Week 7 of coronavirus lockdown, first day out for children in Spain, our "secret garden", Happy Birthday Suzy, Spain announces slow and staggered lifting of lockdown measures, a play pen for Elliot, my father turns 101 and other stories.

Sunday 3rd May, 2020 Day 49 of the Great lockdown.

With my father on his 101st birthday this Friday. What a milestone

Good morning again everyone. How has your week been? I hope some of you are now beginning to enjoy the benefits of the ease of lockdown in places. It's going to be a slow and gradual haul which could take up to more than a year for our lives to return to the normality of life before Covid-19 or what is now being called the "new normality". To return to life as we knew it means waiting for a vaccine. Meanwhile social distancing will be the new norm. I thought you might like to see this photo of the "new normal" for school children in some places in China. Is that what schools in the rest of the world will resemble after lockdown. It's a chilling thought.

Social distancing measures at a school in China

As to the figures of the infected, those who have died and those who have recovered, here in Spain and most of Europe the curve seems to be definitely descending. This was the picture last week when there were 2.902.708 cases in the world and a total death toll of 202.179. This week the figures have gone up to 3.457.511 cases and 243.200 deaths. Some countries are on the way down the curve but many like the US, Turkey or Russia are still to reach the peak. The UK seems to be either at the peak or just over it but still deaths are very high with 600 or so each day. It's frightening to think that the UK is now the third country with the highest number of deaths after Italy and the UK. However, we have been cautioned not to compare countries' figures too much as each country seems to report them differently.  Even so the charts below do show the trend. 

The figures for Saturday 25th April, 2020

Figures from last night Saturday 2nd May

In Spain we went from 223.759 cases and 22.902 deaths to 245.567 and 25,100 respectively. The good news again was that many more people recovered than were infected. The trend looks good but we must remain cautious.

Last Sunday saw the first of the deconfinement measures put into place. For the first time in 42 days, children were allowed out. The restrictions were 1) only one adult 2) only 3 children 3) one hour only  a day 4) 1km maximum distance from homes and 5) strict social distancing and hygiene.  This new "liberty" meant our little baby Elliot would be allowed out officially for the first time but of course with only one parent. However, as dogs are allowed out on walks - albeit shorter ones - both Oli and Miguel accompanied him and took along both Elsa our lab and Norah our beagle. Elliot was dressed for the occasion with his lovely skinny jeans and a blue jumper knitted by his other grandmother. I took a photo of them as they left the house. 

Elliot's first official walk last Sunday

For many children around Spain Sunday was a much awaited day. For the large part most parents kept to the 4 rules. But there were quite a few exceptions as we saw from photos posted by angry users on social media of families flouting the rules. The photos really upset me. I had really thought people would stick to the rules but no, not everyone. We saw crowds of families including both parents and more than 3 children on benches in parks which are generally no go areas and near beaches. We even saw pictures of children playing football. 

Families flouting the social distancing rules of the new measure allowing children outside once a day

I was very cross when I saw the photos. They were an example of how when people are given an inch they take a yard and that is not the way forward. There were warnings by some authorities that there would be fines put in place from the next day onward and even a threat of returning to complete confinement if families were not responsible. The last thing we want to do now after so much sacrifice is put in jeopardy all that we have achieved and face a new wave of the virus. I sincerely hoped people would listen. 

Sunday was just like another Sunday during confinement and not during confinement. The only difference being that Eladio and I went on our walk in the garden. Only Pippa, who had not been out with Oli and Elliot, followed us.

Lunch was scrumptious. Miguel grilled some amazing fillet steak which we had with roast peppers, roast pumpkin and potatoes in their jackets. I would have had a longer siesta but at 5 pm I had a scheduled skype call with my friends Adele and Sandra. At 5 pm on the dot Sandra rang and I answered on my big iPad Pro. Soon Adele was on screen too as was Magda, Sandra's 95 year old mother who popped into our call just to say hello. When I told Eladio I had a call that day with my friends, another one with Amanda on Monday and one with Kathy and Phil on Saturday, he remarked I was seeing much more of them than ever. He is right and that is thanks to confinement. I love these calls. 

Skype call with Adele and Sandra last Sunday

We nattered for 1.15h mostly about confinement and deconfinement. Deconfinement was already happening in Belgium. We also recommended books we were reading or series we were watching. Elliot came into the picture and my friends were able to see how he has grown. He just gets bigger and bigger hahahaha. 

When the call was over I was sitting outside on the kitchen patio and was rewarded with a beautiful scene. Eladio was carrying little Elliot in the wheelbarrow around the garden accompanied by his mother, Oli, my youngest daughter. It's such a funny picture I just have to show it. 

