Week 11 of coronavirus lockdown in Spain, week 1 of Phase 1 in Madrid, Elliiot has his own little boat, celebrating Phase 1 with dinners out, the terrible killing of George Floyd, our first Airbnb guests since lockdown and other stories.

Sunday 31st May, 2020

Monday night - celebrating start of Phase 1 of ease of lockdown. So happy to be out and about again.

Dear all,

Hope this blog post finds you all well, wherever you are.

Here in Madrid, this week was week 11 of lockdown which began on 14th March. Since Monday we are in Phase 1 which means some relaxation of the rules. There are 4 phases in Spain raging from the strictest (phase 0) to the the most lenient (phase 3). Most of the country should reach Phase 3 by the end of June or beginning of July. Well, it will have to as by 1st July Spain will be allowing foreign tourists back into the country. That means we too will have to wait for Phase 3 in order to move around the country. For the moment we are stuck in the province of Madrid. 

Last week's figures for Spain were promising as they were for the other most affected countries in Europe; Italy, France and to a lesser extent the UK. These were last week's statistics.

Last week's statistics

Figures for last night, Saturday 30th May. 

Europe is now coming down the curve, while other parts of the world have still to catch up. The worst affected areas are still the USA, Brazil and Russia.  The worldwide figures for infected cases has gone up from 5.372.822 to 6.099.052 and the death toll has risen from 342.634 to 368.933. In Spain the number of deaths went down drastically with figures very low each day this week; sometimes just 1. The not so good thing though is that figures for contagion just won't go down so the virus is still out there. There have been new outbreaks, nearly all produced because of illegal private parties (people are mad). Last night we heard that the Crown Prince of Belgian has the virus after attending an illegal party in Córdoba, Spain. What the hell was he doing there? If only people would take this seriously. We may be relaxing lockdown but we all have to be responsible. My heart goes out to the countries who are in the middle of the peak as it is a dreadful situation to be in. I still can't get over the fact that we are all living the greatest event in our lives, something that will go down in history as one of the worst pandemics ever. 

But in Madrid, last week, we were feeling happy to be moving onto Phase 1, finally. 50% of the country was in the same situation and the other 50% were moving onto Phase 2. For the moment we cannot move out of our province. That can only happen if your province, region or area is in the same phase as the other province you want to go to and only then after Phase 3. So, we shall have to wait more than a month and a half before we are allowed to go to our place by the beach or house in Montrondo. Those will be our summer destinations this year as the crisis has put paid to any holiday abroad for us. 

Last Sunday was spent pretty similarly to other Sundays and was like most of the days in confinement so far. We went for our walk with Elliot and the dogs, enjoyed time by the pool and especially enjoyed our evening meal. Elliot is the light in our lives and I love to have him here with us during confinement. Eladio does too and I can tell Elliot is very partial to his grandfather and love to see the two of them together like in the photo below.

Eladio and Elliot playing together on his blanket which we put everywhere.  

I made vichyssoise for the occasion, a cold summer soup we all love. This was the recipe I followed. in case you are interested. We also ate the last of Olivia's birthday cake. It was on Sunday that I got two enquiries on Airbnb. One of them turned into a confirmed booking. 4 people would be coming to our house to spend Saturday here. We would have to take precautions. As people can only move in their own province, I may get more bookings from residents from Madrid, eager to get outside the city and especially eager to have access to a swimming pool. Swimming pools in Spain, that is community and public ones, don't open until 15th June and also there is a big question mark about how they will be opened. Thus our swimming pool is the big pull for Airbn guests. I welcomed a return to hosting, albeit a timid return. We would have to be careful, very careful indeed. For any of you worried about my father I can tell you that he never sees our guests as he lives in the ground floor flat. We also agreed with the guests to use the kitchen at different hours to us and we didn't go anywhere near the pool while they were there. It goes without saying we disinfected anything mildly suspect of being a source of infection. A friend said maybe we should request our guests to come with proof they don't have the virus. If I insisted on that, we too would have to take the test. So, no, we relied on common sense in the circumstances. 

Monday came and the good weather continued. Miguel was back from Valencia so we would be relieved of grandparent duty this week. Monday was Day 1 of Phase 1 of ease of lockdown in Spain which meant we could go out at any time (yes anytime) to shops, restaurants and bars if they were open. We could also meet up to 10 people or go to church. We didn't do either of these but we did go out to dinner and we went out twice this week. Some people have called me brave for doing so and others I know have decided to wait a while. Well, maybe I should have but I was so longing to regain some of my freedom that I took the chance as soon as it came. I took the chance with great care, maintaining social distance and wearing a mask and I think that will be enough to protect me. I hope I am not proved wrong. 

But I was busy working that morning, this time on media coverage reports which is a lot of extraction of data and more like a statistics exercise; not my favourite type of work. But I managed it. Once work was out of the way, I had time to concentrate on lunch and be with the family. Oli and her little family had moved to the pool. She was working while Miguel was looking after Elliot. He had bought his son a little inflatable dingy and it was funny to see him enjoying his own little boat in the pool. What a lucky little boy he is.

Elliot in his boat on Monday morning

So it was just Eladio, the dogs and I on our walk that morning. We went later than usual because of my work but also because I had spent time tweaking my Airbnb listings to update the house to accommodate 7 now that Andy, our Scottish lodger, is no longer living with us. I wonder if he will ever come back. That day I got lots of enquiries which made me think that perhaps, after all, my business will start to pick up again. But I also got lots of cancellations too which was frustrating. By the end of the night, I had 2 more  bookings. I even got enquiries from people who wanted to book the house for the whole of the summer, but none of them turned into confirmed reservations. In a way I was glad.

If I worked on statistics in the morning, I worked on my finances in the afternoon - something I hate. I had to send the year's accounts to my accountant for her to present my income tax returns  for 2019. That took up a lot of the afternoon.  By the time I was ready for a dip, believe it or not, there was a thunderstorm and it rained for a while.

I suggested to Oli that we all go out to find a terrace bar in nearby Boadilla. She suggested we go out for dinner instead and even though we had already booked a table at Casa Iván for this Friday, I agreed. Our choice was the quasi Italian restaurant, Ginos. I rang and was amazed we got a table immediately. I thought that all the world and his mother would be out and about that night and we wouldn't be able to find a table, but there were plenty of them. We made an early booking to arrive at 8 pm, mostly so that the night was not too late for little Elliot. That may not be early in most countries but it is in Spain where dinner table bookings usually start from 9 pm and most people come in any time between 9 and 11 pm. Oli and co went ahead and walked Elliot in his push chair around the now more lively streets and we joined them at Ginos at 8 pm sharp. Eladio and I, with our masks on our faces, parked nearby and as we walked to the restaurant we saw quite a few people out and about. What a lovely sight to see life on the streets again.

