Time in Valencia with the girls, 'Racy Lady' rose, a queue to climb Mount Everest, Sledmere, Theresa May resigns, Oli and Miguel in Mallorca, and other stories.

Sunday 26th May, 2019

Ice cream time in Valencia last Sunday

Good morning all.

Today, in Spain, it's election day for the EU Parliament, the local and the autonomous governments. My father and I can only vote in the first two. Later this morning, we shall take him to vote with us. Neither of the girls will be with us as Suzy left for London this morning where she will spend 18 days with friends and Oli left yesterday for Mallorca. Oli though was able to vote by post; no easy feat in Spain.

But let me start from where I left off last Sunday. That day Suzy and I went to Valencia to spend two days with Oli who worked there this week from Tuesday to Friday.  Miguel, her boyfriend, drove my Mini and I sat happily in the back with Suzy.  As you know, he is a cameraman for TVE in the Valencia region and it is where they first met. Unfortunately though he wouldn't be her cameraman as this week as he works for a different team.

It's a three hour drive and we arrived just after 14h at the restaurant where Oli had booked a table for us, the same one we went to in December. Called Senia, it's in Paterna, near where Miguel lives and also near TVE.  Suzy chose a salad but Oli, Miguel and I had their delicious "arroz senyoret" (a sort of paella where all the seafood is shelled). This was it before we polished it off.

The "arroz senyoret" we had at the Senia restauarant near Valencia last Sunday

It's quite a nice restaurant although rather expensive and very slow when it comes to service. We decided that our dessert would be an ice cream by the beach but first we had to drop our things off at Miguel's flat. The weather wasn't the best. It was a bit windy and cloudy but even so we went to have our ice cream by the city's beach called "La Malvarrosa", a beach I know well.  The ice cream parlour Miguel took us to was amazing and we were spoiled for choice. Called Soler it is quite famous I think. I was delighted to see they had my favourite flavours; pistachio and coconut. The feature photo this week is of us all with our ice creams. Below is a photo of just some of the flavours on offer:

Just some of the flavours on offer at the Soler ice cream parlour by the Malvarrosa beach in Valencia

We attempted a walk by the beach but the wind had just begun to blow and frankly it was quite chilly. So we headed back to our car and drove into the city to see the shops. The big shops were not open but quite a few smaller ones were, such as Ale Hop - a shop I love - where I bought some espadrilles. I was amazed at the amount of tourists in the city. You could hear all sorts of languages around you, a lot of Russian, English, French and Italian. Valencia is now on the tourist route, something it wasn't when I first knew it many years ago. We went into a local espadrille shop and when I was paying for a pair, the shop assistant asked me where I was from. That is always a difficult question to ask me. For simplicity's sake, I just said, "Madrid". I asked her why she was inquiring and she told me it was to record where most tourists were from. I was interested to know too. Apparently Valencia is most popular with the Italians and then the French.

We wandered around the beautiful city and once again I admired the orange, mandarin and lemon trees which are everywhere. After so many years in Spain you would suppose I would be used to them. I'm not though. They still impress me and I always want to reach out and pick an orange but never dare. I think they are ornamental or maybe bitter; the type from Seville used to make marmalade. I always have to take a photo too, like the one below.

Orange and lemon trees in Valencia

We must have walked for at least 2 hours, although at a snail's pace looking into the shops. When we got to the cathedral there was a lady selling "horchata" (tiger nut milk) which is very typical in the Valencia region. I first discovered it in Callosa where my parents bought a house in the early 70s and love it but it's quite filling so I didn't buy a glass. The girls did though. Oli is a great fan of horchata, especially the brand the lady was selling. Here are both girls with this lovely refreshing drink.

The girls with their horchata in Valencia last Sunday

Soon it was time to go home and on our way we stopped at a small Carrefour Express to buy stuff for dinner. There wasn't much on the shelves being a Sunday evening but we found enough to make a salad to have with cold cuts.

We came back to Miguel's flat to rest and make our meal. I was happy to see later on the news that Rafa Nadal had beaten Djokovic in Rome to garner his 9th Italian Open. Either Rafa was really on good form that day or the latter was not as Nadal beat the Number 1 seed 6-0 4-6 6-1. It was yet another good day for Spanish sport.

It was a very bad day for the Chinese mobile phone company, Huawei though. That day and the coming days would be very difficult for the world's number 2 mobile phone manufacturer. The US accuse it of spying on the world with its phones and infrastructure and have put Huawei on their black list. Whether that is true or not I don't know. What I do know is that any mobile phone manufacturer could do the same. So I wonder why Huawei is the only target. What about Google, Apple, Samsung, Sony, etc? Or is this just part of the ongoing trade war between the US and China. The bad day came after Google announced it would no longer allow Huawei to update their phones with the Android system which is crucial for phones to work properly and be secure.  Owners of Huawei phones will be able to update applications but will not be be able to update the systems.  New phones from Huawei will not be able to offer Google Play or Google's apps such as Gmail or You Tube. Who would want a phone without these I wonder? So this is really bad news for Huawei. Even so the Chinese company says not to fear, they will offer their own system soon, their alternative to Android. Let's see how popular that will be. It's all a bit of a nightmare and would get worse over the week as other suppliers to Huawei announced breaking off relations. I would not like to be in the shoes of their communications people I can tell you. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for them, especially as their every move will be dictated by the HQ and they will have little or no local leave way. Meanwhile, sales of their devices have dropped.

My girls were not particularly interested in the topic. Neither of them have ever had a Huawei phone, but I was and am as I have worked for many years in the telecoms sector and know just how difficult company crises can be.  I felt sorry for Maria Luisa M, Huawei Spain's Communications Director. She must be having a very tough time. 

There was nothing of interest on TV that night, so I went to bed to read on my kindle. Normally reading in bed would help me fall asleep but I didn't sleep well at all despite the very comfortable mattress. I woke up really early and as usual went straight for the coffee machine. Miguel has a Nespresso which I thought was just the same as mine but it isn't. I just couldn't switch it on so had to forego my straight-out-of-bed-caffeine-fix that day. I thought I'd better have a shower and go outside to get a coffee at a bar and I had bad luck with the shower too. I couldn't get the hot water to work so had a freezing cold one. Thankfully when I was out of the torture shower, Oli and Miguel were up and I was able to get my cup of coffee. It turned out his machine has a different switch to mine which is quite hidden. That was not a good start to the day. However, everything after that was ok, so no great suffering really.