Elliot in the wheelbarrow last Sunday

When I posted the photo on Instagram, my friend Kathy from Yorkshire told me her father, Brian,  had said to her on the phone that afternoon: "that little boy is the highlight of my day and he's going to be as tall as Charlie" (his grandson). I was so touched and so was Oli. You will remember that Brian was nearly admitted into hospital with Covid but chose to go home to his wife. Thankfully now he is nearly completely recovered, God bless him. 

There was lots of spare time after the call and before dinner and I spent most of it with little Elliot and Oli while Miguel was doing his loud work outs with friends using Zoom. We all gathered together for dinner although I was not at all hungry,

That night we started season 3 of Anne with an E (based on Anne of Green Gables). I'm so sad there won't be a season 4.

I slept quite well that night and got up at 6.50 on Monday morning. I always love time on my own in the morning before the rest of the house is up, except for Lucy who also gets up early. She likes time on her own too with her "mate" a beverage stronger than tea which is prevalent in Argentina and in Paraguay where she is from.

Rain had been forecast but only a few drops appeared at around midday and the rest of the day was dry. It was sunny on and off and the temperature did not exceed 19 or so degrees. When the sun was shining I was able to read outside and that day finished Abdul and Victoria. Monday was day 4 of my book challenge on Facebook. Choosing 7 books from my entire reading journey during the whole of my life since I began with Enid Blyton was not easy. That day I chose a novel by Paullina Simons called The Bronze Horseman. It is an amazing love story set in ravaged and famine struck Leningrad during the famous siege in the 2nd World War. If you are into books about war and Russia that include an epic love story,  this is the one for you.

Book 4 in my Facebook book challenge

By the way, Sunday's book,  book 3 was another novel, this time set in England in the 30s a decade that fascinates me. Called The Willow Cabin and written by Pamela Frankau, it is another novel and a love story from my Aunty Gloria's book collection from the 50's which my mother discovered. We both loved it and after rereading A town like Alice, I shall also read The Willow Cabin again.

Book 3 

There was no cooking or baking to be done on Monday morning as there were so many leftovers in the fridge. We ended up having a sort of buffet lunch with everyone choosing what they wanted.

That afternoon I had my weekly Skype call with Amanda which again I nearly forgot as I was still sleeping my long siesta at 5.30, our scheduled time. But I made it. Thank God the call wasn't a work related one as I am usually a stickler for punctuality and would hate to be late for a work conference call. Thankfully the call was with my oldest friend who didn't mind. So, over a cup of tea we nattered for over an hour. It's funny how, thanks to Coronavirus, I am now so much more in touch with my best girl friends: Sandra, Adele, Amanda and Kathy. Love you girls. Life in lockdown for my friend in Devon and her husband Andy is very similar to ours and they are happy to be living in the country with very few cases around them. That day I was happy to see that the death tolls in Spain, the UK, France and Italy, were all receding.

Our walk in the garden was the highlight of our day as it has been up to now and we are always joined by Pippa. Dinner was an easier affair, Spanish potato and onion omelet made by Lucy which we had with a salad. It's now light at 9.30 pm at night and that evening after dinner I wandered into the part of the garden by the swimming pool (still closed) and admired the blossom from our gigantic horse chestnut trees. Here they are called "castaño de indias" - chestnut from the Indies. In the summer when it is hot we always sit underneath them. Slightly to the left of these lovely trees is a wooden staircase leading to the sunken garden below. The entrance to the wooden steps is covered by an arch of foliage including some of the branches of these trees. It always reminds me of the book "The secret garden" another favourite of my mother's and mine. She bought the film for the girls when they were small which they watched over and over again.

The arch of the entrance to the wooden steps leading to the sunken garden - reminds me of the book "a secret garden"

Sometimes it is so overgrown one can hardly see the steps but this year after a bout of gardening by Eladio, they are now clear. It's possibly my favourite part of our lovely Mediterranean garden which is blooming at the moment and so lush from all the rain.

Entertainment that night was once again Anne with E. We watched two episodes and then half a documentary on the wives of Henry VIII, a topic that always fascinates my husband and I and which we never tire of.

Tuesday came and it was Suzy's birthday. She turned 36 that day and would not be with us. We had sent her chocolates (Thornton's Continental) and two bottles of Terras Gaudas Albariño wine - a favourite of mine and the wine that was served at the King and Queen of Spain's wedding. Oli and I didn't know what to get her so thought chocolates and wine would be a good contribution for the celebrations of her birthday with the family she is living with in Acton Town, London. Suzy was with us last year just after her birthday when she came back from Bali for my father's 100th. We were also together in 2017 but in the UK. Both Oli and I went out to celebrate with her and went away for a few days to explore the beautiful Cotswolds. I had never been until there, was keen to go and also keen for the girls to go. We stayed at a little Airbnb cottage for 3 nights and fell in love with the beautiful villages. Here is Suzy 3 years ago, in the picturesque village of Bibury. No doubt her birthday this week, in lockdown, was  very different.

