Oli's debut with TVE's new programme La Hora de la 1, exams, new Airbnb guests, Elliot starts nursery, remembering Fátima, massage for two at Templo de Masajes and other stories.

 Sunday, 13th September, 2020

Fátima and I together one year ago this week on 11th September. We could never have imagined that within less than 3 months she would no longer be here. 

Good morning all. Today is Sunday 13th September. I never like the number 13 but I do today because it is my oldest friend, Amanda's birthday. We met at school in 1967 when we were just 10 and we are still friends today. She lives far away in Devon (UK) and I live outside Madrid so we hardly ever see each other but thanks to Covid we now talk once a week on Skype and our friendship has gone from strength to strength. She will be 64 today. To think we have now known each other for 54 years is very special.

Sunday last was very special for Olivia my youngest daughter. That day saw her in the newsroom and studio of the new morning programme La Hora de la 1 by the national broadcaster TVE. The programme was beginning on Monday 7th but all the team had to go in for a rehearsal. She sent us some photos of the team including the presenter, Mónica López, and the five co presenters, including herself. I couldn't have felt prouder. I am very happy for her. It's funny but it was this week 9 years ago that she made her debut live on TV - Facebook reminded me last weekend. Her first appearance was with Pedro Almodovar and Antonio Banderas. I remember that day as if it was yesterday. She has now worked in TV for 9 years and this week saw the fruits of her experience when she became a co presenter. Here are the three photos she sent me and which I want to include to record this new beginning for her forever. 

The team in front of the cameras 

The 4 women from the team

My daughter in blue

When I posted these photos on Instagram - I couldn't resist doing so - I commented that my younger daughter was now a woman and a mother but also a co presenter on TV. Well done my darling.

While she was at the newsroom, Eladio, Suzy and I had to take care of Elliot. We took him on our walk with the dogs. Here is a quick photo I took of Suzy and Eladio and the pram just to remember the moment.

Taking Elliot on our walk last Sunday

He always falls asleep half way through the walk but was awake soon after we arrived back. The house was full of guests that morning. At one stage we all coincided in the kitchen, my French guests, the mother, Marlene and her daughter Inma, and the Italian family, Giulia, Dario and little Matilde. I had been talking to Marlene  in French and listened in admiration as Giulia spoke to her in perfect French. Giulia speaks perfect Italian, French, Spanish and English. Well, it turns out Marlene's parents were Portuguese so I got to speak some Portuguese  too. The kitchen was a hive of different languages being spoken and it was a wonderful moment. I love Airbnb guests like that. Soon Marlene and Inma left but the Italian family stayed until 6 pm. 

Meanwhile we had a barbecue and were pleasantly surprised to be joined by Oli who returned earlier from her rehearsal than we had imagined. So she joined us just as we were finishing lunch. Thankfully she was there to take Elliot off our hands so we could have a siesta. Mine was very short. Less than an hour later I was in the kitchen about to make a cup of tea. Norah, our beagle, had been up to her tricks again. Someone had left the cupboard under the kitchen sink slightly open and that's where we keep our dustbin. Well Norah had tipped it over and licked and ate what she could find. What a damned mess she had left in her trail.

With the mess out of the way I made my "cuppa", took my kindle and wandered down to the garden to read on the deck chairs. Soon Oli and Elliot were with me so goodbye to my reading hahahaha. When the Italian guests left we all rushed up to the pool. I skinny dipped and felt marvelous. The girls wanted to make something special for dinner and had decided on making a vegan based brownie accompanied by ice cream. So off they went with Elliot to a local supermarket. Thus I was able to resume my reading but not for long. Soon it was all hands on deck to come up with a resemblance to dinner. While laying the table, Oli was feeding the dogs their treats with little Elliot looking on. I thought the scene was charming and wanted to share it with you so took some photos like this one.

Feeding the dogs

For our own dinner, I just got out lots of little leftovers. The brownie was delicious. We didn't linger long over the table as it was getting late and Oli had to go to bed early as she had to be up at 4 am!!!!! Thus Eladio and I had the luxury of being able to watch something on TV in the peace of our own bedroom. We started watching the famous Danish political series, Borgen, which is finally in the Netflix catalogue. We are loving it. 

