Sunday, 17th January, 2021
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| On the main road near our house last Sunday, the day after the historic snowfall |
Hello everyone.
Well, this has been the most unusual week. We have been snowed in and trapped at home for most of it thanks to Storm Filomena. That sounds like fun and it was for a while but not when appointments had to be cancelled, central heating oil couldn't be delivered, when we couldn't get our car out and when we began to run out of provisions. Thankfully we had electricity and internet. I cannot imagine life without them.
Our new snowbound life began last Sunday, the day after the historic snow fall, the biggest in 50 years; some say 80 years. Some even say ever. There was up to 50cm of snow in some parts of Madrid, including our garden! We ventured out onto the road outside our house taking Norah our beagle and Pippa our mini dachshund with us. Poor Elsa, our lab, had to stay behind as she has a broken leg soon to be operated.
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| The dogs by the gate raring to go |
It was no longer snowing and the sun began to shine. I took stock of what I was seeing and it was then I realised we were completely snowed in. This is my video report of what I saw. We couldn't go on our normal walk in the forest where the snow was waste deep and virgin with no one's footsteps to follow. I took loads of photos and got Eladio to take some too of these unprecedented scenes and I chose one of his to illustrate this week's post. It is of me on the main road with no cars, just one or two tire marks, probably from 4x4 vehicles. When I was in the corporate world I used to have luxury 4wd drive cars but today we just have my Mini and Eladio's Volvo and we don't even have chains. So we could only leave the house on foot. Here is Eladio on the street too with the dogs. We later let them off their leads as they were going nowhere and would hardly run away.
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| Eladio with the dogs in our street on our exploratory walk in the snow last Sunday |
We couldn't go very far as it was getting very slippery. We could only walk where the tires had left their mark but it was getting icy. The last thing I wanted to do was to break my leg on ice as I did in Montrondo a few years ago.
Once home, Eladio took out the shovel and cleared the drive. What we really needed was a snow plow to clear the roads but that day there was only one in the whole neighbourhood which consists of roads and streets measuring 70km, many of them cul de sacs like ours. All the others, about 135 of them in the whole of the Madrid area, were obviously focused on more important roads and areas such as the airport or entrances to hospitals. The bus service was still suspended but slowly air traffic and trains resumed service, except for the area north east of Madrid where storm Filomena was heading. Schools are closed until this Wednesday, 10 days, which is quite unacceptable. That means that when Oli and Miguel go back to work tomorrow we shall have to look after Elliot until his nursery opens. Wish us luck!
So there was nothing to do but be at home. I had a lot to think about that day. Out of the blue I received an email from a woman called Helen. She told me she knew my cousin Michael and that she used to walk to school with him in Ickenham (Middlesex and not far from London). The school was called Breakspeare. I was bowled over. You may wonder who Michael was. If you know me well or are an avid reader of my blog, you will know he was one of my cousins who died in a terrible air crash in May 1971 along with their parents, my Aunty Gloria - my father's beloved sister - and Uncle Derek. My, I couldn't believe it. We emailed all day and all day and all night I thought of them. The accident may have happened 50 years ago but I have never forgotten it. It marked me for life. Helen had reached out to me after reading my blog. I'm not sure which post she referred to. It may have been this one where I wrote extensively about the tragedy and which you can find here. It was wonderful to know that someone remembered Michael, just that I didn't know it. Helen told me she had a vivid recollection of him as being "a sweet, lovely boy, easy to talk to" and "kind and gentle". Helen said when he died she was inconsolable and that she has remembered the tragedy always. She told me that after the holidays, after the crash, the class which had been learning the lyrics to Kalinka (the Russian song) where Michael was to have a leading role didn't want to pursue it any more. The school and community she told me were devastated. I wish I remembered him better. When they died I was 14 so I was closer to my cousin Jacqueline who was aged 12 and and less close to Michael aged 9 and Antony aged 7. But I remember them clearly as babies and as an older cousin I loved to watch them in my adored aunt's arms. She was such a great mother. I wish I had more photos of them. Those I do have are all blurred but here is one of the 3 of them playing in the snow in the garden of their house in Ickenham at 18 Ivy House Road.
