House hunting in Asturias, Elsa has a broken leg, family dinner, cooking with Eva, to Montrondo with Suzy, coronavirus news is bleak and other stories.

Montrondo, Sunday 26th July, 2020

The four of us with Pippa - family dinner at Oli's on Tuesday evening.

Good morning everyone. How are you doing? 

Well, here we are in our beloved village and in our beloved house in Montrondo. We came on Friday with Suzy - such a treat - and will be staying for a week or so. We are far away from coronavirus or at least we think we are. There are over 16 million cases in the world now with the total death toll reaching 645.000. Spain has seen a dramatic rise in cases after the end of lockdown on 21st June last. Outbreaks are growing every day, so much so that we are up to 1000 new cases per day, more than some of the days during lockdown. Most of the cases originate from young people enjoying night life - now curbed - and by family reunions. We have Eladio's family here and have to be very careful. Last night we heard on the news that the UK and some other countries will impose quarantine on tourists returning from Spain. The main areas affected are in the North East - Catalonia and Aragón but there are spikes all over the country. Spain's figures are dramatic for post lockdown but this is not the only country experiencing a surge in new contagions. France, Germany and Belgium are experiencing a rise too with France also reporting 1000 new cases per day. This is very worrying and I just hope we all won't have to go back into lockdown. We had all hoped for a semi virus free summer, so needed to boost tourism, but either the virus never went away or this is a new wave. Masks are obligatory nearly everywhere in Spain both indoors and outdoors and we even have to wear them here in supposedly virus free Montrondo when we step outside our garden. 

I don't have as much to tell you this week as I did in my last post as we have had rather a quiet week at home in Madrid until we came here. It was very hot, extremely hot, and if it weren't for the pool I have no idea how we would have coped. 

Last Sunday it was put to full use. Our house was full too. We had the French family of 4 and our 2 Catalan guests who brought their son, Albert, in the afternoon. Suzy had a guest too, a school friend Pili who she has known since she was tiny. Thankfully the house and garden are big enough to accommodate everyone and there are lots of corners to hide or maintain independence.

On the topic of houses, we continued our online search for a house in Asturias, inspired by our holiday there. We have found a few we think we might like but have to see them first. We are not sure whether we want a house in a village or a town or somewhere more remote. What we want for sure is a house that is pretty, built in the local style, doesn't need a lot of repair, is not too far from the coast and that has at least  3 or 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a garden of some sort. There is one that looks great online and ticks nearly all the boxes but we won't know if it is "the house" until we see it.  This is it.  

The house we like best so far. 

One box it doesn't tick is that it doesn't have a traditional Asturian type granery called "horreo" in Spain. I can imagine turning one into a dream Airbnb apartment. I absolutely love them but they are usually are built on farm like houses, something we would love too so long as the coast is near. The house above is less than 1km to the beach and is in a small fishing village. 

A typical Asturian granery

It's so exciting house hunting again. I had no idea that at this stage in life we would be embarking on buying another house; as if we didn't have enough with our main home in Madrid, our apartment in Santa Pola and our restored house in Montrondo. Well, it's all thanks to Airbnb. If we continue to get income from renting rooms and our houses, then another one in Asturias may well be worth it. The idea is to use it ourselves as well as rent it out.  This summer most Spaniards are taking staycations and rural areas are the most popular. Asturias is possibly the only coronavirus free region in Spain and is more popular than ever this summer. 

I had that on my mind last Sunday and searched online and would continue to do so all week. Sunday was a pleasant and quiet day for us, so there is not much to tell. The afternoon was spent in the shade by the pool but the highlight of the day was dinner with Suzy and Pili which we had on the kitchen terrace. Our meal consisted of home made vichysoisse followed by Scottish smoked salmon with creme fraiche, dill,  boiled potatoes and a little coleslaw. Later we started a new series on Amazon Prime which was right up our street; about a missing girl. We are suckers for kidnapping detective stories. If you are into this genre, it's a French series called Last Chance.

I was up at 6.30 on Monday morning, ready to start the week. It was to be another scorcher. I did a bit of gardening that morning. It's not something I do often. This is Eladio's domain but I am in charge of dead heading the roses and doing a similar job with the geramiums that surround the pool. Despite the irrigation system, nearly every time we come back from a trip the flowers are all fading. That morning, aided by little Eva, the French family's delightful 7 year old daughter, I did both jobs. Suzy caught me on camera. I don't look too good wearing my old Marks and Spencer nightie hahahaha but that's how I come down for breakfast until I do my ablutions later on.

Me removing the dead flowers, mainly the geraniums, on Monday morning

It was too hot  to go on our walks and I missed them. I spent the morning quite lazily with my only responsibility being to make lunch and I decided on something simple. Thus I had a lot of time on my hands which I put to use by sitting in the garden under the trees reading. My Catalan guests meanwhile were having a leisurely breakfast on their own private patio on the ground floor and my French guests were by the pool. Eladio went off to have a haircut and came back worried he may have caught Covid. I don't think he did. 

The highlight of the afternoon was a catch up skype call with my dear and oldest friend Amanda. And the highlight of the evening was watching Oli on TV as we do every day from Monday to Friday. Her programme, España Directo usually starts at 19.45 or later at 8 pm and she is on very soon after the start. I watched her with Suzy and we were both very much in awe when we saw her that day. She simply looked spectacular. Her hair was perfect; the best we have seen. Her makeup too as well as dress and high heeled shoes. Her diction was perfect as was her reporting. When we watch her we are so in awe we hardly pay attention to what she says. That's wrong of us but I suppose natural as we are her family. Suzy took a video and later told her sister she had never seen her looking so poised or beautiful. Oli commented it had taken a week to get the look right. I suppose we would all look good if we too had a personal stylist, hairdresser and make up artist! Unlike me, Oli didn't put on any weight after giving birth to Elliot last September and her figure looked very trim in an elegant shocking blue tight fitted dress.

Oli reporting live. She gets better and better

You can see the clip here by the way. She confessed to us that being a presenter rather than a reporter which has always been her job, has its challenges. She had never used a teleprompter before and found it difficult as she is used to speaking live. You might be interested to know that she creates her own content and writes the text for the teleprompter. I think she doesn't use it much as she knows her subject very well. 

Her news was dire though. That day there were over 150 outbreaks of Covid in Spain all over the country but the two most worrying areas were and are Catalonia and Aragón. The number of new infections rose dramatically that day. That is something we haven't seen since the end of lockdown. The only good news is that people are not dying or very very few as this virus seems to have changed. As I wrote above, the main reason for new contagion is the result of family reunions and young people enjoying night life. Night life in all the areas of new outbreaks has now been suspended. In Barcelona, they are nearly back in lockdown. What a difficult life the pandemic is causing for us all. 

The day ended with dinner on the kitchen terrace with Eladio and Suzy. Suzy had been singing in our neighbour, Julio's band that afternoon and later gave us a little concert by singing and playing her ukelele. She is so good and we love listening to her.

Tuesday came. There was good news on two fronts regarding the pandemic. A so far, seemingly successful vaccine being developed by Oxford University is in the offing, although of course it won't be on the market for possibly up to a year. The other good news was the outcome of  EU talks on funding for the economies hit by the virus. After marathon talks the EU leaders agreed to a 1.82 trillion euro recovery fund and budget. Out of this, 390 billion euros will go to direct grants with countries not having to return the funding. At last the EU have taken a step in the right direction. It has taken a lot longer than it should have. All in all, in my view, the EU as an entity has not behaved as it should and instead of rallying round, it has been each to its own. Hopefully that has changed now.

