Sunday 1st September, 2019
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| Saturday night family dinner at Oli and Miguel's, the highlight of the week |
Last Sunday saw us home alone again after our Dutch guests left. We had the pool to ourselves and took advantage of it. Suzy had been out all night with her Australian friend whose phone, she told me, was stolen just as they were taking a taxi home. There are so many robberies in the streets of Madrid and Barcelona as there are in many other cities like London or Paris. What a world we live in.
She joined us by the pool and the four of us spent the afternoon reading. As usual we were accompanied by the dogs. Here are Elsa, our lab, Norah, our beagle and Pippa, our miniature dachshund, at Suzy's feet begging for some crumbs from her late lunch. You will be pleased to know they got a morsel each.
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| The dogs begging for some food |
It would be our last day together for a while. The next day Suzy was having friends from London and they would be off to Cáceres to see another friend and wouldn't be back until Thursday. Miguel would be back from Valencia and for good until after his paternity leave and they would be at their flat near the city. Eladio and I, as you know now, would be off to Montrondo. I wasn't really for leaving, preferring to stay in Madrid in case Oli went into labour but Eladio persuaded me as he wanted to see about a leak on the terrace we have here and promised if she did go into labour we would head straight home. I went reluctantly. Thankfully she did not go into labour during our absence. I didn't want to miss a minute of it.
We left at about 10 am on Monday morning. Eladio wanted to visit his mother too who had a recent fall and is now in a home for the elderly in León. On the bright side we stopped off at Palacio de Bornos for our traditional glass of wine - verdejo for me and sauvignon for Eladio - and plate of delicious ham. That was at 11.30 and would have to suffice as our lunch for the day.
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| Eladio at Palacio de Bornos on Monday morning |
By 1.30 or so we reached the home and went to see Eladio's mother. We were there for about an hour after which we left for Montrondo, about an hour's drive away. I wanted to take Pippa with us into the home but she wasn't allowed. Spain as I always tell you is a very unfriendly country when it comes to dogs. I was sure her presence would bring a smile to the senior citizens and my mother-in-law which of course it would have but I had no option but to take her back to the car. I could have left her tied to a post outside but she hates that and is also at the mercy of dog thieves. Later I was upset to see how hot she had got in the car despite leaving the window open. The poor thing drank loads of water and was soon better but it was a lesson in the dangers of leaving a dog in a car, especially in the summer.
We arrived in my husband's village to brilliant sunshine. Meanwhile in Madrid there were torrential downpours of rain There was a heavy and unexpected downfall at home in the morning before we left but later in the day the capital was hit by flash floods and hail with streets turning into rivers. It even affected the metro. Down south, in Campillos, in the Málaga region there were even tornados. We never get tornados in Spain so what happened? Well, people are saying this extreme weather is a sign of climate change and it is of course. Luckily, we were not affected in our neighbourhood. Later the cold front moved east to the Valencia region, causing more damage and from there it went to the Balearic Islands after it left the peninsula making its way to Italy.
But there was no sign of any rain in Montrondo. After unpacking the food we had brought to last us, Pippa and I went on a walk to Murias and back and a bit further to add a kilometre or two to Monday's exercise. The village looked lush and green as it always does but is even more beautiful in sunshine as you can see in the photo below.
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| The village as seen on my walk on Monday |
I came home to read on the new sunbeds in the back garden for about an hour when at 8 pm it started to get cold. Just before I got a message from our new Airbnb guests, two couples from Israel, to say they had arrived. Only Lucy would be there to welcome them in and show them their rooms. Unfortunately though she does not speak English but I heard later everything went smoothly.
8 pm is usually our dinner time so I went in to make it and soon we were sitting at the table enjoying a tuna fish salad. Later we watched the news; mainly about the outcome of the G7 in Biarritz one of the topics being the fires in the Amazon and a bit of a row between Bolsonaro and Macron. At long last the new President of Brazil, a far right and controversial figure, had bowed down to international pressure and had sent the army out. However, he refused financial aid offered by France from the EU claiming they had a colonial attitude he would not accept. What a stupid man he is. The Amazon fires affect the world and what's wrong in accepting international aid? Last week I wrote that none of the G7 leaders would bathe in the sea but I was wrong; some of them did, although under heavy security.