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| Michael, leading the cousins. Behind him Jacqueline and little Antony on a sledge |
No doubt they would have loved the snow in Madrid. I often think that if tragedy hadn't struck them, they would be alive today and we would be close I'm sure. You see, they were our only really close family in the UK when I was a child as Gloria was my father's only sibling after the death of their dear brother Raymond of polio when he was just 15. We spent every Christmas in Ickenham and all the traditions I use today come from those days, inherited from my grandmother and my Aunty Gloria. Bless them.
I thought about them all day and tried to conjure up their faces, especially my Aunt's. She was very special to me. I always carry them in my heart as I know my father does. So it was beautiful to know that someone, apart from my father and I, had remembered Michael after all these years. I wonder what Michael would have become. I was impressed that Helen had become a physician and heads up a consultancy specialising in something extraordinary; disorders of consciousness. I think that is marvelous. Thank you Helen for your memories, they comfort me.
I couldn't get them out of my mind and continued writing to Helen and she to me. I sent her my father's manuscript (of his biography) and she told me she wept when she read the chapter about the death of my Aunt and her family. I could reproduce it here but it is very long. I read it again myself and I cried too.
The news that day in Spain was only about the snow and the chaos it had caused. It was a bit of a relief from Covid. My other relief was watching The Crown or rather re-watching it until I finished it. I then turned to Downton Abbey to watch the whole of it for the third time. I am a sucker for well made period drama.
Another break in the day and a pleasant one was a family whatsapp video call with both girls. It was such fun, we must repeat it.
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| Our family Whatsapp video call on Sunday |
Monday came, our second day of being snowbound. I had to reschedule my hairdresser appointment and cancel the one with a dermatologist on Tuesday. I wondered whether I would make it on Thursday to the Ministry of Justice to find out where my English criminal check was. My appointments could be cancelled but I wondered what the fate of people in real emergencies was, such as women about to give birth or people needing dialysis or other urgent matters.
Mid morning saw us outside in the snowed up street dressed up warmly and ready for another winter wonderland walk. We dared to take the forest walk that day but could only do so because others had left a trail for us to walk on. However it was often icy and I found myself stepping on the crunchy and crisp snow rather than the path so as not to fall because of ice. I could have said "crisp and deep and even" except that it wasn't "even" as there were trees and tree branches all over the path. The sun was out and there was so much light around me, it was wonderful. Here I am ecstatic to be out in the snow.
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| Our first snowy walk in the forest |
The child in me would have loved a snow ball fight or even better a ride on a sledge or to slide in the ice. But, I had to face it, I am nearly 64 and didn't want to get wet from the snow balls, would probably fall off any sledge and would definitely slip on the ice. 5 years ago I broke my leg in the snow on the mountains outside Montrondo because of the ice beneath it so now I am very wary of falling in the snow. That ruled out any typical enjoyment of snow and at times I hung on to Eladio's arm to keep my balance.
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| Eladio and Norah our beable walking ahead of me in the snow in the forest on Monday |
Many times we had to walk over debris caused by fallen trees and branches which were a clear indication of just how strong Storm Filomena was. Rather than a walk it felt like some sort of adventure trail with obstacles at every turn.
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| Eladio making his way on the path despite the debris from fallen trees and branches. |
We finally made it to the main road, one of the most important arteries of our neighbourhood. I had hoped the snow plow had been but it hadn't and people were clearing their paths. There were trees and branches everywhere and I realised then that the streets would not be cleared properly for traffic to circulate for quite a while.
