Sunday, 2nd May, 2021
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| Daddy and I - birthday lunch (fish and chips of course) |
Good morning all.
We are now at the beginning of May, my favourite month. I love May because it's the beginning of the summer and the warm weather with long sunlight hours and also because of the explosion of nature. Our garden is at its best at this time of year. There is probably a bigger explosion of green thanks to the damned rain. After the wonderful spate of good weather during our time in Montrondo, the rain came and it didn't only fall on the plain in Spain, but everywhere in the country. Today, thankfully, that spate is over.
It rained of course last Sunday and we didn't go on our walk. Instead I headed to the kitchen to make an elaborate lunch, a sort of lamb pot roast from a recipe I invented myself. It was delicious. Did I ever tell you that lamb is my favourite meat? Sorry if you are one of the meat haters so in vogue these days. I am aware red meat is not good for me but cannot seem to jump on the bandwagon of those who avoid it.
Last Sunday, finally we saw Spain's Covid figures gradually going down. The end of the state of alarm is on 9th May and we are all wondering what will happen after that. Will we be able to move freely within the country? I dearly hope so. Covid on a world scale though is not going away nor are the figures declining. Last week I wrote about the dire situation in India with more than a third of the world's cases and that I hoped other countries would help out, especially by supplying oxygen, so much needed there. My hopes were fulfilled when I read that the UK, the US and other countries were doing precisely that. Last week the global numbers for infections and deaths were 147.095.842 and 3.113.551. This week these figures rose to 152.829.820 and 3.206.849 respectively. So the need for vaccines is greater than ever. Last Sunday I read that 1.01 billion people had been vaccinated worldwide. There is a long way to go to reach the whole world, the population of which is nearly 8 billion. But, it's a start.
Last Sunday was another quiet day for us. We didn't see Oli and family and were missing Elliot who we hadn't seen for weeks. I couldn't get in touch with Suzy in Costa Rica either - her second phone was stolen - so I felt rather cut off from our daughters. Their presence would have cheered me up enormously. Thankfully she got another one this week and we are now in direct contact.
Instead I watched Love Story. I was lucky to see it had been added to Netflix. If you are my age you will remember the 1970 tragic love story starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal who played Oliver Barret and Jennifer Cavilleri. There are no spoilers here when I write that she dies aged just 25 as Oliver tells her story at the beginning of this iconic film.
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| Love Story revisited |
Oliver and Jenny are studying at Harvard and Radcliffe. Oliver Barret is from a rich American family and Jenny, a music student, is of working class origin; a match not approved of by Oliver's father who cuts the purse strings and all contact when they marry. This film had a huge impact on me when I watched it for the first time aged 13 at a cinema in Bradford. Yes, it's a soppy love story but beautifully crafted with great dialogue and haunting music. The verbal battles between Oliver and Jenny are exceptional. So is their love. Perhaps one of the biggest quotes from the film come from Jenny when she says "Love means never having to say you are sorry". I like that. The first time I saw the film, my friend Amanda spoiled part of it for me towards the end. The whole cinema was crying, except for her, and she said out loud that everyone was crying. I was weeping and I hate being interrupted when I am crying during a film or reading a book. I loved it so much I went to see it again and again at local cinemas but hadn't seen it for decades until last Sunday. It was wonderful to revisit Love Story. If you are younger than me and never saw it and of course, only if you like romantic films, then I urge you to give it a try. I wonder if it will have the same impact on you.
While I was revisiting Love Story there was an epic tennis match going on at the Barcelona Open, called Conde de Godó. It was the final. Nadal (34) who has now won it 12 times, was playing the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (22) on his favourite surface, clay and on a court named after him "Pista Nadal". Tsitsipas is one of a generation who will soon take over from Nadal, Federer and Djokovic. I didn't watch the match which was termed epic. I don't think I could have as it was too tense and too close. Nadal won; you know that now but to do so he had to save a match point from the Greek and lose a couple himself. The result was 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 in a match that lasted 3 hours and 38 minutes. It must have been really nail biting. I remember watching McEnroe and Connors at Wimbledon and I was always on the point of a heart attack and often had to leave the room. That's why I cannot watch Nadal playing in semi finals or finals. I just can't stand the tension. But I love to know when Rafa has won. And he won again last Sunday showing the world he is still the king of clay.
