Olivia home from the USA, Spain to top world life expectancy, Mariano Guindal receives prestigious press award, what happened to Jamal Khashoggi? Chocolate from Norway, the people marched in London and other stories.

Sunday 21st October, 2018

Eladio and I with our dear friend Mariano Guindal the night of his press award. 

Good  morning friends and readers. How has your week been? Here autumn arrived with a bang thanks to Hurrican Leslie which battered Portugal and left parts of Spain reeling from its aftermath with lots of rain and very strong winds.

Last Sunday was the first cold day after the summer. Our Russians from Lithuania left early and the house felt a little less invaded after their departure. Andy, our long staying lodger, went to visit Avila, that beautiful medieval walled city about 1.5h north of Madrid. I guess it wasn't the best day to go. Our Belgians, or should I say, our Lebanese guests went out too. Their destination were the fashion outlets in Las Rozas. 

The house felt quiet and after preparing the lunch, "fabada" (Asturian bean stew) and leaving it to simmer, Eladio and I dared the weather and went for our walk with the dogs. It was quite unpleasant; cold and windy with some rain. We didn't finish the walk and instead of doing 6km, we did about 4. I hate our walks in bad weather.

Just as we were sitting down to lunch with my Father, Oli had landed at Barajas airport from LA where her flight back from Albuquerque had been rerouted. She was home too late for lunch with us but we would see her later in the day.

We had a quiet afternoon together reading in the lounge, instead of by the pool - it was far too cold for that. There was some sunshine in the afternoon but the maximum temperature was only 15ºc so we stayed inside, reading to music. I don't know what Eladio was reading but I continued my book  on my trusted Kindle, South from Granada by Gerald Brennan. It is a fascinating insight into village life in Spain in the early 20's of the last century. 

Oli and Miguel arrived at about 19.30 and it was a joy to see them. Oli had been away for about 10 days and we had missed her. We made a delicious dinner of duck and mango salad which we had with a plate of good quality "lomo" and humus with carrot sticks. I wasn't very hungry after the fabada we had for lunch and didn't have much of the main course. However, after dinner, I got out Rania's delicious Belgian biscuits which none of us could resist. Miguel had given me a present too, a great big slab of Nestlé white chocolate he had bought on his travels in Croatia. He knows I can't resist white chocolate.

Miguel and Oli (with Pippa) at dinner on Sunday night

We had lots to catch up on during and after dinner and it was a very pleasant meal. My dear youngest daughter had bought us presents during her stay in New Mexico, t-shirts and a mini hot air balloon which is apparently a symbol of Albuquerque where a famous balloon festival takes place on an annual basis. She also brought a copy of Saturday's New York Times for my Father. He loves to read "foreign" newspapers and she nearly always brings him one from her travels. I wondered where she would be going next. 

Meanwhile, our Belgian-Lebanese family were out for dinner on their last night with us. We missed saying goodbye to Pierre, but later when we had gone to bed, they were back and I left our bedroom to say goodbye to Rania and her youngest son Raphael. It was sad to say goodbye and I only wished we had had more time together but of course my new found friend was with her family most of the time. Hopefully she will come again soon and maybe on her own. Or, maybe, as she suggests, I might visit her in Brussels. Sandra, if you are reading this, how about a girly weekend soon with you and Adele in the Belgian capital? I would love to introduce Rania to my dear friends Sandra and Adele too. 

TV on Sunday night was exciting as we happened across a film on terrestrial TV that was just starting as we got into bed and which looked promising. Starring Liam Neeson, of Schindler's List fame, "Unknown" (2011) is a psychological thriller set in Germany well worth watching if you haven't seen it already. It had us up and alert right to the very end, a sure sign of a good film. 

I didn't sleep very well after that, maybe because of too much suspense and action. But I did sleep through Rania and her family's departure. They must have left the house at about 5 am to catch their 7.30 flight back to Brussels.  I was up at just after 6.20 to find that Lucy had already fed the dogs. 

Monday would be the first day in a long time with no new guests. This week would be guest free, apart from our lodger Andy, until Wednesday. In a way it was nice to be alone.