Once the girls were ready, we went out into town again, this time to hit the real shops. Oli wanted to change something at H&M and Suzy wanted to buy a denim jacket at Stradivarius. I had done my shopping the day before so just accompanied them. Suzy had to be back in the flat by 12.30 to start her online lessons. We left her there, after first having tried to open the door of the wrong flat number  - hahhaha, and went off to buy food for lunch from Mercadona. 

We came back to make our lunch; something different for everyone - I wanted meat, Oli and Miguel wanted fish and Suzy is vegan - and were home on time to prepare the meal for when Suzy finished her lessons and Miguel was back from work. Just after lunch I got a call from a journalist from an important British national newspaper who want to print my father's story. The Madrid correspondent wanted to send me his proposed article for me to check the facts. I was more than willing but wouldn't be able to do so until the following morning when I was back at my desk in Madrid.

Suzy and I left after lunch at about 16.30. We said our goodbyes to Miguel and Oli who I wouldn't see until after their holiday in Mallorca. Suzy drove my snazzy off white Mini with its British flag side lamps on the journey home. She sang all the way with her wonderful voice which was great entertainment for me. We were home by 19.30, on time to wish my father goodnight and catch up with him, greet Eladio and the dogs, of course before unpacking and making our dinner. Dinner was more leftovers from Oli's birthday party the previous Saturday but we didn't care. We ate on our lovely kitchen terrace after which I was looking forward to a good night's sleep. Thankfully I got it. 

Tuesday was the day we heard that Niki Lauda, the famous Austrian car racer had died. He wasn't old at all. The sports world mourned him. Early in the morning I got down to reading through the journalist's article about my father and sent him the corrections and a few more anecdotes he had asked for. I wonder when it's coming out.  When I was free, I went out to cut the heads of dead roses and to gather some for the house. They are so beautiful at this time of year. My very favourite is this one, a sort of off white coloured rose tinged with pink and which has the most wonderful fragrance.  It was so perfect I'm sure it could have won a rose competition.   

The most perfect and most fragrant rose in our garden this week

Not being a rose expert,  I had no idea what this perfect rose in our garden was called. That's when my friend Kathryn stepped in and asked her father. He is a professional rose grower and judge - a profession I deeply admire as roses are my favourite flowers. He told his daughter that the rose in question is called 'Racy Lady' which I thought was a lovely name. I looked it up and found he was dead right. It is indeed called that.

I like to fill the house with flowers, especially when we have Airbnb guests. They all get a plate of fruit, filtered water and flowers in their rooms and I think they appreciate that a lot. I would. I had a new guest coming that night, Ricardo from Portugal. I also got a new reservation from my first Japanese guest who is coming next Tuesday and oh joy of joys I got a very lucrative one for August from a guest whose name could be either Chinese or Korean but I guess he is Korean as he works for Samsung.  Again I marvel at all the nationalities that come to stay in our house. This week we also had the pleasure of the visit of Amiram, our Israeli judge friend and his wife Sara and of course my faithful young guests Alba and Javi. We had a full house again this week. 

That night we had one of our favourite dishes: giant prawn salad with mango and avocado. Have you tried that combination? It is just the best. The only dressing is a splash of olive oil and pinch of salt. There is no need for any heavy sort of sauce as the avocado takes its place. This is what it looks like:

One of our favourite dishes: giant prawns with lettuce, mango and avocado

That night I had a bad headache. I must have taken too many tablets and felt sick during the night and was actually sick. I got up at about 7.15, made my cup of coffee on my Nespresso machine and minutes later threw it all up. I felt like something the dog had brought in. Knowing I would be sick again, I got Eladio to inject me with a medicine called Primperán which prevents vomiting. Thankfully it worked and I felt better afterwards although a little fragile and the headache would linger for most of the day. 

Wednesday 22nd May was of course Oli's official birthday. For the first time in years she wasn't with us to celebrate it as she was working in Valencia. All we could do was send her our best wishes. That day she got sent to Torrevieja, a 2.5h drive from Valencia - to report on the salt mines there or was it salt lagoons. We missed her report later when new guests arrived unfortunately.

The walk that day helped get rid of my headache finally. Suzy joined us and boy was it hot. Again we had dinner on the terrace and later I got a fantastic night's sleep probably because I was extremely tired but maybe too because of the most boring political debate I have ever seen on TV provoked deep sleep hahaha. The debate was supposedly about the EU elections and included representatives from 9 parties, including the Catalan independence parties some of whose delegates are in prison for the illegal referendum. It's such a farce. 

There was a farce too on Thursday in the UK when the EU elections were held, a few days before those in Spain. I was horrified to hear that many EU citizens living in the UK  were literally turned away at the polling stations. Hundreds or maybe thousands were not able to vote because of incompetency of the local authorities in the processing of a very bureaucratic system in place. I blame it all on the Brexit effect I am afraid. Voting as an EU citizen in another EU country should be automatic as it usually is in Spain. I received my election card weeks ago as did my father and I know we won't be turned away when we go to our polling station this morning. 

The first thing I did that morning was to go over yet more supposedly final corrections of my father's book for the re run print and of course the e-book which is taking a lot longer to do than I thought.  I would have to add one more change though. That day I got an email from Steve, the son of GNC Nicholls, more commonly known as Nicky. I had written to Steve to thank him for the card he had sent to my father. He wrote back to thank me but I also got some important information from him which would mean one more correction to the book. Thank goodness it was on time. He told me his father was head of Modern Languages at Bradford Grammar School when my father started there in 1964. I had thought the head was Harry Davies which is what I wrote in the manuscript. But obviously his first boss was Nicky Nicholls and his second boss was Harry Davies. Steve reminded me that my parents were friends, something I didn't remember. He told me that his mother, Helen and my mother were friends and that his sister Claire remembered playing at our house. I didn't remember any of that for the life of me but then all this happened more than 50 years ago. So I am very grateful to Steve's email otherwise there would have been quite a big mistake in my father's book. 

By the time I had finished, Suzy was up and having breakfast. With such weather lovely, we have all our meals on the terrace these days. I caught her on camera with Pippa while chewing her breakfast. But it's a lovely picture. I have to say that there is something about Suzy these days. I don't know what it is but she looks absolutely stunning.