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| One of the main road near where we live with broken trees and branches |
There were very, very few cars - just a handful of 4x4, probably making their way to the local supermarket, Mercadona. I heard later it had opened but that there were queues right around the building and that there were provisions but not much fresh produce. One of Spain's biggest sources for food is concentrated at a place called "Merca Madrid" in the capital where fresh produce is taken to by lorry from the coast, the fruit growing areas in the south and south east and from the north - fish and meat. But Merca Madrid itself was nearly snowbound and there were thousands of lorries trapped on roads trying to reach the city. I read there would be corridors opened for food trucks and that Merca Madrid would function again on Tuesday morning, guaranteeing supplies to supermarkets. I wondered how on earth we could get to one, unless on foot but the nearest one is about 3km away and I could hardly imagine walking back with heavy loads of fruit and vegetables such as oranges and potatoes. I rang a couple of supermarkets in the hope they could deliver but I didn't get an answer. Thus I turned to our dear neighbours, Julio and Ekaterina, who have a 4wd vehicle and I asked if they could take me to a supermarket the next day. They are lovely, thoughtful and kind neighbours and didn't hesitate to say yes. Eladio was aghast I had dared to ask them. But then this was an emergency situation and it is in the nature of neighbours to help each other. Was I wrong? I don't think so as I am the person responsible for providing food for everyone in this house and thus had to resort to daring measures. Eladio is in charge of other things, such as the central heating oil. On Monday we had just enough left for about 1 week so he rang to make an order. However, there would be no deliveries until next week. I was worried we would run out of fuel which would have been a disaster in this freezing weather with the lowest temperatures reaching -10ºc. Amazingly one delivered yesterday afternoon so now my worries are over.
The rest of the day was thus spent at home. In the afternoon, while I was skyping with Amanda, Eladio was out clearing more snow. I caught him on camera clearing it from the roof of the car shed and standing on a ladder. I was worried stiff he would fall but he didn't. Spot him in the picture below.
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| Eladio clearing the snow from the roof of the car shed |
In the evening I invited our guest, Felipe, to a bottle of wine with us, our latest favourite, Inurrieta Sur. It was another chance for interesting conversation with him. He is a fascinating guest, as I told Amanda on Skype, and a delight to have. He loves the dogs and they love him and he has even bought treats for them. No wonder they love him hahhahhaa.
For entertainment that night I continued watching a soppy and cheesy but delightful and romantic TV series on Netflix, "When calls the heart". It is set in a mining village in the north of Canada and I am in love with the two main characters, the teacher, Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow) and the "Mountie" (Canadian Mounted police) Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing). I can't keep my eyes off him hahahhaa.
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| Jack Thornton in the series When calls the Heart |
I like it so much I have even interrupted Downton Abbey to follow it. Thus sleep came late and I think it was nearly 1 in the morning before I switched the lights off.
Tuesday dawned and it was another very cold day. This week has brought the coldest weather in 40 years in Spain, not counting the high mountain ranges. The lowest temperature that night in Madrid was -8c and the thermometer never rose above 4 or 5 degrees during the day. I was up early as usual and enjoyed my breakfast with the dogs and with the news on my iPad - it's one of my favourite moments of the day. I read that Trump, after inciting rioters to go to The Capitol, was to be impeached. Finally, good I thought. This came after Pence, his VP, refused to resort to the 25th amendment - coward! Again Covid dominated the news as it does everyday. The cases in the US and UK are very alarming and that day in Spain they rose to 25.000. Thankfully, supplies, not many, arrived that day of the new Moderna vaccine.
Social media reminded me that morning that 4 years ago that day, on 11th January 2017, a date I shall not forget, I was made redundant (fired is probably the word) after the mobile operator Yoigo was bought up by the smaller operator Másmovil. The first thing the latter did was to get rid of nearly all of management, including me. I was about to turn 60 and it was devastating news although I knew it was coming. It was another blow in life. But, you know what friends? I just got up again and got on with it as I usually do. Life deals you blows and I've had my fair share but it's not in me to give up. Instead I sort of reinvented myself. I turned to the freelance world which has had its ups and downs. I am extremely grateful to my ex boss Johan for lending me a hand there. I am also happy I took up the work of Airbnb host which has turned out to be a huge success until now of course. Even with Covid though I have had guests and can't wait to see the day when travel resumes.