On the home front it was a quiet day and hot again. Straight after breakfast Eladio and I got in touch with several of the estate agents of the houses we had put on a short list to see in Asturias. The one we liked most, the red one above, had gone down in price but has its drawbacks; lots of steps and no central heating. We planned to go and see the houses once we were in Montrondo.

I spent part of the morning baking and I got help from little Eva who was keen to learn how to make salmon and leek pies. She follows me everywhere and is a bit like my shadow. Her little brother David, aged nearly 4, does too and I'm afraid he is a little difficult to understand so I am not sure what to answer. On the topic of food, he made it very clear that his favourite is ice cream, hahahahaha. Well, it's mine too. He told me that sadly his parents only let them have ice cream at the weekends! Eva also told me she didn't think it was fair that when they went out to restaurants, her mother wouldn't let her choose what she ate and she had to eat what her mother decided. The parents seem very strict but then again these two kids are extremely well behaved. 

These were the pies we had for lunch. I also took some to Oli's that night for our family dinner.

My home made salmon and leek pies

If you are interested to know how to make them, I used shop bought puff pastry and the filling was, and in this order:  a small layer of leek followed by a piece of uncooked salmon spread with craime fraiche and topped with fresh dill and then another layer of leek and a few peas. We had the pies with home made broccoli, mushroom and carrot soup. My father ate everything on his plate. 

As I had been up at 5.50 that morning, I needed to catch up on my sleep and was lucky in that I was able to sleep for one hour after lunch. Later I went down to the pool and jumped in to cool down. I was joined by Suzy later and by my shadow, little Eva. Here is a photo of the two of them together.

Eva and Suzy on Tuesday afternoon

Soon Suzy left us to go up and give a lesson to her deaf pupil, Olga, who is a tourist guide for the hard of hearing. They get on very well. I had to leave soon to go with Eladio to the vet. We had made an appointment as Elsa, our 9 year old labrador, had been limping lately. 

We had to join a queue outside and even though our appointment was for 6.30, we didn't go in until about 7.15. Only one person could accompany pets, so I went home to wait.  Here they are in the queue that day.

Eladio and Elsa outside the vet on Tuesday afternoon

I drove home and would later pick them up about one hour later. Eladio kept us posted. 

Meanwhile, Suzy and I were able to watch Oli on the TV again. We never tire of it. These days we are always to keen to see what she is wearing and that day she looked spectacular in red.

Oli ready to go live on TV on Tuesday evening

We are always thrilled to see her live. There is something magical about being on TV. She later told us that a famous Spanish actress, Cayetana Guillén Cuervo, who was also being made up, saw her and commented just how beautiful she was. Wow that is something coming from a famous actress. She looked great on screen as she always does. You can see her clip here by the way. 

Oli presenting live on Tuesday dressed in red

The news on Covid was less drastic than the day before with cases not so high but still too high. I imagine we shall be living with outbreaks forever, just as we do with flu. 

We got updates from Eladio who told us the vet thought Elsa had a broken leg - the tibia on her right hind leg. In a way we were relieved as we thought she had dysplasia which is very common in labradors and also means complicated surgery. She had to be sedated for the X-ray. Here she is, poor thing.

Elsa sedated for her X-ray

The X-ray confirmed his opiniom and the operation is going to cost in the region of 1.5k (shit) but the good news is that it is not urgent and amazingly she is not in any apparent pain. The operation is supposedly a very simple one. None of us know how she broke her leg but the vet said it is was very common. She will probably be operated on next week or the following week. 

Soon both Eladio and Elsa were back and we set off to Oli's house for dinner a bit later than planned. I had hoped to be there early enough to see Elliot at the pool. Unfortunately he was asleep when we got to their flat. We had taken along food for dinner; 4 mini tortillas made by Lucy and the rest of the salmon and leek pies. As soon as we were sitting around the table and before tucking in, I asked Miguel for a photo as it's not often the four of us are together and I got the lovely picture above, the one I have chosen as this week's feature photo. It was a pity Elliot was still asleep when it was taken. Dinner was delicious and just as we were finishing our grandson woke up. He was amazed to see us all there but immediately recognised us. He couldn't choose between Eladio and me although I have to admit he has a slight preference for his grandfather. Eladio is always a magnet for children and animals. He is now 10 months old and is nearly walking and is such a delightful and cheerful little boy. Suzy and I played with him and his huge array of toys; all hand me downs from a friend of Oli's. 

The dinner and family gathering did not have a good end though. Oli picked up the table cloth to shake the crumbs out of the window and with it went one of Elliot's t-shirts. Suzy and I went down to get it and oh dear, there was Eladio's phone she had thrown out too unknowingly. It fell on grass but from such a height that it was broken. I felt so sorry for my husband as our phones are the centre of our universe these days. Thankfully we have old phones at home, the same model as his -but the hassle of transferring all his data and get it up and working for him would fall to me and it's a long and tedious job. 

We were home by 11.30 and Eladio and I watched more of our series until we fell asleep at possibly 1 in the morning. I woke up to rain on Wednesday at about 6.30. My gosh it was pouring it down. By 8.30 the sun was out again. That day I had lots to do. First I had to set up an old Samsung Galaxy S7  of mine for Eladio. That proved difficult because of problems with accessing his Samsung Account. I'm not joking but it took me most of the day. Meanwhile in the morning we went to a phone repair shop who first gave us an estimate of 129 euros to repair the screen and then later increased it to 159. We said no as that's what a second handone would cost. So he is now using my old S7 Edge which is about 4 years old. 

We also went out to do errands for Olivia; first to the post office to pick up some Ali Express parcels which had taken months to arrive and then to the town hall to get a document proving our address. We learned there we had to have a prior appointment so would have to return the next day. The whole of Tuesday felt like a marathon until I was finally out of the thick of it and had some time to myself in the afternoon. By then I was exhausted especially after having got up at 5.30 in the morning. Eva wanted my company as she always does. She is a lovely little girl. I had promised we would make ice lollies together. She wanted to make them with yoghurt and fruit. She chose banana and I chose mango to which we added some pineapple. Here she is making the lollies.

Eva making ice lollies

Once they were in the deep freeze, I had an hour or so to myself under the trees by the pool and later went in. At about 8 pm we saw Olivia live again on TV. The cases of the newly infected had gone down but just a little. Eladio, meanwhile, was looking at more houses in Asturias and I looked with him and later made a short list which is actually quite long. The day ended with dinner on the kitchen terrace with Eladio; just the two of us as Suzy had gone to see Elenita.

That day new guests arrived  at our apartment in Santa Pola and seemed pleased with the place. Lucy, my neighbour, gave them a very warm welcome. If it wasn't for Lucy we would not be able to list our home there on Airbnb. She is a treasure.

Our entertainment that night was the last episode of the French series Last Opportunity. We haven't found anything interesting since. 

