Sunday 4th August, 2019
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| My eldest daughter, Suzy and I, wearing the same dress this week |
Well here I am early in the morning. In an hour or so I shall be setting off on a road trip to La Teillée in the Saint-Sauvant region near Poitiers in France, about 2 hours north of Bordeaux, in the middle of the French countryside. Joy of joys, Suzy will be coming with me; well she will be the driver of our 900 km long trip. We will be staying with my dear cousin Zuka and family until Friday when we we will all travel to Île de Ré, about 1.5h from there, for the annual cousin reunion we call the "cousinade". It will be the first time I am not attending alone and I am dying for everyone to meet Suzy and for her to get to know a bit more about her Russian roots.
Last Sunday we were still in Montrondo on what was to be our final full day there after a 12 day holiday. All good things come to an end I always say.
Last Sunday we were still in Montrondo on what was to be our final full day there after a 12 day holiday. All good things come to an end I always say.
Last Sunday we were rewarded with a beautiful sunny day which was a relief and a joy after the downpour which washed out the annual Santa Marta fiesta. Suzy had been out all night and got back at 7 in the morning, just when I was making my coffee, and slept till lunch time. Oli, Miguel, Pippa and I went on a long walk to Senra and back which was made even longer by greeting anyone we met on our way.
What we didn't expect to greet was a chocolate coloured dachshund of the same type as Pippa but a bit bigger, a lovely dog called "Tejón" (meaning badger - fitting as dachshund in German means "badger hound") on the old path to Murias. Their owners, two young men, must have been on holiday in Murias as they were not local. It was so funny for Pippa to meet her lookalike. Tejón was a "boy" and thus both dogs made an immediate friendship, playing together. It was such a lovely encounter as it's very rare to see a dog that is similar to Pippa. We must have stayed a quarter of an hour talking and admiring each other's dogs as the encounter was most unique. Here they are together playing. Normally Pippa is not keen on other dogs and I wondered why she took to Tejón so quickly. I wondered if she recognised that they were of a very similar breed? Maybe.
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| Pippa meets her lookalike on our walk to Senra last Sunday |
It was such a lovely day, we really enjoyed our walk. I was worried the 8 km maybe be a bit long for Olivia but she seemed happy enough. Apparently walking is good for her as it will help Elliot get into position for birth. Here we are on the walk, me walking with Pippa towards Oli with her back to the camera. I do like it. Of course, our photographer was Miguel, her partner who, being a TV cameraman, takes great pictures. We are very lucky in that respect.
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| Oli, Pippa and I on our walk last Sunday |
Once in Senra we went to the old bakery to buy bread for the day. I love the old bakery which has not changed since Eladio was a boy and had the task of fetching bread for the family for a week every Sunday. He didn't find it pleasurable as he had a very heavy load to carry and the walk is long but for us it was a pleasure to buy freshly baked bread made the old fashioned way from a bakery where time has stood still.
From the bakery we walked down the hill to the bar, Cumbres de Omaña, where we chose a table in the shade. I was surprised to hear English spoken by people at the next table. That is very unusual as this is no tourist area I can tell you. It's very much off the beaten track. Of course, I couldn't resist talking to the group who told me they were from South Africa! They had a connection to the area though as one of the group, a Spaniard, was from the area.
We weren't back in the village until well past 1 o'clock. There was a family party going on in the old courtyard in front of our houses with people dancing. I am no dancer and have never been and besides it was late and I had to make lunch, so left everyone to it. That day, to the delight of my family, I made fish and chips. Suzy was up just on time to join us hahaha. If I had I been up all night, the last thing I would have wanted was fish and chips, far preferring a cup of coffee.
Later everyone, except Pippa and I, took a siesta. I preferred to read outside to enjoy the sunshine in the back garden, on the sun beds. I spent the whole afternoon there. Everyone else continued the party in the old courtyard but I preferred my peace. That afternoon I started reading another WW2 biography, "The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery". Written by Jack Fairweather, a former American war correspondent, it tells the remarkable story of how Witold Pilecki, a Polish Army officer and member of the Polish resistance, volunteered to be arrested and sent to the infamous camp in order to smuggle out information about it to the allies. Unfortunately his reports fell on deaf ears. He also took on the task of organising resistance from within the camp, something nearly impossible. What a man, what a hero, what a story. It had me reading all afternoon.
Later Eladio joined Pippa and I. His choice of book at the moment is one about the Spanish Civil War, one of his favourite genres. He, like me with WW2, was brought up on stories of that most bloody war in Spain.
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| Eladio reading in the back garden at Montrondo last Sunday afternoon with Pippa |
The girls spent the afternoon with their cousins and later came to join us when it was time for dinner. We had nearly run out of provisions, despite our massive food shopping in Villablino, and the cupboards were a bit bare. Even so, we managed to rustle something up. Later we gathered on the uncomfortable Ikea sofa around the TV to watch the news and then Netflix. The girls were tired so soon left us to go up to bed while Eladio and I finished a film we had started the night before and watched another, "Toro", a rather violent one about gangsters on the Costa del Sol. Not for nothing it's often referred to as "la costa del crimen" (Crime Coast).