I was delighted to be sitting at a table at one of our favourite restaurants. Only 50% of its capacity was allowed but luckily the front part of Ginos is considered a terrace so there was plenty of room. Everything was well organised; hand disinfectant and paper towels at the entrance, throw away paper menus, lots of disinfecting going on, etc. I also realised that common things like salt, pepper, sauces, etc, were provided individually so that nothing was shared. My biggest problem was choosing what to eat; pasta or pizza? I went for pasta in the end which I don't think I have eaten for months. I love the paglia e fieno (straw and hay) dish which is basically white and green pasta with chopped ham and a white sauce. This was my choice when we went out to celebrate that night.

My choice of food at Ginos on Saturday night

We ordered a bottle of lambrusco "rosso" to go with our celebratory meal. We were, after all, celebrating the arrival of Phase 1 in Madrid and we all felt so happy. We had to take photos to remember the day. I have chosen the one of Eladio and I with my Cheshire Cat smile for this week's feature photo. But we took more, like the one of Oli, Miguel and Elliot below, who, by the way, behaved well at the restaurant. 

Dinner out with Oli, Miguel and Elliot on Monday night

Elliot behaved well, I think mainly because he was so interested in all the comings and goings. He has been in lockdown for more than 2 months and has only been out on walks so has hardly seen anyone apart from ourselves, poor little boy.  So when he saw so many people and so much activity that night, he was mesmerised, looking everywhere. It was funny to watch him. He is desperately in need of the company of other babies his age but will have to wait as the kindergarden he is going to won't open until September. 

All in all it was a great meal and a great way to start celebrations of the beginning of the end of lockdown. We were home early, by about 10 pm and guess what? It was still light outside.

On Monday, by the way, 10 days of mourning for all the coronavirus victims began. Maybe I should have thought of that when we went out to dinner that night. We are so lucky to have been spared. On Tuesday there would be a minute of silence at noon all over the country and for 10 days all official flags would be flown at half mast. A memorial service of some sort is due to take place too but no plans have been announced yet. It was high time the victims were rendered a tribute. 

I woke up on Tuesday morning just before 7 am and only had a slight headache because of the lambrusco. 

On Tuesday something terrible happened in Minneapolis, America, something that would lead to riots, demonstrations and unrest all over the country. A young black man, George Floyd, from Texas was arrested for allegedly trying to use a false 20 dollar note.  Various "officers" - all of them white - tried to detain him and one of them, a man called Derek Chauvin, did so by placing his knee on Floyd's neck. He put pressure on his artery for nearly 9 minutes, more than enough to suffocate and kill him.  His knee was still pressing the black man's neck well after he had already died! George's last words were "I can't breathe" as Chauvin continued pressing. I call that cold blood murder at the hands of a racist sadist.  The police officer has since been sentenced for murder. If an indignant bystander had not filmed this terrible murder probably Chauvin would still be patrolling the streets today so I'm very glad he or she did and that we now have proof of what really happened. The incident has caused  indignation in the US and around the world. I can only agree to the words of the city's mayor, Jacob  Frey, who is white, when he said "Being black in America should not be a death sentence". What happened on Tuesday in Minneapolis is unthinkable, unpardonable and disgusting. What sort of police force does the supposedly democratic US have I ask myself? As bad as the most corrupt countries in the world I answer. You would think that the President of the US would adhere to the words of Minneapolis' mayor, but of course, being Trump, he doesn't and and has not been vocal in abhorring yet another terrible incident of racism on the part of the US police. 

George Floyd who was killed by Derek Chauvin right. 

As the week progressed the demonstrations and riots in the US got bigger and more violent and went completely out of hand. Now it's not just about George Floyd and mobs' behaviour has got completely out of hand with cities burning all over the country. It's also about venting anger over years of frustration over inequality and social economic problems. No doubt, Trump, will come heavily down on the rioters. I wish he would do so over the behaviour of his police force; then maybe there wouldn't be all this violence and rioting. 

Thankfully, for me, Tuesday was a  quiet day and we only went out on our walk on the very secluded paths. We did not see anyone else.

The highlight of Tuesday was my weekly Skype call with my great school friend Amanda who lives in Devon. We exchanged experiences of lockdown in our two countries, the UK and Spain. In the UK the news that has dominated everything this week was the story of Boris Johnson's top aide, the controversial figure, Dominic Cummings. Some say he is the man who runs the country and that the PM cannot govern without him. He had broken his own rule about staying at home in lockdown and had driven his wife and child up to Durham when they fell ill with the virus. There is a lot more to the story than that, but the bottom line is he broke the rules however you look at it. To sum it up the feeling of the British public is that there are rules for "them and us". In any other country or government when members of staff, politicians or advisors have broken the stay at home rule, those flouting the rules have either resigned or been fired. No so, so far in the case of Cummings. What is unacceptable is that he is one of the people who made the rules, yet broke them himself. Boris is sticking up for him but not all the Tory members of parliament are and the case is bubbling away so much that he may in the end have to go. As my friend Amanda put it, in a crisis like this the public have to have trust in the government and if the trust is lost, the government loses its authority or clout and the whole handling of the crisis by then becomes totally underminded. I personally think he should go. What I don't get is why Boris Johnson needs him so much. No one is expendable so why won't he let him go?  Cummings is attributed to be the mastermind who got the Tories to win the last election and to get Brexit dealt with but he will now be known as the man who broke his own rules. Amanda was indignant at his behaviour as are many of my English friends. The story is not going away any time soon, so let's see how this plays out. Amanda, likened following the story, especially his famous press conference in the Rose Garden of Number 10, as exciting as watching Wimbledon! I suppose that is because the aide's wrongdoing has gripped a nation that has been hard hit and suffered so much and who did keep to the rules. He should have stayed in London and got on with it as everyone in his position had to do. Anyway, enough on that, but I must say the story has gripped me too. 

Not much else happened on Tuesday, so let me continue on to the next day, Wednesday. Wednesday was more exciting. Eladio and I went together in the car for the second time this week and it felt funny as for the past 2 months and a half it has not been allowed. We were only going to the chemist so the trip wasn't exciting. At the chemist of course there is usually a queue outside as only one person is allowed in at a time. Here is Eladio outside with his surgical mask on. I took a photo for posterity as one day children will study this period in history.

Wearing a mask in the street and queuing outside the chemist - the new normal. 