Suzy, Bibury, The Cotswolds, April/May 2017

Oh how I wished we could be together to celebrate but we had to make do with virtual greetings. We promised Suzy though that when she comes back, we shall celebrate properly. From these pages I am sending my heartiest congratulations on the occasion of her 36th birthday. I imagine that like most mothers on their offspring's birthdays, my thoughts turned to when she was born. To think 36 years ago that day I had already given birth for the first time (she was born around 5 am on 28th April 1984) and that I was holding my most treasured possession ever in my arms and had become a mother for the first time. What a responsibility. 36 years later, I still adore my daughter, of course, who in my mind, will forever be "my baby". That's maternal instinct for you I think. Happy birthday darling Suzy, hope you had a great day. Later in a video call that night when we sang Happy birthday to you. She told us her family in Acton Town had gone all out to make it a special day, even making the most delicious chocolate and fruit cake as the piece de resistance of her birthday dinner.

On the coronavirus front there was some good news that day. It seems the Oxford group are nearer to finding a vaccine in a race for one all over the world. In Spain I read of the remarkable story of a the 106 year old Spanish woman, Ana del Valle, from Ronda,  who is now on record for having survived both the Spanish flu and the current pandemic. There is something about people in their 100s. They are often stronger than most old people and there are stories around the world of them surviving coronavirus. It is believed she is the oldest living woman in Spain. I loved that story, a positive one among all the gloom and doom as I call it. I suggested to Oli that the story would make a good fit in her programme.

Ana del Valle, the 106 year old woman who survived both the Spanish flu as a child and coronavirus. 

I began my day with these stories which were quite uplifting. That morning, continuing with my Facebook book challenge, I posted another favourite book; book number 5. Called "Guard your daughters" it is by the British novelist Diana Tutton and was published in 1953.

A wonderful novel

It is the charming story of the Havey sisters who live very unconventionally, are unschooled and oddly named. They live in a family who practice social distancing owing to their very fragile mother who seems bent on stopping them from venturing into the outside world.  There are some similarities today that I can think of hahahahaha.

On the topic of books, my UK publisher finally sent me the edited manuscript of my father's book that day. I looked forward to a morning going through it but very soon was disappointed to see they had ignored the changes and additions I had sent them in a 6 page word document back in September. I thought that was a bit sloppy. Thankfully after an exchange of emails, they agreed to update the manuscript. The status of the publication of the book at this moment is that it is virtually on hold because of the pandemic. However, we have agreed they will market it and publish it on Amazon and then when, all is back to as normal as possible, they will do the same with bookstores in the UK.

When I realised I wouldn't be spending the morning going through the manuscript I turned to my own reading. Having finished Abdul and Victoria, I got out my battered copy of one of my favourite books; A town like Alice which I first read in the 70's when my mother discovered it in my Aunty Gloria's old book collection. I must have read it at least 5 or 6 times and it always pleases. I have ordered the DVD of the 1950s film on Amazon and can't wait to see it. There was a mini series in the 80s but I can't find it anywhere. A town like Alice is one of those books that one can read and read again and there aren't many like that.

Meanwhile I kept going into the kitchen to check on my "fabada" (Asturian bean soup) bubbling away and which can take up to 3 hours to cook to perfection. It's a favourite dish in this household.

We had a long sleep after lunch, I read a bit again and then just as we were going on our walk, Oli rushed out of the kitchen to tell us that Spain's premiere, had just been on TV live announcing the plans for the lifting of lockdown. That day deaths were down to 310 but  still high so the the strategy for the easing of  "deconfinement" as it is called here will be slow and measured. But now at least we have a window of hope. The plan is four phased and "new normality" is expected to take place by the end of June. Not till then will we be able to move out of our province. Each region or province will move at a different pace depending on how they have been affected. Islands such as Gomera, La Graciosa and Formentera in the Canaries and Balearic Islands which are almost corona free will move to stage 1 from 4th May. From 2nd May exercise will be allowed in all the country but individually so. Phase Zero starts on 4th May and means some businesses such as hairdressers (hurray) will be allowed to open but with strict restrictions. Take aways will be allowed too as well as some sports training.  Remote working must continue and there will be hardly any schooling until September. The most vital question `we needed answering is when can we visit friends and relatives? It seems that will be possible in stage 1 but only within the same province but sadly no visiting the elderly.  The bottom line for us is we won't be able to go to our second homes until the end of June.   The plan is long and detailed, too detailed to explain here, but at least we have a plan and it is full of precaution. If the figures go up, we shall have to move back a step and keep adapting to the reality of the spread of the virus. That makes sense I think.