I slept quite well that night and woke up at 6.45 on Monday morning our last day in the village. It was sunny again but with a chill in the air. Miguel, the girls and I set off on our walk to Senra while Eladio stayed behind to hoover the house (what a good husband I have:-)). As usual Miguel took photos of his beloved Oli and that day took a lovely one of both girls with little Elliot inside Oli's tummy. I loved it.
We had our last coffee at the grumpy man's bar, Cumbres de Omaña, before walking back. Eladio had to drop his hoovering to come and pick Suzy up so she wouldn't be late for her lessons starting at noon.
I came home to a bit of a nasty surprise. The previous week, my father's bank and ours, Bankia, had rung to say his account was blocked as his residency card had expired. I proved it hadn't by sending them a copy and was told everything was ok and the account would be restored in 24 hours. Meanwhile one of his pension payments had come and gone while it was blocked. On Monday the account remained blocked and I rang the bank and after an hour's trying I got through to the very unsympathetic manager of our branch. He told me that it was blocked because my father's passport had expired and that was the root of the problem, not the residency card. I told him, that of course it had expired (6 years ago) as as my father no longer travels I had never seen the need to renew it. In England a passport is for travel not for identity but in Spain it is considered an identity document. I had no idea that a bank account could be closed if it expires and complained that if it had expired 6 years ago why was the bank now closing his account and why, hadn't they, at least, advised us with some leeway? I told him that to get a new passport it could take from 4 to 6 weeks as it has to be done directly with the Passport Office in Belfast. The British Consulate here no longer issues passports. As I was getting nowhere with him, I then rang the Consular Service to see if there was any way I could get a new passport quickly. They said no and to ring Belfast. I rang the Passport Office in Belfast who said there is no fast tracking if applying for a new passport from abroad. They did however let me know that if the British Consulate or Embassy here in Madrid really want to they could issue a passport. That's when I wrote to the British Ambassador here, Simon Manley, to ask for his help for a "British WW2 hero aged 100" - that was Oli's tip. The tip worked as he replied shortly afterwards. He didn't promise anything, just that he would ask his consular team if they could do anything. Meanwhile, my father's pension payments were being returned to England. From someone I know who works in banking, it is the bank's responsibility to tell the issuing bank the matter but Bankia says it is my responsibility. I felt very frustrated being in Montrondo as all my father's paperwork was in Madrid. It would be a hard task getting in touch with his pension payers as I didn't really know who they were. Oh what a nightmare. I just don't understand why Bankia blocked his account now with hardly any warning because of his expired passport. It has been expired for 6 yeas and it never seemed to be an issue before.
That was on my mind as we made the journey back after lunch, Eladio, Suzy, Pippa and I. Oli and Miguel had left before while I was in the middle of trying to sort out the problem with my father's bank account.
Stopping only once to get some petrol, we were home by 9. It was too late to greet my father who was already asleep. I got the mail from our postbox which Lucy had not opened since we left (aarrgghh) and was a bit annoyed to see that half of the postcards I had sent to my father weeks and weeks ago from The Cotswolds, Shrewsbury and Anglesey had arrived in one big batch such a long time after they were sent. Was this the fault of British Mail or Correos I wondered.
We had a quiet meal on the terrace where we were joined by our Scottish lodger, Andy. Then it was time for bed, unpacking, etc. Suzy went out to see her friend Chati. We tried watching Stranger Things which so many people rave about but it wasn't our thing. Eladio soon fell asleep but I just couldn't sleep over the worry of fixing the problem with my father's bank account, getting in touch with the Pension people and renewing his passport.
I had to take a double dose of sleeping tablets and only fell asleep well after 1 in the morning. I got about 6 hours sleep which isn't too bad and was awake the next morning at 7.15 raring to go. My first challenge would be getting a photo of my father, not an easy thing to do for a house bound centenarian. The challenge was solved when I found out there is a new online service to apply for a new passport and that the photo can be taken from home. Halleluya I thought as we moved the sofa in our study to sit my father in front of a white background - well greyish actually. The instructions on how to take the photo were three pages long and I did my best to follow them. This was the result.
The only good thing about the whole process was to find out that the passport was free of charge for my father as it is, apparently, for all people born before 1929! Before the application could be processed at HM Passport Office in Belfast, yes in Northern Ireland, I would have to return the old passport which I did the next day.
With the passport application done, I set about ringing my father's different pension schemes to alert them to the fact that his bank account was blocked and to make sure he would be paid the arrears. That was three international phone calls at a cost and then I stumbled upon the issue of my not being authorised to speak on my father's behalf. "Do you have a power of attorney?" I was asked and I had to say no. But of course they couldn't speak to my father on the phone as he is nearly tone deaf and wouldn't be able to explain what had happened. Thankfully the Teachers' Pensions people were more sympathetic and said I could send a letter, written by me, but signed by my father with his authorisation.