When she left early in the morning, Oli left  Elliot's door open  so we could hear him if he cried after she had gone. I was up at 6 am and thankfully he was sleeping peacefully. He actually slept until 9 am which allowed us to watch the beginning of the new programme as well as Oli's debut. She told us the schedule went haywire because the Prime Minister was late for his 8.30 am interview. Thus some of the content was left out,  including some of hers. She was on, though, at the start being introduced by Mónica López, the presenter. Here she is talking about the return to school in the different areas of the country, as well as the numbers of coronavirus going up in Spain. Spain was the first country in Europe this week to go over half a million cases!

Oli's debut on Monday

We didn't watch much more although if I had had the time I would have liked to watch the whole 5 hours to get a better opinion of the new programme. The media and audience seemed to like it. The studio is amazing as well as the lighting and all the augmented reality they now use; so much in vogue these days.  Oli later told us she was very nervous on the first day although she didn't come across as nervous as she is such a professional. She also told us that the presenter, Mónica López, had said she was so nervous even her eye lashes trembled but again she came across as quite the opposite and did a great job. All eyes were on the programme and the media in general seemed to think it had been a success. The main pressure is to achieve a higher share of the morning programmes, going from the current 10% to 20% but there is stiff competition from the private broadcasters so let's see if La Hora de la 1 can do it right and become as popular or more as their rivals.

Elliot woke up at 9 am and smiled at me when I picked him up. We later gave him his breakfast - my choice -  a smoothie made with yoghurt and fruit which he loved.  I took a photo to share with Oli and Miguel to reassure them their baby was in good hands.

Elliot having breakfast while his mother was busy on television

We took him for a walk again and he fell asleep but soon woke up again when we were back. Eladio entertained him while I made lunch - broccoli, carrot and mushroom soup followed by pork rib casserole. 

With meal preparations out of the way, I took an hour off from grandparent duty to swot for my upcoming exams. Yes, my friends, it was back to school for me this week too as I had 3 exams to sit. These are exams (CCSE and DeleA2) which I have to pass in order to start the process to get Spanish nationality. The CCSE one is about Spain - culture, history, politics, geography, etc. and the DeleA2 is the language exam (oral, comprehension, listening and writing). I knew I would do well in the CCSE one but I was  a bit worried about the language tests which are not as easy as I had thought. In the practice exams on the app the audios and texts were very long and I was worried more about my memory retention than my Spanish.  You would think I wouldn't need to do any sort of exam after having lived here for 39 years, not to mention the fact that I have a degree in Hispanic Studies. But none of that counts now since the law for getting nationality was changed 5 years ago. If I had applied for Spanish citizenship before that, having been married to a Spaniard for over 30 years, I would have got it automatically but not now. So why I am applying for Spanish nationality my friends? Well, it's a dumb question as you will all appreciate that what I want is not so much to be Spanish as to have an EU passport, something Brexit has stripped me of. So this week it was back to school and stressful exams.  

I only stopped revising when it was time for our midday meal with the family. Olivia joined us just as we were finishing lunch.  She had been up since 4 am and after a 9 hour stint at the TV studios was bushed. I was bushed too and was in desperate need of a siesta. I only got a short one as a headache was coming on. My phone pinged with a new reservation for Tuesday; another student for the local UEM, so I got up to make a cup of tea.  I had work to do, fine tuning a press release as well as giving feedback to a vendor press release. 

We had the house to ourselves as well as the pool but only Oli went in. Later she and Elliot went back to their flat as Miguel was arriving that evening. I had my weekly skype call with Amanda and gosh it was 7 pm when we had finished, having nattered on and on for 1.5h. The day ended with dinner with Suzy and a blinding headache - so no wine that night. The pain was so bad I couldn't watch the television so we would have to leave our latest series, Borgen, for another day.

Tuesday came.  It would be a big day for me; the sending of a press release with lots of pressure from my customer to gain media coverage and my first exam which was at just past 1 pm. 

Before the day started officially for me, I was able to watch Oli on television, her second day. She was on 3 times and was great every time. That day she was wearing a fabulous yellow dress which I far preferred to the flowery one she wore the day before. Her topics were coronavirus figures and the cost of going back to school. Here is a shot of her in the studio presenting.

Oli presenting on Tuesday

I had a very busy morning indeed. I sent out my press release. I can now tell you what it was about. Euskaltel, Spain's 5th operator had signed a deal with Adamo, the fiber operator I work for, to use its network nationwide. It was big news for the telecoms press and as soon as the release went out, the media coverage was pretty immediate. But I wouldn't know until the next day just how extensive it was. 

