Sunday 24th November, 2019
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| Holding and kissing little Elliot my adored grandson |
Last Sunday was another cold yet sunny day and we enjoyed our walk with the dogs. There were people out shooting as there are on Sundays and we always worry a stray bullet might hit us. I do hate these shooting men who are out to kill animals. They call it a sport, I call it a killing game. Do you agree?
I came home to a quiet house and to make our lunch which would include a hearty winter soup. In between cooking I took the time to watch the now famous BBC interview with Prince Andrew, reportedly the Queen's favourite son. After our quiet lunch and siesta I watched the end of the interview feeling disgusted with the British Royal family, an institution as a British born person I was brought up to revere. Sorry but I don't revere them any more.
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| The interview which took place in Buckingham Palace |
You will all be aware it was to screen him on his relationship with the now dead sex predator Jeffrey Epstein and on whether he also had sex with underage girls trafficked by Epstein. This story has rocked the Royal family's image once again and in my mind this was a pretty bad PR blunder as the prince did not come out well from it. Far from it, I'm afraid. I was waiting for the moment when he would sympathise with the victims or say he regretted his relationship with Epstein but he did neither. He could at least have apologised or said he was sorry for what had happened but he was unapologetic throughout the interview. Throughout he appeared remorseless but throughout he also appeared to be not speaking the truth at least to me. I didn't believe him at all. On the subject of sex with one of the victims, Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked to him three times, his answer was he couldn't remember. He couldn't remember? Maybe because he had sex with so many underage girls he just couldn't remember who they were. Whatever you or I thought about the interview, the story is not going to go away and will haunt the prince as it has tainted his image as the party prince forever. The story will not go away as the victims speak out and trials take place. Andrew cannot be immune to this and I would not be surprised to see him extradited to the US to speak before a judge. However, as this is a game of my word against yours and there is no real proof, he will, no doubt, in the end, get away with murder or should I say get away scot free from very possibly also being a sex predator or at least party to one of them. This is an awful business.
Less than a week after the interview, on Tuesday, the Duke of York, announced his resignation from public life. It was not just his involvement in the scandal but probably more because of the interview for which he was hugely scathed. Since his appearance on TV, nearly all the companies backing his royal projects announced their withdrawal.
He must have learned his lesson from the interview and finally, in the announcement from the Palace, he shows remorse and regret for his friendship with Epstein and shows sympathies to the predator's victims. If he had done that in the BBC interview, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have had to take this historical step. The last time a member of the Royal Family stepped down from public life was when his great uncle, Edward VIII abdicated from the throne. No doubt the Queen will have been most upset just as she was when her uncle abdicated to marry Wallace Simpson and her own father became king, putting her in direct succession, something she was not prepared for. In a way this is one of the final nails on the coffin of a very humiliated prince. Let's see now if he will have to face justice in the USA.
Less than a week after the interview, on Tuesday, the Duke of York, announced his resignation from public life. It was not just his involvement in the scandal but probably more because of the interview for which he was hugely scathed. Since his appearance on TV, nearly all the companies backing his royal projects announced their withdrawal.
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| The Duke of York announces his retirement from public duty |
On Sunday I was expecting a woman to come and see the house who had booked a night for 6 with us in May. It's highly unusual for people who book to come and see the house and in a way I don't know why I accepted. I could only smell trouble from her with all her interrogation on the Airbn platform. They came just after Oli, Miguel and Elliot arrived and in pouring rain. I had to get all the baby kit out of the way quickly and rush outside in my hotel slippers to open the gate for them. It was a couple and their two small daughters which meant we had to hide Pippa too. Only after they had inspected the garden in the rain did it transpire they had booked our place to use it for a first holy communion party for the 6 of them and friends and family. On my listings I specifically prohibit parties or events but the woman had not read the text on the listing as many people don't. She didn't even realise that this is the house we live in and had expected to be able to hire the whole house - even though the listing only mentions 3 rooms - and also bring along other guests (free of charge) when in the listing we say no extra guests apart from those who have booked to spend the night. Did she really expect that for the price of 6 people staying a night, she could hire the whole house and bring along as many guests as she wanted. It was an awkward situation but thankfully I had Eladio on my side. In the end she had no option but to cancel and later cheekily asked me, the host, to cancel. I explained that if I cancelled I would lose my super host status. I haven't heard from her since. Fortunately this is a one off incident in my overall positive Airbnb experience but from now on I shall not be showing our house ahead of a booking. I have learned my lesson.