Suzy and Pippa - breakfast outside on Thursday morning

It must have been good weather on Everest, the world's highest mountain, this week too as so many people were climbing to the summit. A photo surfaced and went viral of an actual queue of mountaineers trying to get to the top and down. The sad news is that because of the crowd, 10 people who had run out of oxygen or were exhausted were not able to get down fast enough and died. I am still asking myself how there can be a queue to climb Everest. It is bizarre. I was amazed to read that each permit to climb Everest costs 11.000 euros and that too many permits are handed out which I suppose is the main reason we got to the problem of the congestion on that highest slope in the world.  Over 800 climbers who  reached the summit last year and whose figure may well increase this year, is a very large number. Many of the climbers are non professional and go the easy route, paying for the VIP route that costs tens of thousands of euros where they go up via a fixed rope and of course oxygen but they are not all fit enough to climb the world's highest summit and it is mostly these people jamming the way up and down. No doubt a poor country like Nepal needs this money but I don't think it needs the bad image created by too many climbers attempting to get to the top of Everest and dying because of the queue. 

An unbelievable photo of an actual queue of mountaineers climbing Mount Everest this week

It was great weather in the Valencia region too that day and Oli got sent to report from the main town beach in Alicante, the "Postiguet Beach". She did a report at around midday when the beach was full and then a live report at 8 pm which we watched on TVE1 while on our walk. To judge from the photo she posted on social media, she is enjoying working with the Valencian TVE team. I'm glad about that. She would have a long day though as it's at least  a 2 hour drive both ways. 

Oli in Alicante with the TVE Valencia team on Thursday

She was looking stunning too. She is now over 5 months pregnant and has no qualms about her bump being aired on TV. Not so long ago, TV reporters'  pregnancy was mostly hidden but thankfully not any more.  Way to go Oli.  As I watched my beautiful daughter report from Alicante, I thought back to my beginnings in Spain. They were usually by train from England to Alicante. I well remember my first time at the train station there - very different to the very modern and sparkling clean one today - getting off the train with my huge suitcase. There were no wheels on suitcases in the those days. I then had to make my way to the bus station and knew no Spanish. I could never have known then that one day  I would be watching my daughter reporting  on TV from that very same city.  

Thursday was quite a lazy day for us and we mainly enjoyed the good weather at home, only going out for a few errands in the morning and for our walk late in the evening.

Friday came. I spent part of the morning in the kitchen with Suzy making gazpacho while she worked. After her online lessons to her Chinese young pupils, she always has to write up a report which takes nearly as long as the lessons. She has been a busy bee this week, far busier than me. 

Gazpacho today can be found on the shelves at the supermarkets of such good quality there is no  need to make it at home. However, I had three huge red tomatoes that were going bad so I had to use them for something. To the tomatoes I added a green pepper, a piece of cucumber, a spring onion, a clove of garlic, a slice of bread, olive oil, vinegar and salt. All this went into my Kenwood liquidiser and very soon I had the perfect first course ready for a summer lunch. We had it later with the usual garnish, the same ingredients that go into the gazpacho but all chopped up.

Making gazpacho on Friday morning

I had plenty of time on my hands even after making the gazpacho and I used it to start sticking my father's birthday cards into a beautiful album I had bought for the occasion. I was interrupted by a call from the UK. It was a man called Keith who is the Church Warden at St. Mary's in Sledmere (East Yorkshire) ringing about our visit there next month. 

St. Mary's Church in Sledmere where my grandfather was the vicar from 1924-1928

I want to visit it as that was where my grandfather, Revd. John Collins Lloyd was the vicar from 1924 - 1928 and where my father lived with his family at the village rectory from the age of 5 to 9. He remembers it clearly and always speaks lovingly about Sledmere. I had wanted to attend the church service but unfortunately there are only 2 per month these days and there won't be one the day we go. However, Keith, very kindly offered to show us around the church. I asked him too if he knew where the vicarage is as I am keen to see it too.

The Vicarage in Sledmere where my father lived as a child from 1924-1928. Today it is a private house

The only photograph from the family albums that I could distinguish as having been taken at Sledmere, is this one of my father and his family in his father's car. You can tell it was taken outside the vicarage as the window frames are exactly the same. 

My father and his family in their car outside the Sledmere Vicarage around 1926. My father is the little boy on the far right of the photo next to his younger brother Raymond.

Keith told me it was now a private house owned by a man who runs a business in nearby Bridlington. I shall have to suffice myself by seeing it from the outside. 

Sledmere is not famous for its church or rectory rather for  Sledmere House, a stately home owned originally by Sir Tatton Sykes which today houses a very recommended bakery and farm store. 

Sledmere House in East Yorkshire where my father lived as a child - not at the house but at the vicarage.

Sir Tatton Sykes spent the enormous sum of 60.000 pounds in the late 19th century to build one of the best examples of a Victorian Gothic church in the country. I wonder if my grandfather knew him. He may well have as the dates are not that far away. Sir Tatton Sykes built the church in 1898 and my grandfather was appointed its vicar in 1924. Or perhaps he knew his son, Sir Richard Sykes who succeeded him from 1905 to 1978. I read that the Sykes made their wealth from cloth trading and iron  in the Industrial Revolution. However they did not build the original Sledmere House. It came through the marriage of Richard Sykes to Mary Kirkby, an heiress of the state. Richard Sykes apparently demolished the original house and built a new one in 1751 and it seems the Sledmere House still belongs to the Sykes family and the current owner is Sir Tatton Sykes (8th Baronet). I wonder if my father and his siblings played with the Sykes children when he lived in Sledmere. I would not be surprised. 

I can't wait to visit Sledmere. I shall also have a reunion to look forward to there with one of my father's old pupils from Bradford Grammar School who lives nearby, Jon S. He has written to my father over the years and I have been in touch with him so it will be great to meet him in Sledmere, a place that means so much to my father. No doubt we shall meet at the famous farm shop at Sledmere House or the pub he recommends in the village, The Triton Inn. 

While Sledmere was on my mind that morning, further away in London, Theresa May announced her decision to step down as Prime Minister on 7th June. There had been rumours all week that she would resign and it is because she knew that she would never get her Brexit deal through Parliament. I was happy to see her go but unhappy to think that Boris Johnson, that hard line Brexiter, who is a clown like political figure, similar in many ways to Donald Trump, would become her successor. He announced yesterday that if he does Britain will leave the EU on 31st October with or without a deal. The man is mad. That is the suicide route for the UK. British politics are in a shambles and I don't see a good future for my country.  In her announcement, her last outside number 10 Downing Street, Theresa May broke into tears at the end of her speech, turned around and walked back into the famous PM's residence. 