Eladio, meanwhile went to the bank to process how we shall be paying for the house next week in Asturias. I stayed at home busy on the press release and follow up questions. I also had to get rooms ready for new guests. Oli finally has allowed me to use her room which I need as Suzy is occupying the 3rd room we rent. I had to get rid of a lot of personal stuff and put it away only to be replaced when she comes to stay. Lucy had to clean the room and bathroom and then I took photos to create a new advertisement on Airbnb. I got my first guest pretty soon, Adrian, who is coming in October. Everything had to be perfect both in Oli's room and the green room for the guests coming that night, Louis and Marie, both related to the University.

That left me with little time to prepare lunch as well as do some preparatory work for my oral exam which was at 13.06 in nearby Pozuelo. I left at 12.30, early enough to fill the tank of my car which both girls had left completely empty (no haha here). I was at the ESIC school well on time and by 13 was at the exam centre. I was nervous as I haven't done an exam for more than 40 years unless you count the test for my driving licence. I shouldn't have been as it was really easy. Stupid me, I had been practicing for the format for 2019 and not 2020 and the 2020 was much easier than I thought. It consisted of three simulated conversations with an examiner and a supervisor looking on. I was out 20 minutes later knowing I had passed with flying colours. I was warned though that the written exam on Friday which would last 3 hours would be much more difficult.

I was home on time for lunch with the family and then had a much needed, although very short, siesta. I was down in the kitchen shortly afterwards to have my afternoon cup of decaf tea. I read for a while in the garden where I was joined by Eladio. We then went out to Mercadona to top up food supplies at home and were back about an hour later reading in the garden. I was waiting for my guests to arrive who were both a bit late. Thus we had dinner outside before they came. Just as we had finished, my first guest, Louis, arrived. I thought he was French and yes he was but not from mainland France but from New Caledonia. Excuse my ignorance but I had to ask him where that was and he told me it's near Australia in Polynesia, thus his very good command of English. I told him he was my first guest (and probably the last) from New Caledonia. He was charming and sweet and should have been tired after 35 hours flying (via Japan) but as he is so young (I have to add very handsome too) he didn't seem it. He, like many of my student guests, has come here to study physiotherapy at the UEM University. He has also come to stay at our house to look for accommodation. He was in luck as I know someone nearby who rents rooms in a house just across the road from the Uni. I rang Cristina and she had a spare room as someone had cancelled. Coincidentally it was the room where my friend Joanna's daughter, Elisa, had lived 2 years ago. I offered to take Louis there the next day to see the room. He was very grateful. 

My other guest, Marie, messaged me to say she was late and that the bus she was waiting for was late or hadn't arrived. Thus I offered to drive to where she was and bring her back. I was in my nightie but no one would know as I wouldn't get out of the car. Frustratingly on my way I saw the bus that arrived shortly after she messaged me. I picked her up donned in my mask and brought her home but first took her to see where the bus stop is for her to catch the bus the next morning. 

I think I did two good deeds that day, helping Louis find accommodation and driving to find Marie. It was late by the time I got to bed but not too late to watch TV. That night Eladio and I continued watching more of Borgen.  I was interrupted with a much welcome message that I had a Swimmy booking for Saturday. 4 people will be coming for the day to enjoy our pool. Great I thought. We will also have Airbnb guests but they are not here for the pool so will coincide without problems. I later got another one for today; 5 girls coming from 12 to 20h. It's still good weather and as the public swimming pools have closed earlier than usual because of Covid, no doubt Swimmy is a great alternative. 

Wednesday came, an exam free day. It was supposed to be Elliot's first day at the nursery but the poor lamb had had a bad reaction to a vaccine given to him the day before so he wasn't well enough to go. I felt sorry for him. Talking about vaccines, it was on Wednesday that we heard that the much awaited Oxford Covid vaccine had been put on hold as one patient had had a bad reaction to it. That was what Oli reported on that morning at 8 am. Oh dear I thought. Yesterday though, we heard that work on it had been resumed. I saw her later, by chance as she didn't warn me when she would be on, reporting on the problem of squatters as well as the problem with road signs and their male symbolism. She told me later she had been on 7 times that morning, each time with different news and graphics. Oli was up at 4.30 and at 1.30, after the programme finished, she was still there, working on stuff for the next day. She was really tired poor thing but doing an excellent job.