Finally when they left I was able to concentrate on my own visitors or rather my own family. It was lovely to see little Elliot again and I took him down to my father to see before he (me father) went to bed.
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| Elliot aged 2 months last Sunday |
Miguel was leaving again for Valencia and would be away until tomorrow. This meant that Oli and Elliot would be with us for the whole week. We had originally planned to go to Montrondo but after the snow and the interruption of electricity which could have happened again, we didn't dare go.
The day ended with dinner in the dining room and my famous prawn, avocado and mango salad while Elliot was fed too hahaha. Then it was time for bed and TV time. That night we watched the Salvados programme about the problem of unaccompanied foreign minors. Called "MENAs", these are mostly underage Moroccan boys who have traveled illegally to Spain but as they are minors they don't get sent back. Instead they are put into immigrant institutions and at the age of 18 they are left on the streets with no papers and unable to work awaiting residency which never seems to arrive. Thus they have to forage or rob food to survive. It is a vicious circle for them and a problem the Spanish authorities are not dealing with properly.
Monday came and it was another cold but sunny day, in the morning at least. It was just Oli, Elliot, Pippa and I on the walk that day as Eladio had to go into the city on an errand. Most of the day was spent with little Elliot who at over 5 kilos is quite a heavy weight to carry. He was quite fretful all through Monday but we were all there to give Oli a helping hand. He wouldn't sleep at all during the day and Oli's siesta was spent playing with him. Here they are together.
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| Elliot and his Mummy |
I joined them and we took a selfie. Oli was on the phone to Miguel and it was amazing to see little Elliot looking at the screen and smiling. Was he smiling at his father? It really seemed so.
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| A threesome selfie with little Elliot |
Before our dinner - Elliot eats all day (hahahaha) - I helped Oli bathe her little boy. I think it was the first time he didn't protest and that he actually enjoyed his bath. Later bathed, clean and changed into his pyjamas we went down to make dinner. Eladio joined us. He was holding little Pippa, our adored chocolate coloured miniature dachshund who you know is the apple of my eye. So far she has been very curious about this new addition to the "pack" but we have been wary of contact between them as we don't really trust her. Dachshunds are notoriously bad with children so we have been very careful. But Monday was a turning point with Pippa reaching out to the baby and licking its hand with no sign of aggressiveness. Here they are, getting to know each other. Lovely isn't it?
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| Pippa and Elliot getting to know each other |
After a healthy and delicious dinner together which we had in the dining room rather than the kitchen so that Oli can have privacy if she needs to feed the baby, we went up to watch the news.
The news was over by then however and instead a qualifying match was on between Spain and Romania. I had no interest whatsoever in the match and was dying to begin Season 3 of The Crown. For the records Spain beat Romania 5-0 which puts them top of their group.
Both Eladio and I had watched season 1 and 2 of The Crown and I, at least, loved them. I think Eladio goes along with it because of me. Thankfully I was allowed to watch it in English but with Spanish subtitles. We binge watched the first three episodes, only switching off the television well after midnight.
Season 3 opens with the beginning of the Labour PM, Harold Wilson's tenure. That was in 1964 when I was just 7 but I remember it very well. I understood at the time that my parents were appalled that Labour had beaten the conservatives. Maybe the Queen was too, I don't know. The pòrtrayal of Harold Wilson, a Yorkshireman who studied at Oxford and who smoked a pipe, is not quite correct. In the episode it is made clear that the Queen becomes very fond of the new Prime Minister. I think history proves she was, after Churchill of course.