As to when international travel will be allowed that remains a question mark. I suspect that for many of us around the world this summer it will be a case of staying put or taking a "staycation".

We discussed what we knew on our walk in the garden and looking forward very much to being able to walk outside our grounds. The news wasn't clear whether this would be allowed from Saturday or from Monday onward. Even when it did come (see below) it was all rather confusing. 

While we were walking, Oli was making home made pizza and asked Eladio to hold the baby for a lap or two of our walk. But he is so heavy, Eladio had to stop at the swings. There both he and the baby enjoyed swinging and I had to capture them on camera. I love this picture.

Elliot and Eladio on the swings on Tuesday

After out pizza dinner we rang Suzy to wish her a happy birthday from us all and then it was time for "beddy byes" for Elliot and time for us to go up to our bedrooms. Eladio and I watched three more episodes of season 3 of Anne with an E until we were falling asleep.

I was up at 6.15 on Wednesday morning and pleased to see the day would be sunny. We have had so many cloudy and rainy days it was time for the good weather to come. So I was really happy to see the forecast was great for the next 10 days. I kept nudging Eladio to open the pool. He would today finally.

I had plenty to time to read the news on my iPad that morning before everyone else was up. One article was very sobering. I can't remember where I saw it but I remember reading that now more people have died in the US than American forces in the Vietnam war. Isn't that terrible? Another item of news that caught my attention came from near Ronda in Cadiz (south of Spain).  The local authorities of the seaside town called Zahara de los Atunes, has gone and sprayed the whole beach with bleach. The idea was to disinfect the beach to make it safe for when children were allowed out to walk. This action incensed environmentalists and produced an outcry in Spain as it caused brutal damage to the local ecosystem. I was furious when I read this story. I mean, how stupid can you get? Beaches clean themselves and there is no virus there, just flora and fauna which have now all gone.

Soon the family was up and I always love seeing Elliot first thing in the morning. He always wakes up with a smile. We were playing and I put him in one of the dog beds next to Pippa. He loved the experience. Here they are together, best friends. Well, not quite as Pippa is slightly afraid of Elliot who still doesn't know how to stroke a dog and instead pinches them with his little fist hahahahaha.

Elliot and Pippa - best friends

I was going to be busy that morning going out shopping. Just I was about to leave, Oli asked if I would mind her TVE cameras coming round to interview me for a story about hairdressers after lockdown. I willingly said yes thinking it would be a bit of fun during confinement. In the end it didn't happen as the programme preferred to film a small hairdresser in a village outside Madrid. So my new moment of stardom didn't happen hahahaha.  I am fully aware that not being able to go to a hairdresser during this crisis is a very minor inconvenience for us to bear with so much tragedy going on and having a few more centimetres of grey hair in my roots is a minute problem compared to other people's. But even so, I am looking forward to the moment I can get rid of them after all this time.

That morning I felt like speedy González. I left the house at around 9.45 and was home by just after 12.30. What did I do you may wonder? Well, in record time, I went to the chemist for my father's medicines and some masks (yes finally we can get them), then to the nearest "hole in the wall" which didn't work. From there I drove to Mercadona to do the most of the shopping. The more gourmet stuff I got at Carrefour Market and then an upmarket supermarket called BM. With a week's worth of shopping in my car I then made my way to find another hole in the wall to get Lucy's wages but none of them had enough cash. I also popped into Alverán (bakery) to order some breakfast stuff (croissants, etc) for my father's birthday. My last port of call was my local private clinic. I had tried to ring them a couple of times to get an appointment with my GP there for a prescription of my all important sleeping tablets.  The new norm at the clinic was to have a phone appointment with my GP. He later rang me and sent me the prescriptions by email which I thought was very efficient.

I came home with a heavy load of food, etc and felt as though I had been on an obstacle race in the rush to do all the shopping, come home, unload it and then prepare lunch. Thankfully Lucy was on hand to help.

It was while I was out shopping that Boris Johnson (55) and his girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, announced the birth of a son. Gosh I thought, he has just had a brush with death and now he has a new life to welcome. But he won't be able to enjoy fatherhood for a while as he has the whole country to manage during the virus crisis. I read he will be taking the statutory 2 weeks father's leave later in the year. That's not very long for father's leave. Recently in Spain it was increased from one day during our parenthood, to 2 weeks a year.  Then in 2019 when Miguel, Oli's partner, became a father it was increased to 8 weeks and from 1st January 2020 fathers are now able to take 3 months leave. Back to Boris' baby, his 5th or maybe 6th child from more than one mother, he looks to be quite an "old" father at 55. No doubt growing up in Downing Street will have its challenges.  I'm no fan of the man but I'm happy for the baby about which no details were given away on the day of the announcement. Later in the week Boris Johnson's girlfriend announced on social media that the baby was to be called Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson. She also shared a photo of herself with the baby boy who is thought to have been born somewhat prematurely.