I love watching her live on TV and as she is on every day from around 8 am, I first see on her on my iPad while writing this blog. Just after watching my daughter, I received the media cutting report from my clipping service. I was eager to see how much media coverage there had been after the press release sent out the day before. I was pretty astonished to see there were about 120 articles. That has to be a record I think. I felt quite "chuffed" when I got a congratulatory email from my customer:-) 

Later that morning, I helped our new guest, Louis from New Caledonia, to find accommodation. I took him to see the house where my friend Joanna's daughter, Elisa, stayed during her Erasmus year. The house is lovely but the student apartment a little small. There is just one kitchen and 6 small rooms on the lower ground floor. On the plus side it is a walk across the street to the University. I think he wasn't impressed so continued looking. I helped him by ringing a few estate agencies and organising visits for him. He has until 23rd September to find somewhere and while he is searching he will be staying with us. 

While I was helping Louis, Eladio was at the bank. That day we paid for the house in Asturias which was a funny feeling. We won't be going until Tuesday 15th and have already paid - well most of it. I have looked at the weather forecast and we are in for bad luck as it will probably rain throughout our stay there. That's Asturias for you, the rainiest area in Spain. Maybe you think we are mad to have bought a house there. Well, maybe we are, but what we love about the area is that it is so green. It's probably on a par with buying a house in Devon or Cornwall and that's not so bad is it?

After helping Louis, I settled down to cram for my language exam which was on Friday. Oh how I hated the exercises. I understood the Spanish of course, my problem being memory retention when having to answer questions on long texts or audios I had read or listened to. Some of the audios are 7 minutes long!!! What a stupid format to find out whether I know enough Spanish to live here. It's a pity my degree in Hispanic studies from the University of Nottingham doesn't count. It should as we live in the EU but it doesn't damn it. 

I should have continued with cramming for the language exam in the afternoon but postponed it for the next day, preferring to read. Amazon UK had just delivered Leon Uris' Exodus in paperback as it's not available on Kindle. So I started on that. It's a wonderful book but oh my goodness this paperback has such small print it's difficult to read, even with 3 strength glasses which provoke a headache.

Eladio did something far more practical. I had ordered a baby tricycle for Elliot's upcoming 1st birthday. It arrived in a big box but needed assembling. I wouldn't have known where to start but Eladio is good with his hands so got to work on it.

Eladio assembling Elliot's birthday present, a baby trike

This is the trike fully assembled. Isn't it sweet?

Elliot's tricycle assembled by Eladio. It's for his 1st birthday on 17th September

If I already had a small headache from reading the small print of Exodus, I got an even bigger one after succumbing to a glass of Albariño white wine at dinner which for once was just Eladio and myself. I should have known. Chocolate and alcohol are not good for people with a tendency to get headaches. Later I sat by the pool terrace marveling that I had it to myself. That's not often the case. We are not using it much as this week as the weather, although warm, was not warm enough for me to swim. Instead I just enjoyed the view and having it to myself.

The pool on Wednesday evening which I had all to myself, rather a luxury

The day ended as it did the day before, watching more of Borgen season 1. We really like it. Ok it's about Danish politics but somehow it holds your interest throughout. It's a bit like a Danish West Wing but better in my opinion.

I was up at 6.30 on Thursday morning. After our walk that morning, I spent the rest of the time until lunch, revising for my exam that day about knowledge of Spain (culture, history, politics, geography, constitution, etc) and for the more important language one on Friday morning. That morning was Elliot's first day at the nursery or should I say first hour. He is being gently introduced there going for short periods only until he is comfortable and happy. He wasn't happy to leave his father's arms and according to the staff spent the first half hour sitting completely still. Thankfully he began to interact during the second half. I suppose this is strange for him, a little baby who has never been out of the sight of a member of his family. No doubt he will grow to love it but needs time.

My CCSE exam (knowledge about Spain) was at 18h approx at a university in nearby Pozuelo. I arrived early feeling rather nervous. After all I don't think I have done any sort of exam since I took my driving test so many years ago. 