It was a cold and wet day with mercury never rising above 13ºc. I so miss the warm weather.  However, I shouldn't complain as Madrid was not much affected by Hurricane Leslie which hit Portugal, Zamora in North West Spain and caused death and devastation in the South of France. We couldn't go for our walk that morning as we had an appointment with the vet for Norah. It was just  for a check up and blood test but even so we ended up paying over 150 euros! And here is our poor old Beagle at the vet. She doesn't have good memories of her stay at the hospital there a few weeks ago and didn't want to cross the threshold as we entered.

Norah at the vet on Monday.

We would get the results later in the day and would have to go back for her  new medication in the afternoon.

No sooner had we got home, then we were out again and off to the Villaviciosa Monday fruit and vegetable market. I should add I was wearing a coat for the first time in months. Eladio didn't wear his and was freezing. With two great crates of provisions, we drove to Carrefour Market to buy some lamb for lunch. Lamb is my favourite meat yet we hardly ever eat it.

It was in the middle of the morning that Kensington Palace made an important announcement. Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle are expecting and will have a baby in the spring. That was quick work as they only married 5 months ago. The announcement came as they were making their first solo tour in Australia. The world was happy for them. Me too.

We came home and unloaded all the fruit and veg and then I made lunch; vegetable soup which I rustled up in a jiffy followed by lamb steak and baked potatoes. In between cooking and before and after our siesta I had some work to do which I managed to juggle into my day as I'm quite a good juggler you know hahaha. It was during lunch that my Father announced to us that he had been with us for 13 years that day and thanked us for looking after him. His memory is amazing. I knew he had come to live with us in October 2005 but had no idea of the date. Now I do, 15th October. Lovely to have you Daddy. 

We were soon upstairs in our room and watching the news after which we would have a short siesta. It was cold.  November is  the official month it is generally switched on in Spain and it goes back off again in May. I think that is a stupid custom. Thus I had to snuggle under a thick blanket. 

I was happy to hear the news issued from an organisation called WONCA (World Organisation of Family Doctors) that the winner for the Europe Award of Excellence in Health Care, something called The 5 Star Doctor 2017, had been awarded to a Spanish doctor, Dr. Veronica Casado from Valladolid in Spain. Well done Dr. Casado. I have to say Spanish doctors in general are very hands on and are much more approachable than in the UK, in my experience. She must have been bowled over when she heard she was chosen as the best GP in the world. 

Best GP in Europe according to Wonca, is from Spain. Well done Veronica Casado

On this same subject, while investigating this story, I also found out that Spanish healthcare is the most efficient in Europe and ranks 33rd in the world (source data analysis from Bloomberg - see link here). That did not surprise me, as although all Spaniards moan about the health system in Spain, I have only really ever had a good experience. I feel in safe hands here health wise and I think my Father would second that.

It rained so much in the afternoon that on Monday we totally skipped our walk and I missed it. Instead I worked and then read with Eladio in the lounge. I also prepared our dinner with the huge bunch of chard I had bought at the market. It's amazing how it shrinks so much when you cook it, much like spinach.

England played Spain that night in the new UEFA Nations League. The match was held in Seville and I'm embarrassed to say that a horrible group of thugs - football hooligans - clashed with the police as they went on a drunken rampage in that most beautiful of Spanish cities in the south of Spain. It was no surprise later that the Spanish spectators booed during the National Anthem although they shouldn't have. The match did not go well for Spain with England scoring 2 early goals. I was completely bored and suggested to Eladio we watch a film instead. I just didn't want to see Spain thrashed, although they weren't really as the final score was 3-2 to England.

In any case we turned to Netflix. That night we watched most of a period drama called The Remains of the Day with a host of well known stars including Anthony Hopkins. He plays an old time butler in an English manor house. The film is an adaptation of a Booker Prize novel by Kazuo Ishiguro and I loved it. Well, you see, I am a sucker for English period drama stories.