Ah, but we made sure our excursion was a little more exciting was when we went to have a coffee outside at the "churros" bar. It felt like more freedom was being restored. I was so happy to be having a coffee at a bar with my husband I forgot to take a photo.

The big news that day came from Brussels when its chief, the German lady, Ursula von der Leyen, proposed a 750 billion euro recovery fund for what she called "Europe's moment" and to tackle an "unprecedented crisis". It still has to go ahead but as it has the backing of both Germany and France, I think it may.  In Spain the big news was that we only had one death recorded although the Health committee has made such a mess of the numbers here, I'm not sure the figure of 1 is believable. 

It was another hot day, too hot at midday to have lunch outside, but nice and pleasant in the shade in the afternoon to read outside. I always try to get my work and domestic chores out of the way by the morning so as to be free in the afternoon. It doesn't always work but it did on Tuesday.

Meanwhile Oli and her family were by the pool and little Elliot was in his dinghy boat. The funny little boy feel asleep in it would you believe? It's a weird place to fall asleep but I suppose babies can sleep almost anywhere.

Elliot asleep in his dinghy

He woke up though when it was time for dinner. I love our dinners on the terrace at night. Eladio says he prefers them to dinner out. I like both options and was looking forward to a meal at Casa Iván on Friday.

Thursday came and was this week's food shopping day. This time I took Eladio along although we are not supposed to shop together. Thus I had made two lists, one for my husband (the easiest) and one for me. When I had finished all my list, I went to help Eladio who was still at the beginning of his shopping only to find he had lost his list. There was no point getting cross with him, so I just had to remember what was on it and do it myself. Eladio is great in the garden and in the house but not good at shopping or cooking. We complement each other. He was given strict instructions not to buy anything not on the list and for once he mainly complied hahah. We came home to unload the biggest share of the week's shopping and then I went out again, but on my onw (hahaha) to Carrefour Market and BM for items I either can't get at Mercadona or which are of superior quality.

By lunchtime, once again our huge American sized fridge was bursting. We really need another fridge in the kitchen. We have one in the pantry on the ground floor but cannot see where to install it in the kitchen without having to move a radiator. 

The afternoon was spent leisurely. Eladio, though worked in the garden, mainly mowing the smaller lawns and battling with a problematic valve belonging to the irrigation system. The highlight of the day was dinner on the terrace and then it was time for the tail end of the news and more entertainment on Netflix. 

Eladio and I, with the company of Olivia, Elliot and Miguel, may complain about lockdown and worry about the crisis but we are fortunate ones. The virus hasn't touched us and by and large, we have all got along very well even after more than 2 and a half months in confinement. We have enjoyed meals together, time by the pool, walks and all in harmony. For many people lockdown can be a strain on relationships. Thankfully, that's not in our case. Eladio and I have been married for nearly 37 years. July this year will mark 40 years since we first met. It is remarkable that we are still happy together despite our differences in character and tastes. If you know us you will know too that we are very different people yet we love each other deeply. Thus when I read in the Spanish and the UK press that there is a surge in couples wanting to divorce after more than 10 weeks in lockdown, it makes me sad. I can't really relate to that as my marriage is so strong but I can understand that if a relationship between a couple is not so strong, just how hard it must be to be in lockdown together, especially if the space shared is limited. I also read that many couples cannot afford divorce and all that it entails. Gosh, how difficult and what mayhem this virus has caused. 

Friday came and it would be our last day of peace before the arrival of our first Airbnb guests since lockdown began here on 14th March. Eladio had a lot to do in the garden and Lucy had to deep clean the rooms and bathrooms. We also had to remove all of Oli, Miguel and Elliot's stuff which was all over the house. They would be fleeing on Saturday morning so as not to be here during the guests' stay. As usual, after our morning walk, I set about making our lunch - delicious vichyssoise followed by fresh hake fried in bread crumbs and served with grilled mushrooms and cauliflower (my father's favourite veg). 

In the afternoon after Oli finished work, we all spent time by the pool. It was too hot to do anything else. Elliot went in the boat/dinghy and as usual Pippa barked. She has a terrible new habit of barking when any of us go in the pool. She, herself hates the water. To shut her up I decided to put her in the boat with Elliot .She didn't like it though and clung to Olivia for safety. I had to have a picture. Let's see if you can spot her in the photo below. Don't worry though about animal cruelty as I quickly pulled her out. For a while she stopped barking 😀.

Pippa in the boat with Elliot

We had a dinner date on Friday, our second dinner out this week to celebrate Phase 1 but also to celebrate Oli's birthday. My very generous daughter treated us all to dinner at Casa Ivan that night. It was something I was looking forward to all day, so much so I forgot my weekly call with Kathy and Phil (sorry guys). But there was time to kill after the Pippa boat incident. Eladio went to mow the lawn to create a good impression for our guests and Oli and her family got ready and went into Boadilla to go for a walk before meeting us for dinner. I had time to myself which I always enjoy. I spent some of it reading and then daringly did a bit of skinny dipping before going upstairs to have a shower, wash my hair and get all dressed up to go out. It would be the first time I put make up in nearly 3 months. I even painted my nails. For the occasion I wore a lovely and ample red dress I bought at a street market in the very chic Ìle de Ré at last summer's cousinade. It had to be ample as unfortunately, after so much good eating during confinement, I have put on weight. I'm very cross with myself because of that. In any case I think I looked good when we left the house.

What looked great was the lawn which Eladio had just mowed. As I waited for him to drive out of the gates I admired it and had to have a photo to share with you. I always love a freshly mowed lawn in the summer.

The freshly mowed lawn on Friday evening

5 minutes later we were parking outside the restaurant where Oli, Miguel and Elliot were waiting for us. There was santised hand gel at the entrance, no table cloths and we had to download the menu from a QR code to choose what we would eat. The tables were distanced and only half of the restaurant's outdoor capacity was allowed to operate. I love Casa Ivan and it was our first choice of restaurant for Oli's belated birthday dinner but on the other hand it will forever remind me of my dear departed friend Fátima. It was at Casa Iván that I organised her two goodbye dinners for former colleagues from both Motorola and Nokia. I shall never forget the last dinner, just a week before she died. I picked her up from her home and when she got into my car she burst into tears telling me her health had taken a rapid decline. That drive which lasted no longer than 10 minutes is forever in my mind whenever I take that road or go to Casa Ivan. I drove with one hand, my other hand holding hers and both of us crying. Oh darling dear Fátima, how terrible that life took you so early and oh how much I miss you. I kept my thoughts to myself though so as not to spoil my companions' dinner although I mouthed to Oli that this restaurant will always remind me of Fátima. She understood. Going out again, dressing up for the occasion, the good weather and the company all cheered me up as did Elliot. He was also having his dinner out  except that it was purée his parents had brought for him😂,

It was a lovely evening, a lovely dinner and all felt good except that out there somewhere the virus is still causing mayhem. I asked for a photo of Eladio and I to remember the occasion and I got one which I actually quite like. This is it.