I was up at 5.50 on Wednesday morning. I had a productive morning again, most of it spent on organising our house hunting in Asturias. I drew up a document with the details of our short listed houses which are all in the Cudillero, Candás and Llanes area. We shall be visiting them while we are here which is a much shorter drive than if we went from Madrid. I also spoke to  various estate agencies with Eladio listening and talking to them too. We are very excited about this new project in our life. One of the houses was basically a rural hotel (casa rural) and is all set up to rent out. Imagine, owning a hotel! Don't think we are rolling in it, as property is pretty cheap in this area but also in demand for renting. I tried to rent somewhere on Airbnb for a couple of nights this coming week - the height of the season - and couldn't find anything which goes to show that Asturias is a very desirable holiday destination. 

I also did lists, a shopping list and a list of stuff to bring here - mostly food, as there are no shops in the vicinity. Then there was lunch to make and dear little Eva helped me make a batch of "bitki" to freeze. I only stopped to say goodbye to our Airbnb guests, Manel and Gelia. We had hardly seen our Catalan guests during their stay. They were house hunting too but for a flat in Madrid for their 26 year old son, Albert - lucky him. We wished them farewell and hope to see them again in September. They seem more like friends than guests. That's possibly because we have a lot in common. They are my age roughly and Gelia is a teacher and Manel was a company executive like Eladio and I but the other way round. 

Soon it was lunchtime and then siesta time straight afterwards. You may have noticed I do my work in the mornings so as to be free  in the afternoons. That afternoon I was joined by Eva of course but also by my dear daughter Suzy. It's lovely to have her for company. She was working on the after class evaluations she has to do but then played the ukelele and sang for me - my own private concert. She is trying to perfect her version of Lady Gaga's "Always remember me this way", a song I love. When I hear her singing it I think to myself that I shall always remember HER that way too. You can see and listen to her here on my You Tube channel. As I am so proud of her I posted it on Instagram and on Facebook. One of my friends, Carmen, a journalist commented that I have two very talented daughters. She is right I do and I love them both so much. 

Later the two of us watched Oli again on TV as we do every day at around 8pm when her programme starts. The news she brought was not good - nearly a 1000 new Covid cases in 280 areas in Spain with one town going back to stage 1 of lockdown. Oh dear I do hope this doesn't mean that we shall all be going into lockdown again soon. The only good thing is that people are not dying or very very few. Authorities warn that that could change. Ominous.

Olivia presenting live on Thursday

Oli told us later that the tele prompter didn't work so she had to improvise but thankfully she knew all the figures off by heart as well as all the names of the towns. She is so used to presenting live rather than using the prompter, it was not a problem. Good for her.

I also improvised; referring to dinner that night hahahahaha. I always love our dinners together on the kitchen terrace and time with Suzy afterwards before going to bed.

Friday came and I was up at 5.50. I do wish I could sleep longer damn it. I had lots to do that morning to get ready to leave for Montrondo. After I had done our packing, Eladio and I went out to food shop to leave provisions at home and take enough to Montrondo for a few days as the last thing I wanted to do here was to go shopping on Saturday morning.

We went to the chemist, to Mercadona, then took a break and had a coffee together and from the bar drove first to Carrefour Market and then to BM. It was so hot that day with temperatures reaching 38ºc in the Madrid area that I couldn't wait to be in Montrondo where it is much cooler. We didn't leave until around 4 and just as we were leaving the guest fridge we had bought from El Corté Inglés arrived and was installed in the kitchen. Now our guests will have their own fridge and we will have ours just for ourselves. It was about time.

Eladio drove all the way while Suzy worked in the back with Pippa at her feet and I browsed my phone or read. We only stopped once and it was horrible getting out of the car in such heat and having to wear our masks. Today in Spain, in nearly all the country, except for Madrid, it is obligatory to wear them inside and outside in all public places. We just couldn't imagine having to wear one on our walks in Montrondo which is rather ridiculous as so few people live here. However, the rules are one for all and really are made for cities and not sparsely populated villages. 

We arrived just after 8pm which is quite fast and I suspect Eladio was speeding. Let's hope we don't get another fine. It felt much cooler here as we got out of the car and we would need a cardigan or jumper later. We missed Olivia on the TV that evening but she sent us the link to her report and also a photo of herself just before she entered the studio. She had a new look I'm not sure I liked as much as the others. However, she waa spectacular in black.

A new look for Olivia on Friday

It took a while to unload and put away all the food I had brought and to unpack our suitcases but by 9 pm we were sitting on our lovely kitchen terrace and having dinner. Here are Eladio and Suzy together.

Dinner on Friday night in Montrondo - father and daughter

We had missed the news but of course we were up to date on the coronavirus situation in Spain which is looking dire. I'm not sure whether this a second wave or a continuation of the pandemic which just hasn't gone away. The number of those infected gets higher everyday. The only comforting thing is that most people have no symptoms, very few are dying and that so far care homes have not been affected. That has to be because they are now better protected. I just think the virus is going to live with us forever and that we shall be wearing masks, greeting each other with our elbows, washing our hands frequently, etc for some years. People will continue to work from home and international travel will never be the same again or will it I wonder?

Instead of watching the news we sat outside in the dark listening to Suzy sing and play her ukelele. She gave us another private concert and both Eladio and  I clapped as we were so impressed. 

We put an end to the day at just before midnight and went to bed. There was no need for air conditioning and we slept under thick duvets in sharp contrast to our home near Madrid.

I was up at 6.10 on Saturday morning. It was to be a lovely sunny and lazy day spent together, the three of us and Pippa. Suzy had a morning lesson so it was just Eladio, Pippa and I on our walk. We donned our masks to wear on the main road and village but decided to take the empty country paths where we could take them off. The sky was blue and it was already warm but nothing like Madrid.

View of Montrondo on our walk yesterday

We stopped to take photos on our way. One of my favourite spots is the birch tree lined path called "camino valle" which takes you to the top of the next village, Murias. Here we took photos too, like this one of me below.

On our walk yesterday

There was hardly anyone and not one soul to be seen on what I call our "secret path". On our way back instead of taking the main entrance to the village, Eladio took me across fields and to the church where we had to climb over a few walls. We were home on time for a coffee and I prepared our lunch which would be very simple; barbecued lamb chops with jacket potatoes washed down with gazpacho. Suzy, being vegan, did not partake in the barbecue. Pippa was delighted with the bones though.

Eladio grilling the lamb chops on the barbecue

The three of us had an extremely lazy afternoon chilling out on the grass behind our house. We read and again Suzy sang and played her ukelele. I enjoyed every minute of our time together.

Chilling out yesterday

Dinner time came and although we weren't hungry we rustled something up which we enjoyed on the kitchen terrace with its dramatic mountain back drop. 

It was on the news last night that we heard about the UK imposing quarantine on people arriving from Spain. That would affect two of Suzy's friends who had bought tickets to travel to Alicante at the end of August. Suzy had invited them to stay at our apartment there. I'm not sure they will want to travel now. I felt sorry for their plans being thwarted by the virus. We too have travel plans at the end of August, to Portugal, and I am wondering if we will be able to go. Time will tell.

Well my friends, it is now time to publish this blog post and go and prepare breakfast. Life goes on, despite the virus, and so it should but we must keep safe. So keep safe my friends until next time,

Masha

Last day in Cudillero; a beach for dogs, Salinas and Cape Vidio. To El Choco cottage near Llanes, St. Peter's coastal walk, Olivia back in front of the camera on TVE, Ribadasella, Cangas de Onis, Covadonga, Potes, Fuente Dé, the end of our holidays in Asturias and home again. Elliot turns 10 months old and other stories.