On Tuesday when dawn came and it comes late at this time of year at 07.30, the sun made its appearance and that really lifted my spirits. It was to be a warm day and a lovely one. That morning we only took Pippa and Elsa on our walk as Norah didn't look very well. However, later on, she perked up thankfully. She was worrying us a bit this week.

That morning, as usual,  I read the news and I was happy to read that in a study done by the University of Washington, Spain is predicted to top the world life expectancy league table in 2040, beating Japan. It already is in the top 3. Reportedly, health has a lot to do with it as does the Mediterranean diet. I'll be 83 by then and hopefully in good shape but who knows.

Spain's Mediterranean diet is part of the secret behind long life expectations in this country.

Spain's life expectancy is already one of the highest in the world and by 2040 the average age has gone up a few years from the current 85.8 to 87.4.  While Spain is top of this ranking, the UK, currently ranked 26th will rise  to 23rd with an average life expectancy of 83.3. The US is a lot further down the table. For your information, the bottom ranked country is Lesotho in Southern Africa. You can read more about the study here. I was happy to read that I am living in the right country for life expectancy, as well as with one of the best health systems in the world. Spain rocks!

On the subject of the Mediterranean diet, I made a typical Spanish dish on Tuesday for lunch, based on chickpeas, different sorts of meat and lots of vegetables, called "cocido madrileño". It's the perfect winter dish and I made it for Oli and Miguel who came to lunch that day.  So happy was I to see the lovely couple join us that I forgot to take a photo of the meal I made. So here is one I found on the web for those of you who are not familiar with this very Spanish dish which has its different variations depending on the area it is cooked in. I, myself, far prefer the Madrid recipe.

Cocido madrileño

Oli and I chatted for a while after lunch until it was time for a siesta. They left without me seeing them, but no worries, we would be seeing Oli, at least, again, on Friday when we went for our weekly dinner out. It was lovely to have her back.

Later I sat by the pool with my book for a while in the sun which was pure joy. I was joined by the dogs and soon by Eladio. But we couldn't read for long as we had to get ready to go out and be in Madrid by 7.30 pm. We had been invited to a very prestigious press award at the very swanky and imposing Madrid stock exchange palace next to the Prado and the Ritz hotel in Madrid. The prize was being awarded to our good friend and my colleague, Mariano Guindal. His wife, Mar, had invited us and we were looking forward to seeing their son San who we hadn't seen for a few years. Both my daughters tutored him when he was younger. So, we are very close to this lovely family. I know Mariano from since I was a Press officer for Motorola and he the chief financial editor of the La Vanguardia, Barcelona, based newspaper. After taking him on a celebrated press trip to visit the Motorola factory near Edinburgh and where we stayed at the incredible Gleneagles Hotel, we became friends for life. When we first met, he did not use a mobile phone, rather he relied on a pager which was old fashioned even for those times - the mid 90's I think.  I am told by Mar that in his autobiography, shortly to be published, I feature in the book (Un hombre con buena suerte). I can't wait to read it and also find out what he has written about me.

Mariano's new book soon to be out and in which apparently I feature.

He is one of the top, if not the top, financial journalists in this country and knows everyone there is to know. He was to receive the Carlos Humanes European financial journalist of the year award in its first edition. The prize was to be given to him by the new Minister for Finance, Nadia Calviño and is worth 20.000 euros. I hope they spend it on a lovely trip somewhere. They deserve it. The occasion deserved elegant evening wear. I had plenty of dresses to choose from but finding a decent outfit for my ex teacher husband Eladio, proved a little more difficult. He has suits but they are more than 20 years old. Well, in the end, we found a suitable beige one which he wore with a white shirt (what else?) and one of his bow ties. Not many men can carry off wearing a bow tie but they look great on my husband. Here he is ready to leave and looking very dapper. By the way, we were both pleasantly surprised to see the trousers were too big around the waist as it usually happens the other way around.

Eladio in a suit, not often that you see him in one

I wore a black dress with an orange blazer and embroidered pashmina I bought many years ago in Udaipur in India. Here I am too, ready for a wonderful night out.