Carrie Symonds and baby Wilfred born on Wednesday

The names of the baby are a tribute to his two grandfathers and the name Nicholas is a tribute to two of the doctors who treated the Prime Minister while he was in hospital with coronavirus. Boris Johnson came back to Downing Street this week with a bang but later in an interview this weekend with The Sun he actually welled up when describing his experience. He said he felt lucky given that so many others were still suffering. He also said that he now felt "driven by a desire to stop other people suffering". He acknowledged that while he was being given litres and litres of oxygen to keep him alive, doctors were preparing to announce his death as he battled coronavirus. It's quite extraordinary that just two weeks later he is back in Downing Street and now the father of a small baby born this week. It was 50-50 whether he would have survived. Thankfully now little Wilfred will have a father, albeit one he won't see too much of, at least for the moment. 

Just after lunch and our prolonged siesta, the play pen we had bought for Elliot on Amazon arrived. I had suggested to his parents that now that he was moving he really needs one. They need it to park the baby there if they are doing things in the kitchen. I well remember our girls having one when we lived in the centre of Madrid (Calle Francisco Silvela) and it being a safe place for them to be while I was cooking for instance. It was Eladio who dug out this photo of Suzy in 1984, probably aged about 9 months, in the very simple play pen we had then.

Suzy aged about 9 or 10 months in her play pen

Elliot's play pen is much more sophisticated. It is actually called a play and sleep centre and is by a German firm called Hauck. We filled it with his toys and the little tot took to it immediately. Here he is busily playing in it at dinner that night.  However, he doesn't like being in it for too long. 

Elliot in his new play pen

I noticed him falling around it but getting up again and it seems to me the perfect place for him to learn to move around and crawl without falling over. I'm so glad we got it.

While Oli set it up Eladio and I went on our 21 laps of the garden. Again I inspected the roses to see which of them had bloomed and that day quite a few had come out, apart from the yellow ones. It was two beautiful and fragrant red roses that caught my eye. They looked so beautiful I'm sure they  would be good enough to enter a rose competition. Here they are in all their glory.

Beautiful and fragrant red roses in our garden

Kathy asked her rose or expert father, Brian, to see if he knew the name of these roses. I'm so sorry I threw away the labels when we bought new roses 2 years ago. He's not sure as they grow in Spain but thinks they could be an old English shrub rose or even German. I wish I knew more about plants, flowers and trees. My father knew quite a bit but I didn't really listen when I was a child as tends to happen.

Just as I was back in the house from our walk, I found the personalised birthday card I had ordered for my father online. This is it and it comes from Zazzle. I was disappointed it was not a proper birthday card but a sort of post card, rather small and that it had not envelope. But no worries, I did some handy craft work the next day and turned it into a proper card.

The card from us to my father for his birthday

Much more sophisticated and well thought out was the card my dear friend Joanne, a teacher from Lancashire sent. She was once my Airbnb guest when her daughter Elisa was studying at the local Uni and we became firm friends. She had sent the most beautiful e-card to my father and asked me to print it and make into a card which I did, using the same craft work for our own card. I especially loved the front cover so lovingly chosen for the photos on it.

The front cover of Joanne's card to my father

The e-card turned into a physical card. Love the back too. 

The e-card comes from Moonpig and Joanna told me all proceeds were going to the NHS!

That night we finally finished the 3 season series of Anne with an E, based on the Anne of Green Gables book or books. We loved it and loved the ending which was a happy one as all endings should be in my mind if they want to satisfy their readers or viewers.  It would be difficult to choose what to watch after that and we would miss the characters, especially Anne

Thursday was the last day of April and we had a lot to look forward to in May, a gradual relaxation of lockdown plus good weather finally. 

It was a lovely day for us, as far as days can be lovely in lockdown, but in my home country it was the most special day in the life of Captain Tom Moore. I think he now needs no introduction; the WW2 veteran from Keighley who has raised 32 million pounds for the NHS by walking around his garden with the aid of his zimmer frame and entered the Guinness book of records. This man who turned 100 that day has been an inspiration to the whole country and has lifted everyone's spirits. That day he received the traditional card from the Queen, just as my father did last year on 1st May. Here he is with his coveted card, a card that many people in their 90's live for. I love that most English tradition.

Captain Tom Moore with the birthday card from the Queen to mark his centenary

The Queen went one step further and made him an honorary Colonel. The RAF did their bit by flying a spitfire and hurricane over his home in Bedfordshire. Even the PM sent a video message. He also received literally 1000's of birthday cards from all over the country. I wish him the very best. Happy 100th Captain Tom Moore, may you continue to inspire and long may you live.