I have no idea what else we watched on TV or Netflix that night as by about 10.20 pm I had fallen asleep on the sofa and Eladio nudged me to go to bed. I slept until 5 but it was too early to get up and luckily I was able to sleep until about 6.30.
Tuesday came and it was another good day weather wise. It was sunny throughout our stay in Montrondo although the maximum temperature never surpassed 22ºc but that was fine with me and a bit of a respite from the heat in Madrid. After breakfast I set about an important domestic task, changing the sheets in the bedrooms and cleaning all four bathrooms which I hadn't had time to do when we left last time. Later I spent time cooking; something I love to do here. I made home made broccoli and mushroom soup followed by a pork rib stew with potatoes. As usual I made too much and we would be having leftovers at some stage.
I also did some work that morning. I love working from my little study in our house in Montrondo. As there is no one else around it's much easier to concentrate. With work out of the way, I got on with the day.
I slept a marathon siesta with Pips at my feet and we woke up at nearly 6 pm. A cup of tea was in order after that followed by an evening walk in the sun with my husband. The three of us enjoyed the quiet and beautiful walk to the end of Murias and back. It was quite warm and both Pippa and I were thirsty when we entered the village. Pippa headed straight for the natural mountain spring and I followed suit. The water comes straight from the hill tops and is cool and chemical free. Eladio took a photo to capture the moment and I love it.
Meanwhile back in Madrid, Oli and Miguel were nesting before Elliot's birth, the right thing to do as they both need a lot of rest to conserve their energy for his arrival, especially my daughter. That day the put up some wall prints to decorate his room. They later sent a photo. I was to see it with my own eyes on Saturday night when we were invited to dinner by Oli and Miguel.
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| In Montrondo this week - here drinking fresh mountain water after a walk. |
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| Everything is ready for Elliot's arrival. |
Suzy, being foot loose and fancy free - lucky her - was with her London friends in Cáceres and sent us a photo too. Here she is enjoying the company of her friends and some of their family. I asked her who was who but never got an answer. No doubt she was having too good a time to look at her phone, for once.
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| Suzy having a good time in Cáceres this week |
Instead of going straight home from the spring, I meandered off to see one of the villagers, Manolita. I wanted to offer her my condolences for the recent passing away of her brother Isaac. Not so many years ago she lost her other brother and is now the only sibling left. I know the feeling. Thankfully though she has a niece and a nephew with whom she is in close contact. She was making a pie accompanied by her nephew Isaac's wife, Ana, curiously a teacher of English. I had a good chat with both of them until it was time to leave. Really it was time for our dinner.
Dinner was a light affair; scrambled eggs with fresh asparagus. However, I indulged in a glass of red wine we had bought at the Palacio de Bornos which had me nodding off during the news. Thus, once again, we were in bed super early - just after 10 pm. We were too tired and sleepy to watch anything on Netflix that night.
On Wednesday morning I was awake at 5.30. I saw I had some Airbnb enquiries. I cannot ignore them, so after answering them, I was wide awake and got out of bed and went upstairs to our kitchen to have my morning caffeine fix.
It was another quiet day for us but not for the UK. The most dreadful thing happened. Our hard line Brexiter and un-voted for Prime Minister (by the people), Boris Johnson, just shocked the world when he asked the Queen to suspend Parliament for 5 weeks. His reason? To get on with important government legislation. So, sure, he needs lots of time for that. In reality and although he denies it, what he has really done is to cut short the time needed to debate Brexit and the UK leaving the EU. I am disappointed the Queen gave him his way. Did she have a choice, I wonder, from her bolt hole in Scotland? How could this happen? Apparently this is allowed in UK Government law, so yes it is legal. It may be legal but in my eyes it is completely immoral. I am furious and am one of those who has signed a petition to stop the suspension. Have you signed it yet? If not here it is.
I often wonder, between you and me, whether the Queen is for Brexit or against it. I suspect it is the latter but that she had no power to stop Bojo's undemocratic move. I do suspect also that he may well be her least favourite Prime Minister of all those she has worked alongside. But we will never know unless someone one day writes a biography and includes what she thinks both about Boris Johnson and Brexit.