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| The Queen with Harold Wilson |
What I do not like about The Crown is when the story line is not based on absolute facts. I think any period drama should be and that the script writers of this wonderful period piece should stick to them. I really do. In the first episode Winston Churchill dies. That is something I remember very clearly too as a child. The country came to a standstill. I remember spending my pocket money (half a crown - I think) on a souvenir booklet about the greatest British PM to live. I must have had some money leftover as I remember my brother and I getting on a bus to Keighley while my parents watched the funeral. We went to visit Cliff Castle. There I was mesmerised by a dolls' house and old fashioned toys. I went back for the first time since in January 2017 when our friends, Kath and Phil, took us there. I wonder whether our parents realised we had gone.
Espisode 2 is all about Princess Margaret. She outshone the Queen as far as personality goes but I think her behaviour is a bit exaggerated in the series. Episode 3 about the tragedy in the South Wales mining village of Aberfan seems to stick more to the facts. I well remember it as it was a national disaster when in 1966 a huge pile of coal waste suddenly collapsed and poured down into the village. Tragically it struck the local school, Pantglass Junior School, just after assembly when lessons had started. 116 children and 28 adults died buried under the coal in Britain's biggest mining disaster ever. It was a tragic story that has lived on. In the episode and in real life it took the Queen 8 days to decide to visit the village and comfort its people.
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| The Queen visiting Aberfan a few days after the tragedy |
Apparently it is something she has regretted all her life and she has been back at least 4 times. We would have to wait until Tuesday night to see the next episodes. Somehow I think the Queen comes across as far too cold and inaccessible. Maybe she is but I, for one, think she is more human than she is portrayed in the series. In this episode the story features on the Queen being unable to show emotions in public and how she later recounted the one tear she spilled while visiting the damaged village was a dry tear. History tells otherwise. She was very moved although she did not show any tear at all, dry or wet. Once again the series uses fiction.
Tuesday came and when I woke up it was under zero for the first time this year -1ºc . However the sun came out and it didn't rain. Eladio and I did the food shopping in the morning - unbelievable that we had finished our supplies from the week before - came back to unload them and then we went for our walk and were joined by Oli and Elliot. He loves his walks and sleeps most of the way.
That afternoon or evening as it was at 6.30 pm and is dark then, the four of us went to visit my dear friend Fátima. Eladio hadn't seen her since 12th September when she came to see us and noticed just how much her health had declined since then. However, she was on great form and good spirits. We arrived to find her with a visitor, Sonia, a Nokia colleague who I hadn't seen since I left that Finnish company. Soon afterwards we were joined by another Nokia colleague, Maria Angeles and we had a veritable party going. Fátima was delighted to see Elliot again and noticed how he had grown too and he has I can assure you. At about 8 pm we all left as it was getting late. I was glad to have spent more quality time with my dear friend. I want to spend as much time as I can with her now and we agreed to go out to dinner together on Friday. We were to go to the Moroccan restaurant, El Tuareg, on Friday, the one she had introduced us to and which Oli and I adore. I couldn't wait to try their "pastille" again.
We came home to make dinner. We left Eladio in charge of Elliot as Oli and I made the preparations. He loves his grandfather's calming influence and I had to get yet another photo. I must have taken at least 1000 since he was born hahaha.
Earlier in the day, Oli took yet another one of me with little Elliot. I was holding and kissing him, my favourite occupation at this time hahahaha. The feeling of being his grandmother is something so beautiful yet difficult to describe. I suppose only grandparents can understand it. That's the photo I have chosen to illustrate this week's blog post. Sorry if I am boring you with tales of Elliot.
Entertainment that night was watching two more episodes of The Crown. One was about Prince Philip's most unusual mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg who went to live at Buckingham Palace, aged 82, in the 60s after troubles in Greece. She was great granddaughter of Queen Victoria and of course the Queen's mother-in-law. What I didn't know is that she was also the sister of Lord Mountbatten. Most of the episode about her origins was true to fact. What was not true to the fact was that she gave an interview to The Guardian about her mental health and tortuous life. The mental health issues are true. She also became a nun but what isn't mentioned in the episode and deserves to be is that she is a "Righteous among nations" after saving Jews in Greece during WW2.
I found her character incredibly interesting - she smoked woodbines in Buckingham palace - and most read more about her. The other episode concentrated on the Queen's love of horses and included a hint that there might have been a bit more than just friendship between her and Porchie (Lord Porchester). I doubt it as there is no shred of evidence at all as she has been in love with Prince Philip since she was a teenager.