Sunday, 19th July, 2020

On the St. Peter's coastal path in Llanes on Monday afternoon.

Good morning all. 

How has your week been? Ours has been marvelous. Last Sunday was our last day of the first part of our holiday in Asturias, in the Cudillero region before we moved further east to Llanes where we spent 3 nights until our return home on Thursday.  I can't believe I am home again now but what a lovely fortnight we have had on holiday in Montrondo and in Asturias. Last Sunday we were still in Cudillero, that pretty little fishing village akin to Robin Hood's Bay in Yorkshire in my mind as is a lot of the coastline in Asturias. 

Our last day was again packed with activity. That morning we took Pippa to a beach where dogs are allowed, hurray. We had been told there was one quite near Cudillero called El Sablón. It turned out to be a very large and clean beach with lots of people with their dogs but loads of space. It was a natural beach with no buildings in sight and set against a backdrop of green hills. We were lucky it was a sunny day. I bathed by the way, despite the very cold Cantabrian sea of the Atlantic. 

El Sablón, a beach where dogs are allowed

There were dogs of all types, ranging from the tiny Yorkshire terrier to the noble Borzoi. Some swam with their owners, others sniffed around or went on walks enjoying the company of other dogs. For a dog lover I adored this beach. Pippa, I'm afraid, did not behave very well. She can be quite aggressive with big dogs although she is fine with those of her size or smaller. 

Our space on the dog beach last Sunday

As the beach was so long and large, there was no problem at all keeping social distance. We went on a walk to as far as we could go; some rocks we could not pass until the tide had gone in and all in all walked 6km, half of what we would walk that day. This has been quite the walking holiday.

At around 1 pm we left the dog beach for the coastal town of Salinas, considered a pearl of the Cantabrian sea. I had booked a table for lunch at the Royal Spa restaurant located right on the beach and famous for its first patron, the ex King of Spain, Alfonso XIII. We got there early so strolled along the sea front enjoying the views of the beach. 

Walking along the sea front in Salinas

Salinas being a town beach reminded us of similar town beaches in Spain such as Santander, San Sebastian or Gijón; quite marvelous. On our stroll we came upon a small market. Most street markets sell rubbish but this area of Spain is famed for its well dressed women and the clothes on sale looked enticing. I spied two beautiful dresses; a white one with butterflies and a coloured striped one. I was worried about trying them on because of Covid but the Argentinian stall owner seemed very unworried and only made me put hand sanitiser on. I tried the dresses on. They were a perfect fit and so I bought them both. I think if I had had time I would have bought more garments. Eladio liked me in the butterfly dress and suggested I wore it there and then. Like a little girl with new red shoes, I wore it to the restaurant. Here I am strolling on the sea front with the new dress on. Lovely isn't it?

Wearing my new dress last Sunday by the beach in Salinas

By then it was time for lunch and we headed to the Real Balneario. I had chosen it from a list I found from the Michelin Guide. It turned out to be very fancy and very expensive. Maybe I should rely on The Fork or TripAdvisor rather than the Michelin Guide I thought when we were served miniscule portions, hahahhaa. I think, more than anything we paid for the name and the place; right on the beach.

Eladio at the swanky Real Balneario restaurant in Salinas last Sunday

What was not minisucle was the glass of Rioja (Ramón Bilbao) I had which would give me a headache later. I went for lamb while Eladio chose a fish called "Virrey" which comes from these parts. He got a tiny tiny portion for 38 euros which was daylight robbery. My husband never usually complains about anything but he did that day. The staff were very apologetic and did all they could to placate us, offering us a free dessert we didn't want and even giving us a (boring) book about the establishment hahaha. What placated us most was that they charged us half price for the fish. 

I wasn't impressed with the desserts on offer and preferred to go out and buy an ice cream to eat on the sea front before we headed home. Both the ice cream and the wine made me sleepy and once back in our apartment I slept a 2 hour siesta!!!!

The day didn't end there. At around 6.30 we took off again, this time heading to a beautiful spot we knew from other stays here; Cabo Vidio or Cape Vidio about 15km from Cudillero. It is a spectacular location with the most amazing views. We were lucky with the weather too as the sun shone until late that day. 

The view from the Cape

We admired the views which are fantastic and then took the coastal path to admire even them more and to enjoy the area. 

Eladio on the coastal path by Cabo Vidio

We then took the path down to the beach below the cliffs, the beach of Peña Doria which means golden rock. It's a very steep walk down and up I can tell you but worth the walk just to sit on that lovely and dramatic beach. 

Eladio at the end of the steep path down to the Peña Doria beach

Like the Silent beach we visited the day before, Peña Doria was just as dramatic and silent too, the only sound being the waves crashing onto the sand. We sat there mesmerised enjoying the atmosphere and views. I took another video which you can see here. This was where I was sitting with Pippa, as always, on my lap. As we were leaving I chose a few stones to take with me and put on my desk at home to remind me always of this beautiful little beach. As the Silent beach we did the same. Eladio chose one for me and I chose one for him. 

Sitting on the beach Peña Doria on Sunday

Most tourists who come to Spain visit the Costas; meaning the beaches in the South of Spain. Well the beaches in the north of the country are very different with their rugged coastline and are much, much more beautiful. In a way I am glad that there is no mass tourism in this area. Perhaps that adds to why it is so special. 

If we were enjoying the beaches in Asturias that day, Suzy was at home with her friends Chati and Mónica and had the pool to themselves when the weekend guests left that morning. Suzy told me she sang for her friends on her newly acquired ukelele and that they took videos. Unfortunately I only saw a photo but my daughter looks lovely and I am very proud of her. 

Suzy playing the ukelele and singing for her friends by the pool on Sunday

Suzy shared a photo of the three of them and it seems they had a grand day. 

Suzy and her friends enjoying the privacy of our pool at home last Sunday

Who didn't have a grand day was my poor dear father. I was very alarmed to hear that morning that he had fallen out of bed while trying to get on his wheelchair, something he should not do alone but for some reason he did last Sunday. He ended up on the floor where he lay for 10 minutes until Zena found him and between Zena and Suzy they got him up again. Thankfully he only had a tiny cut on his hand and no broken bones. He's amazingly strong for 101. I felt so bad for not being there for him. Poor Daddy. It must have been a huge shock. 

I felt a little guilty enjoying my holiday while he had fallen in our absence. I always dread a fall but he has fallen countless times over the years and he must have strong bones as nothing has ever happened. That's not quite true as one of these falls, quite a few years ago now, resulted in a broken hip. Oh do be careful Daddy and please don't try to move from the bed to your chair without help.

Back to our holiday now. After about half an hour sitting on the lovely and dramatic Peña Doria beach, we walked slowly up the very steep hill to the top which is about 1km but a hard climb. We returned to our car to drive "home" to our apartment at the Casona de la Paca, for our last night there. I made a simple supper of tuna fish salad. While Eladio was watching the news on the outcome of local elections in Galicia and the Basque Country, I rang my girls. Oli told me she was starting back in the news room at TVE the next day and was feeling anxious about leaving Elliot for so long with Miguel on his own. It would be the first time since he was born that she would be leaving her baby for such a long time. I told her not to worry and to enjoy her new freedom as the baby is now nearly 10 months old and that all would be fine. She would be returning to being in front of the camera and I looked forward to seeing her on TV again. Her new role is as the presenter of the most important section of the programme; about coronavirus. Oli has nearly always been a reporter and this new job means she is a presenter in the studio so a great new opportunity for her and also a challenge. She told me yesterday that the head of programmes for TVE had congratulated her on how well she had adapted and that she had known Oli would do a good job as a presenter. 