Dressed up to go out on Tuesday

It was a beautiful balmy evening and wonderful to be going out and doing something different. Of course, during my long career I have been to many events like Tuesday night's. But I haven't done so for a long time and also the event would be very personal for us as Mariano and his wife Mar are our friends.

We parked amazingly easily, next to the Prado and walked the short distance to the magnificent Stock Exchange building which is really a palace.  It was packed with some very familiar faces. The creme de la creme of Spanish finances was present that night from the new Minister down. But it was Mariano we wanted to see and hug as well as his wife Mar and even more, their son San, who we hadn't seen for at least 4 years. We had a photo taken together which I later sent to the girls who are very fond of him.

With San at the Press Award event on Tuesday

Soon the ceremony started with lots of introductions and stories from Mariano's younger days. The ex Minister for Finance, under Felipe González, Carlos Solchaga, was especially interesting to hear. We were on the front row so I was in prime position to take photos such as the one below of the prize winner standing next to the two Ministers, one past and one present. I couldn't have been prouder, nor could his dear wife Mar who, by the way, is a journalist too and worked closely with him for 20 years for La Vanguardia.

Mariano pictured at the press award evening and flanked by two ministers

Mar and San looking on and Mar visibly emotional. I was too.

After the lovely prize giving ceremony, charged with emotion and laughter, a most amazing cocktail was served. Both Eladio and I were very hungry as I imagine everyone else was and soon we were being offered the most tantalising of dishes, each one more imaginative and tasty too. It was on Tuesday night that Eladio tried an oyster for the first time. There is always a first time for everything. He embarrassed me by asking the waiter how to eat it!!!! I think he replied, with your mouth hahahaha.   As we are early to bed people and we had a long drive home, at about 9.30 we made a move to leave, but not without thanking our lovely hosts and friends for a wonderful evening and of course congratulating them. I have chosen the photo of us both with Mariano as this week's feature photo. It was taken by San.

As we walked out of the magnificent stock exchange palace building and into the night, surrounded by beautiful old and prestigious buildings, such as the Ritz Hotel, we went to get our car, walking the lovely streets with the most amazing houses which must cost a fortune. I wondered why they make such ugly buildings today, compared to those of the past. We even walked by the house where the great Spanish writer of the Generation of 1927, Pio Baroja lived. His book, El Arbol de la Ciencia, was the first I ever read in Spanish when I began my degree at Nottingham University. I have come along way since then, but it was uncanny to walk past his house on Tuesday and think that what goes round comes round. It does doesn't it?

We were in bed by 10.30, happy with our lovely evening out and were soon watching or rather re-watching part of the Anthony Hopkins film, The Remains of the Day.

Wednesday came and it was another warm day; well the temperatures reached 22ºc which is not bad for the middle of October. Norah joined us on our walk that day. We had a quiet morning, part of which I spent working on an upcoming press release. Lunch was leftovers but also time with my Father. I always serve him my home made vegetable soup for starters which he loves. I make it with pumpkin, carrots, courgettes, leeks and potatoes and it lasts a few days. 

We watched the news after lunch as we always do. The mystery of the disappearance of the Saudi Arabian journalist and critic, Jamal Khashoggi, has continued to dominate the headlines this week and put a strain on relations with Saudi Arabia as so it should. The Turkish authorities swore they had evidence he was tortured to death but won't release the tapes. Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, oka MBS, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom, has been under so much pressure, he finally admitted the Saudi citizen may have been murdered "by mistake" by rogue killers at the Embassy. Later he would change his story once again. No one, except perhaps Donald Trump, believed him  as it would be unprecedented for something like this to happen without MBS' direct intervention. This ghastly, gory story continues and I can only hope that something good comes out of  it. Maybe the Saudi regime will finally realise that actions like this are totally unacceptable in the western world. 

Later I read by the pool. It was too cold in the shade so I sat for a while in the sun where it was too hot, hahha. Having finished Gerald Brennan's rather rambling story of Spain in the beginning of the last century, South from Granada, I went for something with a much faster pace. Frederick Forsyth's "Cobra" was my choice. It's about the war against the drug world, specifically cocaine coming out of Colombia. It makes for some chilling and frightening reading, must of it very true to real life. 