Theresa May holding back tears of self pity as she announced her resignation as PM on Friday

Some would understand these as tears of frustration, an admission she had failed but that she had been given an impossible task and that no one can achieve a Brexit agreement that will get a majority backing. For me they were tears of self pity only, for losing power and for not having successfully delivered Brexit. What about tears for the Windrush people, the Grenfell fire victims, the 4 million British children who live in dire poverty and all the other injustices in the country? She seems to have no pity for any of them, nor for those EU citizens living in the UK who don't know what their future is nor for the UK citizens living in the EU, like me, who have been left bereft of our EU citizenship without even being able to vote in the Referendum. Yes, I am happy to see her go but not happy about seeing Boris Johnson or any other hard liner Tory take her place. 

The gazpacho we had for lunch was delicious and the siesta afterwards a short one for me. I was down again at 4 pm and found Suzy working. We had some quality time together before she was off again, this time to see a friend, Pili, from school. Later she would go out with her friends Rocío and Elenita. She wasn't back until after 7 am on Saturday morning. What a party animal my oldest daughter is. 

Oli is not a party animal, she is quite the opposite. On Friday she was still in Valencia and that day reported on football. There is no subject she cannot report on. It was on the occasion of the "Copa del Rey" final yesterday between Barcelona and Valencia to be held in Seville. She reported on a Valencian club group getting ready to party. I always support a weaker team and was happy that last night Valencia beat Messi's Barça 2-1 to raise what I think is their 8th cup. 

Oli reporting on the celebrations for the Valencia Barcelona Cup final on Saturday

Miguel was with her while she did her job and sent us the photo above of her being filmed. It was lovely to see her growing bump. She is now more or less 5 months pregnant. I still can't get it round my head that in September I will have a grandson. Wow!

I watched her report on my phone while on our walk as our walk seems to coincide with the time of her programme (7.15 - 8pm) these days. 

We came back to find only Andy in the kitchen, having his dinner. We were going out to dinner as it was Friday night. We chose to go to Casa Ivan again but as they serve such huge portions decided to share both our first and second courses. The first one was divine: grilled baby squid on a bed of potatoes, apple and mushrooms. Here it is. It's worth going to Casa Iván just for that dish.

Grilled baby squid for dinner on Friday night.

We decided that instead of dessert we would have some chocolate when we got home. Eladio had a small bounty bar and I had a "snowball" both from the too many English chocolates I had ordered for my father's birthday.

Snowballs- delicious soft marshmallow covered in chocolate and coconut. 

 I love snowballs and remember buying them at the tuck shop at my school, St. Joseph's College with my friend Amanda when we could afford them. 

We ate our chocolate on the table outside the kitchen and then went up to bed. There was not much on television and I quickly fell asleep. It must have been thanks to the glass of Rioja I had at dinner that helped me get a good night's sleep as I didn't wake up until 7 a.m. the next day. 

At that time, Oli and Miguel were at the airport about to take a flight to Mallorca for a 6 night holiday on the island.  This is the photo they sent us while waiting for their flight.

Oli and Miguel at the airport in Valencia yesterday waiting for their flight to Palma

It was around the same time that  Suzy was on her way home from a night our partying hahaha. What different girls I have.

I had quite a lazy morning yesterday, reading and making the lunch for which Suzy would not join us although she did finally get up at 2 am but was not hungry for lunch.  Her friend Elena joined her in the afternoon while Eladio and I read on the kitchen patio. Miguel and Oli meanwhile were exploring their hotel and the nearby beach and sent us some photos. I particularly like this one of Oli walking past their lovely hotel. At 140 euros per night I guess it must be a pretty good one. It's certainly very pretty on the outside. 

Oli outside their hotel in Mallorca yesterday

They went for a walk on the beach while Eladio and I went on our usual walk with the dogs. It was to be a very special walk as on the way back, I was suddenly confronted by a very pretty fox which suddenly came out of the bushes and  barked or made the noise foxes make and just stood there looking at both Pippa and I. Pippa, for once, didn't move or make a noise. At first I thought it was a dog but soon realised it was a fox. I thought it would run away as I prepared my phone to take a photo. But it didn't. It just stood there posing and I was able to snap away. 

The beautiful fox on our walk yesterday

It then promptly sat down and as we turned our backs on it to continue on our walk home, it began to follow us. It was so tame but perhaps not tame enough for me to go up to it. I longed to touch it, stroke it and even dreamed of taking it home to live with us but of course that is not possible. My encounter with a fox on yesterday's walk was very special. I always count my lucky stars we live outside the city and can enjoy country life. 

We came home to a quiet house. There was no sign of our  Airbnb guests and Eladio and I had dinner on the terrace. Suzy didn't join us as she had had her lunch at around 6 pm hahaha. Later she spent the time packing while we watched a film on Amazon - The Sentinel with Michael Douglas and Kim Bassenger. It was quite good but we fell asleep in the middle of it and will not doubt see the end tonight.

This morning, Suzy will be leaving and later we shall go and vote with my father. But let me tell you all about that in next Sunday's blog post.

I have to rush now, to publish this, print a copy for my father and then get ready to take Suzy to the airport.

Wishing you all a great week ahead, cheers for now,
Masha

To Montrondo to enjoy country life, remembering George, home again, Suzy the teacher, celebrating Oli's birthday and other stories.

Sunday 19th May 2019

Eladio and I with Pippa on our walk on Monday afternoon in Montrondo

Good morning all. Well, it's been a great week overall and it started off in our beloved village Montrondo.

Last Sunday after saying goodbye to my father and leaving instructions on welcoming our new Airbnb guests and saying goodbye to those who were leaving and to my father,  Eladio and I left with a car full of food so as not to have to go shopping while in Montrondo. I was up at 5.30 as there is so much to do before going. Ironically, Suzy who had spent the night out on the tiles and who had slept at Oli's place, had gone to bed at 6 am. She wouldn't get much sleep at all, just a couple of hours. We picked her up at around 11.15, saw Oli for a few minutes who felt sadly left behind. We would have dearly liked her to come too but of course she was working this week. Pippa came with us of course. Oli took a photo of Suzy with Pippa in the car just as we set off for Montrondo.