We got on with the day. After some work, I spent the morning reading in the back garden. What a luxury and what lovely weather. At midday we drove to Murias, the next village. The day before we had spied a small poster advertising locally made honey being sold by a villager. Eladio was not brought up on treats such as chocolates and sweets like most of us were. When he was a child, he lived under Franco's rule and when he was born in 1944 the dictator was at the height of his power and it was not long since the Civil War had finished. Rationing was the norm and although there was more food to be found in the villages, there were no such luxuries as sweets for children or certainly not on a frequent basis. His treat as a child was honey and has been ever since. Thus our home is always stocked with it. We had run out here so when I saw the sign, I rang the number and agreed to come and pick up 3 large jars on Wednesday. It so happened that the family selling their home made honey are from one of my favourite houses in Murias. I have only ever seen it from the outside and have always admired its old fashioned and quaint structure and one of the few houses to have preserved its 19th century style. This is it.
The style of houses in this area is quite unique and most of the façades are white or stone. Many people in recent years who have rebuilt old houses or built new ones, have ignored the local style and spoiled it by painting houses yellow, pink, orange or even purple believe it or not. They have used modern style roofing not at all in keeping with the style of the past and there are quite a few monstrosities around I can tell you; complete eye sores. But this beautiful house is a sight for sore eyes. Eladio told me it used to be where the local priest lived when he was a little boy. A certain "Don Juan" lived in it and was the priest who baptised my husband when he was born.
On Wednesday I was to see inside it as we knocked on the door to pick up the honey. We were greeted by the owner, a delightful lady called Chus. She showed us around the old house with its quaint patios and old fashioned beams and floors. She took us into the kitchen and lounge which felt like walking into a house in the 19th century. Oh how lovingly she had restored this most singular of houses in Murias. It was the highlight of the day to see inside. The world is a small place we learned again that day when the owner told Eladio she thought he had taught her sons when he was a teacher of philosophy at a military school in Madrid called El Gran Capitán in the 80's. Indeed it is.
We came home to make lunch - fish and chips was on the menu that day which we wolfed down. After a shorter siesta than usual, Eladio mowed the lawn while I went out for my walk with Pippa. It was a warm evening and I didn't need my cardigan.
We had the old path to ourselves. Here is Pippa charging towards me on the green path.
We did see the odd animal though but not my favourite donkey and pony which must have been in another field. I did see a beautiful white horse though at the end of the village in Murias. I went up to it to take a photo and it came up to be stroked. I would have done so with great pleasure but it was covered in flies; quite disgusting. If I had a horse, I would keep it immaculate like I keep our dogs.
We saw just one person on our walk back; "Logio" (Elogio), an elderly man who lives in Murias but was born in Montrondo. I nearly always see him on my walk. We always say hello and in a very English fashion, always comment on the weather.
I came home to read a bit more in the sun before it was time for dinner. Back home in Madrid, the girls were entertaining. Suzy was back with her London friends from Cáceres, Oli was there with Miguel and they had invited their bosom pal, Elena, and must have had a splendid dinner on our terrace. Above all Oli was pleased the house was guest free as that day the Israelis had left. Suzy later sent me a photo of the girls together. Unfortunately I was not to meet her friends from London as when we got back they had already left.
We had a simple dinner and then watched the news. I was disgusted with the news of the suspension of Parliament as I told you. Later we watched a British TV series on Netflix, or rather started one: "Requiem" which is a bit slow and by about 11 pm we were both nodding off.
On Thursday morning I was up a bit later but still early; at 6.15. We were leaving that morning. We took it leisurely and were ready to go at about 10.30. Rather than heading straight for Madrid we took a detour and drove to León to visit Eladio's mother. When we got to the home, she was being taken on a walk outside and seemed in good spirits. With Pippa in the hot car, we couldn't stay long so at about 12.30, we set off again. I was dying for a coffee and we found a little bar just on the outskirts of the city and before the motorway. I was very surprised to see that Pippa was allowed in, after all dogs are strictly out of bounds in cafés and restaurants in Spain or so I thought. The owner told me that there was a new law making it up to the owner of the establishment to let pets in or not and that she had chosen to let them in. She was a dog enthusiast and told me she had just adopted a beagle. "A beagle I said. Oh I have to see it". As you know we have a beagle, Norah, and used to breed them in our younger days. What I didn't like seeing was that the poor dog was tied up albeit on a very long leash. The owner explained it was because she was afraid it would run away. The place looked closed up enough to me and I urged her to let it loose. Oh what a sucker I am for dogs.
Soon we were on the motorway and discussing where to have lunch on the way. We decided on the Parador in Tordesillas and that's where we went. It's not one of the most stunning Paradors in that it's not a restored old castle, palace or monastery but it is still lovely as they all are.