Eladio and I at dinner on Friday night

I also took one of my dinner companions to share with you too. 

Eladio, Miguel, Oli and Elliot at dinner on Friday night

The food was divine. We all shared croquettes and then had a second course each. Miguel and I shared a huge piece of steak which neither of us could finish. Elliot behaved perfectly but towards the end of our meal began to fall asleep so we called it a day, got the bill and left while the restaurant was still in full swing. It was during dinner, we heard that Donald Trump had broken off relations with the WHO. Oh my God what is that man doing? If only Barack Obama was still in power. I believe that if he was, the handling of the crisis in the US would be a whole lot better. 

We came home to a quiet house and were all soon in our bed. Eladio and I watched a funny film about corrupt politicians in Spain but I soon fell asleep. 

On Saturday morning I woke up just before 6 am but was wide awake so got up to feed the dogs and have my breakfast. It was going to be a very stressful day for me. We hadn't had guests for nearly 3 months now and yesterday it felt like I was preparing for our first experience. We had lots to do and lots to clean before they arrived. Oli, Miguel and Elliot, left just 5 minutes before they came after which I rushed round the house getting rid of any vestige of baby equipment of which there is a hell of a lot in our house. It felt like I was on a marathon race. Meanwhile I had to get lunch ready and leave the kitchen in pristine condition so as to give a good impression. They arrived and are a nice bunch of kids in their late 20's I think. They had come to spend the day and night after their own lockdown in a flat in Madrid and to celebrate one of their birthdays. The truth is they didn't give much trouble although Eladio had to give a big helping hand when it came to doing their barbecue after 10 pm last night when we were already in bed. They hadn't a clue so my poor husband went down and practically did it all for them. 

After lunch I had a quick and uplifting call with our friends Kathy and Phil who live in Yorkshire. We had a good mutual moan about the ups and downs of lockdown in our respective countries. I can't wait to see them again and hopefully if the borders open again, they may be able to visit us this autumn. We have so much in common, I love talking to them. 

At least the afternoon was peaceful. We left them to have the pool to themselves and after a short nap when shut eye refused to come, I came down to sit outside on our sunbeds under our lovely elm tree. I was joined by Pippa who I kept close to me as she does bark so much when we have guests in the house. Eladio joined me later for our only 2 hours of peace that day. Here he is reading under the elm tree.

Eladio reading under the elm tree yesterday afternoon

We managed to have a quick and delicious dinner at around 8 pm and then scuttled off so as to leave the guests in peace, except that Eladio kept having to go down to help them light the fire for the barbecue. I was stressed out by the end of the day after their arrival even if they didn't give us much trouble. It was so strange to have guests after such a long period of having the house to ourselves. I was stressed too thinking about all our other worries; Suzy stuck in London and with a life plan I cannot get around my head; finances because of our loss of Airbnb income and the worry of whether it will pick up or not this summer; a message from next week's guests who wrote that night to ask if we had a football when we don't want guests ruining Eladio's carefully tended lawn, the fact that I haven't heard anything in a long time from my publishers in the UK about my father's book and that I am totally incapable of advancing with my mothers biography which makes me feel constantly guilty, plus  a few etceteras such as what the hell I would make for lunch the next day or even dinner. Planning, shopping and cooking for up to 7 people a day all throughout lockdown has its challenges and frankly last night I felt exhausted. I know I shouldn't complain about our lockdown compared to many others, but I am tired, both emotionally and physically and constantly suffer from a lack of sleep. If only I could sleep a bit more, I know I would feel stronger to face all these challenges which for some are not challenges; but they are for me, at the moment at least. 

To take my mind off my silly little worries and because I just couldn't sleep I binge watched a new series on Prime Video called "Madres" (Mothers) set in a hospital. It was just my thing but oh my God how I could relate to some of the madres' problems. No, it's not easy being a mother is it? It never was. It's as if all the world's problems were on our shoulders; much more than for men I'm afraid. 

I think I finally got some sleep by about 3 pm after taking a double dose of sleeping tablets. I was awake at 6 but luckily slept until 7.30. I was anxious to get up and have a peaceful breakfast reading the headlines before our guests appeared or anyone else for that matter. It is at that moment in the day I recharge my batteries. I am still wondering though what I can come up with for lunch today. If only I didn't have to cook for everyone, then maybe I myself would be eating less and the kilos wouldn't be piling up; another thing that worries and depresses me. Sorry for the moan my friends but if I didn't write here what I really think, then this blog wouldn't be true to my life. There are of course things I have to keep to myself; i.e. I have to censor myself as some things just have to stay private. 

Hopefully things will pan out peacefully today and I can rid myself of some of the stress that has been building up during this week. I think I know the answer to my problems. Yes, I need a holiday, except that I won't be getting one soon. If only I could get away from it all and jet off somewhere but that my friends, thanks to coronavirus, is no longer possible.

Next week will be very similar to this week. In Madrid we continue to be in Phase 1 while many areas have moved to Phase 2 and even some (small islands in the Canaries and Formentera in the Balearic Islands) to Phase 3; all starting tomorrow. 

In any case you will read all about this coming week next Sunday. I often wonder how is it possible that I am still recording my life on a weekly basis in this blog, after so many years. I started in the summer of 2005, 15 years ago, and have hardly missed a Sunday since then. Writing has become a passion, something I never knew I could do but I often wonder why people want to read this drivel. Maybe you can tell me. 

Cheers friends and readers until next Sunday,

Masha 

Week 10 of coronavirus lockdown in Spain, Elliot masters crawling, weekend barbecue, grandparent duty, Elliot's first time in the pool, face masks now obligatory in Spain, Oli's birthday, good news: Madrid to move to next phase of lockdown lifting, Fuenquesada olive oil and other stories

Sunday 24th May 2020

Face masks are now obligatory everywhere in Spain - Oli and I wearing ours on Thursday

Top of the morning to you all wherever you may be.

This week was our 10th week in confinement in Spain. In the Madrid area we have possibly the strictest lockdown in the world and it is and  has been hard to bear. Again and again I tell myself though just how lucky we are to be confined in a large house with a garden and pool. The weather was gorgeous this week and certainly brightened my spirits. It's as if summer was really here but not with the vengeance of July and August when temperatures rise to the high 30's or low 40ºs. It has been marvelous. 