Suzy with Pippa just before setting off for Montrondo last Sunday

We got to our favourite "pit stop", the Palacio de Bornos in the white wine growing area called Rueda at just after 13h.  Here we had our lunch; ham, lomo, cheese and red peppers with delicious freshly made bread and of course a glass of wine - verdejo for me and sauvignon for Eladio. Here are father and daughter at our table.

Eladio and Suzy at lunch in Rueda last Sunday

Both Suzy and I slept most of the way after the stop in Rueda and we arrived to a very sunny village at around 3.30. Eladio's sisters were there as was one of my nephews but they had only gone for the day and would leave at around 6.

Arriving in Montrondo means getting the house ready for our stay and putting all the food away. It took a while but not too long afterwards  both Suzy and I were lying on the grass at the back of the house and reading. Eladio had to cut the grass as it had grown so long in our absence. Later my daughter and I, accompanied by Pippa, went for a short walk on the old path to Murias. On our way we met so many people it took a while to actually leave the village. Year round only about 10 people live here but lots come from León or Madrid where they live in the winter to spend the summer here. The first people we saw were Salo, our neighbour and her eldest daughter Romina. Then we were joined by Josefa and Rossi, just coming back from a walk. On our way out of the village we greeted Tomasín. Every time I greet him, the poor chap has some medical complaint to tell us about.

Soon we were on the old path and oh how beautiful it was. The village looked lovely in its May colours.

The village as seen from our walk last Sunday evening.

We were home by about 7.45 and it was time to make dinner. It's amazing how the country air there provokes a bigger appetite than normal. That night I made a prawn, avocado and mango salad which we all ate with gusto. Later we watched  a film on Netflix I had seen before but didn't mind seeing again. Called "Playing for time", it stars Vanessa Redgrave and is the story of the women's orchestra at that most dreadful of Nazi concentration camps, Auschwitz.

I went to bed late and found it difficult to sleep. I had hoped for a restful night but I didn't get one.

I woke up at 6.15 on Monday morning to a very quiet village. It would be another glorious sunny day. It was to be a very lazy day too. At the end of it I commented to Suzy that really I hadn't done anything at all that day. She answered wisely that maybe that was a good thing as I am always so busy. Perhaps she is right. The three of us spent the morning reading and lounging around in the garden behind the house. I was reading Michelle Obamas's biography which I had started some time ago but left to read other books. It's interesting but didn't grip me at all. 

Lunch was an easy affair. We had left over bean stew I had brought from Madrid. Suzy, of course, had a vegan option. We waited for her to finish her classes before we ate. Later I would have a three hour long siesta. I just felt exhausted. It maybe because I had a bad throat which would plague me a bit this week. It was a really hot day for Montrondo on Tuesday so we left our walk until after 6 pm when the sun was shining with less strength. While waiting for Suzy, I caught Eladio on camera on the lovely hammock Suzy had given us a few years ago. You would think it was from one of her exotic trips, but no, she had bought it in Santa Pola.

Eladio, sitting on the hammock just before our walk on Monday

It's hard to believe this good looking husband of mine is 74 years old. You wouldn't believe it either would you?

Before we left the village I caught horses on my camera this time. I think they must belong to one of the villagers, Manolo, but I'm not sure. It was lovely to see them walking around the village unharnessed or fenced in. Beautiful white horses they are. Of course we had to keep Pippa on the lead as she goes mad when she sees horses, cows, sheep, etc. 

White horses in the village

Our walk on Monday would take us into the mountains and on old paths towards the next village, Murias walking along the top with great views. Eladio calls it "el camino valle" (the valley path). We love this newly discovered walk and it is is perfect for a hot day as the woods on the way hide the sun. Here is Suzy just as we were about to enter the main path overlooking the village.

Suzy enjoying the nature in Montrondo

Suzy wasn't very familiar with this new walk and we were keen to show her it, especially the woods on the way where we stopped to take photos including a selfie of course.

On our walk on Monday

Pippa loving the walk too

Yellow flowers from the bracken everywhere

Father and daughter on camera

The walk, there and back takes nearly 2 hours and of course we all came back feeling peckish. But first I had to wash little Pippa who gets so dusty on the walks there. We sat around the table at around 9 pm   - sunset wasn't until 9.40 - and enjoyed a salad, humus, ham, etc all washed down with a delicious glass of Rueda wine, in my case.

Later we watched  a film with Michael Douglas until very late. Called "Don't say a word", I had seen it before but was happy to see it again. Thus I was in bed a bit later than usual and thought I wouldn't sleep well after such a long siesta but I did. It must have been the mountain air that helped.

Tuesday was to be another glorious sunny day.  It was to be another lazy day too. We spent most of the day at the house, or rather outside in the garden reading. Suzy had her lessons to give while I spent most of the morning reading more of Michelle Obama's biography which got more interesting when I got to the part when Barack Obama becomes the first black President of the USA. Oh what a great couple and what a difference from that clown of a man Trump and his silent wife. I stopped at about 1 pm to make our lunch, a meal made from scratch which is how we like to eat at home. That day I made a vegetable soup followed by fresh cod and asparagus. Suzy was not able to join us as that day her lessons didn't end until 3.30 pm. I tried to sleep a siesta afterwards but could hear her teaching small Chinese pupils English enthusiastically. When she finished, I finally dozed off and didn't wake up until 5.45! I was certainly catching up on lost sleep in the lovely calm environment that life in Montrondo provides.

At about 6.40 when it was still very hot, Eladio, Pippa and I set off on our walk. Suzy stayed behind to talk to a bosom friend who had just arrived in Costa Rica, a friend she had made in Bali. She has friends all over the world and here in Montrondo and in Madrid she seems to want to catch up with everyone. At the same time she is missing what she calls her "brothers and sisters" from Indonesia. Her heart is torn between them and her friends and family in Spain. Apart from her lessons, she spent part of the day looking for extra work all in the teaching world via different online platforms. I must say she seems a lot more focused than she was when she came at Christmas. I think teaching may well be the career she pursues, rather than the one she was trained for; nutrition and dietetics. Recently she studied for and got her TEFL certificate which qualifies her to be a teacher of English. I also think she will make a great teacher. That day she was applying for full time teaching jobs, this time at schools, in Bali.  Of course that means she is going to return there. It makes me sad to think she wants to live at the other end of the world but if she is happy there, what can I do? It's her life, not mine and I have to respect her decisions.