Here Pippa was definitely not allowed in. I'm not sure about this new law the lady at the bar in León told me about. So, we left our little dog in the car in the shade with the window partially down. I do wish Spain was a more dog friendly country. Eladio and I love the state run Paradors in Spain and the food on offer at their well run restaurants, even if they are a little slow. Eladio went for a chickpea stew and I went for my proverbial steak and chips. I was served a nice piece of meat but with just 4 chips!! Having quite a lot of English blood in me, I protested, so was brought 4 more! Spaniards don't go much for "sides" with their main meals I'm afraid and the Parador in Tordesillas wasn't much different. On the bright side that was good for my figure hahaha.
We were home by about 5ish to find just Suzy waiting for us. Well, she was sitting at the table outside the kitchen working and we didn't see much of her that afternoon, although she joined us for dinner that night. I had stuff to do but at about 7 pm was able to relax by the pool, take a dip and read a bit. Eladio had to deal with a leak in the water mains which had happened while we were away. It was nice to see my father again and good to hear he had been well looked after. What was not nice was to see three speeding fines had arrived in the post. They were from our road trip to France where Suzy had driven like Schumacher so I suppose they were not unexpected. Two were from France and one from Spain. All in all I paid about 200 euros, enough to have gone by plane to Bordeaux commented Eladio ironically. I paid them immediately and was impressed with how they do it in France, fast and quick through a special app. Paying the Spanish one was easy too but had to be done talking to a machine on the phone on an expensive number to ring.
The house was clean and tidy, thanks to Lucy and it was also guest free. Our next set of guests are not coming until today; a couple with their baby from Holland.
We lingered too long after dinner to watch the news and thus started on a film on Amazon Prime. However, we soon fell asleep feeling tired from our journey.
Friday came and I had lots to do. I had drawn up a to do list as I often do and that would also include making lunch for everyone including Miguel and Oi who would be joining us. At the moment I have two press releases in the making so they kept me busy that morning. Thankfully Lucy was on hand to make lunch for everyone. Oli had yet another baby monitoring session at the hospital and all seems fine. Not long now. On her way back she stopped at the post office to pick up a parcel. Very annoyingly, the postal service in this area no longer delivers parcels and you have to pick them up. Soon she had in her hands Gordon the guinea pig who will be Elliot's first friend. My dear friend Jacky had lovingly knitted it for Elliot. It's so sweet and anything handmade for a baby has, in my mind, an extra meaning. It just can't beat bought stuffed toys. So meet Gordon, the Guinea Pig:
By lunchtime, my work was out of the way or part of it. Thus I was able to enjoy the family meal. Later we all had siestas and then convened by the pool to read. Thunder threatened and I got caught in a huge rain storm when I went out to do some quick food shopping for dinner and the weekend. Driving home was a challenge as the roads turned to rivers and I was a little afraid. Thank God I wasn't on a motorway. In any case the drive was short and I was home soon with my shopping load.
Oli and Miguel went out to dinner and Suzy preferred to stay at home and have dinner with us. For the first time in ages we had it inside. It was at that time, internet, decided to play up or rather the fixed line connection which meant wifi was not working. I rang the provider to hear a taped message that the line was down as there was an incident in the area. No doubt it was because of the thunder storm. It wasn't restored until the early hours of Saturday. Things never come in ones, they come in twos and threes and it was not only internet that was giving us trouble. The other day there was a water leak and it turns out there is problem with the pipe buried in the garden which channels the water to the house. Various plumbers have been and of course Eladio has been in touch with the Insurance company but so far not so good as it seems the affected pipe is very deep under the garden. That means we are losing precious and expensive water until it is repaired. We now have to wait until tomorrow Monday for a plumber to come with the right machinery to mend the leak. Cross your fingers.
That night we had to watch Netflix using our phones as a modem. We began watching a new series on RTVE, a family suspense thriller but soon fell asleep. I woke up at 3.30 in the morning, looked at my phone to see the time and saw various important emails which I was unable to avoid reading. Thinking about them and the work that would entail because of them kept me awake for at least an hour so I had very interrupted sleep that night.