Wednesday came and as I was having my cup of coffee I got a video from Suzy showing her new home. In very Indonesian style it looks great and even has a swimming pool. Now that she has room for us, I must save up some money to go and visit her. Now that would be nice. We had a video call and it was great to see my daughter over the seas and so far away from us. She sent us a video from You Tube where she is singing the song Hotel California on a beach in Bali. I love to hear her singing. This is the link if you are interested.
Wednesday was a quiet day, the only thing we did differently was to go to the cinema. Eladio wanted to see a film about the Spanish Civil War by the Chilean director, Alejandro Amenabar, called "While at War". The film centres on the uprising of the nationalists when Franco is named leader "generalisimo" and later "caudillo" and on a revered Spanish literary figure, Miguel de Unamuno who is the director or Rector of the University of Salamanca. He switches from backing the republicans to backing Franco and then backs neither. For me it was interesting to see the figure of Unamuno on screen. It brought back memories of my degree in Hispanic Studies at Nottingham University when our lecturer in modern literature, Dr. Richard Cardwell, taught us about him. I think the first book I read in my first year was "Niebla" by the Basque writer and my Spanish was not good enough to understand it at the time. Eladio who is mesmerised with films and books about Spain's cruel and bloody war among its citizens, was more interested in Franco's figure who comes across as quite ridiculous in Amenabar's film, but then again the film director is left wing. If you are interested this is the trailer.
It was nice to go to the cinema and I don't remember the last time we did but it was a cold and wet November evening and there would be no pop corn while watching or dinner out afterwards. I commented to Eladio that perhaps in these circumstances it would have been more agreeable to be able to watch it on Netflix. That of course is not possible for the moment.
We came home to make dinner and to spend more time with little Elliot. Later I took him upstairs as he was fast asleep although we wouldn't know how long that would last hahaha. Here is the little cherub in slumberland.
We watched two more episodes of The Crown that night. The first one was about Prince Charles learning Welsh ahead of his investiture which I found very interesting. The second was less so. It covered the Moon landings which of course I lived through but also focused on Prince Philip undergoing a mid life existential crisis.
Thursday came and it brought rain. I must say I find November one of the most depressing months of the year. While eating a mango at lunch that day I wondered whether they now grow in peninsular Spain and found they do in an area called La Axarquia in the province of Malaga. I read that this is an area with a sub tropical climate and has the best weather to be found in the whole of Europe. That got me thinking that maybe Eladio and I should retire there. It's a thought. I have even been googling property in the area. Some time ago, our idea was to retire to the Costa del Sol but since then we gave up the idea and decided we would live out our time here in this great big house. But who knows now what we shall do.
That morning I accompanied Oli to the doctor for a check up and of course we took little Elliot along. When Oli was called in she had to interrupt her breast feeding and left me with a very fretful little baby. I had to pull out all the stops to calm his crying in a crowded maternity waiting room with everyone looking at me. I was very relieved when she finally came out and his feeding could be resumed. He slept all the way home in the car again to my relief.
Thursday was a quiet day at home with the baby. I am cherishing this time with Oli and Elliot, privileged time of bonding with my little grandson. I also love being a hands on grandmother helping Oli look after the little tot. Oh how I love him. I helped her get him to sleep with soft lighting and lullabies on spotify and then I went into our own room free of baby responsibility and able to watch the TV with Eladio. That's the best thing about being a grandmother - not having the direct responsibility and thus enjoying my time with the baby in a way I couldn't when I was a mother.
The day finished with two more episodes of The Crown. I enjoyed the one about the death of the Duke of Windsor and how Queen Elisabeth finally made amends with her favourite uncle before he died. I also enjoyed the episode when Charles meets Camilla. Both Eladio and I remarked afterwards that if Charles had been able to marry her, the love of his life, there would have been no Diana tragedy. It's quite obvious he was forced into marriage with the people's princess and although the whole world loved her, the love of his life was Camilla. I bet the Queen who was not apposed to him marrying her at the time, wished he had then and not later.