So went on our walk on our own. She was part of our conversation as our daughters nearly always are. We took the same path as the day before, the one we call "el camino valle" which goes to Murias, the next village, but on a path in the mountains and through charming woods and where there is not a soul apart from ourselves. I love it. It was the main activity of our day. Here I am just after Eladio closed the style, a very Montrondo type style I should say as it is closed with a long piece of rope. Pippa is in my arms so as to get into the photo. I am wearing my very flimsy summer jump suit I bought a couple of years ago at the market in Majadahonda and which is perfect for walks in the summer. Wearing it makes me feel like a girl again. A girl? Well, no, I am 62 but of course there is still a girl inside me. There always will be.

On our walk on Tuesday

We didn't see a soul that day and Eladio remarked how empty the village is. I don't mind at all though. I love it that way and find so much peace there away from all the bustle of urban life. I really think I could live on a farm or somewhere more isolated than our house outside Madrid. I just need the greenery, the space and the open air and I'm not a city girl and never have been. When we first got married we lived in the heart of Madrid for nearly 5 years and I just hated it; the traffic, the pollution, the noise, buildings everywhere, the lack of green spaces and too many people rushing around like chickens without heads on. No, not for me the city life. That's why I am so happy in Montrondo. It's our bolt hole to get away from it all and rest and relax. I love it.

It was late when we got back, almost 8.30 pm but there was no rush to make dinner. There we are so relaxed we even don't mind breaking our routines. Oli would be happy to hear that as she hates our routines haha. But they are necessary if we want to have free time. The more organised you are, I have found over the years, the more time you are able to make for yourself. Usually I am so busy, but  in Montrondo I was able to relax and wind down after so much hectic work over my father's 100th birthday, something I can now see I sorely needed.

So we made dinner together leisurely, one of the nicest moments of the day. Cooking that way is also fun and relaxing. I made a big Spanish potato and onion tortilla which we had with spinach. I also had a glass of white wine. Suzy pointed out that I shouldn't be having wine and normally I don't but there again I was breaking another norm and didn't really care. In fact, I think wine at night helps me sleep better. However, I would go back to being a teetotaler when we got home. In Montrondo everything is allowed and at home I am more strict about my calorie and alcohol intake.

Eladio didn't want to watch TV that night, preferring to read and Suzy was on the phone as she seems to be most of the time. Thus, that night I got to choose what I wanted to watch on Netflix and I also got to be able to watch in English. I chose to restart Line of Duty. Everyone is mad about it in England. We had started watching it a while back but hadn't really got into it. So that night I gave it another try. Suzy later joined me and the two of us were up until past midnight having watched the first two episodes. I must say now I like it and have 4 whole seasons to watch.

Wednesday came, our last full day in Montrondo and also the last day of good weather all over Spain. Thursday would bring colder temperatures and rain. Just when we had got used to beautiful summer weather, it was to go again. Well, that's May for you; always unpredictable or as Maria was described by the other nuns in The Sound of Music "unpredictable as weather".

Wednesday was 15th May, Saint Isidro in Madrid and a holiday in the Spanish capital. But I wouldn't be celebrating. I can't celebrate anything on this day. All I can do is remember it was the day of the passing away of my dear brother George. He died of melanoma on 15th May 2001 aged just 46. If he had lived, he would be 64 now. He was taken too early in life. Life was unfair to him and to us as a family. We have missed him ever since. His dear Serbian wife, Sanya, missed him so much, she let  herself die just a few years later after a bout of pneumonia. They lie together at a cemetery in Finchley in London, two souls who were troubled in life but who found love finally although for a very short time. My only consolation is that my mother was not alive to bear the death of her son. Not so my father, who bears the tragedy as I do too. George was 6 ft tall, a handsome, blue eyed blonde boy with a great figure and a huge talent for languages, music and sport but he was a troubled boy and life dealt him the wrong cards. I always felt guilty, that I, a lot less talented than him, was dealt the right cards. Where is the balance I ask myself? With a sigh I tell you here that he lives on in my heart but that I miss him always.

With my dear brother George in Guadalest (Spain) in the early 70's. 

I thought about him a lot during that day as I often do. It was with a heavy heart I wrote about him in my father's biography but he will always be remembered.

Life continued as normal in Montrondo. It was another quiet day. We love being there but so does Pippa, our spoiled miniature chocolate dachshund who is the apple of my eye. She follows me everywhere. In Montrondo she has her favourite spots and the corner of the wall opposite our kitchen door  is one of them. It seemed like she was posing for me when she sat there on Wednesday so I got my phone out and snapped away. I wonder how many photos I have of her? Many more than of my family hahaha.

Pippa perched on one of her favourite spots outside the house in Montrondo

That morning while Suzy gave her online classes to her Chinese pupils, Eladio and I read in the garden at the back of the house and Pippa joined us, happy to sit at my feet on the sunbed. For shade we had the luxury of apple trees.

We had lunch and then rested again. Suzy had to continue working as after each session of lessons she has to give in reports. She chose to work from the terrace outside the kitchen and I caught her on camera too.

Suzy working outside in Montrondo

While at her computer she was also searching for local private lessons as a teacher of English while she is here in Spain, some online and some face to face. Clever girl, she garnered two new pupils that day who live near us. Some of the lessons will be online which means she can work from anywhere. Way to go these days I think.

Eladio took to mowing the front lawn and with Suzy busy, it was only Pippa and me on the walk that day. We went alone but we enjoyed it. Everything seemed coloured in yellow from the flowering of the bracken to the daisies, dandelions and lovely buttercups everywhere.

Yellow everywhere on our path

Pippa on our walk on Wednesday

At the end of the walk I spied cows and just on time put Pippa's lead back on. She is fearless and would have run up to the cows and barked at them. They were such a peaceful sight though and on that day, for some reason, Pippa was not one bit interested in them. The last thing I wanted was a stampede in our direction because of her barking.

Cows in the field on our walk grazing peacefully

We were home before the sun went down behind the mountains of Montrondo at around 8.30 although sunset isn't until about 9.40 in that area at this time of year. I came home to hear from Suzy who was making our salad for dinner that internet was not working properly. That would be a problem for her online lessons the next day. It seemed to be a problem in the area and not with our router. Thus we decided to leave the next day at 7.30 in the morning, so as not to risk an internet outage and Suzy missing her classes for which she would be penalized. She works for a very strict Chinese company called Dada. That night therefore there was no Netflix of course and in the end at around 11 pm we started getting everything ready to be able to leave the house early the next morning.