The snow of course was still there in the morning. I like it but didn't like being trapped. There was no rain forecast, only freezing cold temperatures and dry weather which would continue to turn the snow into treacherous ice. At about 10 am we set off walking to our local "Mercadona" supermarket. Julio, our neighbour had offered to take us but we wanted the walk and didn't want to have him hanging outside waiting while we shopped and agreed he would pick us up. It's usually a 20 minute walk but with the snow and ice it took a whole hour. I am quite clumsy and have a general tendency to fall so I had to go at a very slow pace so as not to fall. I read that on Monday in Madrid alone there were 1200 fractures reported in hospitals because of falls, 50 an hour according to one paper. Lots of people blamed the authorities for not clearing the snow and leaving it to individual volunteers to help, but I don't blame them as they just don't have the means for so many people and such a large area. The stories of community solidarity have emerged which are very uplifting. Our own neighbour, Julio, has been out, and about non stop helping people stuck in their cars everywhere and this has been happening in an organised way between neighbours all over the province and in the capital. In our own neighbourhood there is a whatsapp group of people offering help and giving out useful information. Thus I learned that finally a snow plow was at work. This is it on Tuesday evening. More came as the week progressed but there is still a lot of work to be done.
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| A snow plow at work in our neighbourhood on Tuesday evening |
Finally at Mercadona we were gobsmacked to see all the fruit and vegetable stalls completely empty of produce. Oh dear, what were we going to do? The only green in sight was artichokes and I grabbed them all (hahaha).
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| Empty shelves at Mercadona on Tuesday |
Julio came to the rescue once more, not just by picking us up but by driving us to another Mercadona nearby where he had heard there were provisions. He was right and we were able to stock up for, hopefully, about 10 days until the roads are clear. Oli and Miguel were in the same predicament but didn't have a Julio to help. They instead walked on the icy roads carrying little Elliot in a baby rucksack at the same time. Thus they had 2 pairs of hands to carry their provisions home. They took it philosophically. We just had to grin and bear the situation and get on with it without complaining. Complaining gets you nowhere in situations like this.
Once home and with the help of Julio and our Russian born guest, Felipe, all the shopping bags were taken to the kitchen where Lucy was ready to put everything away. The whole adventure of this week's shopping was exciting but tiring. I was in need of a shot of caffeine before quickly rustling up lunch - cauliflower soup with thyme and pork rib casserole. The afternoon was spent lazily on the phone and watching my new series.
Wednesday came and I was surprised to see another unexpected message from afar - like Helen's. This time it came from a Russian woman who lives in Brussels and who had read my blog. Assia seems to be specially interested in Russian Royal family. She wrote to me about my mother's family connection with Prince Felix Yusupov (the slayer of Rasputin). I was amazed how she found me. In statistics of traffic to my blog, Russia figures as the third highest country. As you can see from the chart below these are the top 7 countries in descending order: US, Spain, Russia, UK, Germany, France, India and believe it or not Turkmenistan. The countries go on and on and on until you get to remote islands some of which I have never heard of.
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| Top countries all time - for readers of my blog around the globe |
These are the statistics for all time. However the statistics for the last 12 months put Russia at the top as you can see in this other chart.
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Where my readers come from. Top countries for the last 12 months. |
I am amazed at the interest in my blog by people I do not know. I am especially intrigued by the interest from Turkmenistan.
But back to the subject in question on Felix Yusupov. The real connection to our family which I have written about before and which you can read here, is that Felix's mother, Princess Zinaida Yusupov née Ribeuapierre, was the first cousin of my mother's maternal grandmother, Olga Stachovich née Ribeaupierre. Zinaida's mother, Countess Tatiana and Olga's father Count Ivan were sister and brother. I wrote too about these families in a post last year where there is even more information.
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| My great grandmother (right dark hair) Olga Stachovich née Ribeaupierre in Moscow circa 1910 with her first cousin the Mother of Felix Yusupov, Zinaida, or Aunty Fairy - she was also my mother's godmother. |
I checked this on the family tree my friend Andy created on Ancestry where it is pretty clear. I took a screen shot of the part of the tree which was relevant to send to Assia. The link is here.