We crashed out at about midnight and I slept fitfully but overall not too badly as I woke up a bit later than usual on Monday morning at 7 am. We had our leisurely breakfast and slowly started packing to leave for Llanes. We left at around 10.45 and it's about a 150km drive to La Pereda where we would be staying. We were going to the eastern part of Asturias, near Santander and very near the area of the Peaks of Europe (Picos de Europa). We had never been to Llanes before and when we saw the pretty seaside town we were over bowled by its beauty. It was Olivia who led me to find El Choco, the lovely Airbnb we stayed at. She found an article about the top 10 most desired Airbnb places in Spain which included El Choco and when I booked over a month ago there were still vacancies. Now it is fully booked until the second half of September and I am not surprised. The owner, Zila, from Costa Rica, calls it "a small place in paradise" and she is right. It is just beautiful. Located in her own garden but with total privacy, it is the most divine stone house and also very lovingly decorated. It is a self contained holiday apartment for two which is fully equipped. Let me show you some photos.

El Choco from outside and a partial view of the house inside. 

One of the unique features of this house and garden is the outside shower. That might sound like a thing from the past, but this shower is very special. I couldn't wait to go inside.

The outdoor shower

After Zila had shown us around and we had unpacked and settled in, we left La Pereda for Llanes to have lunch at a restaurant by the yachting port she had recommended. Called Marisquería La Marina it didn't disappoint. 

The yacht port in front of our restaurant

Here is Eladio at our table.

Lunch in Llanes on Monday

I had seafood (clams and scallops) and Eladio had his favourite fish; sardines. Later we ventured into the centre of this most beautiful town to have an ice cream after which we drove back to El Choco for a rest and to enjoy our lovely accommodation. I sat outside on the little terrace with Pippa at my side. I also had my daily cup of tea.

Time for a cup of tea on the terrace - Pippa by my side

At around 7 pm when it was still very warm, we drove again to Llanes this time for our afternoon constitutional. I had heard that Llanes was famous for a coastal walk called St. Peter's Way (Paseo San Pedro) and I had heard right. It is both famous and stunning; really stunning. I have chosen a photo Eladio took of me on that walk for this week's feature photo. By the way I was wearing the second dress I had bought at the market stall in Salinas last Sunday. I am delighted with the dresses I bought in Asturias. . We loved the walk so much we will be back. The views of the sea, the cliffs and the town were magnificent. I took lots of photos and felt ecstatic to be in such a beautiful place.

Eladio and Pippa on our walk along the coastal path of St Peter in Llanes on Monday

That day, Monday, Olivia was returning to TVE, no longer working from home but once again in front of the camera. She had been asked to be the presenter of a section in her programme, España Directo, about the latest on coronavirus which of course is the hot topic. It was on the walk when I suddenly remembered she would probably be on live so we stopped in our tracks and sat on a bench to see her. And we saw her almost immediately. It was her first time as as studio presenter and it was obvious her hair had been done and possibly her wardrobe came from the TV station. Eladio took a photo of her which you can see below. 

Olivia back on TV on Monday

Our younger daughter was a little stressed. Not only was it her first day back at work physically, but it was the first time she would spend a whole day without her baby,  She felt divided but also pleased to be back in the newsroom after nearly 4 months of working from home and behind the scenes.  We saw her that once direct on TV but she was on multiple times during the programme. She later sent us one clip - all about the use of masks - which I uploaded to my You Tube channel and which you can see here. We are extremely proud of her. We spoke to her later that night and she told us she had never been so busy and that it had been a huge challenge to be a presenter but she was satisfied she had done it well. She was amazing. I was even more impressed when she told me she had her own dressing room and not only that but a stylist, a hairdresser and even a make up artist. Wow I wouldn't mind that for myself!

After watching our daughter live again on TV, we continued our walk feeling elated because of her success and of course because of where we were, in the sun on a beautiful coastal walk. We got to the end which is right next to the Llanes town beach of "El Sablón" where people were still bathing. If I had brought my costume with me, I would have gone in the water without hesitation.

View of the town beach, El Sablón, the town of Llanes and the mountatins in the background - at the end of the St. Peter's walk way. 

The walk there and back is about 8km and we were back in our car by about 8.30 and driving "home" to enjoy the rest of the evening. I made a simple dinner of prawn, avocado and mango salad which we ate on the terrace outside. We later video called Suzy and then Oli to touch base with our daughters. It was quite late when we got into the very comfortable bed from where we watched a bit of TV before falling asleep.

I was awake at 6 in the morning on Tuesday, our first full day in the Llanes area. It was to be another sunny day. Asturias is the wettest region in Spain so you never know here how the day will be. It can start with lots of cloud and then suddenly the sun comes out. I suppose that is why the region, like England, is so green. On Tuesday we decided to visit the pretty coastal town of Ribadasella, one of Asturias best known towns and most wanted vacation areas for Spaniards. It is smaller than Llanes with a population just over 5k compared to the former's 13k or so. We had only ever passed through the town and never visited it, so Tuesday was the day. We found very few people as was the case throughout our holiday. Possibly people are staying at home because of Covid. Until that day, Asturias was the only region in Spain with 0 cases and no new outbreaks. However, everyone, literally everyone was wearing masks and not only indoors which is obligatory, but outside too. On the day we left they would become obligatory everywhere. 

Ribadasella is about 25km from Llanes and a short drive from La Pereda. We were there by about 10.30 and the day was ours. Our only commitment was lunch at the Michelin star restaurant El Arbidel, at 2 pm, but more about that further down. The town is dominated by its river, the Sella and gets its name from it. The river becomes a sort of fjord  and the town is split in two by a great big bridge.  It is a stunning location and the town is very well kept and clean with not a bit of litter in sight. 

A view of Ribadasella

On one side is the Grua walkway, an extension of the sea front (paseo marítimo) and on the other side the magnificent town beach called Santa Marina which was practically empty. We were keen to walk along La Grua which takes you to the top of a hill with some amazing views of the town and surrounding areas. Like Llanes, Ribadasella sits at the foothills of the Picos de Europa which, combined with the sea, make for a spectacular sight.

Here I am at the top of the hill which was quite a steep climb.

At the top of the coastal walk La Grua in Ribadasella with some great views of the town and mountains

We carried on walking along the lovely coastal pathway admiring the many beautiful houses. We fleetingly thought about buying one in this region, to rent on Airbnb and have as another holiday home. The thought lodged itself in our minds as the days went by.  Oh how we love the region and there are some spectacular houses, the type of which you never see in Madrid. 

The walkway took us down to a square in the old town. We were keen to explore it but, first things first, we had a coffee in a sunny bar outside, enjoying the atmosphere. Here I am feeling happy with life.

