pyjamas!
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| Breakfast on Christmas morning |
The most
awaited moment of the year; the opening of our presents, takes place right
after breakfast where we all gather in the lounge around the Christmas tree for
the most pleasant time of the year. The
dogs join us for the occasion and Christmas carols play in the background. Before we started I asked the girls to take
the customary photo of Eladio and I which has now become a tradition. Norah got in the picture as you can see
below!
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| Eladio and I on Christmas Day, just before opening the presents |
We go for
quantity more than quality, although this year I was told Father Christmas had
been more generous than usual. I
certainly couldn’t complain and was as pleased as punch with the presents I
bought for myself “from my Father and Eladio”: Marc Jacobs Daisy fragrance, a
pair of gold earrings and the finest present of all a camel trench coat.
After the
wonderful present sharing, whilst everyone went off to enjoy their gifts, I of
course had to start on the Christmas Day lunch.
The menu never varies and is always: a big roast capon with all the
trimmings: sage and onion stuffing, cranberry sauce, roast potatoes, brussel
sprouts and gravy. I got some help from
Olivia who kindly pealed the carrots for me – well she did a bit more
hahahaha. Eladio caught us on camera and
I love this photo of the two of us in harmony in the kitchen together on
Christmas Day.
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| Cooking with Olivia on Christmas Day |
Lunch was splendid.
I don’t have a photo of all of us around the table, but here is one of
my Father waiting for us. I think he
enjoys Christmas as much as any of us and it’s amazing to think he has
celebrated 94 in his life. I look
forward to many more with him.
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| My Father on Christmas Day just before lunch |
We were lucky
to have Fátima at home with us at Christmas this year, thus she did all the
clearing away whilst the girls, Eladio and I retired to the lounge with the fire
on and switched on the TV. There wasn’t
much on so finally we opted for hiring a film on cable TV which was not a good
choice – it was about the fall of the Lehman Brothers Bank and we all fell
asleep. A walk was in order afterwards
if we were to burn at least some of the enormous amount of calories we had
consumed on Christmas Day.
Meanwhile in
Montrondo, where Eladio’s brother José Antonio, his wife Dolores and their “children”
Miguel, Sara and Juan were spending Christmas, it snowed. This is a photo they sent us telling us that
they were enjoying a real snowy day. How
great for them!
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| Snow in Montrondo on Christmas Day |
The next day
was Boxing Day. It is not a holiday in
Spain so Olivia had to work but as she doesn’t start until 1pm, there was time
for shopping again with both girls. It
was more about returning goods than actual shopping. But I must say I picked up a nice jumper at
H+M and a great polka dot dress from Zara.
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| My new polka dot dress from Zara |
Lunch was with
Suzy at home and my Father and Eladio and of course, it being Boxing Day we had
left overs. We have been having left
overs until yesterday actually after which I threw the rest away! Suzy suggested watching The Sound of Music
together in the afternoon and I couldn’t think of anything better to do with
her on a Boxing Day afternoon, even if it meant sacrificing my walk! We loved every minute of it and were joined
by the dogs which lay on the sofas us by the fire and seemed to be just as
happy as us. The Sound of Music was part
of my childhood as it was a part of my girls’ childhood and it is definitely my
favourite film of all times. Suzy it was great watching it again with you on
Boxing Day!
Friday was
another very full day. I had breakfast
with Olivia after which I went into the office on several errands. That evening an important event was happening
at our house. The girls, or rather Suzy, had organized a sleep over pyjama
party for their friends from the “manada” (herd). There would be 11 for dinner and I think 9 of
them stayed the night. This is a photo
of them having dinner that night.
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| The "manada" who came to the sleep over pyjama party on Friday night. |
A big mention should
be made here to Anita’s cake. Ana or Anita, who studied at University with
Olivia at the UEM (Universidad Europea de Madrid) is turning into a
professional cake maker in her spare time.
She brought two cakes to the “manada” dinner and here is a photo of her
with Suzy holding both cakes. The green
one is a work of art I’m sure you agree.
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| Anita (right) who makes marvelous cakes. |
Olivia had to
miss the dinner, although she would join them all later, as the class from her
school, St. Michael’s had organized a Christmas reunion in Madrid, funnily
enough at Macadamia, where Yoigo had its Christmas party. Here is a photo of all of them that I bagged
from Facebook. It was great to see them
all together, Paula, Zeus, Tamara, Sonia, Virginia, etc and it took me back a
few years remembering them when they were little children at school!
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| Oli's school reunion Christmas dinner on Friday night. |
As the house
was so full, Eladio and I decided to go out to dinner. After all it was Friday,
the night we usually go out. We decided
on La Txitxarrería in Pozuelo where we happily chatted about this year’s
Christmas so far, over a wonderful piece of steak (me) and fish stew (Eladio).
As the “manada”
was still at home on Saturday morning, Eladio and I went out shopping to Gran
Plaza 2 (shopping centre). We were home
at 2, just as the girls were leaving.
They promised they would be home by 3. Thus a late family lunch was in
order. I was very conscious that Suzy
was leaving the next day and wanted to savour as much time with her together
with the family before she left. Thus I
spent the afternoon lounging with the girls in the rooms before they got ready
to go out again.
This morning,
Sunday morning, I spent all my time with them again; watching Suzy pack and
helping Olivia sort out her bathroom (hurray!).
We were to have the last lunch all together before taking Suzy to the
airport. Just before lunch I caught both
girls on camera again, putting make up on. This is the result.
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| Suzy and Oli this morning. |
We had an
early lunch and I made Russian pelmeni (sort of ravioli) at Suzy’s request. Straight afterwards she had to say goodbye to
Grandpa before we drove her to the airport.
There we met up with Chati, her friend and flat mate with whom she would
be travelling back, her sister and Mother, both called Elena. We saw the girls off until they finally disappeared
behind security. I’m not sure when we
will next see Suzy, although I’m hoping she’ll be back in February for my
birthday. That remains to be seen, if
not, London’s not that far and a trip can be organized any time really.
And that is
the story of our Christmas so far. Of course we have New Year’s Eve to look forward
to. We will be travelling to León on
Tuesday to spend that night with Eladio’s family and will be back the next day.
But more about that next week, ok.
All that remains
now is to wish you all a splendid 2014.
I only ask that 2014 be as good as 2013.
So, hoping for that, cheers till next week,
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