As many countries come slowly out of lockdown, as is the case in Spain, figures for contagion and death tolls are coming down. In Spain last Sunday, for the first time since before lockdown, the death toll was under 100 (87). It's still a lot but a far cry from the alarming numbers of previous weeks. On the "continent", numbers went down a lot in France and Italy and in the UK there were signs the country is over the peak. The countries which are now top of the dreadful league are the US (still), Russia and Brazil. So let's compare this week's numbers to last week's. Last week (Saturday 16th May) the total number of cases worldwide came to 4.7 million with a total of 313.266 deaths. Today the numbers are 5.372.822 and 342,634 respectively. Below you can see this week's table of figures and compare it to the figures for last week. 

Table Saturday 16th May

Table Saturday 23rd May 2020

The virus crisis is at different stages around the world but as you all know it is still with us. Going into deconfinement or easing lockdown measures is a tricky step in our war against coronavirus as it hasn't gone away and according to the WHO it will probably stay with us forever. However, there was news of a vaccine this week, from a US company called Moderna. It has been tried out on a small group of people and there are high hopes it will work. What I would like to see is a worldwide effort for a vaccine to be found and shared with all countries for free or practically free. Unfortunately, the majority of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies are from the US and somehow I don't see that happening. It should though. This week also saw its president, the one and only, larger than life, Donald Trump, admitting to taking the controversial medicine hydroxycholoroquine (hope I spelled that right) which has dangerous side affects and has not proven to cure the virus. This week also saw the President slam the WHO for what he says has been mismanagement of the crisis. He, however, is not doing well in his handling of it on his home turf as we all know. So who is he to speak?

On Sunday last week we were happy though to see that Spain is no longer a hot spot in the world and can see some light at the end of the tunnel. For us it was a lovely family Sunday, although for me most days in lockdown have seemed like a quiet family Sunday. That day Elliot turned 8 months old. He is so big, weighing nearly 10 kilos and measuring about 75 cm. He had been practicing crawling for weeks now and it was finally on Sunday, the day he turned 8 months old, that he mastered it and did many more steps or knee shuffles hahahha. Here he is in a video taken by his father that proves he can now crawl. Crawling is a big step in a baby's development as that is when it gets its  first taste of freedom of mobility.  The average age for a baby to start crawling is between 6 and 10 months, so Elliot is doing fine. We think he is teething too. When I read up about the subject, I was surprised to hear that it is not until a toddler is 3 years old that he or her has a full set of milk teeth.

We all went for a walk that morning enjoying the vegetation, the flora and the fauna which was spectacular. There are lots of wild flowers, especially bluebells, poppies, dandelions and huge daisies but there is another flower which is very abundant. It is purple like  bluebells but different and I wondered what it's called. This is it.

Harebells everywhere in the area where we live. 

Apparently it is a wild harebell also known as the Scottish bluebell and is from the Campanula family. Well, I love it. 

We came home to prepare what is now our weekly barbecue; except that we didn't have one yesterday.  Over the last few years we hardly ever had one but are enjoying them at the weekends now in lockdown. Here is Eladio tending to the gourmet burgers and "butifarra" spicy sausage which we would have with caramelised onion,  juicy sliced tomatoes and jacket potatoes.

Eladio tending to the barbecue

Thanks to the good weather, once again we were eating outside. Here is my father at the table. I know he loves our meals outside and as he was always a sausage fan (he used to burn them when making our tea) I imagine he enjoyed the barbecue that day.

My father at the table just before we had our barbecue lunch last Sunday

In the afternoon we all gathered in the shady area by the pool. Elliot was on his blanket and it was then that he first managed to crawl properly. We all clapped when he showed us he had mastered the art of crawling. Here he is on his blanket with his mother, our younger daughter, Oli, looking on lovingly.

In the garden with Elliot last Sunday

It was his father, Miguel, Oli's TV cameraman partner, who took the photo above and the video. He was enjoying his last hour or so with his son and Olivia before heading off to Valencia where he was working this week. The last of his paternity leave was over and he was going back to work. We would miss him this week. The good news is that from 1st August he will be transferred permanently to Madrid. So no more week on week off of work and week in Valencia and week in Madrid which does not make for good family life. 

Just as Miguel was leaving it was time for my weekly Skype call with my dear friends Sandra and Adele who live in Brussels and Orleans. It's always lovely to catch up. Now all three of us have had our hair done. Both Adele and I had been to the hairdresser and Sandra had done her own. 

We chatted for at least for an hour until it was time for us all to make dinners in our respective homes. That night I made a light dinner of tuna fish salad which we ate outside in the sun at 8 pm. Later I helped Oli bathe not so little Elliot who now sits up in his bath and splashes all over the place.  He was soon in his cot, fast asleep. After kissing him goodnight, I went to our room to watch the news with Eladio. We later saw a silly film starring an ageing Pierce Brosnan called The November Man which I do not recommend.

Monday came and the temperature would rise to 26c. From then on the good weather came and the forecast for the next few days was fantastic. I hoped and prayed we would have no rain again until after the summer, or as little as possible.

The forecast for this week and it will continue next week too.

Lockdown is so much more bearable with sunshine and for most of the last 2 months or so since the announcement of the State of Alarm and lockdown started, we have had little of it. Rain depresses me and sunshine always makes me feel good, so yes, because of the weather, I have felt a lot better this week.

Monday brought with it good news vs a vs coronavirus. The death toll in Spain fell even lower, to 59 and the government announced international travel could commence on 1st July. If that happens, barring new outbreaks of the virus, that means I may salvage some of my Airbnb business this summer. It also means we can go on holiday. I have been dreaming of going to Scotland but maybe we shall have to leave that till next year. I discovered a route up in the highlands called Route 500 and have been dreaming about it ever since. Finances, though, will only permit a staycation this summer. So, no doubt we shall be coming and going to Montrondo and Santa Pola. Reality is  they now seem almost like dream destinations after such a long time in lockdown. Until Madrid is in phase 3 we shall not be able to move from our province. So, roll on phase 3 I say.

With Miguel gone and Olivia working, it meant that Eladio and I were on grandparent duty with sole responsibility for little Elliot that day and on Tuesday. Thankfully Oli had Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off as her employer RTVE owed her 3 days holiday which she had to use up quickly before they expired. Elliot behaved well but of course needs our undivided. Thus we took him on our walk. Eladio took the dogs and I pushed his state-of-the-art push chair. It's easy to push on the flat but it's another story going uphill. 