Just as I was doing this I received a phone call from the British Consular Services here in Madrid, thanks to the British Ambassador. The lady, a Spaniard called Virginia, was extremely sympathetic but told me the Embassy and Consulate cannot in any way issue passports. But I did get a good tip from her when she advised me to apply for an "LPA" (Lasting Power of Attorney) and sent me the links. After the frustrating contact with my father's pension people I realised I would need the LPA now and in the future. I had to explain all this to my father and did so by typing him a one page word document explaining the situation. Thus I spent the rest of the morning applying for two types; financial and health and welfare. This could all be done online but then I had to download the documents and have them signed by my father (the donor), myself (the attorney!) and by a "certificate provider". Each of these signatures would require a witness and the witness' signature. The forms were 22 pages long and quite complicated.
I didn't rest that day until I had the signatures of a certificate provider and witness. These would be my best friend Fátima and our lodger and friend, Andy. I invited Fátima to dinner when the three of us would go over the papers and do the signing but had to wait until the evening of course.
Meanwhile, that afternoon, I did something for myself that needed doing and that was my hair. All the roots were showing and it was looking white after so much sun on our walks. For most women, going to the hairdresser is usually a pleasurable activity. Not so for me. I find it a huge bore and don't like to be trapped in a chair with hair dye all over my head. While I was there I got my eyebrows and eyelashes done too as they were also going white hahahah.
I didn't get out of "Bella Brasil" until nearly 7 pm. Then I rushed to my favourite supermarket, Carrefour Market - the gourmet version - to get something nice for dinner. I got giant prawns, delicious "ibérico" ham, thinly sliced chicken and some gluten free bread for my friend Fátima.
I got home to find the girls were going out to dinner with a friend too. It was so funny as Suzy was wearing the same dress as me, a midi length dress from H+M. Suzy had bought it a while ago and when I tried it on I loved it so ordered one for myself hahaha. Oli had to catch the moment on camera. That is the photo I have chosen to illustrate this week's blog post; mother and daughter wearing the same dress. It's not the first time it's happened with both Suzy and Oli. It's lovely that we can wear each other's clothes. My girls certainly keep me feeling and hopefully looking young. Here is another one of us but looking at each other. Many people say Suzy looks like me and that Oli looks like Eladio but I don't see the resemblance. Do you?
Seeing each other in the same dress and having the photos taken was a lovely moment of light relief in what had been a very stressful day.
Fátima came with her little dog, Chispa, to add to our "menagerie" of three dogs and one cat, just after 8 pm and caught Eladio and I making a delicious dinner we would have on the kitchen terrace. Later we were joined by Andy when he came back from work. Our "pudding" by the way was more of the green plums or greengages that the fruit tree is still producing. We would pick even more the next day and there are still quite a few left on the tree. This year there has been an excellent harvest.
After dinner Fátima, Andy and I poured over the documents, page by page, and signing where necessary. It was great to have their help. When we finished, I brought out a bottle of one of our favourite red wines to celebrate. Called "Juan Gil Etiqueta de plata" and produced in the Jumilla region of Murcia, we were first introduced to it by Miguel, Oli's boyfriend. When we were at our beach apartment near Santa Pola a year or so ago, we visited Jumilla to buy some of the wine at a winery called "Vinotería Los Chilines". From then on we order it online and it comes in two days and transport free also. I highly recommend it. For just under 9 euros a bottle, as I wrote on "Vivino", "it is superb for the price. Juan Gil's wines are in such demand now there is a shortage. The Jumilla wine growing area is one to look out for". There you go, it's not only Rioja and Ribera wines to look out for in Spain, there are many others, like the Juan Gil from Jumilla we had that night. I think both Andy and Fátima agreed.
That glass of wine must have helped me sleep that night, sleep I much needed after all the tossing and turning the night before over the worry of my father's bank account issue. But the story didn't end there. The next day I would be busy too and would not stop until it was solved.
I was up on Wednesday morning early as usual and as soon as I had breakfast, I took the LPA papers into my father for him to sign. It's amazing but at the age of 100 he can still sign, even if his hand is shaky and his handwriting a little spidery.
I would have gone straight to the post office but it was too early in the morning and Eladio reminded me we had to go on our walk with the dogs as I hadn't been able to the day before, so engrossed was I in solving my father's matters. So, we went on our walk, the first since we got back from Montrondo. The two elder dogs, Norah our beagle and Elsa our Lab, hadn't had one since we went to the village and were raring to go, bless them.
The rest of the morning was taken up with going to the post office to send the LPA's by registered post and to return my father's old passport by "Correos Express" as well as with a visit to our bank. I paid 80 euros which I think is sheer robbery but at least my father's passport would get to Belfast by Friday rather than next week. The earlier they get it the earlier they process it. I think we were in the post office for at least an hour. From there we went to our bank, Bankia, in the centre of Boadilla, to see how my father's account could be reopened. Luckily, with the passport application slip, proving a new passport had been applied for, Bankia was able to restore his bank account. Halleluya I thought again. It has been restored for 4 weeks until he gets his new passport.
We were home just on time for me to put the finishing touches to our lunch: vegetable soup followed by grilled cod with roast peppers, mushrooms and broccoli. Dessert was plums from the garden of course.