Friday came and it was raining again. That day Suzy was off to Singapore and back so as to get a renewed visa. To get one she has to leave the country. Poor Suzy, what a waste of time and poor Suzy as she doesn't like flying very much. Wehad a video call with her. She loves them as that is when she gets to see Elliot. He's only 2 months old but seems to respond to communication on mobile phones and I have seen him smiling at his father during one video call. Amazing!
It was such a wet and horrible morning we skipped our walk until it was a little drier in the afternoon. Oli and I spent precious time with the baby and then made our escape for her to do some food shopping for school friend guests coming for afternoon tea yesterday. We left Elliot after he had been changed and fed with his grandfather for one whole hour. While at Carrefour Market and at Lidl both of us worried he would fret and be difficult but we came home to find him asleep in Eladio's arms. My husband complained his arms were hurting as they can do when you hold a 5 kilo baby for a long time. Well, Oli's partner, Miguel, came up with a solution, a state of the art gadget for the baby to be able to sit around your middle without the holder feeling the weight. This is the gadget or contraption, a sort of belt with a seat which you wear around your middle for the baby to sit on. It's great.
There are so many things available these days for mothers and babies which did not exist in our day, like the baby rucksack carrier Oli wore to carry Elliot on our walk that day. We went in the afternoon when the rain halted for a while but not long. Here she is with him in the rucksack and with Eladio about to set off.
It was very wet and slippery so we walked around the block rather than across the fields to avoid the mud. The rain appeared again during our walk and we came back pretty wet except for Elliot whose coat was waterproof. It was time for his bath when we came back. I love bathing him with Olivia and the little one is beginning to enjoy it too although it was very funny to watch him when self protection kicked in and which must be an instinct in babies. He lay in the water with his mother holding his head but crossed his arms against his chest with his fists tightly closed, so closed that you could see his knuckles going white poor lamb. I wish I had taken a photo.
When Elliot was ready, Oli and I got ready too as we were going out to dinner to our latest favourite place, the Arab Gastro Bar in nearby Villaviciosa, "Tuareg" My friend Fátima and her daughter were going to join us and I was looking forward to that so much that I was dismayed when Fátima rang to say she was in too much pain to go out. Oh my poor dear Fátima; even the extra dose of morphine she took hoping to lessen the pain and allow her to go out didn't work. I was very sad she didn't feel well enough to go out and will be visiting her tomorrow. I do hope she will be well enough to take part in this week's Nokia colleague homage dinner for her planned for Thursday. Cross your fingers. I am crossing mine.
So just the three of us with Elliot went out to dinner that night. It was raining and it's always a bore getting the little baby into his car seat and putting away the pram and then getting it out again. He didn't complain though and promptly fell asleep in the car and then in the pram. At the restaurant he carried on sleeping so his mother was able to enjoy the meal.
He only woke up when she had finished, was fed a bit and promptly fell asleep again. He had behaved perfectly. As to us, we adored our meal and ordered the same things as last time; hummus with pita bread, falafel (to die for), sabila (Oli and Eladio) and of course pastille (Pastela) the Moroccan flaky chicken pie. We also had the Arab tea with baklava. I would have liked to try the "shisha" (Moroccan smoking pipe) which does not have tobacco. I didn't in the end but must try it next time.
We came home to put little Elliot to bed, something he is not too keen on. Later Eladio and I watched the last episode of The Crown. It's about the breakup of Princess Margaret's marriage with Lord Snowden and her steamy relationship with the young Roddy Llewellyn. We always knew she was a difficult character but she is portrayed as an absolutely vial person which I think is perhaps only one side of her. What is also shown is the devotion her sister the Queen has for her, even saying she couldn't bare to live without her. I'm sure that was true.
We had a new guest that night, a young French girl called Fanny of all names. She went out to a party as soon as she arrived but Eladio didn't know or hear me telling him and put the alarm on when we went to bed. Of course that set it off when she arrived home in the early hours of the morning waking up the whole household, the baby and me included. I needed another tablet to get back to sleep. I firmly told Eladio to consult me the next time he wants to put it on as there is nothing more annoying than it going off in the middle of the night.
