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