Coffee time in Ribadasella

We found ourselves on one of the main streets in the old town which had some enticing boutiques. I went into a few of them and came out with a lovely simple long green summer dress which I would wear later in the afternoon. We also got clothes for Eladio - he is always reluctant -  a pair of Jack Jones beige shorts and two smart polo shirts. He is always dressed in shorts and polo shirts in the summer but his wardrobe was becoming a bit old and he needed new clothes although he argued that he didn't. 

After our pleasant shopping experience, there was still time to explore the town before lunch. So we walked on the other side of the fjord, towards the town beach, Santa Marina. And what a town beach it is, long, clean and beautiful. It also had some remarkable houses. They could only be dream houses for me though as they must cost a fortune. 

Some of the beautiful houses on the beach in Ribadasella

I would have loved to spend the rest of the day on the beach as it was practically empty but we had a lunch appointment. A friend from the past, Ramón P, had recommended El Arbidel, the best restaurant in the area and run by a famous Spanish chef, Jaime Uz. I knew it would be haute cuisine with very creative and fancy dishes. That's not Eladio's style but it is mine. El Arbidel with a Michelin star is in the old town so we walked back from the beach and across the fjord to find it. It was a jewel located in a beautiful corner of the old town surrounded by flowers and beautiful decor - just how I like restaurants. The waiter took a photo of us just as we were about to start on the most mouth watering hors d'oeuvres.

At El Arbidel in Ribadasella on Tuesday

The tasting menu was wonderful and we went for the smaller of the two on offer. We kept being served  tiny delicacies. Eladio joked that they were fine but maybe we should go to a proper restaurant afterwards hahahaha. I once took him to the world famous Arzak with 3 Michelin stars in San Sebastian and he told me he preferred traditional restaurants hahahhaa. The bill was steep but to hell, we were on holiday and I didn't care. 

We drove home later and were back at El Choco to spend the rest of the afternoon. We wanted to enjoy this little place in paradise and were tired from so many trips out and about.  We were able to watch Oli's programne on the TV at the house. I should be used to seeing her by now but I still get excited. She looked so professional and elegant. I loved the clothes she was wearing, her hair and the high heeled shoes. She was explaining the new outbreaks of coronavirus in Spain of which there are some 150, an awful lot and lots of new infections. The good news though, which we learned from her, is that the virus must have mutated as it is not killing people any more. Oli told her public that it now affects men aged 40 and women aged 50 and that 70% of those infected do not have any symptoms. It was good to hear that it is no longer as lethal although it seems to be more contagious. 

Watching Oli on TV still gives me a kick

We did venture out  later again for a little walk to explore the little village of  La Pereda. We found it charming with lots of beautiful houses, lush green fields full of cows and of course the backdrop of the mountains. Once again hydrangeas were in abundance and we came across a house which was literally drowning in them. I had to have a picture. I am wearing the long green dress I had bought in the morning which is so comfortable. It is the only long dress I own and as I am short (I was 5ft 4 inches) I don't usually look good in them, but this one is so comfortable and summery it feels like wearing a nightie hahahah. It probably looks like one too.

Exploring La Pereda - new dress - hydrangeas

We came back undecided about dinner, whether to have any or what to eat. I suggested we have some wine and a few pistachios on the terrace and maybe some fruit. It was one of those simple pleasures in life and I do so like simple pleasures. As we consumed the delicious Bornos Rueda wine, with Pippa at our side begging for some pistachios, we spoke about our life together, how we progressed in our jobs, how we formed a family and all our ups and downs. We both concluded we haven't done badly.

Simple pleasures in life - here some white wine and pistachios

We didn't stop at the pistachios as later Eladio brought out a plate of ham and lomo which were followed by some fruit. Later I had time to video call my girls. Suzy told me the French family had arrived and seemed nice. They will be staying until 25th August. I hoped we would get on and when I met them on Thursday I knew we would. . Oli was exhausted but happy with how her presenting went. She was even happier to be reunited with Elliot and told me how that day he had found some new friends. It was at their communal swimming pool that he met them. It turns out that the family lives on the same floor as Oli and Miguel. Their two kids aged 5 and 3 rushed into Elliot's flat to see his toys and they spent a long time together playing. Finally Elliot has some company nearer his age, even if they are a bit older. Since that day he has made new friends at the pool and seems to be the main attraction with the kids who all want to feed him, hahahahaa. I was happy to hear that and also dying to see our little grandson again. I would have to wait until Saturday.

Wednesday was the last full day of our Asturian holiday and it would be another wonderful day. The weather looked a bit iffy for our choice that day - a visit to Cangas de Onis and Covadonga in the Picos de Europa mountain range. Rain was forecast but in the end it didn't rain. Cangas de Onis, once the capital of Asturias or what was Northern Spain,  is the sort of gateway to the Peaks and is a beautiful little  town snuggled under the mountains. We had been once years ago but my husband fell ill and we had to go home so I had no memory at all of Cangas. Similar to the rest of Asturias, this town is very well kept and obviously lives off tourism. 

Cangas de Onis is a very well kept and pretty town

There weren't many people around in this post Covid lockdown world which was nice for us but probably not for business. We parked next to one of the landmarks, the Santa Cruz pre-romanesque chapel. It was originally built by the King Favila, the son of "Don Pelayo" who was the artifice of the reconquering of the Moors from Spain in the 8th century. This whole area in fact is the cradle of what Spain is today thanks to Don Pelayo and what is known here as "la reconquista". There's a bit of history for you. The other landmark is the Roman bridge or supposed Roman bridge as I read it was built in the 8th century too. This bridge which was probably the site of the original Roman road from Oviedo to Santander, dominates the town of Cangas and is its main landmark. We loved it. 

The Roman bridge in Cangas

We made our way to the bridge and spied a lovely cafe underneath it where we installed ourselves with Pippa to enjoy the views and our coffee.Later we walked along the top of the bridge and down again and I took more photos like the one below of Eladio wearing his new yellow polo shirt, the one we bought in Ribadasella. 

Eladio next to the Roman bridge

From Cangas we drove to our main destination, Covadonga, the real cradle of the "Reconquista". Here Don Pelayo, the leader of the resistance to the Moors and  who would become the first King of Asturias, fought in the historic battle of Covadonga in 722. It was the first place where the Moorish invasion was resisted and a turning part in their 700 year rule of Spain. Pelayo and his troops used the caves of Covadonga as their base. I read that during the battle Don Pelayo went into one of the caves and prayed for victory to the Virgin Mary where a hermit had placed a statue of her.  When victory was the outcome, Pelayo attributed his success to her. King Alfonso I of Spain ordered a chapel to be built in that very cave, as well as a huge "basilica" or semi cathedral, both to be dedicated to Our Lady of Covadonga. The cave is still there today and pilgrims and tourists visit it daily. The cathedral was burnt down but was rebuilt and is magnificent. The whole area is  a sort of shrine to the virgin and to the beginnings of the history of Spain as it is today. 

The cathedral as seen from the shrine

We took turns to go inside the cave as one of us had to stay with Pippa. It is most known as "La Santina" (the little Saint) but is really a shrine. Spaniards love all their different virgins. For me there is only one but they seem to have hundreds. The shrine to the Virgin of Covadonga is built deep inside the cave and is a very special place. Silence is asked for and silence is given. It is, as the Americans would say, quite "awesome" although I hate that word.