I was up at 6.30 yesterday morning and finally the rain had gone and the sun made its appearance. Eladio and I went on our walk and I came home to find Lucy had made our lunch - what luxury - Our siesta was short as Oli had invited ex school friends from the girls' school, St. Michael's for afternoon tea. I was in charge of preparing it; lots of fruit which did not get eaten and lots of croissants which did. Her two friends Elena and Cristina came, Cristina with her husband Edu and three boys Nico, Rafa (was that his name?) and little Guille. So we had a house full of children. I had not seen Cristina or Elena for many many years, perhaps not since the girls left school, now nearly 17 years ago. Of course I remember them very well from their childhood. It was a bit of a shock to see them now as grown up women and Cristina with three children. I wonder how she copes. Here is a photo of Oli with Cristina and another one of all of Oli with all her guests.
The talk was mostly baby talk, some of it very useful to Oli coming from a far more experienced mother, Cris who has 3 children. We also talked about their other friends from school; Miriam, Sonia, Begoña and more, children I remember well from countless school functions and who are all now grown women, some married, some with children and some not. Both our girls were very happy at St. Michael's, a bilingual private school very near where we lived where they made friends for life. The most important friend of all was Copi (Ana María Vázquez). She is half white and half black and the girls first met when they were 3 and 4. As soon as Suzy saw her on her first day at school, her words were: "Who is that little black girl over there? I want to be her friend". Copi went on to be an important part of our family. She now lives in Vitoria some 4 hours north of Madrid but will be coming to lunch today with her boyfriend and mother Celeste. She has an interesting story in that she was born to Celeste who was the family maid. Instead of throwing them out, the family who would later be Copi's godparents, let both of them stay on and Copi was given the same advantages as their own daughter. Celeste still works for the family today.
Oli's guests left at around 8 pm and believe it or not Oli went out again - she had been out to lunch too yesterday - and we were left to have dinner on our own with no sign of our guests. I fell asleep quite quickly but woke up at 5 am today and just couldn't get back to sleep. Thus I got up at the unearthly hour of 5.30 am. I have lots to do today: publish this blog post, write a draft press release, go on our walk and prepare lunch for 8. That's a lot in a day isn't it? No doubt, I shall manage.
I must leave you now but just let me wish you all a great week ahead before I do so.
Cheers till next Sunday friends and readers,
Masha
That afternoon or evening as it was at 6.30 pm and is dark then, the four of us went to visit my dear friend Fátima. Eladio hadn't seen her since 12th September when she came to see us and noticed just how much her health had declined since then. However, she was on great form and good spirits. We arrived to find her with a visitor, Sonia, a Nokia colleague who I hadn't seen since I left that Finnish company. Soon afterwards we were joined by another Nokia colleague, Maria Angeles and we had a veritable party going. Fátima was delighted to see Elliot again and noticed how he had grown too and he has I can assure you. At about 8 pm we all left as it was getting late. I was glad to have spent more quality time with my dear friend. I want to spend as much time as I can with her now and we agreed to go out to dinner together on Friday. We were to go to the Moroccan restaurant, El Tuareg, on Friday, the one she had introduced us to and which Oli and I adore. I couldn't wait to try their "pastille" again.
We came home to make dinner. We left Eladio in charge of Elliot as Oli and I made the preparations. He loves his grandfather's calming influence and I had to get yet another photo. I must have taken at least 1000 since he was born hahaha.
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| Grandfather and grandson communicating |
Entertainment that night was watching two more episodes of The Crown. One was about Prince Philip's most unusual mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg who went to live at Buckingham Palace, aged 82, in the 60s after troubles in Greece. She was great granddaughter of Queen Victoria and of course the Queen's mother-in-law. What I didn't know is that she was also the sister of Lord Mountbatten. Most of the episode about her origins was true to fact. What was not true to the fact was that she gave an interview to The Guardian about her mental health and tortuous life. The mental health issues are true. She also became a nun but what isn't mentioned in the episode and deserves to be is that she is a "Righteous among nations" after saving Jews in Greece during WW2.