A year ago this week my own father turned 100, on 1st May 2019, so he is just one year and one day older than Captain Tom Moore. I well remember all the frantic preparations for my father's centenary, including the book but much more. The day before, on 30th April, Suzy arrived home from Bali and Andrew D came from Switzerland, as did my cousin Zuka from France and my oldest friend Amanda from the UK. That night was a lovely reunion. This year's celebrations, due to lockdown, would be a lot more modest but put together with just as much as love. 

That morning I baked my father's cake; Victoria sponge cake (two layers) and then embarked on lunch. At popular request I made chicken tikka masala . I even had time to make Elliot's lunch, a puree made with chicken, potato, peas, leek, mushroom and carrot. He loved it. 

When I had finished I went out into the brave new world as I had to visit the chemist to pick up my prescription of much needed sleeping tablets, get some money out of a "hole in the wall" and pick up the breakfast bakery items I had ordered from Alverán for my father's birthday breakfast.  While I was queueing at the chemist I got a much welcomed message. It was from my hairdresser who has given me an appointment, the first I think for them after lockdown, tomorrow at 10 am. I can't wait. There was a lot of queueing so I wasn't home until nearly 2 pm, our lunchtime. 

After lunch I continued reading "A town like Alice" which I know backwards but always love. It was then time for our walk in the garden. Oli and her family were back from their now allowed walk and it was Oli who informed me of the new government announcement on walks and exercise as from Saturday 2nd May. 

The instructions were most unclear. Basically the government wants to limit the contact between age groups, children, adults and any one over 70 and has set out time frames for all locations with a population higher than 5000. A friend of mine sent me an image of the rules which I am sharing with you. Crazy right?

Rules on who can go out and when

From what I could understand, as from yesterday people could go out to exercise on their own but no contact sport. There was no limit on time or distance from homes  but the age groups have to exercise or go for walks at different times: people aged 14-69 from 6-10 am and from 20h to 23h, accompanied children up to 13 years old from 12h to 19h and those over 70 from 10h to 12h and 19h to 20h. Walks are limited to one hour and to a one kilometre radius from people's homes. Couples who live in the same house are allowed on walks together. All this left me on a quandary. Is walking exercise meaning I can go out for a 7km walk or just a 1km walk? If my husband is over 70 and I am under 70, can I go out with him at the same time or not? Eladio thinks that with the new rules we cannot go for a 7km walk together so suggested we just continue doing our 21 laps of the garden (4.5km) at any time we want. I disagreed and so did Oli and thus we are now going on the country paths behind the houses where no one can see us. They are perfect for social distancing. 

But on Thursday we were still going round the garden.  When we had completed the 21 laps I came back in and Oli and I finished decorating my father's cake. We spread a layer of Bonne Maman bilberry jam to which we added a thick layer of whipped cream on one of the cakes and when we had done that, we placed the other cake on top. The topping was icing sugar decorated with raspberries and bilberries and a strawberry in the middle. This is what it looked like. 

The fortified Victoria sponge cake for my father's 101st birthday

I have to make a special mention of the glass cake plate. It is a cut glass one which has been in the family for many years. If I am right, my father bought it for his mother on one of his travels to Scandinavia in the 30's or 40's. I use it lovingly and am always worried it might crack or get broken. 

On the subject of celebrations, I would like to take a moment to wish my dear friends, Kathy and Phil, hearty congratulations on the occasion of their 16th wedding anniversary on Thursday, the same day as Captain Moore's 100th. You see the three of them are from Keighley in West Yorkshire. Kathy and Phil are great travelers but there was no travelling for them that day. Instead they had to make do with take away fish and chips. Actually I quite envied them as you know my penchant for this most British of dishes. No doubt, they will celebrate in style when this is all over. There are so many things we are all going to do when that happens. I'm praying there will be no second wave. Pray too.

Our friends Kathy and Phil who celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary this week. 

Once again we had a lovely dinner together, the 5 of us including little Elliot. They are the highlight of our day. Dinner that night was washed down by a delicious glass of Protos red wine from the Ribera del Duera area. I love it but it gave me a headache.

That night, after ending Anne with an E on Netflix, we chose to watch a film called Sergio, knowing nothing about it. Well, we did when we watched it riveted until the end. Sergio Viera de Mello, played by Wagner Moura (Pablo Escobar in Narcos) was a high ranking Brazilian UN diplomat, responsible for many humanitarian missions. He sadly died in an Al Qaeda bombing in Iraq when he was the representative of the UN Secretary General in that country. He was killed in the Canal Hotel bombing on August 19th 2003 aged just 55 which left a death toll of 22. 

Wagner Moura (left) plays Sergio Viera de Mello in the Netflix film "Sergio" which we watched this week

I was deeply moved by the film as was Eladio and I shall now look up a book written about this extraordinary man. 