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| Nadal celebrating his victory in Barcelona last Sunday. He always bites the cup he wins. |
He will have to watch out though for Tsitsipas who is coming up behind him. Soon he will take over but not yet.
There was another competition last Sunday, if you can call the Oscar awards a competition. Years ago I would watch the whole ceremony until the early morning but no longer. I'm not sure I would have been able to last week because of television rights - something we never had to worry about in the 70's. I hardly knew anything about the candidates but read the next day that the best film award went to Nomadland. I vaguely know this is a film about people who can't afford a house and live instead in a caravan and have no fixed abode as they are always on the move. I think I'll skip that film when it comes out. In any case I can't even remember the last time I went to a cinema. Netflix and Prime Video are enough for me at the moment or until the very end of the damned pandemic. Ah but later I read that the award for best actor went to Antony Hopkins who needs no introduction. The Wales born actor most famous for his role in The Silence of the Lamb is the oldest actor to win the award which he got for his role in a film called The Father where he plays a demented father. That film I may want to see as I am a huge fan of Antony Hopkins. I am not a fan of demented fathers though. He does seem to like strong and challenging roles doesn't he?
I could have watched the Oscars I suppose as I was up really late - maybe until 2.30 in the morning - watching my help-me-get-through-the-pandemic series, Grey's Anatomy. Last week I was half way through season 6. Yesterday I had got as far as season 8.
Monday came and brought more rain. Oh how depressing. Life is so much more pleasant when the weather is good. I think that's a given, isn't it? Despite the rain we went on our walk but chose the pavement rather than the woodland paths because they were so muddy. Lunch was leftovers - great I didn't have to cook that day - and my afternoon consisted of watching the 3 pm news, our siesta, watching Grey's Anatomy and skyping with Amanda (my weekly counselor), Much of the news didn't interest me or I already knew it. That of course is due to technology. These days we get instant news and when we watch a a news programme on the TV we are already familiar with the topics. One piece of news though that day caught my attention and it had nothing to do with Covid.
The news was about something called "sofagate". Do you remember when a while back, there was a meeting with top EU officials in Turkey with the President Erdogan (not an endearing figure) and Ursula von Der Leyen was left without a seat next to the President which was taken by Charles Michel. This is it.
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| The photo that started the "sofagate" issue |
Ursula as the President of the European Commission should have been given the seat and not Michel who is the President of the European Council.. Some interpreted this as a slight to women. I certainly did. I don't know whose fault it was; Erdogan's, the EU's, Michel's or whether it was just a protocol blunder. What I do know is that is very representative of how women, even at the top of the pecking order, are still not considered equal to men. They aren't are they? Well, on Tuesday, Von der Leyen spoke up and suggested sexism was at the root of the seating blunder. She said she saw no reason why she should have been treated differently to Michel who, by the way, apologised for taking her seat. He may have apologised later but in the photo above he is sitting and looking pretty smug don't you think? If there wasn't any sexism, both Erdogan and Michel would have done something and not left Von der Leyen on the sofa away from them. But they didn't and that proves they are sexist. Von der Leyen gave her version of the issue in a tweet this week: "My visit to Turkey showed how far we still have to go before women are treated as equals. Always. Everywhere. My story made headlines. But there are so many stories of women, most of them far more serious, that go unobserved. We have to make sure these stories are told!". That's why I am telling this story. If I think about it, the easiest think would have been to provide three arm chairs with both officials sitting on either side of Erdogan. Maybe there was no woman on hand when the seating plan was made for the talks. What do you think?
Of interest too, to me at least, is the crisis at the heart of Downing Street over, among other things, the funding of the makeover of Number 11 for the PM's flat. Apparently the refurbishment cost nearly 200.000 pounds when the allowance is far less; about 30.000. Johnson or his wife wanted to get rid of the "nightmare furniture" from John Lewis inherited by Teresa May. Apparently a donation fund was set up but now Johnson says he paid the difference out of this pocket. His supporters will not be happy with this. He must be feeling attacked from all sides and now his former ally, the divisive Dominic Cummings has come out to attack him on his attitude to the third lockdown which "Dom" advocated. There are reports that Johnson was against the lockdown favouring the economy and that he said he would prefer thousands of deaths to another lockdown. The words it is reported he used are "let the bodies pile high". Could he really have said that? All this may be the beginning of the end Britain's Premiere and I am not certain that his successful vaccination programme will be enough to save him. If the above is true, I and many other people would like to see him go. I am beginning to hate the species of politicians. Most of them in my mind seem to be in it for their own gain. Again, I wonder whether you agree.