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| Part of my family tree where you can see the relationship between the Yusupovs and my mother's family |
Assia's real interest was in Yusupov's sexuality of which there is much discussion and little consensus in history books. This is what she wrote to me: "your mother probably had quite a few conversations with Felix Youssoupov about his youth. He was a very mysterious individual, and it's difficult for historians to find out what was true and what was a rumour about him. His exquisite beauty and courage as well as his interest for dressing as a lady made him a very bright individual in the early 20th century European Society. His mother, the pearl of Imperial Russia, brought him up as a very happy child. Conservative, ultra traditional people looked down on his extravagant preferences, they were possible jealous of his courage to be himself. It is known that he was very close to the Grand Duke Dmitry Romanov and Empress Alexandra broke her daughter's engagement to Dmitri because she didn't approve this friendship. Was Felix romantically attached to some individuals of his own gender? Is it true that he was in love with Dmitry and had romantic relationships with other gentlemen? "
I was interested to see her refer to Felix's mother, Zinaida Yusupov as "the pearl of Russia". For my mother and her family she was "Aunty Fairy", because, apparently she was a lovely person. This is her when she was young. I remember my mother having a copy of it. She kept it as she loved her god mother.
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| Princess Zinaida Nikolayeva Yusupova, Felix Yusopov's mother and my Mother's god mother and my Grandmother's first cousin. |
This portrait hangs in the Yusupov Palace in St. Petersburg which I once saw. As I gazed at it in my only trip to Russia, I couldn't help imagining my great grandmother and her having tea there or my mother's family visiting. I was there as a tourist over 100 years later and those around me wouldn't have a clue about my past.
Unfortunately I wasn't really able to answer her question about Felix Yusupov's feelings to Grand Duke Dimitri. But I did tell her what my mother always told me; that "Uncle Felix" was bisexual so it is quite possible. I also got a confirmation from my mother's tapes. In them she mentions staying at Felix Yusupov's house in Paris where he lived with his wife, the Romanov, Princess Irina Alexandrovna Ramanov. She often stayed there, on her way from Bulgaria to Paris and while living in France as a child as she was schooled there. I find it amazing my mother having a cousin who was a Grand Duchess of the Romanov family and the only niece of the last Tsar, Nicholas II but she did. I also gave her information from my mothers tapes on her lives. In them she makes quite a revealing statement about him. This is it: "he was just a homosexual. And at the same time he married a woman and had a child. No, as a boy, he got himself an engagement with a very well known café, Café Chantal, with performances there. He was to play the role of a young girl, which he did very successfully until one of his uncles, who was in the public, recognised him". There has never been any historical confirmation about the slayer of Rasputin's sexuality but it is obvious that in the family it is vox populi that he was homosexual or rather bisexual.
Receiving this message and looking up the relationship on the family tree and replying to her, I felt guilty I haven't got on with my mother's book. I just need to get inspired. But I am not at the moment and you can't put pen to paper until you are (sigh).
Wednesday, 13th January would have been my dear friend, Fatima's 60th birthday. I immediately cast my mind back to the wonderful surprise birthday party her dear daughter of the same name organised for her on 13th January 2018. She was astonished to see all her close friends at the opera singing restaurant in Madrid, "Castafiore". Here is a rather dark and blurred photo of Eladio, Julio and I with our dear friend that night who was even dressed up for the occasion by her daughter.
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| At the surprise birthday party for Fátima in January 2018. She would have turned 60 this week |
All of us who were there and all of us who knew her and loved her will, no doubt have been thinking about her on Wednesday. We all miss her sorely. If only she was still here. What would she think of Covid, what would she thought of the snow? We would have helped each other for sure in these trying and difficult times. Oh, how I miss her.
I was busy that morning researching our relationship with Yusupov and replying to Helen, the woman who walked to school with Michael. I had other stuff to do to, such as find a means of transport to get to Madrid city centre the next day for my appointment with the Ministry of Justice. I had to find out what was happening to the supposed criminal check coming from the UK to the Spanish Ministry. As we couldn't drive (sniff), I had to find a taxi willing to come to our front door which was all icy and full of snow. I found one, thankfully, and David who must be local and owns a big 4wd would take me to the city, wait for me there and then bring me back. Oh how this storm Filomena interrupted our lives.