I was interrupted by the arrival of our new Airbnb guests, two Norwegian ladies who are cousins; Lise and Trina. Lise's son is studying psychology at the UEM University and they had come to see him. I and the 3 dogs duly greeted them, the dogs louder than I, hahahha and let them into the house. They remarked it was very big which is what most people say when they arrive.  A lot of people get lost too haha. They were to sleep in the "green room" which is a twin bedroom on the top floor with its own private terrace as well as bathroom. Trina was pleased as she was able to smoke outside. They had brought me a present; yet another present from yet another Airbnb guest. I seem to be getting a lot recently. They gave me some lovely thin heart shaped milk chocolates by the quite well known Norwegian chocolate makers, Freia. This is the lovely box.

The box of chocolates my Norwegian guests brought me

You may not know it but the Norwegian chocolate makers, Freia, also make a chocolate bar called "kvikk lunsj"(meaning quick lunch) which is nearly identical to Nestlé's  "kit kat" introduced by Rowntrees in 1935 I think. There has been an ongoing battle re patenting the shape of the chocolate - four fingered bar. Freia introduced the "kvikk lunsj" 2 years later than Rowntrees or so I read. Rowntrees was an English chocolate business with a factory in York which developed the kit kat but also "aero", fruit pastilles, rolos and Quality street. My brother used to work there in the summer when we lived in Yorkshire and lucky us, he would bring home free chocolate not suitable for sale because the shape was wrong. Later Rowntrees merged with Mackintosh in 1969 and they were eventually bought by Nestlé.  Oli's first trip with her travel programme was to Norway and she brought a "kvik lunsj" back for my Father, a great lover of that country and she told me that story which I found fascinating. But then I am  a great chocolate fan.

Kit Kat vs Kvikk Lunsj, the Norwegian version

Some years ago The Guardian did a survey to see which one tasted better. The Norwegian one came up better in taste but the crunch in the biscuit by Nestlé was apparently better. I don't know whether they taste the same as I have never tried a "kvikk lunsj" but certainly would not have it for "lunch". 

We had had a big lunch so went for a lighter dinner, well not that light hahaha. While our Norwegian ladies were enjoying a thermos of coffee and a bottle of wine and some of my Belgian biscuits on their terrace in the green room, I prepared our dinner. Out of some of the cooked chicken from the "cocido" I made a chicken mango and avocado salad with lettuce from the market. It's one of our favourite salads. I'm afraid that after dinner we tried the Norwegian chocolate and it was delicious. We left the box on the island in the kitchen for Andy, our Scottish guest, to help himself. We didn't see the Norwegians again until the next day although they went out to dinner with Lise's son and his girlfriend. What we did notice is that they left the lights on in their room, something guests do a lot and which drives Eladio mad hahaha.

TV streaming entertainment that night was disappointing. We tried a new series called The Haunting of Hill House, much recommended, but we just don't like fantasy, science fiction or ghost stories so we were soon asleep.

Thursday dawned and I had my leisurely breakfast over the news. I am fascinated and horrified of the story of the killing of the Saudi Arabian journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. That day The Washington Post published his last article and ironically it was about the lack of freedom of expression in the Arab world. You can read it here. As the story unfolds, we hear more gruesome details of the man's death at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul where he went to get a divorce certificate and never emerged again. We also heard on Thursday that finally the Saudis were "collaborating" with the Turkish authorities to investigate the events that led to his disappearance. It has been confirmed that the 15 men who arrived from Riyadh the night before Jamal entered the building are all members of MSB's hit brigade. So it's hard to believe that MSB who denies all knowledge, was not behind the killing. Of course he was but had to find an excuse for what happened. That would come on Saturday morning.  Funnily enough one of them was found dead in suspicious circumstances that day in Saudi Arabia. This whole event is becoming a turning point in relations between the West and the Kingdom with announcements of top participants boycotting the upcoming business forum there dubbed the Saudi "Davos". I'm glad that is happening. The West, until now, put up with the Saudi terror regime to secure arms deals worth billions of dollars and even more importantly many workers' jobs as well as cheap oil. That is the crux of the question; yes, money which always rears its ugly head. And, if there is lots of money, who cares about unscrupulous governments? 