Me ready for my exam

The exam room was big enough for 80 pupils and we were about 25. This was to comply with Covid rules and there was lots of distance between us making me feel safe. We wore masks of course but had to take them off for a moment for the invigilator to check our passport photos. I had taken along reading glasses but with the mask on they steam up immediately so I had to take them off. Thankfully I was still able to read the questions. My eyesight is good these days after the cataract operation about 2 years ago. But I wondered how people having to wear glasses and a mask could possibly do the exam. I suspect they push the mask down slightly. I tried that too but my glasses still steamed up. The trick is to wear the mask tight but that's not always easy.

I was on plenty of time so I practiced answering the questions over and over again in the exam room before it started on the dot at 6 pm. My fellow students were all much much younger than me and seemed to be mostly from either Latin America or Morocco. However, the invigilator was from Dublin so it was nice to chat to him. I told him he was lucky to have an EU passport to which he agreed. He also agreed that Brexit was a "nasty business". It is and look what has happened this week. The Tories seem to be pushing for a non agreement on trade, breaking the terms of what they signed. What a mess.

On the bright side my exam went really well. I was finished within 3 minutes or so when we all had 15 minutes to answer the 25 questions. I am sure I got them all right. I left feeling good and was soon home again and lying by the pool reading Exodus with Eladio reading next to me. 

Friday came, the last day of the week and the day of my last exam - Dele A2, organised by the Instituto Cervantes. It was held also in Pozuelo so easy to get there. I was up at the crack of dawn though as I had to be there by 8.20 and wanted to avoid the traffic. Thus I arrived at around 8 am and was able to watch Oli live on TV on my phone in the car before I got out to walk to the exam building. The language exam was to be in the same room as the day before so I found it quickly. This time there were no Latin Americans as they are exempt from it; unlike me. The exam was 3 hours long and in 3 parts: comprehension, audio and writing. Each exam was about 1 hour long but I finished each and every one of them long before that. Thus I found myself twiddling my thumbs while my mostly Moroccan fellow students took far longer. There was another British guy who I spoke to in the break. He and I both commiserated about having to go through the exams to get Spanish nationality and all because of Brexit!!!!! I had thought the exams would be far more difficult than they were. That's because the ones I practiced with the app on my phone were longer and there was no text to follow when answering questions. I found them easy and must have passed with flying colours probably because the text was in front of me when answering the questions and because, thankfully the audios were far shorter than in the practice tests. By 11.15 I had finished and was the first to leave. I gave in my last exam to the invigilator who remarked how quick I was. I replied well so should I be as I have lived here for nearly 40 years and have a degree in Spanish hahahhaha. That's why it annoyed me so much to have to bother with the exams. They had worried me all week and made me feel tense. However, I felt great when I walked out into the sunshine knowing I had passed. Once I get the results which will take time, my lawyer will finally be able to put in place the process for my acquiring Spanish nationality. I think it will take anything up to a year.

I felt free and all tension went and I decided to reward myself with a cup of coffee on the Avda de Europa boulevard in Pozuelo which I know so well. I went to Manacor café, sat outside and treated myself to a strawberry and cream tart (yummy). I then looked at the shops and actually bought something  - a pair of pink espadrilles. I was home well on time for lunch but found myself busy with emails, etc, as well as a form to be signed by my father to be sent to one of his pension schemes. Every now and again they send a letter asking him to sign it to declare he still wants his pension. Well, of course he does. They only do it to see if he is still alive. Well, of course he is but the problem is it's difficult for him to write his signature, poor man, as he is riddled with arthritis. I sent off the scanned signed document and hope it will do. 

Meanwhile that morning, Elliot was at the nursery again for the second day and I think he spent just over an hour. This time he cried less and interacted with the other children and hugged the carers. Isn't that so sweet. Here he is with his mother (all made up after being on TV) happy to be with her again. 

Elliot and his mother after his second day at the nursery on Friday 

Friday of course was not only my last exam day it was the 11th September and the 19th anniversary of the dreadful terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York. Who doesn't remember that or what they were doing when it happened? Well all do. It is something we shall never forget. In the same way I shall never forget my friend Fátima. That day Facebook reminded me I had been with her one year ago that day. I have chosen that photo as this week's feature photo, one of the last of the two of us together. 