It has even interrupted our walks. We walked to the Mercadona supermarket on Tuesday with great difficulty but when we ventured out on Wednesday for a walk with the dogs we realised it was a futile attempt with so much ice. I wished I had crampons for our boots. I wished we had chains for the car too but we couldn't go out to buy them and no online service would provide them as they couldn't reach our door. We were well and truly stuck at home, apart from using a 4wd taxi. There was nothing for it but to turn back. So, I spent the morning cooking instead but I did miss the exercise. I made creamy mushroom and asparagus soup and chicken casserole for lunch and then artichokes for dinner. We had them with "gambas al ajillo" (prawns fried in garlic and paprika). Thankfully we are well stocked with food.
Our newspaper delivery service was interrupted too and this affected my father whose morning occupation is always to read the day's news. I managed to get him a copy on Monday on our walk to Mercadona and on Thursday when I went into Madrid. Felipe, my guest, tried to get one on Wednesday but he couldn't find one anywhere. I got him another one on Friday and then yesterday, finally, the delivery service was resumed. While I was cooking Eladio tried to make a clearer path to push my father's wheel chair up the very steep ramp/drive from our garage. Owing to the storm he had been confined to his rooms for his meals. But, he ever complained once. That's my father for you.
It was on Wednesday that the impeachment process against Trump began in Washington. It went through the House but it remains to be seen what will happen in the Senate where there is not a Democrat majority. There is hope though that some of his own Republican politicians will join the Democrats and vote for impeachment. Meanwhile 20th January, the date of Biden's inauguration, is looming. This time the Capitol is heavily guarded to avoid a repeat of the recent storming of it by Trump's fanatical supporters. If I was aghast at the scenes of mayhem there during the attack, I was amazed at the scenes of hundreds of the 15000 troops deployed to guard the inauguration, scenes of them living and sleeping there until 20th January. Did you see this photo? I copied it from The Times (sorry) and had to share it with you as it had such an impact on me.
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| National guardsmen in the Capitol to protect it for the upcoming inauguration of Biden on 20th January. |
Trump's impeachment was the main news of the day as was Covid .- as usual. The figures for the UK were alarming with the largest daily record being 1.564. The figures for infections rose to the highest ever in Spain that day, to nearly 39.000. That was the highest figure for new infections since the pandemic began but it got worse and worse with numbers in the 40 and 50 thousand region. Worrying eh? Yes, extremely.
I found the 9 pm news on TV so depressing I suggested we turn to Netflix to continue watching the lovely sentimental, if a bit cheesy, Canadian TV series, "When calls the heart". I watched until my eyes began to shut at around midnight.
On Thursday morning I was up at 7 am - an improvement to my usual time. I was to have quite an exciting first half of the day or rather an odyssey. That morning I had an appointment at the Ministry of Justice in the centre of Madrid to enquire about my British criminal records (or lack of them) which I had requested on 11th December. They never came and I suspected they never would. What did not come was the taxi I ordered at 10.30. David the driver with a 4x4 who promised he would pick me up from the door didn't turn up and didn't answer the phone. I had to try to find another one while time was running out if I wanted to be on time (11.25) at the Ministry. It was the good old Nokia taxi service that rescued me. I call it the Nokia taxi because it is the Pozuelo based taxi service I used to use when I worked for Nokia there. It couldn't reach our gate either so I had to walk nearly 1km uphill in the snow to be picked up on the main road which was cleared of snow. Once in Madrid, the taxi couldn't leave me by the door but about 300 metres away and I had to try to cross a very icy square and pavements to get there. I could see the main streets in Madrid were clear of snow but not the smaller ones. Some had been cleared but there were ice blocks at each side and even on the pavements. It meant for very difficult walking and I was scared stiff of breaking my leg.