Saturday came and the atmosphere was cooler after the rain but then all trace of it left and the sun was out again and the temperature reached 34ºc. Saturday was 31st August and the 22nd anniversary of the tragic death of Lady Diana, Princess of Wales. We all still miss her and can never forget her. There are no words to describe the "people's princess" and what she meant to everyone. I remember as if it was yesterday finding out about her death. I think it was a weekend and when I saw the newspaper headlines, I burst into tears. England and the world had lost someone so special, someone we would never forget. She was just 36, 4 years younger than me and I couldn't believe it was happening. Even the girls who were quite small then remember me crying, especially during her funeral which I watched glued to the TV. Maybe one of the most emotional moments was when Elton John sang the newly worded "Candle in the Wind" especially for her which began with the phrase "Goodbye England's Rose". I bought the song and played it over and over again. In fact it would later become my phone's ring tone for many years. Remembering her and prompted by Olivia I have recently watched bits of 2 documentaries on Netflix about her tragic life: "The Story of Diana" with interviews with her brother and "Diana in her own words". The latter is fascinating as it is nearly entirely made up of taped interviews with her so the story is told by her in the first person. I love her voice. I don't think there will ever be anyone like her again. I shall always miss her.
But Facebook reminded me of something far more positive yesterday. 8 years ago that day, Olivia made her first live TV report when she worked for a programme called "La Mañana" on TVE. Until then she did lots of behind the scenes stuff and some taped reports but that day was to be her debut as a live TV reporter. She told us, chillingly, later that it was her first chance to become one and that if she had got it wrong or made a mistake she would never have been asked again. It was a make it or break it moment and no doubt she must have been very nervous although that wasn't obvious when we saw her on TV. Thankfully she did it perfectly. Her debut, believe it or not, was with Pedro Almodovar and Antonio Banderas at the press conference for the premiere of the film "La piel que habito". Here she is with the famous Spanish director. She was just 26 at the time and told me yesterday that she didn't wear any make up. Amazing. Since then she has grown professionaly and become an accomplished and successful TV journalist. I was proud of her that day and am proud of her today. I still get a thrill when I see her on TV. What is it about TV I wonder?
I remember Suzy and I were so excited and happy for her, we decided to make her favourite food for lunch that day. In those days she worked from 6 in the morning till 2 as La Mañana is a morning programme. We decided to make "croquetas". The problem was we had never made them before and they are fiddly to prepare. But we did it. Here we are proud mother and sister making croquettes for Olivia to celebrate her first live TV appearance.
Saturday was a quiet day after the storm. I had lots of work to do in the morning including drafting a new press release which had me busy until lunch time. I tried to get all my work out of the way so as to be free to read by the pool in the afternoon. I nearly managed it although I had to leave my sunbed and return to my desk a couple of times. While my afternoon was quiet, the streets of England were full of people demonstrating against Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament. I am so angry with what is happening in politics in the UK at the moment and have been ever since the referendum in which I was not allowed to vote in even though the outcome would affect me a lot.
On a more positive not, last night we were invited for dinner by Miguel and Oli to their house. I wondered to myself whether it would be the last dinner there before Elliot arrives. I was keen to see his new room and all the paraphernalia the couple have gathered, bought and collected for their new baby.
As we were leaving, the dogs were by the kitchen patio looking at us woefully as if to say, "take us with you". We weren't going on a walk so we couldn't and they looked a little mournful and turned their backs on us but not before I had caught them on camera. Here they are, our little dachshund Pippa, our labrador Elsa and, slightly hidden, our naughty beagle, Norah. I say naughty because she is a food snatcher. Apparently when the Israeli guests were here this week and we were in Montrondo, one night while they were eating at the big wooden table outside the kitchen, Norah jumped up on the table and gobbled down all their food. Poor things. I hadn't been there to warn them to keep the chairs close to the table as if one is pushed out a bit, she can jump on it and then jump from the chair to the table. I'm still dreading their review which they haven't posted yet. Oh dear! Anyway they look very sweet here.
Suzy had gone ahead in my car as she would be sleeping over. On the way she bought some ice cream for dessert. We left a little while later with a bottle of our favourite wine, "Juan Gil". We arrived to find Oli and Miguel in the throes of finishing cooking what looked like a sumptuous meal. It was lovely to be the guest for a change and not the cook which is the norm in our family gatherings and dinners. I took the opportunity to take a proper look at Elliot's room which I loved. I couldn't believe how much stuff they have for him. Suzy and I have been wracking our brains to buy something for Elliot which they haven't got and it's difficult to come up with anything. Hopefully next time we go to their flat Elliot will be using all the paraphernalia hahaha.