With Fátima, one year ago this week

How could we possibly have known then that within less than three months later she would be dead? I remember that day so well. It was catch up time for us both with our dogs (Pippa and Chispi) and Eladio took the photo. My friend told me how her illness was and confessed she was "riddled with cancer". But in a way I couldn't really believe it as she looked so well. Fátima, my dearest friend, fought for more than 3 years and did everything possible to extend her time on earth. She was amazing. What a fighter and what a positive person. Thus she never looked ill until the very end. All I have now are my memories and photos but I carry her in my heart. 

Friday too marked six months since the Covid Pandemic was announced on 11th March by the WHO. Gosh how our lives have changed. We could never have known how much either. That day, there were over 28 million cases and over 9000 deaths world wide. In Spain we passed 500.000 cases and are nearing 30.000 deaths. We have the third highest percentage of deaths in the world apparently. Not a good figure. This week the government has limited gatherings of more than 10 people in most places in Spain. In the UK it is 6 as there too the figures are on the up again. Amanda and I both commented we thought that the UK was just a few weeks behind Spain and France as the number of those infected is also on the rise. Worrying isn't it? But we have to go on as well as we can and at the same time, avoid Covid as best we can. I have no need to tell you the recipe as you all know the basics: social distancing, washing hands frequently and wearing masks. Even that though doesn't guarantee not catching the virus or infecting someone. This week kids have gone back to school and despite all the safety measures there have been cases and whole classrooms have had to stay home and self isolate. On Monday we saw the images of the King of Spain's daughters going back to school. Well on Friday one of their classmates got the virus and now they are back home at their palace  - not a bad place to self isolate. 

It was not all doom on Friday though. The highlight was a massage with Suzy in Pozuelo. I think I told you an Airbnb guest gifted me a voucher for a massage for two at one of her massage parlours  "Templo de Masajes". Eladio wasn't keen but Suzy was - we both love massages, so we were in for a treat. `

We were soon in the double cabin and ready and waiting for the two masseurs to come. Here is Suzy lying down before we started. 

Suzy on the massage table

We were asked what type of massage we wanted.  I wanted a deep tissue massage and asked for it to be as strong as possible. I think the masseuse wanted to show me just how strong she could be and at times it hurt. However she dealt well with all the knots in my muscles on the shoulders, upper back and neck but hurt my hips a bit. We were covered in oil when we came out but I decided to leave it on and shower the next day as I my skin is quite dry and could do with some moisturising. 

I walked out of Templo de Masajes as if I was on a cloud and felt slightly dizzy but relaxed. It was  a great end to a rather stressful week and I was very grateful to Marina for the voucher.  Once home it was time for dinner - just the two of us as Suzy went to her friend's house. I enjoyed  a large glass of Albariño white wine which again and strangely, did not give me a headache. 

Saturday came and would bring more guests. We went for our walk with the dogs and then out to do the weekly food shopping. Just as we were arriving home, our Swimmy guests arrived; Diego and 2 friends. The 4th couldn't come in the end. They would stay until 8 pm and behaved perfectly. 

While they were enjoying the pool, I sat in the garden reading Exodus until my next Airbnb guests arrived, a family from the south of France. Patrick and his wife are staying for 4 nights and have come to see their daughter Jada who is on an Erasmus here. Patrick is half Spanish so speaks the lingo well and his wife is a nurse who only knows French. Thus I was talking to them all in a mixture of French and Spanish. I was getting a bit mixed up at times but it was fun. I love practicing my French. I was worried they would want to use the pool - what with the boys from Swimmy there  -but they didn't. They told me they lived right by the sea somewhere near Nice and have their own pool. They seem to be great guests who will not be cooking and will be eating out and spending time with their daughter. By 8.30 pm. or so, the Swimmy group had gone and the French family too. Only Louis, our lovely student boy from New Caledonia, was here and we coincided in the kitchen while making dinner. Suzy approves of him as, like her, he is a vegetarian. We went to bed but Suzy waited up for more guests to come (hahaha), this time, her friends and sisters, Elenita and Chati and Elena's dog, Nana. All four of them would be sleeping in her room, the downstairs room. Thus last night I counted 10 people, 4 dogs and 1 cat hahahaha. Thank God the house and garden are so big that people don't get in the way of each other.

We went to bed early, watched the depressing news and cheered up when we started on Season 2 of Borgen. 

I was up at just before 7 am this morning and look forward to a relatively quiet day; that is if the Swimmy group of girls behave well. You will hear all about it in next week's post which I shall be writing from El Cuetu in Asturias. 

Cheers friends and readers till then,

Masha