Taking Elliot for a walk on Monday during grandparent duty. 

Half way through he fell asleep. Pushing him up the hill back home was strenuous; especially for the arms. We gave him some food - my forbidden yoghurt - and then he ate a whole nectarine. And what a mess he made. Eladio also got his polo shirt stained hahahahaha.

Elliot making a mess while enjoying his nectarine.

While Eladio was in charge of Elliot, I made our lunch; cream of asparagus soup with white asparagus followed by my salmon parcels with leeks and creme fraiche which we had with puree made from sweet potato, pumpkin and potatoes. Oli could not complain there weren't enough vegetables hahahaha.

Oli gave us a one hour break after lunch then it was grandparent duty again until I remembered I had a scheduled skype call at 5.30 with my old school friend, Amanda, who lives in Devon. I had forgotten about it so when Amanda reminded me, it was a wonderful excuse to escape grandparent duty hahahahahah. We nattered on for more than an hour, more than half of our call remembering our school days at St. Joseph's College, a Catholic Grammar School in Bradford. We were in stitches remembering our pranks, especially mine.

Then it was time for dinner, a simple meal of more asparagus; green ones this time, with scrambled eggs. Later I helped Oli bathe Elliot again who is quite a handful now in the bath as he moves around so much and splashes the water so.

Finally it was bed time and after watching the tail end of the news we resumed watching Fauda. I got a headache which  I couldn't shake off all night and even woke up with it when I got up at 6.22 to another day of grandparent duty.

Tuesday was mostly spent with Elliot. Again we took him on our walk and left early, at 10 am, to avoid the sun. Again he slept most of the way. During our Skype call, Amanda and I talked about the wild flowers we see on our respective walks and I told her that dandelion clocks are often gigantic here. I have never seen them as big in the UK as we get them here. So on the walk that day I remembered to take some photos to share with her, like this one.

Giant dandelion clock on our walk on Tuesday

No doubt, Elliot, when he is a little older, will love to blow on them, just as all children do. I remember as a child loving them, puffing at them and seeing the seeds fly into the air later to turn into new dandelions next spring. The seeds can fly as far as 5 miles from their origin! It was Amanda who reminded me they are called "clocks". They turn into "clocks" or puffy balls of fluff when the head of the wild flower goes to seed. So this occurs always after flowering. I had to search google to find out why they are called clocks. Apparently it's from a children's game - not one I ever played - where the number of puffs to blow the seeds is supposed to tell the time. Don't ask me how. I am not a botanist.  As to the name of the weed or flower, depending on how you like to see it - dandelion comes from the French (dent-de-lion) or the Spanish (diente de león) meaning the tooth of the lion. I read that this is because of the flower's toothed shaped petals. There you go, a piece of useless information for you or maybe for you UK lockdown quiz freaks an interesting piece of trivia.

Once home I fed Elliot an apricot which he loved  - he adores fruit (and bread) - and then it was play time on his blanket under the chestnut trees by the pool. I sat for a while on one of the benches watching him and had to take a photo of our lovely house. We have lived here since 2006, nearly 14 years ago. Oh how time flies. I often wonder for how many more years we will live here as I can hardly see myself still being here when I am really old. The house is far too big for that and there are too many stairs and steps.

View of our house from the shady part of the pool

While there was and is a big debate in this country on the reopening of swimming pools, both privately shared and public ones, I admired ours. The debate is how to reopen them and keep them virus free. There is no easy answer. The same debate is going on about opening beaches. Beaches and pools apparently will only be allowed to function with 30% of their usual capacity, something difficult to control. I am grateful we don't have that issue without our pool as I cannot envisage a summer in Spain without enjoying bathes to cool off when it gets really hot and it will. The forecast is for a very hot summer. 

Oli finished work at around 5.45 and we spent time by the pool keeping Elliot amused. There really is not much more to record for Tuesday, so let me move on to Wednesday.

I was awake early again, as usual but had finally shaken off my headache. Wednesday was a good day overall. Oli relieved us of grandparent duty as she would be off work until tomorrow. The four of us went on our walk at 10 am, to avoid the heat, with our dogs in tow. They are getting a lot of exercise recently which I know they much appreciate.

Grandparent duty resumed upon our return though for Eladio as that day Oli and I went to do the weekly shopping together. We didn't do it together which is not allowed but went in the car together and once inside the supermarkets followed separate lists. That made the whole process so much easier for me. We were in a hurry though if we wanted to be home on time for lunch and in the space of 2h or so made it to Mercadona, Carrefour Market, BM, the chemist and Alveran bakery. It was at the bakery that Oli ordered the pastries for her birthday breakfast. We came home to unload all our purchases which we hoped, this time, would last a whole week. Well they should!

The afternoon was spent by the pool as the temperature rose to 30ºc that day. I was there on and off as I was a bit busy working on a press release which I sent out on Thursday morning. Miguel, Oli's partner, ever the cautious one when it comes to Elliot, had ordered him swimming gear. A parcel arrived that morning from Decathlon containing a wet suit, sun glasses and a sun hat for our little tot. I laughed when I saw the wet suit - so tiny - which I thought was a bit much for a baby. I mean, our girls never got any protective ware of any type when they were small, except for arm bands and they have fared perfectly well. Today's parents are far more protective. Elliot didn't like the wet suit being put on him as it is tight and difficult to put on. I grudgingly admitted though that it would protect him more from the cold water than the strong sun. Here he is all ready for his first dip in the pool, quite a milestone in his life.

Elliot in his wet suit 

His mother was wearing her bikini and I am quite proud of her for keeping her figure after childbirth. In comparison I ballooned after giving birth hahahaha. Then Mother and baby sat on the steps of the pool ready to go in the water. Elsa, our lab is by their side and later went in too. She only goes in though if we throw a ball in the water so she did not join Elliot that day.

Elliot about to go in the pool

I joined them later for my first bathe of the season (it was cold) but first was on photographer duty. I took a lovely video of Elliot's first experience in the pool which you can watch here.  Then Oli got out an old lilo left behind by some Airbn guests and sat Elliot on it and cautiously looked around. He was clearly enjoying the experience but sat very still as if he knew he had to avoid danger. Soon, I hope, his father, an expert swimmer, will show him how to swim. The only thing we needed that day were arm bands but they didn't come with the Decathlon delivery as he has some at his parents' flat and they must go and get them he is to enjoy the water properly.