I later caught up on more sleep by taking a long siesta. Normally I can't sleep much after lunch but on Wednesday I slept from about 3.15 to 5.45. I woke up feeling a bit zombie like, made myself a cup of tea and then joined my family in the garden under the trees by the pool. It was lovely to be together and with our dogs. We looked like the "reading family" hahaha. Suzy had another date that night with her friend Mónica from when she lived in Whitechapel in London, so it was just three for dinner that night. Just as we were finishing our dinner, it began to rain but there were only a few drops unlike the terrible downpours in the north of England.
Watching the news after dinner, I was horrified to learn of flash flooding in my beloved Yorkshire Dales where one month's rain fell in one day. Horrific. Bridges collapsed, people's homes were ruined, roads were blocked and even the railway between Skipton and Carlisle was disrupted as well as other routes. I also read the Army was called in to deal with the destruction.
Our entertainment that night was to continue watching the hospital series, New Amsterdam, on Amazon Prime. It was a much cooler night after the slight rain and we were able to sleep without the air conditioning on.
Thursday was 1st August but it was also "Yorkshire Day". I had no idea that my adopted county where I grew up but wasn't born had its own day. Oh how I love and miss Yorkshire. It's funny, when I went to University, I couldn't get out of Yorkshire fast enough and swore I would never live there. Well, we did live in the worst part; Bradford so maybe that's why. Now in my early 60's I have nostalgia for Yorkshire and miss it dreadfully. I miss the Yorkshire Dales, I miss the friendly people - totally different from people in the south - I miss Ilkley, Harrogate, Bolton Abbey, the Moors and I even now miss Bradford which at this age I see with different eyes. I don't miss the climate though. In my head I have an objective of spending part of the year in Yorkshire after I retire. Maybe we will do just that.
Thursday marked the end of the nightmare caused by my father's bank account being closed. I heard from "correos express" that his old passport had been delivered to HM Passport Office in Belfast, spoke to one of his pension schemes who assured me the arrears had been sent again and payment from another source arrived safely too. I just have to cross my fingers the passport arrives within the 4 weeks; otherwise the account will be closed again.
With few worries on my mind, I did the food shopping with Olivia while Eladio mowed the lawn. Suzy had her lessons and we didn't see much of her during the day. I shall make up for that when I have her to myself this week in France. It was a hot day and there seem to be a lot of nasty flies everywhere. I was attacked by them when we brought the shopping back and I started making lunch. I think it is the heat that attracts them.
Thursday was our last "guestless" day apart from Andy and the four of us enjoyed quality time together by the pool. This was interrupted for me by going to a doctor appointment to get my 2 month prescription of sleeping tablets. It was 37ºc at 5.45 when I left and walking from my car to the clinic felt like walking in an open air sauna. As soon as I got back I went straight in the pool, taking Pippa with me. She doesn't like swimming but allows me to hold her in my arms in the water so long as I don't get her head wet.
That night we had dinner together on the terrace and sat lingering around the table until very late when finally the temperature went down and it would be possible to sleep. Eladio and I continued watching "New Amsterdam", the hospital TV series. For some reason I just couldn't sleep that night and didn't fall asleep until nearly 2 am. I was up on Friday at 6.15 so just got a mere 4 hours sleep and this was despite the sleeping tablets. I would make up for lost sleep with a siesta later.
On Friday we would be receiving our new Airbnb guests; a family of 5 who were coming for 4 nights. They were bringing two small children. Pippa is not good with children; in fact she is not good for Airbnb business, so I would have to keep a strict eye on her and keep her away from the children. I wondered where S. Jung, who lives in Istanbul and works for Samsung was really from; China, Taiwan and Korea where my guesses. The family turned out to be South Korean. At around 5.30 pm, S. Jung arrived with his two little boys aged 7 and 8, his sister and his parents. He had booked for 5 guests but his party included 6 people. He would have to pay the extra. They are very nice people - only Steve who is Country Manager of a division of Samsung in Istanbul, speaks English. But I have to say we felt rather invaded when they brought out all the kids' pool toys and gear and left it there all night. It strictly states in the house rules to put away all things not in use and to leave the kitchen and everything as they found it. Well I found unwashed glasses in the kitchen the next day, empty glasses around the pool and a dirty stove which they hadn't cleaned after their very late night dinner. I had a feeling they were not going to be exemplary guests I'm afraid. Thankfully they are only here for 4 nights and I will only be here for 2 of them. Poor Eladio and Oli will have to suffer them when Suzy and I go today. They will also have to take care of the next arrivals, a family from England, until I get back.
We spent the morning getting everything ready for them. After our walk, Eladio cleaned the pool which is quite a task, Lucy prepared their rooms and I arranged for flowers and fruit to be put in their room. After organising lunch I joined Oli by the pool. She went inside the water with her hat on and with little Pippa in her arms. It was peaceful pool time before the guests arrived and we enjoyed it. When the Koreans were here we let them have the pool to themselves, retiring to our sunbeds which we had moved to a shaded part of the garden. Here is a photo of the pool before the invasion hahahah.