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| Prince Philip and his extraordinary mother Princess Alice of Battenberg |
Wednesday came and as I was having my cup of coffee I got a video from Suzy showing her new home. In very Indonesian style it looks great and even has a swimming pool. Now that she has room for us, I must save up some money to go and visit her. Now that would be nice. We had a video call and it was great to see my daughter over the seas and so far away from us. She sent us a video from You Tube where she is singing the song Hotel California on a beach in Bali. I love to hear her singing. This is the link if you are interested.
Wednesday was a quiet day, the only thing we did differently was to go to the cinema. Eladio wanted to see a film about the Spanish Civil War by the Chilean director, Alejandro Amenabar, called "While at War". The film centres on the uprising of the nationalists when Franco is named leader "generalisimo" and later "caudillo" and on a revered Spanish literary figure, Miguel de Unamuno who is the director or Rector of the University of Salamanca. He switches from backing the republicans to backing Franco and then backs neither. For me it was interesting to see the figure of Unamuno on screen. It brought back memories of my degree in Hispanic Studies at Nottingham University when our lecturer in modern literature, Dr. Richard Cardwell, taught us about him. I think the first book I read in my first year was "Niebla" by the Basque writer and my Spanish was not good enough to understand it at the time. Eladio who is mesmerised with films and books about Spain's cruel and bloody war among its citizens, was more interested in Franco's figure who comes across as quite ridiculous in Amenabar's film, but then again the film director is left wing. If you are interested this is the trailer.
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| The film we went to see on Wednesday |
It was nice to go to the cinema and I don't remember the last time we did but it was a cold and wet November evening and there would be no pop corn while watching or dinner out afterwards. I commented to Eladio that perhaps in these circumstances it would have been more agreeable to be able to watch it on Netflix. That of course is not possible for the moment.
We came home to make dinner and to spend more time with little Elliot. Later I took him upstairs as he was fast asleep although we wouldn't know how long that would last hahaha. Here is the little cherub in slumberland.
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| Elliot asleep bless the little angel |
Thursday came and it brought rain. I must say I find November one of the most depressing months of the year. While eating a mango at lunch that day I wondered whether they now grow in peninsular Spain and found they do in an area called La Axarquia in the province of Malaga. I read that this is an area with a sub tropical climate and has the best weather to be found in the whole of Europe. That got me thinking that maybe Eladio and I should retire there. It's a thought. I have even been googling property in the area. Some time ago, our idea was to retire to the Costa del Sol but since then we gave up the idea and decided we would live out our time here in this great big house. But who knows now what we shall do.
That morning I accompanied Oli to the doctor for a check up and of course we took little Elliot along. When Oli was called in she had to interrupt her breast feeding and left me with a very fretful little baby. I had to pull out all the stops to calm his crying in a crowded maternity waiting room with everyone looking at me. I was very relieved when she finally came out and his feeding could be resumed. He slept all the way home in the car again to my relief.
Thursday was a quiet day at home with the baby. I am cherishing this time with Oli and Elliot, privileged time of bonding with my little grandson. I also love being a hands on grandmother helping Oli look after the little tot. Oh how I love him. I helped her get him to sleep with soft lighting and lullabies on spotify and then I went into our own room free of baby responsibility and able to watch the TV with Eladio. That's the best thing about being a grandmother - not having the direct responsibility and thus enjoying my time with the baby in a way I couldn't when I was a mother.
The day finished with two more episodes of The Crown. I enjoyed the one about the death of the Duke of Windsor and how Queen Elisabeth finally made amends with her favourite uncle before he died. I also enjoyed the episode when Charles meets Camilla. Both Eladio and I remarked afterwards that if Charles had been able to marry her, the love of his life, there would have been no Diana tragedy. It's quite obvious he was forced into marriage with the people's princess and although the whole world loved her, the love of his life was Camilla. I bet the Queen who was not apposed to him marrying her at the time, wished he had then and not later.
Friday came and it was raining again. That day Suzy was off to Singapore and back so as to get a renewed visa. To get one she has to leave the country. Poor Suzy, what a waste of time and poor Suzy as she doesn't like flying very much. Wehad a video call with her. She loves them as that is when she gets to see Elliot. He's only 2 months old but seems to respond to communication on mobile phones and I have seen him smiling at his father during one video call. Amazing!