Oli and Elliot in the pool on Wednesday - his first time ever in the water

I found my own bathe quite cold but as it was warm outside it didn't really matter. I did skinny dipping and when I told Oli the term which she had not heard, she thought it was very funny. Well, I love skinny dipping, always have and am privileged to have a pool which none of the neighbours can see. My life loving mother would have approved I am sure.

Elliot didn't mind the wet suit but was a little puzzled by the sunglasses although he willingly allowed his mother to put them on. Just before he pulled them off, I got a snapshot of his first time wearing sun glasses. Here he is.

Elliot in his new sunglasses

I think it was around that time that Suzy, my elder daughter, rang us. We had a great family video call. She was amazed at how much Elliot has grown - we are too. He seems to grow by the minute.

Again we had dinner outside. It gets dark now officially at about 9.30 pm which makes for lots of sunlight hours. That is another reason for May being my favourite month. That evening I made artichokes or rather tried to make fried flower shaped ones. Instead of boiling them in oil which is far too fattening, I boiled them in water and perhaps overcooked them which made it difficult to turn them into flower shapes when it came to lightly frying them. This is what they looked like. It was my first attempt and I must say they tasted delicious although they didn't look very professional.

Artichokes for dinner

After dinner it was Elliot's bath time and I helped Oli again. When we bathe Elliot I always remember a story from my family. My parents used to tell us (my brother George and I) that when he was small and they were living in Cambridge, my father used to take him for a walk before dinner which was probably called tea then. Upon returning my 2 year old brother would say: "see Mummy, haf tea, baffy, beddy" (see Mummy, have tea, bathy, beddy). So when I help bathe Elliot I say these same words to him and which mean so much to me.

Later it was time for the news and Elliot joined me on my bed while his mother got ready herself. I love these moments with him. I give him lots of secret little things from my bedside drawer - his favourite being a tube of anti wind tablets (hahahaha) because of the sound it makes when he rattles it. He also likes my tub of chewing gum and a bottle of nail varnish which is tightly shut before it reaches his hands. Here is the little mite that night on our bed.

Elliot having fun on our bed just before going to sleep

When he had been taken away to be put to sleep in his cot which he hates, we had time to watch some of the news. The main stories that day in Spain were the further extension of lockdown - another 2 weeks, which was grudgingly approved by parliament and the fact that face masks will now be obligatory in public where it is not possible to maintain social distancing.  We would witness that personally when we went out the next day.

Thursday came and I would be busy in the morning sending out a press release about the appointment of two new board members for my main customer, a fiber internet operator. New board members is never of much interest to the media so I knew this would be a tough one.  Luckily though I did get some initial coverage but would have to wait until the next day to know how much from my press tracking agency. I think I got about 7 articles in the end which I considered good enough.

I had everything ready to go live at 11 am. Thus I managed our 10 am walk and came back to send out the press release and contact some of my key journalists in the hope they would publish the news which was not exactly breakthrough. But I got a breakthrough when Europa Press, a Spanish news outlet published it, meaning it would be shared with the media if they were interested. That is always the question.

With my work out of the way, I had time for a mid morning coffee with my family, then Oli and I went out to get the pastries she had ordered for her birthday breakfast at the Alverán bakery. It was on Thursday that we witnessed the new normal in the street with everyone wearing face masks. Thus we wore ours, surgical ones, as you can see in the photo illustrating this post. Luckily they are not obligatory in the open if social distancing of 2 metres can be maintained. I posted this photo on social media and my dear friend Sandra remarked that she would have expected Oli and I to wear fashion type floral masks. To begin with we don't have any and I haven't seen any here in Spain; not that I go out much. In any case small shops only began to open on Monday. I could order some online of course, but actually I haven't seen any I would want to wear. In a way, like my underwear, I think I like my masks plain white. But we will see. Here is Oli in the bakery (Alverán) where as you can see it was the new normal too, with only one person allowed in and wearing the obligatory mask.

The new normal - Oli with a face mask at the bakery on Thursday morning

As we drove around the area on our way home, we were pleased to see that small shops were gradually opening again. That lifted our spirits a bit.

We later had  a simple lunch of vegetable soup followed by lentils. It was actually all vegan so, no doubt, Suzy, my older daughter would have approved. As the week progressed it got warmer and warmer and lunch under the awning in the kitchen patio was very uncomfortable. We said we would have lunch inside again if it continued to be so warm.

To cool off in the afternoon, Oli and Elliot went in the water again. I didn't as I had a bit of a headache. But my, was it warm, even in the shade.

I had nearly forgotten to bake Oli's birthday cake but of course had plenty of time - we have so much time on our hands in lockdown - I made my standard Victoria sponge cake which came out a treat. I would decorate it the next day, just as Oli likes it, with jam and whipped cream inside and icing and bilberries and raspberries on top.

Dinner was lovely. I made coleslaw for the first time ever which we had with duck and orange salad (also delicious). For the first time ever, too, I used the shredder from my relatively new Kenwood chef. It's a lot more complicated than my old one. Eladio came to the rescue and with the help of You tube tutorials, we finally managed to work it out. The coleslaw turned out a treat.

Later I helped Oli bathe little or not-so-little Elliot; something I love doing. We went to bed quite early, caught the tail end of the news again - deaths were down to 50 that day in Spain - and then watched 2 more episodes of Fauda.

On Friday morning I was up early at 5.50. I was excited too as it was Oli's birthday with all that that entails in our house. It was to be a special one; her first as a mother. Olivia had asked Miguel to get people to send video greetings - a new fashion for birthdays as you all, no doubt, know. He complied and Suzy and I helped to gather as many as we could. I only wish we had included ourselves. So, he sent a final video beautifully put together by  where the first half was of Olivia and Elliot since motherhood. All in all there were about 30 videos from friends and family and the video lasted a good 35 minutes. I had to download it on my PC to show to my daughter later after breakfast. Later in the week I uploaded it to my You Tube Channel to share with you here but my video was blocked because of music rights. In any case, it was a lovely gesture.

Oli came down to my study to find me together with little Elliot. We were soon laying the table outside for her birthday breakfast and getting everything ready. Only Miguel and Suzy were missing but we hoped to make up for their absence by creating an extra special birthday for our youngest daughter. To think that 35 years ago I gave birth to her and to see her now as a mother herself is mind boggling. Where did the time go? This was my little baby just after her birth.

Olivia soon after she was born 35 years ago

She was always a happy baby and happy little girl. She did well at school and at University where she got a triple degree (!) and went on to have a good career as a TV journalist. We are proud of her for that but what fills our heart with joy is to see her as a mother.

Her special day started with a birthday breakfast which included all the treats we usually love. Here we are around the table (well I'm not as I took the photo hahahaa).