Before we tucked in we had to have the proverbial photo to capture the moment and that is the photo I have chosen to illustrate today's post. It's lovely. As to the dinner it was lovely too. Miguel and Oli served us stuffed aubergines, octopus with potato pure, croquettes and giant prawns. Everything was made from scratch and was delicious. For dessert there was a choice between rice pudding (Eladio's favourite - not mine), fruit and ice cream. On offer was Haagen-Dazs macadamia, Jerry and Ben's vegan cookie and chocolate chip and even coconut. I had to try them all.
Later we all went for a walk around the block or rather behind the apartments which has a lit path at night. We said our goodbyes at around 11 pm with strict instructions to Oli to let us know when the first signs of labour appear.
The house was quiet when we got back and we were in bed by midnight. I was wide awake so watched a bit of the documentary "Diana in her own words" until I fell asleep.
Today is Sunday 1st September and the start of a new month. I will be busy preparing for our new Airbn guests, a young couple from Holland and their one and a half year old baby which of course means I shall be having to hide Pippa.
I shall sign off now, publish this, give a hard copy to my father and then go on our morning walk.
I wish you all a great week ahead. I wonder if this will be the week that Elliot arrives. It's all so exciting.
Cheers till next Sunday
Masha.
It was another quiet day for us but not for the UK. The most dreadful thing happened. Our hard line Brexiter and un-voted for Prime Minister (by the people), Boris Johnson, just shocked the world when he asked the Queen to suspend Parliament for 5 weeks. His reason? To get on with important government legislation. So, sure, he needs lots of time for that. In reality and although he denies it, what he has really done is to cut short the time needed to debate Brexit and the UK leaving the EU. I am disappointed the Queen gave him his way. Did she have a choice, I wonder, from her bolt hole in Scotland? How could this happen? Apparently this is allowed in UK Government law, so yes it is legal. It may be legal but in my eyes it is completely immoral. I am furious and am one of those who has signed a petition to stop the suspension. Have you signed it yet? If not here it is.
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| Boris Johnson and the Queen |
We got on with the day. After some work, I spent the morning reading in the back garden. What a luxury and what lovely weather. At midday we drove to Murias, the next village. The day before we had spied a small poster advertising locally made honey being sold by a villager. Eladio was not brought up on treats such as chocolates and sweets like most of us were. When he was a child, he lived under Franco's rule and when he was born in 1944 the dictator was at the height of his power and it was not long since the Civil War had finished. Rationing was the norm and although there was more food to be found in the villages, there were no such luxuries as sweets for children or certainly not on a frequent basis. His treat as a child was honey and has been ever since. Thus our home is always stocked with it. We had run out here so when I saw the sign, I rang the number and agreed to come and pick up 3 large jars on Wednesday. It so happened that the family selling their home made honey are from one of my favourite houses in Murias. I have only ever seen it from the outside and have always admired its old fashioned and quaint structure and one of the few houses to have preserved its 19th century style. This is it.
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| My favourite house in Murias |
On Wednesday I was to see inside it as we knocked on the door to pick up the honey. We were greeted by the owner, a delightful lady called Chus. She showed us around the old house with its quaint patios and old fashioned beams and floors. She took us into the kitchen and lounge which felt like walking into a house in the 19th century. Oh how lovingly she had restored this most singular of houses in Murias. It was the highlight of the day to see inside. The world is a small place we learned again that day when the owner told Eladio she thought he had taught her sons when he was a teacher of philosophy at a military school in Madrid called El Gran Capitán in the 80's. Indeed it is.
We came home to make lunch - fish and chips was on the menu that day which we wolfed down. After a shorter siesta than usual, Eladio mowed the lawn while I went out for my walk with Pippa. It was a warm evening and I didn't need my cardigan.
We had the old path to ourselves. Here is Pippa charging towards me on the green path.
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| Pippa charging towards me on the old path |
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| The white horse in Murias |
I came home to read a bit more in the sun before it was time for dinner. Back home in Madrid, the girls were entertaining. Suzy was back with her London friends from Cáceres, Oli was there with Miguel and they had invited their bosom pal, Elena, and must have had a splendid dinner on our terrace. Above all Oli was pleased the house was guest free as that day the Israelis had left. Suzy later sent me a photo of the girls together. Unfortunately I was not to meet her friends from London as when we got back they had already left.