We were up late talking afterwards and I found it difficult to sleep. I was awake at 5.50 on 1st May, the day of my father's 101st birthday. Around the world it was Labour Day and in Finland it was their independence day commonly called "vappu". This year's birthday for my father would not be as splendid as last year's but even so I went all out to make it as special as I could for him. 

While everyone was asleep, I prepared the breakfast and also went into the garden to get some flowers to decorate it - sweet mock orange blossom. Before we all gathered I went down to his room to wish him a happy birthday and took with me a vase of yellow roses (my favourites).

At about 9 am we were all gathered round a table heaving with calorie filled pastries, etc.

My father's birthday breakfast

It was to be his first birthday with Elliot and we took the opportunity to take a photo of him with Elliot wearing my father's "peaky blinders" green corduroy cap. Here we are together that morning at breakfast.

At breakfast on my father's birthday

When we had all had our fill it was time to give my father his cards (he loved them) and his presents. I had bought him a box of Cadbury's dairy milk chocolates and some Hugo Boss perfume. He has never been a man to use scent or perfume until recently. So I hope he likes it.

It was after breakfast that Oli, Eladio, the dogs and I finally ventured out all together on paths behind our house where no one could see us. We went much further afield than before and hardly met anyone, just the odd dog walker. We walked on narrow paths lined with beautiful wild flowers and lush grass and all so high thanks to the recent rain. I especially love the poppies as I told you last week so when we came across a patch of a lot of them, we had to have a photo. Here it is.

With the dogs on our poppy studded walk on Friday

It was on that walk that we all decided that to hell with the government's unfathomable rules, we would just go on this lovely 6km walk on narrow paths from now on and at the time we choose. We also argued to ourselves that we certainly live in an area with fewer than 5000 inhabitants so won't be breaking any rules really and of course we will be practising total social distancing. And what a beautiful and refreshing walk it was as nature is at its best now in May. May is always my favourite month, the month when nature takes over and is the gateway to summer.

Once back home I inspected the roses again and saw that two beautiful pink and white ones had bloomed. These are them.

My lovely pink and white roses

It was Brian who came up trumps again and through him I learned they are the "gemini" variety.

It was to be home made fish and chips with mushy peas for lunch - a firm favourite on birthdays at our house. So I knew my father would be pleased.

Beer battered fish and chips for lunch on my father's birthday on Friday

We all enjoyed this simple British dish and had the cake to look forward to also so had to keep some room in our stomachs for it hahahaha. Here is my father with the cake and about to blow out the candles.

My father's cake moment, always the highlight of any birthday

His old college, Selwyn College Cambridge, had written a few days ago to pass on birthday greetings to their oldest living alumnus. They had also asked for a photo of him on his birthday. I asked our in house cameraman, Miguel to oblige and he did. He took some lovely photos of my father, including the one illustrating this week's post. Here is the one I like best of my father with his blue eyed gaze still all there and wearing, of course, his University tie for the occasion.

My father's official 101st birthday photo courtesy of Miguel

We all went to rest after that. I think I was too excited to sleep so started watching a hospital series on Netflix called Code Black. Later I came downstairs to make a cup of decaf tea and read outside. Soon I was joined by Eladio who carried on gardening and then by Oli and Elliot. While I was playing with Elliot on the grass, Eladio and Miguel brought out the great big wooden table for our kitchen patio. We deemed the weather good enough to inaugurate our outdoor dining room which will be open until the end of October. We decided to have dinner outside for the first time.

Our outdoor dining room - the kitchen patio - officially opened on 1st May 

As I had made both breakfast and lunch, it was up to Oli and Miguel to make dinner. Oli decided on making "verdura en tempura" which is basically lightly battered and fried strips of different vegetables - delicious but fattening. Here she is cooking that night.

Oli cooking on Friday night for our first dinner outdoors

Meanwhile Elliot was having his "tea" as in dinner. It was  a funny sight as all three dogs were at his feet hoping for a morsel or so which they didn't get, at least from him. They did get their evening dog treats though later. Elliot found the situation funny and chuckled while he ate and watched the dogs. Here they are on camera.

Elliot having dinner with all 3 dogs at his feet which he found very funny

The dinner was exquisite as was being outside with it being light until way past 9.30 pm. We all commented on what a wonderful day it had been. Before dinner I had gone down to wish my father good night and to ask him if he had enjoyed his birthday. He is not a man of many words nor is he expressive so when he told me he was reading my biography again I was touched. He also remarked on how I expressed my love for him in the book. After he said that I gave him a hug. Oh how I love my father so.