The birthday breakfast - spot Pippa

Oli got two lovely presents, a jump suit from Miguel and a watch (previously chosen by her hahahhaa) from us. Elliot was more interested in the wrapping paper, hahahaha.

The next item on the agenda of the day should have been a walk at 10 am but we got waylaid  -me finishing off Oli's cake, Oli getting Elliot ready and answering her phone which pinged all day and Eladio busy in the garden. He was too busy to join us on our walk and that morning saw him fumigate a green fly infested plum tree. Here he is fumigating it.

Eladio the gardener

It was just Oli, Elliot and me on the walk as when we were about to leave, Eladio was already on his next task - this time white washing one of his utility rooms. Here he is; the painter this time.

Eladio the painter

The walk was far too hot at 11.30 in the morning but we needed the exercise. Thankfully part of it was on shaded paths. Here is Oli with little Elliot in his push chair on our walk that day.

Oli and Elliot on our walk on her birthday

We came back and went more or less straight inside the pool to cool off. Then it was time to make our standard birthday lunch of beer battered fish with chips and home made mushy peas. This was the meal before we polished it all off.

Fish and chips for Oli's birthday lunch

For the cake moment, I got out some funny glasses and a sash for Oli to wear. Here she is with them on and about to blow out the candles with Elliot at her side. He is looking on with interest while munching on a nectarine.

Oli's cake moment with Elliot looking on

It was then that we heard the good news that Madrid would finally move from Phase 0 to Phase 1 of  of lockdown lifting, starting tomorrow, Monday. We all gave a round of applause when we found out. What great news. Now we shall be able to meet other people, invite them round and even go out for meals. Restaurants and bars will be able to open their outdoor dining area with 50% capacity. Churches too will be opening at 30% capacity but we shan't be going hahaha. We can't wait for our first meal out. We want to go to the Moroccan place we love, El Tuareg, in Villaviciosa. It was the news we had been hoping for as other parts of Spain had moved to Phase 1 and even Phase 2 and it was just Madrid, Barcelona and some areas of Castilla León that were lagging behind.

In the afternoon we spent the time by the pool. This time even Eladio went in the water for his first bathe which was quite an historic moment as he hardly ever goes in. I think he wanted to after the painting as he was all dusty hahahaha. The water was not as cold by Friday so Elliot didn't have to wear his wet suit thank googness.

Fun in the pool - Eladio's first dip

In the early evening, our neighbours, Julio and his Russian wife, Ekaterina, came by to give Oli a birthday present, a lovely loaf of his special bread which has sultanas and walnuts in. It was lovely to have a visit even if our visitors couldn't stay as that is not allowed until tomorrow.

The present of a loaf of home made bread for Olivia on her birthday from our neighbours

It was the perfect compliment to the birthday dinner; giant prawns with garlic and asparagus. The oil that went with the asparagus was also a present. It came from my former Nokia boss, Félix, whose family own an olive oil firm called Fuenquesada in his native Jaén. It was delicious, very green and tasty. I congratulated my former boss for the award his olive oil got at a recent contest. The Fuenquesada oil won the top award for outstanding "picual" (type of olive), a gold award at the NY100C olive oil contest, considered the most prestigious in the world and which takes place in New York. When Felix sent me a whatsapp with the news of the award I congratulated him and cheekily asked if maybe he could send me a bottle to try. Well, he did, and I loved it and I know I shall be buying some from his website. This is it if you are interested.

Fuenquesada olive oil - a must for olive oil gourmans 

The day was at its end and it had been a good one, even without Miguel and Suzy and without having been able to go out to dinner. But Miguel will be here tomorrow and no doubt next week we shall do so. As to Suzy, we'll have to wait and see when she can leave London - it all depends on her flight which keeps being rescheduled.

Saturday came and it was another hot and sunny day. The day unfolded as usual with our morning walk, bathes in the pool, lunch, siesta, more time by the pool, etc. There was good news that day when the Prime Minister announced that international travel to Spain will resume on 1st July, thus partially saving the tourist trade in this country in the summer. He also announced that La Liga will resume on 8th June, although behind locked doors. In the same live TV address he told Spaniards there would be a 10 day period of national mourning from this Tuesday - the dead so deserve that. His other news was economic, an introduction of a minimum basic wage to help "4 out of 5 people in severe poverty". As we all know the health crisis has caused an economic crisis the likes of which the world has not seen since the Wall Street Crash. In Spain 28.628 people have died so far and unemployment rose by 300.000 and 283.000 in March and April respectively. There is a great need for a minimum wage. To understand that, all you have to do is look at the people queueing up at food banks. I was happy to hear international tourism will resume, meaning I shall be able to host Airbnb guests, but at the same time I am a little worried people will bring the virus with them. Only time will tell. Later in the day, more lifting of lockdown measures were announced and I was delighted to read that from tomorrow, finally families will be able to go out and walk or do exercise together in groups of up to 10 people. For most of lockdown, no going out, including exercise, was allowed, except for trips to the supermarket or chemist. That changed not so long ago and one parent was allowed out with up to 3 children. From now on both parents will be able to go out with their children. Halleluya I say.  All this was good news, on a day when less than 50 deaths were reported.

This was all news I gave our friends, Phil and Kathy, in Yorkshire, when we had a Facetime call yesterday evening. They would love to come to Spain this summer, but then that depends on what lockdown measures are lifted in the UK. I would love to go to Yorkshire this summer but maybe we shall have to leave it until next year.

However, not everyone here is too pleased with how the government has handled the crisis - in my mind neither better nor worse than most governments - and Saturday saw car demonstrations all over the country calling for the resignation of the Prime Minister although the man is not for turning (hahaha). They were also calling for an end to the state of alarm that gives the government power to prolong lockdown in all its different stages.

There were anti government car demonstrations in big cities in Spain yesterday

The protests were called by the far right wing party (Vox) who accuses the government of a "draconian response to the pandemic that has resulted in unemployment and misery" according to one newspaper.

We discussed all the day's news over a lovely evening dinner outside on our kitchen patio when we enjoyed Julio's bread once again. Later  I helped Oli bathe Elliot again but tonight Miguel will resume the role when he returns from Valencia.

Today promises to be another scorcher with temperatures rising above 30ºc. I'm so grateful we have the pool to cool off. I have been up since 6.22 - not bad for me - Today will be our last day in Phase 0 of lockdown and we all look forward to regaining just a bit of our lost freedom when Madrid enters Phase 1 tomorrow. You will hear all about it in next week's post. Meanwhile, friends and readers, I wish you all a great week ahead.

Until next Sunday,
Masha