We had lunch together, without Suzy as her lessons coincide, after which we watched the news and had a siesta. The news that caught my attention that day was that finally women in that most repressive state, Saudi Arabia, will be allowed to get a passport once they are 21 and travel, without permission from a man. However the guardian system will still be in place. This is the most significant step towards a bit more freedom for women in the kingdom after the ban on driving was lifted last year. Women will also be able to lodge papers, register a marriage or a divorce and apply for guardianship of children, although they will probably never get the latter. It's a big step and very overdue but there are more restrictions that should be lifted if the kingdom wants to move into the 21st century such as marrying or even leaving prison without permission. As I say, it is a big step for women and very overdue. However, I wonder if in practice it will work and if it does, I also wonder how many women will apply for passports in order to flee their restrictive country of birth. If I were a woman there I would leave on the next place to proper freedom. For me, perhaps one of the most restrictive policies is women having to cover themselves in public in ghastly burka like garments. That I could not stand. Will the ban ever be lifted I wonder? I truly hope so.
I always count my lucky stars I was born in the west in the UK and live in Spain. As a woman I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to live as a second class citizen or be treated like a child all my life which is the situation of Saudi women and many women in other restrictive countries. Life here is not perfect for women as there is still a big gap between men and women. We hear of wife bashing every day or sexual assault, salaries are not equal in most work places and men still dominate the corporate world. So, yes we have moved on but there is still an awful lot that has to change to achieve gender equality.
I was able to have a siesta with Eladio and Pippa before our new guests arrived. Once I had welcomed them, showed them around, etc, I left them to it and Eladio and I retired to the sunbeds to read in the garden. The girls went off, Oli to pick up Miguel from the airport who was coming from Valencia for the weekend and Suzy to see a friend in Madrid. They would both sleep at Oli and Miguel's pad that night. While our Korean guests went out food shopping, Eladio and I had a quick dinner on the terrace and were in bed by the time they got back. We watched the news again and then a few more episodes of New Amsterdam.
Yesterday, Saturday, I was up early. I had a lot to do, mostly preparations for our trip today. We went on our walk and then I made a quick dash to Carrefour Market to get some pork ribs for lunch and fresh fish for the family today. The Koreans had gone by then, into the centre to visit Madrid. I prepared lunch, including a broccoli and mushroom soup. I was in a bit of a rush as that morning I also had to fit in a quick trip to a big shopping centre to get presents for my cousin and Aunty Valya. Suzy who was home from Oli's by then, went with me as she had a few things to buy too. We were home just on time for lunch with my father. Lunch always has to be at about 2 pm and I like to keep to that time to appease both my husband and father who love routine. I am looking forward to a week away with no responsibility for family lunches, I can tell you.
Later we read in the garden and I swam in the pool as the Koreans were out. Then I had to get down to my packing as did Suzy if we were to be ready to leave early this morning. When we had both finished, it was time for dinner. As usual we had a salad with gazpacho and some ham which seems to be what we eat at nearly every dinnertime in the summer. There was no lingering around the table last night as it was already late and I was hoping for an early night.
I didn't get the best of sleep and "core blimey" I was awake at 5.10 this morning. I tried to fall asleep again but my mind began racing and I began to feel the oncoming of "reisefieber" so I decided to get up. "Reisefieber" is a German term or word literally meaning "travel fever" which doesn't translate well into other languages. "Reise" means trip, travel or journey and "fieber" means fever. It doesn't refer to "fever" as in having a temperature but more like what we would call "butterflies in the stomach", a sort of excitement and nervousness or even fear and in this case about setting off on holiday.
When we would go off on holiday as a family, my Mother would gather us in the porch at 6 Heaton Grove where we lived, for a short prayer just before setting off. This is a very Russian custom but perhaps had to do too with her own "reisefieber". So yes, I have a little "reisefieber" this morning too but mostly in excited anticipation of our trip today.
It is now 7.30 a.m. and time for me to sign off as I really have to get ready to go. You will hear all about our trip to France in next Sunday's post which hopefully, if there is a good internet connection, will be published from the very chic and popular Île de Ré.
So goodbye till then,
Cheers as always, Masha.
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| Suzy, Elliot and Oli on our last walk in Montrondo on Monday |
I came home to a bit of a nasty surprise. The previous week, my father's bank and ours, Bankia, had rung to say his account was blocked as his residency card had expired. I proved it hadn't by sending them a copy and was told everything was ok and the account would be restored in 24 hours. Meanwhile one of his pension payments had come and gone while it was blocked. On Monday the account remained blocked and I rang the bank and after an hour's trying I got through to the very unsympathetic manager of our branch. He told me that it was blocked because my father's passport had expired and that was the root of the problem, not the residency card. I told him, that of course it had expired (6 years ago) as as my father no longer travels I had never seen the need to renew it. In England a passport is for travel not for identity but in Spain it is considered an identity document. I had no idea that a bank account could be closed if it expires and complained that if it had expired 6 years ago why was the bank now closing his account and why, hadn't they, at least, advised us with some leeway? I told him that to get a new passport it could take from 4 to 6 weeks as it has to be done directly with the Passport Office in Belfast. The British Consulate here no longer issues passports. As I was getting nowhere with him, I then rang the Consular Service to see if there was any way I could get a new passport quickly. They said no and to ring Belfast. I rang the Passport Office in Belfast who said there is no fast tracking if applying for a new passport from abroad. They did however let me know that if the British Consulate or Embassy here in Madrid really want to they could issue a passport. That's when I wrote to the British Ambassador here, Simon Manley, to ask for his help for a "British WW2 hero aged 100" - that was Oli's tip. The tip worked as he replied shortly afterwards. He didn't promise anything, just that he would ask his consular team if they could do anything. Meanwhile, my father's pension payments were being returned to England. From someone I know who works in banking, it is the bank's responsibility to tell the issuing bank the matter but Bankia says it is my responsibility. I felt very frustrated being in Montrondo as all my father's paperwork was in Madrid. It would be a hard task getting in touch with his pension payers as I didn't really know who they were. Oh what a nightmare. I just don't understand why Bankia blocked his account now with hardly any warning because of his expired passport. It has been expired for 6 yeas and it never seemed to be an issue before.