The profile picture of Jamal Khashoggi which accompanies his last article published by the WP on Thursday

I was so engrossed in the news I completely forgot I had an appointment with my eye specialist at 9.30 that morning. I had to hurry if I was to be there on time and of course there would be traffic. I made it just on time but then the Doctor was late and I ended up waiting more than an hour in the waiting room. The check up was to see how my eyes were after the cataract surgery on both of them earlier in the year and corrective laser surgery on my left eye which had to be done as there was still some astigmatism after the first operation. I have to say that from about July onward, I have been seeing very well and have had little trouble with dry eye syndrome. I can see pretty well now although still better with my right eye. I use strength two prescription glasses  but only for very small print and usually forget to carry them, except when I go out for dinner so that I can read the restaurant menu. Why oh why, is the print on restaurant menus just so small? That added to dimmed lighting make them impossible to read. My eye doctor agreed and even he, like most of us over 50, uses the torch on his mobile phone to read them. Dr. Castillo was pleased with my progress, which, if not perfect, is good enough for every day life. Every day life without glasses was unthinkable for me before and now I have got used to it. I left the Eye Unit, feeling good but oh so hungry. It was 11.30 by the time I had finished and my breakfast which I had had at 6.30 was a forgotten meal. So, naughtily, I went into the hospital cafeteria to have a cup of coffee and a delicious croissant.

Oli rang me on my way out asking me things about Leeds of all places. If you are not from the UK, Leeds is a big city located in my beloved Yorkshire or rather West Yorkshire. My Mother used to teach at Leeds University. I thought she was asking me as it was to be her next destination with her programme job and had visions of joining her. But it turned out it was for a colleague. I suggested all sorts of things to do and visit outside Leeds such as: the Moors, Bronté country, the spa town of Harrogate, Saltaire village and of course the Yorkshire Dales. I don't know much about Leeds itself although I lived in Bradford which is actually terribly near. Thus I looked up what Leeds was famous for or rather unknown interesting facts about Leeds. I was surprised to find out that it was where the most successful design of  the common mouse trap was invented  (1899 the "little nipper mousetrap") as well as the board game Cluedo (Waddingtons 1949) and that M&S started there with its penny bazaar store set up by Mr. Michael Marks in 1884 . I wonder if any of my Yorkshire friends are reading this and knew about the latter hehehe. PS I found it all out on this link.  For me, it was the town I went  to by train to see my Mother or sometimes to go shopping. I was never impressed with it as it was just a big and ugly industrial city. Today, maybe, like Manchester, it has probably improved a lot. In any case, I shall certainly watch the programme when it is aired. 

I was home late but still on time for our walk. Noelia, Norah's vet, rang to say her blood test results for the leishmania she has were a lot better but to continue with her medication. She is a lot better and I think is now through the worst. So, our worries are now nearly over.

At lunch I told my Father the funny things I had found out about Leeds. I also told him that Oli's next destination maybe to the town of Graz in Austria. I have never been to Graz but I love Austria. 

It was supposed to rain on Thursday  in Madrid but it never came. Instead it poured it down in the South and South East with Valencia and Castellón the worst hit. Schools closed down and I heard on the news that there had been the equivalent of 5 litres of water per minute which is much more than torrential rain classified at 1 litre per minute. I think a lot of the images we saw on the TV news on TVE that day were from Oli's boyfriend Miguel who is a cameraman there. 

In the afternoon we read inside while our Norwegian guests were out shopping. They seem to be more keen on shopping centres than on tourism but then again they may have been here often. I must say we have hardly seen them. 

There's not much else to say about Thursday. It was a quiet day and ended with us watching a lovely new series on TV, this time on the RTVE streaming service which, unfortunately, does not have subtitles. Both Eladio and I need them as he can't hear very well and I have got used to them and now need them hahahah. We began watching a Spanish TV series called "La Otra Mirada" set in Seville in the 1920's and about a ladies college which is very modern for its times.  As I said, I love period dramas and so does Eladio.