La Santina - the shrine in the cave to the Virgin of Covadonga

From the cave we walked to the cathedral and again took it in turns to go in while one of us waited outside with Pippa. It annoys me that not all God's creatures are allowed in churches. I'm sure both God and San Francis would agree with me. 

Next tothe  cathedral of Covadonga, very rightly so, there is a huge statue of Don Pelayo. I took a photo of Eladio next to it, him being the Spaniard.

Eladio (and Pippa) in front of the statue of Don Pelayo in Covadonga.

My husband's first parish when he became a priest was in a small town called Valdeon in the Peaks of Europe area but in the province of León. He was only 23. Imagine! He told me he always remembered officiating a wedding at the Cathedral of Covadonga for a young couple from his parish who wanted to get married there  as  a lot of people do in Spain. 50 years later or so Eladio returned to that same site. I find that rather haunting. 

After visiting Covadonga we would have liked to visit the famous lakes of the same name. They are  the site of many a cycling Tour of Spain and where my ex Tour de France and Spain winner and friend, Pedro Delgado, made people clap from the sides of the road or rise from their couches watching him on TV. However today private car access is not allowed in the summer and there are either buses or taxis that take you up. We decided not to go and preferred to have lunch at a nice restaurant. I had contacted a friend I know, Miguel R., who is from Cangas and he recommended we go to Casa Pedro just 2km outside Cangas in the village of San Juan de Parres where the chef, Christian, is his friend. We didn't doubt his recommendation and booked a table at 2 pm. We were not disappointed. 

Casa Pedro where we had lunch on Wednesday

We went for the very tempting "menu del día" at 15 euros each - a lot less than at the Michelin star restaurant in Ribadasella the day before hahaha and a lot better according to Eladio hahahaha again! We had the traditional Asturian bean soup or stew accompanied by natural cider which is poured in a very peculiar way. If you have been in this area you will know that the method to conserve the sparkle is called "escanciar" which is really only pouring it into a glass from very high up. Waiters are very good at it but these days there are little devices like the one in the photo below that do it automatically. It tasted just as good. 

Local cider and bean stew  - so typical and delicious in Asturias. Doesn't taste the same anywhere else.

All good things come to an end and our trip to Cangas and Covadonga did too. We drove the 35 km or so home to El Choco to sleep off our lunch. All in all it had been a good day. Earlier in the day I got a new Airbnb reservation I hadn't expected and I also got to see the outcome of an interview I did recently with the Spanish national newspaper ABC. It was about Swimmy, the platform for hiring swimming pools whiere you know I have advertised ours. But I also got a chance in the interview to mention that our house is listed on Airbnb. It was great publicity for my little business.

The article in ABC where our house and pool are featured

The article was great as the photo of our house and pool were the feature photo and it also said our pool was one of the most in demand on the Swimmy platform. This is it if you are interested - in Spanish I am afraid. My dear friend Julio had seen it in the printed edition and rang me to comment on it. We had quite a laugh. We also caught up on our lives a bit and promised to meet soon. I am very proud of him as he has passed the stiff exam to become a public  teacher at the UNED University which is like being a civil servant for life. Fátima, our common friend, would have been equally proud.

The day ended with a rest at El Choco which I kept calling "home" and we also got the chance to see Olivia on the TV again reporting on the new outbreaks of Coronavirus. She was looking great, the numbers aren't but there is no great alarm we suspect because it seems the virus is mutating and is a lot less lethal than it was as I wrote above.  Even so, everyone is getting nervous this could turn out to be a second wave. In Barcelona and in Catalonia in general it is very widespread and the local government has advised people to go into voluntary lockdown!

Thursday came, the day of our departure from Asturias. Instead of driving straight home, we decided to visit Potes, the heart of the Picos de Europa mountain range and even go further up to Fuente Dé. It meant taking mountain roads although the amount of kilometres to reach home was about the same; just over 500km. I had never been to the Picos apart from the area of Cangas and Covadonga and Eladio was keen for me to see the area. We regretted not having added an extra night to our holiday to spend more time in this fantastic place. I remarked to Eladio that it was funny it's called the Peaks of Europe when the real peaks are the Alps and then the Pyrenees. However, I later read that The Peaks of Europe got its name as they were the first thing ships from the Americas saw as they approached the northern coast of Spain.  

After an early breakfast at El Choco, it took a while for me to pack all our stuff but we were ready to go by about 9.45. It took an hour to drive to Potes and I saw a sign as we entered saying it was one of the prettiest towns in Spain. It certainly is but a bit too commercial for me. Thankfully for us it wasn't packed with tourists as it normally would be at this time of year. A policeman stopped us in the street to tell us that from the day before it was obligatory to wear a mask in the Cantabria region where Potes is located, not only inside and outside if you are unable to keep your distance socially but at all times. Gosh I thought, has it come to this? Well, yes, because there are now as I think I said above about 150 outbreaks all over Spain. It would be the same when we left Cantabria and entered Castilla León but not  Madrid although no doubt it will come and soon a face mask will be obligatory inside and out all over the country. We found Potes beautiful, explored its stone streets and admired its old houses and before we left had our picture taken at a popular photo place - the one below. For the occasion we broke the rule and took the damned masks off. 

Photo of us in Potes

There were lots of shops selling souvenirs which we were not interested in. Neither was I interested in the famous cheese from that area which is on sale everywhere in Potes. You probably know I am not keen on cheese. Also on sale was the local cider and Santoña anchovies. We like the cider but it doesn't travel well and are not particularly keen on anchovies.

From Potes we could have continued our journey to Madrid on a mountain road leading us to Palencia and Valladolid but Eladio wanted us to go further up into the spectacular mountains to Fuente Dé where there is a cable car which takes you right to the top of one of them. The cable car takes you 1.1km above sea level to over 1.8 km in a question of minutes and is something very special to experience. I am a bit wary of heights though so was not sure I would like it. I went along with my husband's plans but they were thwarted when we were told that we would have to wait for 2 hours for the next free cable car.  Thus we decided to turn back and hopefully one day we will return. There were plenty of enticing places to stay and I only really got a glimpse of the famous Picos. 

The cable car at Fuente Dé. 

From Potes to Madrid we took the route via Palencia and Valladolid. The road from Potes to Palencia, an area I am not familiar with, is very mountainous for a  while and commands great views of the Picos. We just had to stop and get a better look when we came to a Mirador called Piedrasluengas at the top of a mountain pass of the same name. We were, according to the sign there, in the National Park of the Carrionas springs, an area I had never heard of. Here is Eladio at the viewing point.

Eladio at the Mrador on Thursday

As we continued our journey down the steep mountain road and after having entered the Palencia region belonging to Castille and León, it was about 2 pm, our lunch time and we spied a sign for a Parador in nearby Cervera de Pisuerga. That was the obvious choice for our meal and we were not disappointed. We set off again at about 3 and were home at around 7 pm. As our journey progressed the temperature went from about 20 c that morning in Asturias to 36 c in Madrid. We found that so so hot, almost unbearable. During our long car drive we both came to the conclusion that we want to buy a house in Asturias for ourselves but also to rent on Airbnb. I searched online while Eladio drove and we are now looking to buy an old house in a village near the coast in need of restoration. The idea is to buy a typical house of the area made of stone and wood on a plot of land and do it up to our own specs. So watch this space. This could be a very exciting project.