Meanwhile, Oli had arrived in far away Huesca in the Spanish Pyrenees. She was going for work purposes but was accompanied by her partner Miguel so it would be an enjoyable work trip. We wouldn't see her until the weekend when on Saturday we would celebrate her birthday early as on the actual day, 22nd May, she would be away reporting in Valencia. She does seem to get around Spain a lot these days. We did miss her a lot in Montrondo I must say.

Oli and Miguel in Huesca this week

I didn't sleep well that night. I took a double dose of sleeping tablets and probably fell asleep at around 1 am. I had the alarm on for 6 am and for once  I slept through without waking up. So I got 5 straight hours of sleep. Not bad for me, but not enough really.

It was  rush job to have breakfast, shower, etc, pack up, close doors and windows but we were in the car by 7.30. We had to be home by 11.55 at the latest and we made it. Eladio drove at breakneck speed and I hope we don't get a speeding fine.

In the end we were home by 11.45, well on time for Suzy's lessons. As we unpacked, she rushed up to the conservatory to prepare for her session. I had to go into take her a cup of coffee and caught her on camera just as she had started her first class to a young Chinese pupil. Her pupils are aged 4 to 11. It must be very challenging teaching 4 year old Chinese kids who have no previous knowledge of English but she fares well. She uses all sorts of props and gives fun lessons. One of her mantras is that learning with fun is the best way to learn. Her pupils certainly seem to like her dynamic lessons. She uses all sorts of props to make the lessons more entertaining and even dresses up. That day she wore a huge pair of specs with no lenses to make her look more like a teacher:-) Here she is on camera our budding teacher who seems to be making a great job of this new career. She hasn't abandoned her real profession, nutrition and dietetics, but right now her main source of income comes from teaching. I'm so proud of her.

Suzy the teacher! 

Her lessons didn't finish until 3.30 so we had lunch without her. It was great to see my father again and I'm sure he was happy to have us around as I know he finds it rather lonely when we are away. We had lunch outside on what would be the last day of summer weather for a few days as the temperatures would drop the next day.

Suzy and I were planning on going out to buy Oli's birthday present that afternoon but got caught up applying for another job for her - teaching small Spanish kids English at what looks like an organisation which is right up her street and whose philosophy is learning by using fun methods. We didn't finish until after 5 pm and when we left we hit the school traffic. We went to the local shopping centre, Centro Oeste, where I hadn't been for quite a while. We made our purchases, a present for Oli from each of us and then went food shopping to Carrefour Market. On our way home we went to a Chinese shop to get more props for Suzy's lessons. I got a birthday card and fun candles for Oli's birthday party this weekend.

We had to rush home if we wanted to watch Oli live on TV.  We were just on time. She was on three times talking about a water problem in villages in Huesca. The water was contaminated and villagers had to source water from a public pump just like in Victorian times. I have to say Oli was looking stunning. She had styled her hair beautifully, the red lipstick she wore suited her, as did her ever growing bump which she proudly displayed while reporting professionally as she always does. Isn't she gorgeous? I'm so proud of both my daughters.

Oli reporting live for TVE from Huesca on a contaminated water issue in villages in the area 

By then it was nearly 8 pm and time to make dinner. We had it outside but the temperature had already gone down and it felt a little cold. Just as we were finishing, our repeat Airbnb guest, a beautiful young physiotherapist, Alba, from Alicante arrived. She and her fellow student Javi, who is from Valencia, have been staying with us on and off since October and they both now seem part of the family. Suzy and I later had a long conversation with her about women's pelvic health during pregnancy. Alba and Javi are completing a master's degree in this subject. Suzy asked how they did their training and she told us that they used each other to practice. I'm not going into what that might entail. Just use your imagination hahahah.

We went to bed a bit later than usual and continued watching Line of Duty. Eladio, unfortunately fell asleep but I continued watching and I must say I do like the series.

I woke up at about 6.45 on Friday morning. The first thing  I saw in my phone was yet another 5 star review from an Airbnb guest, this time from a man called Sandy who is from Hong Kong. He had come to see his sun studying at the local university but we hadn't met him as he was here while we were in Montrondo. I must say his words encouraged me a lot. Reviews like this make all the effort I put into hosting worth the while. Thank you Sandy.

Another lovely 5 star review from an Airbnb guest

On Friday I noticed the drop in temperature as soon as I went outside with my morning coffee. It was so funny to go from 30ºc down to 15ºc in just one day. That morning I spent time making Oli's birthday cake. She had asked me to make a brownie for her birthday party from a recipe I used for Suzy's birthday cake. This is it by the way.  It works a treat and the trick is to take it out of the oven while it is completely sticky inside. It may seem underdone but continues to cook once out of the oven. That way it turns out fudgy which is just how a brownie should be. I adapted the recipe to our taste and did not add the extra chocolate bits but put in walnuts instead.  I also decorated it with nutella spread and  more walnuts. By midday, they were ready. I made a big one for her birthday and a smaller one for spare which we would have for dinner that night.

A beautiful brownie cake for Oli's birthday party on Saturday

I also had time to go out and do some food shopping and come home to make our lunch. It was after lunch that we finally took down my father's 100th birthday decorations and we then put up some we had bought for Oli's birthday. He had loved them so much - me too - that I put some of them in his room for him to remember his special day.

Suzy had an important day on Friday. In the afternoon after her lessons and a late lunch, off she went for her first singing lesson. She is going to have vocal lessons at Marand Musical, a music academy that belongs to Carmen and Mapi. Carmen was my communications assistant when I worked at Nokia. She left the job 16 years ago to set up the music school with her partner Mapi and it has gone from strength to strength.  I would have loved to have gone with her but she had an appointment later with a new pupil so it didn't make sense. She is a great singer and Eladio and I both regret not having done more for her when she was much younger. We did try a bit but not enough.