Friday came and brought rain and lots of it. Thus we never got our walk. It was cold too as was the house and I insisted to Eladio it was time to turn on the central heating in all the house despite it not being 1st November.  He didn't protest and now I am writing from a warm room at last.

I did my French homework that day and it took me quite a while. It was exercises about prices and the horrible pronouns, celui-ci, celui-qui, etc which are not at all easy to use. I'm afraid my memory is not what it was and thus it is far more difficult today to memorise new grammar. Oh why didn't I listen to my French teachers at St. Joseph's College more? Most of my French comes from when my parents sent me to a camp aged 10 in Grenoble for 6 weeks and that is the vocab, etc, I remember and still rely on when talking French. However the gaps are slowly being filled and some progress is being made hahaha. It didn't help that the homework was from our lesson 3 weeks ago, before Oli went to New Mexico. I should have done it earlier.

Doing my French homework on Friday morning

A worse task was doing the weekly shopping with Eladio at Mercadona afterwards. I do like shopping, but not particularly food shopping, and I definitely do not like food shopping at the low cost supermarket which so dominates in Spain. We only go there for the basics and I'm afraid the basics don't "turn me on". I far prefer buying delicatessen stuff at Carrefour Market. We were home well on time for lunch which we had with my Father, as always, in our huge dining room, surrounded by antiques and bric-a-brac which come mostly from my grandparents. We do have the odd Russian piece or two such as a beautiful pre-revolutionary icon, my Mother smuggled out of Russia in the 60's, as well as her family somovar and a newer one too. After lunch we all indulged in the Norwegian chocolate. There was "turrón" (Spanish nougat eaten at Christmas) in the supermarket that day, a bit like crackers, etc in the UK in October, and I bought some for Eladio and my Father who both love it. I'm not particularly keen.

The afternoon was spent in the lounge reading and listening to Vivaldi's 4 seasons repeatedly as I couldn't be bothered to change the CD. But it's so beautiful I was happy to listen to it all afternoon. It was very cozy what with the rain outside. I was joined by Andy, back from work early, it being a Friday afternoon.

Oli was coming home on Friday after work and we would be going out to dinner, the 3 of us. We chose a place in Pozuelo, "Zurito" we hadn't been to for a long time. We had a great dinner but all agreed the service was slow and we complained they had taken our favourite item off the menu, the artichokes and there was not much more veg to choose from. In any case, we had a great meal and it was  a lovely way to end the week. I do so enjoy our Friday dinners out. And here are Oli and I at the table that evening enjoying being together.

Oli and I at Zurito in Pozuelo on Friday night

My meal was slightly interrupted by a ping on my phone from the Airbnb app - business is business you see (hahaha).  Yevgeni from Odessa in the Ukraine, of all places, had made an instant booking and I had to answer and fiddle around with the calendar, send him the house info pack, etc. He is a dentist and coming here to do some specialist course. He was interested to know about my Russian roots. Well, of course he would be. He arrives next Tuesday.  That night, too, my Italian repeat dental hygiene student arrived too so all three rooms that I hire out are occupied this weekend. 

We were home late, at about 11.30. Just as I got into bed, Eladio was watching the Tom Cruise film, Valkiria about the assassination attempt on Hitler. We had seen it before but ages ago. We didn't remember the details  - the outcome of course we knew - and were awake until the end which was about 1.30 in the morning. My night didn't start well. I had a nightmare about having a baby I kept forgetting to feed and it was getting skinnier and skinnier. My mother was in the dream as was Suzy, my older daughter and the dream took place in England in my parents's home in Bradford and at times moved to Callosa where we had a house near Alicante. Thank goodness I woke up before the baby died and had my dear husband comfort me through my tears. I hate my nightmares. They don't come often but they are always terrible. I have no idea what prompted Friday night's one.