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| The street where the Ministry of Justice is, full of snow and ice. |
I got the Ministry only to find it closed. I was damned. Then a miracle happened and someone told me they had changed doors. I was allowed in and was soon at the desk of a civil servant. I explained my case, that the paper had not arrived. I expected to be turned back and was wondering how to get this elusive last document needed to process the request for Spanish nationality post Brexit (sniff). The official told me the UK Ministry of Justice had sent it on 28th December (hurray) but of course it hadn't arrived and I wondered when it would as the postal service had been interrupted due to the snow. Then as if by magic the official said she had a copy and gave me a stamped and signed certificate to show I have no criminal records in the UK. Wow, I was holding the last precious document I needed. I nearly got down on my knees to thank her. What a palaver to gather the paperwork for Spanish nationality. Even though I have lived here for nearly 40 years and have been married to a Spaniard for 37 years or so, I don't automatically get nationality. These my friends are the documents I needed and which I now have:
1) Original birth certificate with The Hague Apostille (that is a bugger to get) to be legally translated into Spanish by a legal translator.
2) British Criminal Record check through the Spanish Ministry of Justice (the most difficult to get)
3) Passport with travel stamps from the last few years
4) Current EU residency document
5) New residency card post Brexit or copy of the request for it
6) Certificate from the Spanish Cervantes Institute to prove I have passed the Dele A2 language exam
7) Certificate from the Spanish Cervantes Institute to prove I have passed the Spanish culture test: CCSE.
Daunting eh? Well it was and it has taken me nearly a year thanks to Covid as the exams kept being postponed. Now all I need is for my lawyer to get a hearing with a judge.When she does I shall have to go into the city again to deliver all the above in their original to her personally Once she has presented them to the judge, my part in the process will be over. It remains to be seen how long it will take for my request for nationality to be approved. It could take a year or more. The important thing is that my part is now done (sigh of relief). I can't imagine the day I have a Spanish passport and Spanish National document (DNI) in my hands. It will feel funny. Thankfully I get to keep my UK passport. I think I wouldn't have gone for Spanish nationality if I had to give it up. It's quite an emotional thing to change or get another nationality. In the eyes of Spanish law I will be a Spanish citizen, not a British one. In the eyes of British law, thankfully, I will still be a British citizen. So, no, there is no dual nationality but I get to keep my UK passport and an EU passport too, something I consider vital post Brexit.
I came out feeling elated and went to have a well deserved cup of coffee at a terrace bar. It turned out to be a Peruvian bar and the beverage was not very good but I wasn't complaining. While I was in the centre, I decided to try and find a fruit shop to get some bananas and mandarins which were not on the supermarket shelves the other day, and, more importantly, my father's newspaper, El País. I also went to the chemist for a few things for him and me. It was not easy to juggle and navigate the streets and pavements with all the ice. The kiosk was unreachable as you can see.
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| The unreachable kiosk in Madrid |
I knew I would never make it without risking breaking a limb so I called out to the kiosk or newsagent owner and he brought me the newspaper personally to where I was standing. Crossing the road to the little supermarket proved more difficult until I got help from a charming young man who I think was South American. He took my arm, helped me cross and then advised me to walk like a penguin, slowly, feet together and body forward to avoid falling backwards. What a kind man. With my purchases and my treasured document I got a taxi home and was back by about 1 pm. I had a nice long phone call with Suzy on my journey home on cleared main roads but with snow covering everything else. She seemed in good spirits which always makes me happy. It had been quite an odyssey to get to Madrid but it was as welcome change in our routine which found us snowbound and trapped at home for most of the week.
I came home to give my father his newspaper and to tell him Eladio had finally been able to make a proper path for his wheelchair. This meant he could have lunch with us in the dining room for the first time since the snowfall. He was delighted and said "hurray". I was happy to see him coming through the kitchen door at lunchtime and had to have a photo of the moment. Here he is wrapped up well.
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| My father coming through the kitchen door on Thursday, the first time he had left his quarters since the snow fall. |
I was so glad he could join us again. He was too and I made a splendid meal of asparagus and mushroom soup followed by my trusted pork rib casserole. He then had strawberries and cream - his favourite.
The news that day was all about the Impeachment, the snow too of course as it has caused immense damage in the region, and, as usual, Covid. The figures are now getting pretty alarming in Spain and ICUs are filling up. We are afraid, we really are.
The day ended with more binge watching of my latest TV series on Netflix.
Friday dawned and it was sunny. It was on Friday that we dared try to get the car out and drive on our street which still had lots of snow and ice. We made it. Hallelujha I thought. I had to have a picture to record the moment of our trusted old Nokia Volvo car coming down the drive.