While we were having dinner, a young girl called Elisa was alone in England celebrating her BA. Elisa, is the daughter of my friend Joanne (the one who sent the lovely e-card). She has just graduated in Fine Arts at Coventry University and like many students in England finishing their degrees, there will be no reveling due to coronavirus. I wrote to congratulate her. She is a fine young girl and I know that the world, even this different world, will be her oyster. Congratulations Elisa. No doubt when this is all over you will be able to celebrate.

I don't know what we watched on TV that night as I was so tired I fell asleep quite early for me.

Saturday dawned and the headlines for Spain's economy were grim. Unemployment is up to nearly 30% with people either furloughed or out of work! The GDP in this country contracted by 5.2%. This is the worst reading since records began. It's a similar story in Italy which is in recession with its GDP decreasing by 4.7% and in France where it fell to 5.8%. Some say it will take 2 years to get back on our feet. Meanwhile life will be dire financially for many. 

On the bright side though, Saturday was the first day people other than children were allowed out to both exercise and take short walks. Saturday was 2nd May a holiday in Madrid where usually people would crowd to celebrate "el dos mayo" which commemorates the uprising against Napoleon's troops on 2nd May 1808. Eladio wondered what would have happened had the uprising been unsuccessful and how the country may well have been taken over by France.

As I said it was the first time people could exercise after nearly 50 days of confinement. And wow did they take to the streets on foot, on their bikes, on canoes all over the country.  We went on our walk, Eladio and I with Elsa on the hidden footpaths lined with lovely wild flowers and Miguel,Oli, Norah and Elliot on the road. They went on the road as the path from our house to the point where we would meet later was too narrow and difficult for the push chair.

Eladio on our walk yesterday

Poppies on our walk which I now call "our poppy walk". 

We met up on the street later and crossed over to the other side to continue our walk on the country path which is wider there. For our whole hour of walking I think we only saw about two other families and a couple of people with their dogs, so social distancing was easy.

We had decided to have a barbecue that day, the first of the season. I can't remember when we had our last one but it must have been over a year ago. Miguel went to buy the meat and other stuff and came home with the food plus two small bunches of flowers supposedly from him and my husband. They were for Oli and I for Mothers' day today in Spain. We were both over bowled and delighted. In a fun moment, Eladio went down on his knees with Elliot in his arms to present me them. Oli caught the moment on her phone.

Flowers from Eladio for Mothers' day today

Later it emerged the flowers were being given out free at the supermarket. Our hopes for romanticism from our partners were dashed but we had a good laugh.

As soon as we were back from the walk, Eladio prepared the barbecue and soon Miguel was grilling the meat. We had gourmet hamburgers and sausages (chorizo and "longaniza") with fried onions, fresh tomatoes and jacket potatoes which was all absolutely scrumptious.

Preparing the barbecue we had yesterday

I spent the afternoon reading in the shade as it was too warm to read in the sun. I finished A town like Alice and later handed it to Eladio to read; my most treasured book.  He had been in the garden generally mending things and clearing up dead branches. I was told he came across a dead rat in the trap he had laid. I did not want to know anything about it as I just hate those creatures.

Miguel was our chef that night although none of us was hungry. Thankfully he made a light dinner; cream of asparagus soup which we had followed by sweet and fresh pineapple.

Dinner last night

I finally got Eladio to agree to opening the pool next day and was as pleased as punch when he acceded.  So today we shall be taking off the cover of the pool and Eladio will get it ready for swimming in. The temperature will reach 28ºc here today and I can't wait for a dip, my first this year. When I woke up this morning one of the first things I did was look at the weather forecast and I was happy to see the weather is going to hold for quite a while.

The forecast for today until Thursday 

I am well aware we are very privileged to have our own pool.  But we chose many years ago to live outside the city in a house with a garden. Most people in Spain prefer to live in the centre in flats which in actual fact cost the same as a big house outside the city. So, really, it`'s a question of choice. People in Spain prefer to live, a bit like the Chinese, literally on top of each other in blocks and blocks of flats. I, though, was brought up in England where the vast majority have a house and garden, the preferred way of living to a flat. We did live in a big flat in the city centre when we first got married but neither of us could stand what I at the time called "confinement". I felt trapped in that flat and it wasn't good for bringing up small children so after 5 years we moved out and have lived on the outskirts every since. Many people here think we live very far out but really it's only about 20km to the city.  So here I am in my big house and about to open the pool to enjoy the good weather.  Access to a pool in Madrid is not a luxury. In fact  is quite essential as it can get very hot here. This summer is set to be the hottest in the last few years, so "thank God for our pool" I say.

I have come to the end of the tales of this week, week 7 of confinement and week 1 of the first phase of  coming out of lockdown. Let's hope and pray the statistics continue to go in the right direction so that life can return as soon as possible to what is now being called "the new normal".

Wherever you are, I wish you a happy Sunday, keep safe. Till next week,
All the best/Masha