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| The girls and their friends at our house on Wednesday night |
On Thursday morning I was up a bit later but still early; at 6.15. We were leaving that morning. We took it leisurely and were ready to go at about 10.30. Rather than heading straight for Madrid we took a detour and drove to León to visit Eladio's mother. When we got to the home, she was being taken on a walk outside and seemed in good spirits. With Pippa in the hot car, we couldn't stay long so at about 12.30, we set off again. I was dying for a coffee and we found a little bar just on the outskirts of the city and before the motorway. I was very surprised to see that Pippa was allowed in, after all dogs are strictly out of bounds in cafés and restaurants in Spain or so I thought. The owner told me that there was a new law making it up to the owner of the establishment to let pets in or not and that she had chosen to let them in. She was a dog enthusiast and told me she had just adopted a beagle. "A beagle I said. Oh I have to see it". As you know we have a beagle, Norah, and used to breed them in our younger days. What I didn't like seeing was that the poor dog was tied up albeit on a very long leash. The owner explained it was because she was afraid it would run away. The place looked closed up enough to me and I urged her to let it loose. Oh what a sucker I am for dogs.
Soon we were on the motorway and discussing where to have lunch on the way. We decided on the Parador in Tordesillas and that's where we went. It's not one of the most stunning Paradors in that it's not a restored old castle, palace or monastery but it is still lovely as they all are.
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| The facade of the Parador just outside Tordesillas |
We were home by about 5ish to find just Suzy waiting for us. Well, she was sitting at the table outside the kitchen working and we didn't see much of her that afternoon, although she joined us for dinner that night. I had stuff to do but at about 7 pm was able to relax by the pool, take a dip and read a bit. Eladio had to deal with a leak in the water mains which had happened while we were away. It was nice to see my father again and good to hear he had been well looked after. What was not nice was to see three speeding fines had arrived in the post. They were from our road trip to France where Suzy had driven like Schumacher so I suppose they were not unexpected. Two were from France and one from Spain. All in all I paid about 200 euros, enough to have gone by plane to Bordeaux commented Eladio ironically. I paid them immediately and was impressed with how they do it in France, fast and quick through a special app. Paying the Spanish one was easy too but had to be done talking to a machine on the phone on an expensive number to ring.
The house was clean and tidy, thanks to Lucy and it was also guest free. Our next set of guests are not coming until today; a couple with their baby from Holland.
We lingered too long after dinner to watch the news and thus started on a film on Amazon Prime. However, we soon fell asleep feeling tired from our journey.
Friday came and I had lots to do. I had drawn up a to do list as I often do and that would also include making lunch for everyone including Miguel and Oi who would be joining us. At the moment I have two press releases in the making so they kept me busy that morning. Thankfully Lucy was on hand to make lunch for everyone. Oli had yet another baby monitoring session at the hospital and all seems fine. Not long now. On her way back she stopped at the post office to pick up a parcel. Very annoyingly, the postal service in this area no longer delivers parcels and you have to pick them up. Soon she had in her hands Gordon the guinea pig who will be Elliot's first friend. My dear friend Jacky had lovingly knitted it for Elliot. It's so sweet and anything handmade for a baby has, in my mind, an extra meaning. It just can't beat bought stuffed toys. So meet Gordon, the Guinea Pig:
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| Gordon the guinea pig, Elliot's first friend |
Oli and Miguel went out to dinner and Suzy preferred to stay at home and have dinner with us. For the first time in ages we had it inside. It was at that time, internet, decided to play up or rather the fixed line connection which meant wifi was not working. I rang the provider to hear a taped message that the line was down as there was an incident in the area. No doubt it was because of the thunder storm. It wasn't restored until the early hours of Saturday. Things never come in ones, they come in twos and threes and it was not only internet that was giving us trouble. The other day there was a water leak and it turns out there is problem with the pipe buried in the garden which channels the water to the house. Various plumbers have been and of course Eladio has been in touch with the Insurance company but so far not so good as it seems the affected pipe is very deep under the garden. That means we are losing precious and expensive water until it is repaired. We now have to wait until tomorrow Monday for a plumber to come with the right machinery to mend the leak. Cross your fingers.