That was on my mind as we made the journey back after lunch, Eladio, Suzy, Pippa and I. Oli and Miguel had left before while I was in the middle of trying to sort out the problem with my father's bank account.
Stopping only once to get some petrol, we were home by 9. It was too late to greet my father who was already asleep. I got the mail from our postbox which Lucy had not opened since we left (aarrgghh) and was a bit annoyed to see that half of the postcards I had sent to my father weeks and weeks ago from The Cotswolds, Shrewsbury and Anglesey had arrived in one big batch such a long time after they were sent. Was this the fault of British Mail or Correos I wondered.
We had a quiet meal on the terrace where we were joined by our Scottish lodger, Andy. Then it was time for bed, unpacking, etc. Suzy went out to see her friend Chati. We tried watching Stranger Things which so many people rave about but it wasn't our thing. Eladio soon fell asleep but I just couldn't sleep over the worry of fixing the problem with my father's bank account, getting in touch with the Pension people and renewing his passport.
I had to take a double dose of sleeping tablets and only fell asleep well after 1 in the morning. I got about 6 hours sleep which isn't too bad and was awake the next morning at 7.15 raring to go. My first challenge would be getting a photo of my father, not an easy thing to do for a house bound centenarian. The challenge was solved when I found out there is a new online service to apply for a new passport and that the photo can be taken from home. Halleluya I thought as we moved the sofa in our study to sit my father in front of a white background - well greyish actually. The instructions on how to take the photo were three pages long and I did my best to follow them. This was the result.
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| My father's passport photo taken by me at home on Tuesday |
With the passport application done, I set about ringing my father's different pension schemes to alert them to the fact that his bank account was blocked and to make sure he would be paid the arrears. That was three international phone calls at a cost and then I stumbled upon the issue of my not being authorised to speak on my father's behalf. "Do you have a power of attorney?" I was asked and I had to say no. But of course they couldn't speak to my father on the phone as he is nearly tone deaf and wouldn't be able to explain what had happened. Thankfully the Teachers' Pensions people were more sympathetic and said I could send a letter, written by me, but signed by my father with his authorisation.
Just as I was doing this I received a phone call from the British Consular Services here in Madrid, thanks to the British Ambassador. The lady, a Spaniard called Virginia, was extremely sympathetic but told me the Embassy and Consulate cannot in any way issue passports. But I did get a good tip from her when she advised me to apply for an "LPA" (Lasting Power of Attorney) and sent me the links. After the frustrating contact with my father's pension people I realised I would need the LPA now and in the future. I had to explain all this to my father and did so by typing him a one page word document explaining the situation. Thus I spent the rest of the morning applying for two types; financial and health and welfare. This could all be done online but then I had to download the documents and have them signed by my father (the donor), myself (the attorney!) and by a "certificate provider". Each of these signatures would require a witness and the witness' signature. The forms were 22 pages long and quite complicated.
I didn't rest that day until I had the signatures of a certificate provider and witness. These would be my best friend Fátima and our lodger and friend, Andy. I invited Fátima to dinner when the three of us would go over the papers and do the signing but had to wait until the evening of course.
Meanwhile, that afternoon, I did something for myself that needed doing and that was my hair. All the roots were showing and it was looking white after so much sun on our walks. For most women, going to the hairdresser is usually a pleasurable activity. Not so for me. I find it a huge bore and don't like to be trapped in a chair with hair dye all over my head. While I was there I got my eyebrows and eyelashes done too as they were also going white hahahah.
I didn't get out of "Bella Brasil" until nearly 7 pm. Then I rushed to my favourite supermarket, Carrefour Market - the gourmet version - to get something nice for dinner. I got giant prawns, delicious "ibérico" ham, thinly sliced chicken and some gluten free bread for my friend Fátima.
I got home to find the girls were going out to dinner with a friend too. It was so funny as Suzy was wearing the same dress as me, a midi length dress from H+M. Suzy had bought it a while ago and when I tried it on I loved it so ordered one for myself hahaha. Oli had to catch the moment on camera. That is the photo I have chosen to illustrate this week's blog post; mother and daughter wearing the same dress. It's not the first time it's happened with both Suzy and Oli. It's lovely that we can wear each other's clothes. My girls certainly keep me feeling and hopefully looking young. Here is another one of us but looking at each other. Many people say Suzy looks like me and that Oli looks like Eladio but I don't see the resemblance. Do you?