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| Our car coming down the drive on Friday on its way to freedom |
Would it make it down our street? Yes, it did, hurray! We had to drive with great care but we made it to our local shopping centre and I felt ecstatic. Finally we were no longer snowbound. Wow, what a great feeling. It meant independence was restored too. We took advantage of the occasion to do some top up shopping at Mercadona, now with its shelves replete, and to go to the chemist and the newsagent where I got my father El País. Just by the chemist I spied a man shoveling salt into a bag and realised this was the salt deposit the town council must have left for the neighbours. We asked the man to lend us his shovel to get some for ourselves. We needed it for the slippery paths. Here is Eladio gathering the salt.
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| Eladio gathering salt on Friday from a pile left by the town council |
We even had a coffee outside in the snow! Eladio invited me to a coffee and a porra (thick churro). I felt elated. I made lovely winter dishes for lunch that day; cream of red lentil soup and bean stew which I shared with our guest Felipe. He was supposed to leave today but will be staying another 10 days. My tattooist guest who had cancelled re-booked and will be coming next week which is good news too. We didn't venture out again and stayed at home in our warm house. I finally got to the episode when Jack proposes to Elizabeth in When Calls the Heart. They really stretched that out as he only does so in episode 8 of season 4. I have a terrible feeling he is going to die but don't know yet.
It was on Friday that the global death toll from Covid since the beginning of the pandemic reached 2 million people. 2 million!! Did you read that? The numbers are rising dreadfully. Last Sunday the total number of deaths was 1.935,051 and today that number is 2.031.137 . Last Sunday the total number of infections was just under 80 million and today that number is nearly 95. The top most affected countries are USA, India, Brazil, Russia, UK, France, Turkey, Italy, Spain and Germany. The UK has the highest death toll in Europe. That day, the government virtually shut its borders to the rest of the world. All I can hope for is a more rapid roll out of the vaccines. Why is it so slow?
Saturday came and although the snow was still there, more roads had been cleared and Oli and her family were able to come for lunch. We hadn't seen them since 6th January, a long time not to see little Elliot. But we had seen him in photos of course. On Friday Oli sent us this delightful one of him in what must be new clothes. He looks such a big boy for his age.
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| Elliot looking dapper on Friday in new clothes |
I couldn't wait to see him. They came just before lunch. Oli had requested steak and chips and steak and chips she got. We had a very large lunch and I was so stuffed I couldn't eat a morsel until breakfast today. When I am on a diet and Oli comes, she manages to get me to break it (hahahaha). We were allowed a siesta and I didn't sleep but secretly watched my series until Oli and Elliot interrupted me. We spent fun family time together in the evening with no sign of our guest. Here is Oli with her partner and son, darling Elliot.
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| Oi and her family yesterday at home |
He would turn 16 months old the next day and it's amazing to see him progress. We hadn't seen him for 10 days and we could see how his language skills had developed quite a bit since then. He loves the word "no". Well, most kids do don't they?
While we were coming to the end of our snow adventure in Madrid there was snow in my beloved Yorkshire, where I grew up. I loved seeing the photos on social media from my ex school friends from St. Joseph's College the Catholic Girls' grammar school in Bradford. Their photos took me back to my childhood when snow was frequent in Yorkshire. We didn't live far from the school so I could always walk there. Those who had to get there by car or bus had it more difficult so often the school closed - but not for 10 days like here - but not always. I loved those days which meant I could go sledging with my brother George. Once it snowed and I passed around the rumour that the school was closing which it wasn't. The girls started walking in droves up Cunliffe Road away from the school while Miss Plunket Jones shouted "girls come back, girls come back" but they never did. What Miss Plunket Jones and the staff never knew was that I was the one who played the prank. Wasn't I a naughty girl? I thought you'd like that story.
I was up really early this morning, at 6.15. I woke up to an Airbnb enquiry from someone who wants to come next week. If "Sam" comes, we will have three guests in the house this week. I hope he books. I will let you know next Sunday.
Meanwhile, my friends, I wish you all a good Sunday and good week ahead. Cheers till next time,
Masha
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