I was excited too to be home and wanted to see my father desperately. I knew he had missed us and I had missed him. Not often very expressive, he was delighted to see me and told me so. That warmed my heart. I also had to greet the dogs, Elsa our lab and Norah our beagle. Elsa is limping at the moment and we are afraid she has hip dysplasia which is typical in labradors. She has an appointment with the vet on Tuesday so cross your fingers please. I was, of course, over the moon to see Suzy. She has been keeping the house going along with Lucy, our housekeeper. I was keen too to meet our French guests and their children. They aren't completely French although they live in Paris. Jeremy, aged only 36, is half French and half English and his wife, Pili, is Spanish and from Madrid. They have two perfectly behaved children, David aged 3 and Eva aged 7, both of whom already speak good Spanish, French and English. I knew as soon as I met the family that we would get on as it seems we have a lot in common. It turns out too that Jeremy's father went to Clifton College school like my father; quite a coincidence. 

After unpacking in our room with the air con blasting cool air into our hot bedroom, we were able to watch Olivia on TV again. She presents twice every day in the programme at about 19.40 and then about 15 minutes later, after which she rushes home to her baby and partner. She was great again I thought. I also loved the content she had created. Not so great was her news of the spread of the virus, although I take some comfort from it being less lethal now.

Later we had dinner on the kitchen terrace with Suzy until it got dark at around 10 pm. I spent time with her on the balcony of Oli's room where she is now sleeping and at around 11 pm went to bed. I watched a bit more of Season 3 of The Sinner but it disappoints. It was lovely to sleep in our bed again. 

On Friday morning I was up at 6.15. Soon I was joined by Eva and David. They go to bed early, at around 7.30, in sharp contrast to Spanish kids, and get up early. Eladio and I decided to go out to find a small fridge for our kitchen specifically for guests. We went to El Corte Inglés and Media Markt but in the end bought one online. 

While we were out, exciting things were happening in the UK to do with the Royal family. That day and in secret, the Queen's granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, and daughter of the now infamous Prince Andrew, got married to an Italian hot shot. Much more interesting was the news of Capt Tom Moore's knighthood that same day. 

The Queen knighting Capt Tom Moore, now a "Sir"

This centenarian and WW2 hero raised over 40 million pounds for the NHS walking on his zimmer frame around his garden and lifted everyone's spirits during lockdown. It was the Queen's first face-to-face engagement since then and she was delighted to honour this extraordinary man in his own personal ceremony at Windsor Castle. He was equally delighted as was probably most of the UK. 

We came home to have a simple lunch, our first with my father. We watched the news and had a siesta but I was soon woken up by a new booking for our apartment in Santa Pola and a phone call from Swimmy about a photo of our house and pool they wanted to publish on their social media sites. I decided it was so hot that I would be the guest of our pool that day. I had the place to myself for a while but was soon joined the dogs and Suzy. Eva came too and is very friendly. Suzy left not long afterwards. She was going to Oli and Miguel's place with her friend Elenita where they would be having dinner. Miguel later sent me this lovely photo. It was on Friday that Elliot turned 10 months old quite a milestone in a baby's life. We hadn't seen him for nearly 3 weeks and noticed on Saturday when we were reunited just how much he is progressing. He is more like a toddler than a baby and a delightful one at that. 

Elenita, Elliot and Suzy (right) - wearing my new long green dress. 

Meanwhile, new guests arrived to occupy my only free room, the one Andy our Scottish guest from France rented for nearly 2 years. Gelia and Manel live in Barcelona and have come to visit their son who lives nearby. It is their 3rd stay now and they feel like friends. Just as they were leaving Barcelona, things were toughening up their because of the surge in new Covid cases and people were being urged to stay at home again. They got out just on time and arrived in masks. Of course we couldn't greet them with the traditional two kisses on both cheeks and had to bump our elbows; the new form of greeting which takes some getting used to.  They left later to see their son. Oli's programme was just beginning and we got the chance to watch her on TV again. She looked spectacular in high heels and a pair of tight fitting white jeans. 

Eladio was dealing with more leaks in the irrigation system in the garden and I got on with making a very simple dinner we had alone on the kitchen terrace. Later we sat on one of the benches and googled more houses in Asturias. We can't get the idea out of our head. Let's see where this leads to my friends.

We were in bed early, didn't find anything interesting to watch on Netflix and were soon asleep. Believe it nor not I was awake at 5.30 on Saturday morning. 

Saturday turned out to be a wonderful family day. The morning wasn't so great though as I had to go out and do the shopping which meant going to the chemist, to Mercadona, to Carrefour and to BM. I came home with a car full of food which we found difficult to fit in the kitchen we are sharing with our guests. Thankfully we have a fridge in the pantry downstairs but are badly in need of a second fridge in the kitchen. Oli, Miguel and Elliot were coming for lunch which would be a barbecue. It was great to see them again and this time Elliot recognised us. He seemed happy to be back and to see the dogs too. 

We spent the afternoon by the pool in the shade the whole time and I went in countless times. We all did, except for my husband, haha. Here are Oli, Miguel, Suzy and Elliot all in the pool and enjoying the various lilos we seem to have accumulated from guests. Only the boat is ours. 

Family time in the pool yesterday

It was lovely to be all together again after so much time away. It's not often we can enjoy the pool together and having Elliot makes these occasions even more special. It was so hot - 36ººc - that we were in and out of the pool all afternoon.

We had a family dinner too and were joined by the girls' friend Juli who I consider the surrogate son I never had. We all chipped in to make a lovely meal we had on the kitchen terrace. Being all together I had to have a photo and Juli obliged. When I posted the photo below on Facebook people commented we were very colour coordinated. I promise you it was just coincidental hahahahahaa. 

Last night's family dinner

Normally after dinner, Eladio and I retire to bed but last night we prolonged the evening to enjoy the company of our family and Elliot of course. Juli takes good photos and yesterday took loads, including this lovely one of my husband with his grandson who adore each other. The photo below proves it.

Eladio with Elliot yesterday

I suddenly remembered I had to do a happy birthday video for a friend and had promised to send it by the close of Saturday. Thankfully I had my girls to help and Miguel to film it. We decided that the clip would open with Suzy playing and singing "happy birthday to you" and then we would all enter and continue singing. For the video I got out some of our wigs and I think we looked hilarious don't you?

Doing the birthday video clip yesterday

Once she had her ukelele out, Suzy gave us an impromptu concert and Juli had brought some discotheque like lights to add to the atmosphere. Elliot was curious to see Suzy playing and Oli took this great photo of the two of them which I adore. 

Elliot fascinated watching and listening to Suzy play and sing

I love this one of Suzy too, singing away for us. 

Suzy my musical daughter who gave us a private concert last night

By popular demand, Oli joined Suzy and they sang together which made my heart soar. I love it when they sing together.

My two girlies singing together last night

It was just a beautiful evening, one we shall remember for a long time. Like a mother goose, I  am never happier than when I have all my family together so yesterday was a very special day. 

Today, Sunday, will be quieter but not any cooler. Mercury will rise again to 36ºc so thank God for the pool.

And so my friends, I have now reached the end of the tales of this week and it's time to sign off, publish this and print a copy for my dear father who I know enjoyed yesterday too.

Cheers then till next Sunday,

Masha