Meanwhile I got a sudden new Airbnb reservation at around 4 pm from a Chinese guest called Jack which is probably not his real name. He arrived at around 6.30 just as we were leaving for our walk so I had to go back into our house to welcome him in. He would occupy Andy our Scottish lodger's room who is away for a few days. Also that day, Javi, our longstanding physiotherapist guest arrived. He would occupy the green room. That day I checked all was clean and in order in his room while putting a plate of fruit and some flowers in his room. I also checked the terrace and while there realised just what a wonderful view that room has of the garden at the back. So I snapped a picture and this is it. You can spot Elsa our lab in the photo peacefully lying on the kitchen patio. As the name of the room suggests, the view was much in line; very green too at this time of year of course.

The very green view from the "green room". 

We wouldn't see Jack again until he left and we wouldn't see Javi either as he arrived late and would be leaving in the morning.

We came home just as Oli and Miguel were arriving back from Huesca which is quite a drive from Madrid. Suzy arrived a few minutes later, ecstatically happy from her singing lesson. She was pleased with her first private English lesson too a new pupil. We were a happy bunch at dinner that night which we made all together. With Oli's permission, we had the small brownie for dessert and wow was it fudgy and delicious. The dogs wanted their share but wouldn't get it I'm afraid as sugar is not good for them. Here is Eladio eating his brownie with both Elsa and Norah at his side. It made for a great photo.

Dinner on Friday  - both dogs, Norah and Elsa angling for some of Eladio's brownie

Norah in particular is a pest when it comes to food. When no one is looking, if there is any food within her reach she will go for it. Recently she at our Dutch airbnb's cheese. It's always very embarrassing and although we warn guests, it still happens.

We all went to bed after that except for Suzy. She had yet another date with yet another friend later that night at around 10.30. People go out so late in Spain.  We stayed in and watched another episode of "Monteperdido" on RTVE and later a bit more of Line of Duty.

Saturday came and it would start with a family birthday breakfast for Oli. It was funny to celebrate her birthday that day, 18th May, when her real birthday is next week on the 22nd. She chose churros and the thicker version, "porras" with thick chocolate to dunk them in for her breakfast. Eladio and I went out to get them and we were  all at the table by 9 am, my father included. Oh he loves birthdays. The churros were delicious as they always are but very filling. After the churros came our card and presents, a topaz silver ring from Aristocrazy which Oli told me she wanted. It's much better to buy her things you know she wants, otherwise anything else will only get changed at the shop hahaha. This is what happened with the blouse Suzy bought for her sister. Here are Oli and Miguel at breakfast on Saturday with Pippa in my daughter's arms. She just has to get in every picture.

Oli's birthday celebrations getting off to a start yesterday morning. 

The girls spent the whole of the morning preparing for Oli's birthday lunch. She had invited 5 or so of her friends from the girls' group. I was worried their party would be a problem because 2 young girls were coming to stay, new Airbnb guests and they had precisely told me they had chosen our house to get some peace and quiet. Jack, our Chinese guest, left just as we finished breakfast and keen to meet other people, he mistook my daughters for Airbn guests. It was a funny moment. He left his room in a perfect state and later gave me a great review. He was here on business and his job is to sell clothes; workers' clothes. His next destination was Milan.

I spent a lot of the morning replying to more cards from my father's old pupils. I haven't quite finished. I have about 10 to go but then he did receive nearly 60 cards. It may seem old fashioned to reply to birthday cards but I was brought up to do so and if people made the effort, it is up to me to thank them.  I just had to reply to the lovely words written by his "old boys" some of whom are quite old themselves now. I only wish I had had their testimony too for his biography. So that day I was in touch with quite a few including the Fenton and Perrott brothers and a former pupil and colleague, Mr. Stoney . My father remembered them all. One of them wrote back to say "all we knew was that he (my father) was exceptional and had an ability to inspire affection and respect. There is no doubt at all he is a very special man" Isn't that lovely?

The kitchen was full of the girls cooking but I found a space to make lunch for Eladio, my father and I. I have to add I wasn't at all hungry or very inspired so resorted to "spagbol" as we call spaghetti bolognese here. Just as we were finishing the two new guests, Elena and her friend arrived. They are from Honduras and the Dominican Republic. Suzy had welcomed them in and I showed them their room, apologising the whole time about the "party". We warned them about Norah and oh my goodness, she did end up getting some of their food. Norah was very naughty yesterday as she knocked over Oli's 2 uncooked home made pizzas on to the floor from the kitchen top. It must have been just within her reach. She didn't get to eat it though as Oli was fast in shooing her away. The pizza bases were rescued and new toppings added but later no one wanted to eat them, knowing what had happened. Oh Norah, what a naughty dog you are. But oh why don't we learn our lesson?

The girls had their lunch outside but later came in and spent the time in one of the lounges. It was a sunny day but with quite a nip in the air. Eladio and I tried reading outside by the pool after our lunch and siesta but came indoors to escape the cold. The walk was cold too but as we walk at a brisk pace, I soon removed an outer jumper.

We came back to find the party over and the two Airbn guests gone out. Dinner was with the girls and Miguel and we ate the leftovers. I'm afraid I couldn't resist the wonderful brownies I had made. I really have found the perfect recipe  - crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside but they are very addictive. Thus we went to bed with our stomachs full again.

Last night was the Eurovision Song Contest. None of us were particularly interested. There are far too many countries competing, the songs are generally "crxx" and the voting a joke. So we, at least, switched to Line of Duty. I love it but it seems to make Eladio fall asleep. Thus I watched it alone and in English.

This morning I was up at 5.50. I should have stayed in bed a bit longer but couldn't sleep so I got up and was first in the kitchen to feed our hungry dogs. Or maybe Norah wasn't so hungry but she will always eat hahha. 

I read that Holland won the ESC and that Spain came 22nd - in its usual place - and that the UK came last.

The results of this year's ESC

As a teenager I loved watching the ESC. As a child, it was on too late to watch and we weren't allowed to watch it. Bu I remember creeping downstairs and sitting on the staircase with my brother George outside the lounge trying to hear what was going on while my parents were watching it. I used to like it when there were fewer countries and the voting was by a proper jury. What I really liked was the voting with the points in English and French. I once went to a ESC final and it was in Helsinki in 2007. I took a customer from Yoigo, our customer number 100.000 and we were able to go because TeliaSonera sponsored the event. It was quite something to be there and I will always remember it. But no, it's not what it was and I didn't really give a hoot about who would win this year. I have yet to hear the song from Holland.

And today is Sunday and I have come to the end of the tales of this week. Hope you enjoy the read. I'll be back again next Sunday. Cheers till then,

Masha