Saturday came and I was up late, at nearly 7. I was astounded to read that the Saudi government had finally owned up to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi,  admitting he had been "killed in a fight" at the consulate in Istanbul. It seems funny that if he only went into the consulate to get a divorce certificate that he would get into a fight with MSB's hit men. Some of his killers, all from MSB's security entail, were sacked, as his very obvious scapegoats in the whole affair. Up till now the Kingdom had denied the journalist had died so on Saturday they changed their story, obviously after the mounting international pressure. But who is to believe the Crown Prince was not behind his gruesome killing? I wonder what they will say when his dismembered body appears if it ever does? For me, nothing that comes out of that medieval and cruel country is worthy of any credibility whatsoever.

Saturday came and I was up late for me at just before 7 am. Oli and Eladio took a lot longer to get up and be ready for our walk. Thus I took the time to prepare our lunch. I made a delicious soup out of mushrooms and broccoli for my Father but which we ate too. I offered some to Andy, our lodger, who thought it was marvelous.

Marvelous indeed was our late walk that morning in the sun with the dogs. Oli came with us and while we walked she ran most of the way. There were few other walkers or bikers and we had the path mostly to ourselves.

I just had time to make a coffee for Oli and myself before our French lesson with Helene at 12.30. She always arrives promptly and lessons with her are both a challenge and a pleasure. We went over our homework and then started new exercises all about size, quantity and measurement. So that day I learned that square metres is "mètres carrés". The hour went past quickly as it always does. When Helene left, Oli went to get ready to go out to lunch with school friends and I went into the kitchen to make the final preparations for lunch. 

There were no signs of our Norwegian or Italian guests, just Andy. I only saw Giovanni in the afternoon. He arrived on Friday night late and I left the keys in a secret place for him. He will be leaving this morning and I do hope I get to say goodbye. He will be coming again in a few weeks time. He is the perfect guest and no doubt he loved staying in Suzy's large and beautiful room.

While we had a leisurely afternoon, some 700.000 people gathered in London for what has been called "the people's vote march", a protest in London to get a referendum on the final Brexit deal.  They came from all over the UK and from Europe. It was one of the biggest protest marchers since the one against war with Iraq. The organisers argue that when people voted in 2016 they "did not vote for a bad deal or no deal that looks set to wreck the economy for generations". I couldn't agree with them more. They are also calling for a second referendum to include staying in the EU. Lots of young people attended. It is estimated that there are about 2 million people who were too young to vote in 2016 and who argue they had no say in  being stripped of their freedom of movement and European citizenship. I didn't either and it annoys me greatly. I can only hope yesterday's march makes Theresa May and her Cabinet rethink what the hell they are doing and let the people speak for once. The people were lied to 2 years ago and it is the people who should decide their future not a divided and sinking government which is unable to deliver on the promises made for leaving Europe. I would have liked to be there yesterday, although I was there in spirit. 

An image of yesterday's people's vote march in London

I just hope the march serves its purpose. That's what Eladio and I spoke about over a quiet dinner where we had the kitchen to ourselves. It was much quieter here this weekend compared to last weekend when we had 8 guests staying.

I was amazed yesterday evening to suddenly get a reservation for August 2019, that is 10 months in advance. An English family of 5 have confirmed a booking for a week in August. That is early planning. 

It rained just before and after dinner. It didn't last long but was a very big downpour. We had left the poor dogs outside and Eladio had to rush down and let them in.  Ah, and that night, before going to bed we had our flu jabs. I had bought the vaccine this week and Eladio injected mine and needed my assistance to inject his, although I have to say he was the one who put the needle in. I have seen him do injections countless times and it looks easy, yet I have never tried.

We watched the news on 2 different channels - La Sexta and TVE - and knowing the news backwards we turned to video streaming. We continued watching "La Otra Mirada" and saw 2 episodes last night which we devoured. I am loving it. 

Actors and actresses from La Otra Mirada. 

Today my friends is Sunday and when I woke up it was raining again .Good weather was forecast for this weekend but the weather people got it wrong. Even so, I'm sure it will stop at some time, allowing us to go on our walk.

We shall have a quiet Sunday or at least that is my intention.

So my friends, I am now at the end of the tales of this week and will leave you to get on with the day.

I hope yours is good.

All the best till next week,

Masha