That night we had to watch Netflix using our phones as a modem. We began watching a new series on RTVE, a family suspense thriller but soon fell asleep. I woke up at 3.30 in the morning, looked at my phone to see the time and saw various important emails which I was unable to avoid reading. Thinking about them and the work that would entail because of them kept me awake for at least an hour so I had very interrupted sleep that night.
Saturday came and the atmosphere was cooler after the rain but then all trace of it left and the sun was out again and the temperature reached 34ºc. Saturday was 31st August and the 22nd anniversary of the tragic death of Lady Diana, Princess of Wales. We all still miss her and can never forget her. There are no words to describe the "people's princess" and what she meant to everyone. I remember as if it was yesterday finding out about her death. I think it was a weekend and when I saw the newspaper headlines, I burst into tears. England and the world had lost someone so special, someone we would never forget. She was just 36, 4 years younger than me and I couldn't believe it was happening. Even the girls who were quite small then remember me crying, especially during her funeral which I watched glued to the TV. Maybe one of the most emotional moments was when Elton John sang the newly worded "Candle in the Wind" especially for her which began with the phrase "Goodbye England's Rose". I bought the song and played it over and over again. In fact it would later become my phone's ring tone for many years. Remembering her and prompted by Olivia I have recently watched bits of 2 documentaries on Netflix about her tragic life: "The Story of Diana" with interviews with her brother and "Diana in her own words". The latter is fascinating as it is nearly entirely made up of taped interviews with her so the story is told by her in the first person. I love her voice. I don't think there will ever be anyone like her again. I shall always miss her.
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| Irreplaceable Lady Diana |
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| Oli with Pedro Almodovar 8 years ago after her first live report with TVE |
Saturday was a quiet day after the storm. I had lots of work to do in the morning including drafting a new press release which had me busy until lunch time. I tried to get all my work out of the way so as to be free to read by the pool in the afternoon. I nearly managed it although I had to leave my sunbed and return to my desk a couple of times. While my afternoon was quiet, the streets of England were full of people demonstrating against Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament. I am so angry with what is happening in politics in the UK at the moment and have been ever since the referendum in which I was not allowed to vote in even though the outcome would affect me a lot.
On a more positive not, last night we were invited for dinner by Miguel and Oli to their house. I wondered to myself whether it would be the last dinner there before Elliot arrives. I was keen to see his new room and all the paraphernalia the couple have gathered, bought and collected for their new baby.
As we were leaving, the dogs were by the kitchen patio looking at us woefully as if to say, "take us with you". We weren't going on a walk so we couldn't and they looked a little mournful and turned their backs on us but not before I had caught them on camera. Here they are, our little dachshund Pippa, our labrador Elsa and, slightly hidden, our naughty beagle, Norah. I say naughty because she is a food snatcher. Apparently when the Israeli guests were here this week and we were in Montrondo, one night while they were eating at the big wooden table outside the kitchen, Norah jumped up on the table and gobbled down all their food. Poor things. I hadn't been there to warn them to keep the chairs close to the table as if one is pushed out a bit, she can jump on it and then jump from the chair to the table. I'm still dreading their review which they haven't posted yet. Oh dear! Anyway they look very sweet here.
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| Leaving the dogs behind yesterday when we went out for dinner to Oli and Miguel's |
Before we tucked in we had to have the proverbial photo to capture the moment and that is the photo I have chosen to illustrate today's post. It's lovely. As to the dinner it was lovely too. Miguel and Oli served us stuffed aubergines, octopus with potato pure, croquettes and giant prawns. Everything was made from scratch and was delicious. For dessert there was a choice between rice pudding (Eladio's favourite - not mine), fruit and ice cream. On offer was Haagen-Dazs macadamia, Jerry and Ben's vegan cookie and chocolate chip and even coconut. I had to try them all.
Later we all went for a walk around the block or rather behind the apartments which has a lit path at night. We said our goodbyes at around 11 pm with strict instructions to Oli to let us know when the first signs of labour appear.
The house was quiet when we got back and we were in bed by midnight. I was wide awake so watched a bit of the documentary "Diana in her own words" until I fell asleep.
Today is Sunday 1st September and the start of a new month. I will be busy preparing for our new Airbn guests, a young couple from Holland and their one and a half year old baby which of course means I shall be having to hide Pippa.
I shall sign off now, publish this, give a hard copy to my father and then go on our morning walk.
I wish you all a great week ahead. I wonder if this will be the week that Elliot arrives. It's all so exciting.
Cheers till next Sunday
Masha.
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