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| Mother and daughter |
Fátima came with her little dog, Chispa, to add to our "menagerie" of three dogs and one cat, just after 8 pm and caught Eladio and I making a delicious dinner we would have on the kitchen terrace. Later we were joined by Andy when he came back from work. Our "pudding" by the way was more of the green plums or greengages that the fruit tree is still producing. We would pick even more the next day and there are still quite a few left on the tree. This year there has been an excellent harvest.
After dinner Fátima, Andy and I poured over the documents, page by page, and signing where necessary. It was great to have their help. When we finished, I brought out a bottle of one of our favourite red wines to celebrate. Called "Juan Gil Etiqueta de plata" and produced in the Jumilla region of Murcia, we were first introduced to it by Miguel, Oli's boyfriend. When we were at our beach apartment near Santa Pola a year or so ago, we visited Jumilla to buy some of the wine at a winery called "Vinotería Los Chilines". From then on we order it online and it comes in two days and transport free also. I highly recommend it. For just under 9 euros a bottle, as I wrote on "Vivino", "it is superb for the price. Juan Gil's wines are in such demand now there is a shortage. The Jumilla wine growing area is one to look out for". There you go, it's not only Rioja and Ribera wines to look out for in Spain, there are many others, like the Juan Gil from Jumilla we had that night. I think both Andy and Fátima agreed.
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| The excellent Juan Gil Etiqueta de Plata wine from the Jumilla regions |
I was up on Wednesday morning early as usual and as soon as I had breakfast, I took the LPA papers into my father for him to sign. It's amazing but at the age of 100 he can still sign, even if his hand is shaky and his handwriting a little spidery.
I would have gone straight to the post office but it was too early in the morning and Eladio reminded me we had to go on our walk with the dogs as I hadn't been able to the day before, so engrossed was I in solving my father's matters. So, we went on our walk, the first since we got back from Montrondo. The two elder dogs, Norah our beagle and Elsa our Lab, hadn't had one since we went to the village and were raring to go, bless them.
The rest of the morning was taken up with going to the post office to send the LPA's by registered post and to return my father's old passport by "Correos Express" as well as with a visit to our bank. I paid 80 euros which I think is sheer robbery but at least my father's passport would get to Belfast by Friday rather than next week. The earlier they get it the earlier they process it. I think we were in the post office for at least an hour. From there we went to our bank, Bankia, in the centre of Boadilla, to see how my father's account could be reopened. Luckily, with the passport application slip, proving a new passport had been applied for, Bankia was able to restore his bank account. Halleluya I thought again. It has been restored for 4 weeks until he gets his new passport.
We were home just on time for me to put the finishing touches to our lunch: vegetable soup followed by grilled cod with roast peppers, mushrooms and broccoli. Dessert was plums from the garden of course.
I later caught up on more sleep by taking a long siesta. Normally I can't sleep much after lunch but on Wednesday I slept from about 3.15 to 5.45. I woke up feeling a bit zombie like, made myself a cup of tea and then joined my family in the garden under the trees by the pool. It was lovely to be together and with our dogs. We looked like the "reading family" hahaha. Suzy had another date that night with her friend Mónica from when she lived in Whitechapel in London, so it was just three for dinner that night. Just as we were finishing our dinner, it began to rain but there were only a few drops unlike the terrible downpours in the north of England.
Watching the news after dinner, I was horrified to learn of flash flooding in my beloved Yorkshire Dales where one month's rain fell in one day. Horrific. Bridges collapsed, people's homes were ruined, roads were blocked and even the railway between Skipton and Carlisle was disrupted as well as other routes. I also read the Army was called in to deal with the destruction.
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| A bridge that collapsed in the Yorkshire Dales this week after flash flooding |
Thursday was 1st August but it was also "Yorkshire Day". I had no idea that my adopted county where I grew up but wasn't born had its own day. Oh how I love and miss Yorkshire. It's funny, when I went to University, I couldn't get out of Yorkshire fast enough and swore I would never live there. Well, we did live in the worst part; Bradford so maybe that's why. Now in my early 60's I have nostalgia for Yorkshire and miss it dreadfully. I miss the Yorkshire Dales, I miss the friendly people - totally different from people in the south - I miss Ilkley, Harrogate, Bolton Abbey, the Moors and I even now miss Bradford which at this age I see with different eyes. I don't miss the climate though. In my head I have an objective of spending part of the year in Yorkshire after I retire. Maybe we will do just that.
Thursday marked the end of the nightmare caused by my father's bank account being closed. I heard from "correos express" that his old passport had been delivered to HM Passport Office in Belfast, spoke to one of his pension schemes who assured me the arrears had been sent again and payment from another source arrived safely too. I just have to cross my fingers the passport arrives within the 4 weeks; otherwise the account will be closed again.
With few worries on my mind, I did the food shopping with Olivia while Eladio mowed the lawn. Suzy had her lessons and we didn't see much of her during the day. I shall make up for that when I have her to myself this week in France. It was a hot day and there seem to be a lot of nasty flies everywhere. I was attacked by them when we brought the shopping back and I started making lunch. I think it is the heat that attracts them.