It was such a wet and horrible morning we skipped our walk until it was a little drier in the afternoon. Oli and I spent precious time with the baby and then made our escape for her to do some food shopping for school friend guests coming for afternoon tea yesterday. We left Elliot after he had been changed and fed with his grandfather for one whole hour. While at Carrefour Market and at Lidl both of us worried he would fret and be difficult but we came home to find him asleep in Eladio's arms. My husband complained his arms were hurting as they can do when you hold a 5 kilo baby for a long time. Well, Oli's partner, Miguel, came up with a solution, a state of the art gadget for the baby to be able to sit around your middle without the holder feeling the weight. This is the gadget or contraption, a sort of belt with a seat which you wear around your middle for the baby to sit on. It's great.
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| Oli trying out the new baby sitting belt while carrying her baby around |
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| Oli carrying her baby on our walk yesterday |
When Elliot was ready, Oli and I got ready too as we were going out to dinner to our latest favourite place, the Arab Gastro Bar in nearby Villaviciosa, "Tuareg" My friend Fátima and her daughter were going to join us and I was looking forward to that so much that I was dismayed when Fátima rang to say she was in too much pain to go out. Oh my poor dear Fátima; even the extra dose of morphine she took hoping to lessen the pain and allow her to go out didn't work. I was very sad she didn't feel well enough to go out and will be visiting her tomorrow. I do hope she will be well enough to take part in this week's Nokia colleague homage dinner for her planned for Thursday. Cross your fingers. I am crossing mine.
So just the three of us with Elliot went out to dinner that night. It was raining and it's always a bore getting the little baby into his car seat and putting away the pram and then getting it out again. He didn't complain though and promptly fell asleep in the car and then in the pram. At the restaurant he carried on sleeping so his mother was able to enjoy the meal.
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| Our Moroccan dinner on Friday night |
We came home to put little Elliot to bed, something he is not too keen on. Later Eladio and I watched the last episode of The Crown. It's about the breakup of Princess Margaret's marriage with Lord Snowden and her steamy relationship with the young Roddy Llewellyn. We always knew she was a difficult character but she is portrayed as an absolutely vial person which I think is perhaps only one side of her. What is also shown is the devotion her sister the Queen has for her, even saying she couldn't bare to live without her. I'm sure that was true.
We had a new guest that night, a young French girl called Fanny of all names. She went out to a party as soon as she arrived but Eladio didn't know or hear me telling him and put the alarm on when we went to bed. Of course that set it off when she arrived home in the early hours of the morning waking up the whole household, the baby and me included. I needed another tablet to get back to sleep. I firmly told Eladio to consult me the next time he wants to put it on as there is nothing more annoying than it going off in the middle of the night.
I was up at 6.30 yesterday morning and finally the rain had gone and the sun made its appearance. Eladio and I went on our walk and I came home to find Lucy had made our lunch - what luxury - Our siesta was short as Oli had invited ex school friends from the girls' school, St. Michael's for afternoon tea. I was in charge of preparing it; lots of fruit which did not get eaten and lots of croissants which did. Her two friends Elena and Cristina came, Cristina with her husband Edu and three boys Nico, Rafa (was that his name?) and little Guille. So we had a house full of children. I had not seen Cristina or Elena for many many years, perhaps not since the girls left school, now nearly 17 years ago. Of course I remember them very well from their childhood. It was a bit of a shock to see them now as grown up women and Cristina with three children. I wonder how she copes. Here is a photo of Oli with Cristina and another one of all of Oli with all her guests.
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| Cristina and Oli 17 years later - both mothers now |
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| The St. Michael's Mother and baby reunion yesterday at home |
Oli's guests left at around 8 pm and believe it or not Oli went out again - she had been out to lunch too yesterday - and we were left to have dinner on our own with no sign of our guests. I fell asleep quite quickly but woke up at 5 am today and just couldn't get back to sleep. Thus I got up at the unearthly hour of 5.30 am. I have lots to do today: publish this blog post, write a draft press release, go on our walk and prepare lunch for 8. That's a lot in a day isn't it? No doubt, I shall manage.
I must leave you now but just let me wish you all a great week ahead before I do so.
Cheers till next Sunday friends and readers,
Masha
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