Thursday was our last "guestless" day apart from Andy and the four of us enjoyed quality time together by the pool. This was interrupted for me by going to a doctor appointment to get my 2 month prescription of sleeping tablets. It was 37ºc at 5.45 when I left and walking from my car to the clinic felt like walking in an open air sauna. As soon as I got back I went straight in the pool, taking Pippa with me. She doesn't like swimming but allows me to hold her in my arms in the water so long as I don't get her head wet.
That night we had dinner together on the terrace and sat lingering around the table until very late when finally the temperature went down and it would be possible to sleep. Eladio and I continued watching "New Amsterdam", the hospital TV series. For some reason I just couldn't sleep that night and didn't fall asleep until nearly 2 am. I was up on Friday at 6.15 so just got a mere 4 hours sleep and this was despite the sleeping tablets. I would make up for lost sleep with a siesta later.
On Friday we would be receiving our new Airbnb guests; a family of 5 who were coming for 4 nights. They were bringing two small children. Pippa is not good with children; in fact she is not good for Airbnb business, so I would have to keep a strict eye on her and keep her away from the children. I wondered where S. Jung, who lives in Istanbul and works for Samsung was really from; China, Taiwan and Korea where my guesses. The family turned out to be South Korean. At around 5.30 pm, S. Jung arrived with his two little boys aged 7 and 8, his sister and his parents. He had booked for 5 guests but his party included 6 people. He would have to pay the extra. They are very nice people - only Steve who is Country Manager of a division of Samsung in Istanbul, speaks English. But I have to say we felt rather invaded when they brought out all the kids' pool toys and gear and left it there all night. It strictly states in the house rules to put away all things not in use and to leave the kitchen and everything as they found it. Well I found unwashed glasses in the kitchen the next day, empty glasses around the pool and a dirty stove which they hadn't cleaned after their very late night dinner. I had a feeling they were not going to be exemplary guests I'm afraid. Thankfully they are only here for 4 nights and I will only be here for 2 of them. Poor Eladio and Oli will have to suffer them when Suzy and I go today. They will also have to take care of the next arrivals, a family from England, until I get back.
We spent the morning getting everything ready for them. After our walk, Eladio cleaned the pool which is quite a task, Lucy prepared their rooms and I arranged for flowers and fruit to be put in their room. After organising lunch I joined Oli by the pool. She went inside the water with her hat on and with little Pippa in her arms. It was peaceful pool time before the guests arrived and we enjoyed it. When the Koreans were here we let them have the pool to themselves, retiring to our sunbeds which we had moved to a shaded part of the garden. Here is a photo of the pool before the invasion hahahah.
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| Peaceful pool time on Friday morning before our guests arrived. Spot Oli and Pippa in the pool |
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| The news this week that women in S.Arabia will be able to apply for passports when they are 21 or over and travel without permission from a man is a long overdue policy. |
I was able to have a siesta with Eladio and Pippa before our new guests arrived. Once I had welcomed them, showed them around, etc, I left them to it and Eladio and I retired to the sunbeds to read in the garden. The girls went off, Oli to pick up Miguel from the airport who was coming from Valencia for the weekend and Suzy to see a friend in Madrid. They would both sleep at Oli and Miguel's pad that night. While our Korean guests went out food shopping, Eladio and I had a quick dinner on the terrace and were in bed by the time they got back. We watched the news again and then a few more episodes of New Amsterdam.
Yesterday, Saturday, I was up early. I had a lot to do, mostly preparations for our trip today. We went on our walk and then I made a quick dash to Carrefour Market to get some pork ribs for lunch and fresh fish for the family today. The Koreans had gone by then, into the centre to visit Madrid. I prepared lunch, including a broccoli and mushroom soup. I was in a bit of a rush as that morning I also had to fit in a quick trip to a big shopping centre to get presents for my cousin and Aunty Valya. Suzy who was home from Oli's by then, went with me as she had a few things to buy too. We were home just on time for lunch with my father. Lunch always has to be at about 2 pm and I like to keep to that time to appease both my husband and father who love routine. I am looking forward to a week away with no responsibility for family lunches, I can tell you.
Later we read in the garden and I swam in the pool as the Koreans were out. Then I had to get down to my packing as did Suzy if we were to be ready to leave early this morning. When we had both finished, it was time for dinner. As usual we had a salad with gazpacho and some ham which seems to be what we eat at nearly every dinnertime in the summer. There was no lingering around the table last night as it was already late and I was hoping for an early night.
I didn't get the best of sleep and "core blimey" I was awake at 5.10 this morning. I tried to fall asleep again but my mind began racing and I began to feel the oncoming of "reisefieber" so I decided to get up. "Reisefieber" is a German term or word literally meaning "travel fever" which doesn't translate well into other languages. "Reise" means trip, travel or journey and "fieber" means fever. It doesn't refer to "fever" as in having a temperature but more like what we would call "butterflies in the stomach", a sort of excitement and nervousness or even fear and in this case about setting off on holiday.
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| Got a bit of "reisefieber" this morning |
It is now 7.30 a.m. and time for me to sign off as I really have to get ready to go. You will hear all about our trip to France in next Sunday's post which hopefully, if there is a good internet connection, will be published from the very chic and popular Île de Ré.
So goodbye till then,
Cheers as always, Masha.
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