Funnily enough these were not the topics of my two hour skype call with my beloved Amanda. We focused on family issues which are bothering me at the moment. What a wonderful friend I have. Later I got mixed messages from Suzy leaving me not sure whether she is going to Nicaragua with her new boyfriend who is 13 years younger (ouch) or whether she will come back to Spain this summer, with or without him. It won't be easy for him to come because of the entry requirements into Spain.
All that had me worried and I was a bag of nerves that night, unable to sleep. One good distraction was watching the last two episodes of
The Serpent on Netflix. I think I wrote about it last week. Did I? If you want to know, it is the story of how the conman and serial killer of hippies in Asia in the 70's, Charles Sobhraj, was eventually caught and imprisoned. It's tough watching but had us glued. When we finished that I turned to Grey's Anatomy until the early hours. I don't know when I fell asleep but it was awfully late.
Tuesday came. I had hardly slept - probably less than 3 hours and felt dreadful all morning. Thankfully I slept for 2 hours after lunch. I was shocked that morning to hear of the death of two Spanish journalists and their Irish environmentalist guide in Burkina Faso of all places. Journalists getting killed? That is a very dangerous profession for some who bring us news others don't want them to bring. That's just what happened as David Beriain and Roberto Fraile, the photographer, while on a mission in an anti poaching patrol. A Jihadist branch has claimed their killing and it was reported they were executed. God! That is a mother's worst nightmare. My heart goes out to their mothers and families. Every day we read of ambushes, attacks and killings in Africa and other areas we are not particularly interested in. So when 100 Afghans get blown up, we turn the page. But when our own people are killed we are shocked and suffer for them. That's sad but true.
I heard from Suzy that day. She was going to Nicaragua with her new and very young boyfriend and God knows how long she will be there. The next day would be her birthday and she was so far away.
Wednesday came and found Suzy still in Costa Rica on the border of Nicaragua with her much younger boyfriend, Eric. They had to have a PCR test before entering his country. God knows what they will be doing there. Suzy says she wants to detox in his parents' farming area. I only want her back. We managed to exchange a few words with her in a grainy video call until communication was cut. She was in high spirits and was going to make a meal of pizza and cake. Oh how I wished she could be with us to celebrate. She may have turned 37 but she is still my baby. She didn't send us a picture, so here is one I took in the summer when she was in our garden playing her ukelele, accompanied by little Pippa. Isn't she lovely?
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| Suzy in her element, playing music and singing, accompanied by Pippa - photo taken last summer in our garden. |
It was still too cold and rainy to sit in our garden and enjoy it. But soon we will. It seems the forecast for next week is good. That's great as this week, the swimming pool maintenance man, Javier, has been here every day to get the pool ready. He has had a hard job as the filter engine broke and the water was literally green. It's normally Eladio's job so I am pleased someone is doing it for him this year. I won't be taking a plunge anytime soon but I do love to see the pool in a good condition.
That morning saw us on our walk and then at our bank. We first opened a joint bank account with "Caja Madrid" in 1981 - 40 years ago and we have been loyal to this bank ever since. It then became known as "Bankia" and recently it was bought up by the Catalan bank, "Caixa Bank" so our money is now in the hands of the Catalans. We had to go for bureaucracy reasons because of the merger which was boring and time consuming. The bank staffer spent the whole time trying to sell us a television, a brand new 4K Samsung model at 33 euros a month for 3 years. We don't really need a new television but couldn't get why a bank wants to sell televisions to its customers. I suppose it is another way of making money. The staffer, Cristina, was also hell bent on giving us a loan of up to 42k euros which we don't need. If we bought the TV the interest would be lower (crazy). Out of interest we asked what the condition were and then learned Eladio was too old for a loan. I told Cristina that was age discrimination. There is a lot of age discrimination in this society. It actually is rather stupid as these days it is the older population, people with pensions many of whom are quite well off and are spenders of holidays, new cars, etc. The banks and other companies are probably thinking in the past as the older generation now live a lot longer and have more disposable income than ever and would be much better potential customers than those in their 30's and 40's struggling to pay their mortgages. We left feeling a little disgusted.
I came home to rustle up a lovely dish of "paglia e feno" - a recent discovery and then is was the news and siesta time. At 3.45 a new guest arrived, a one night stayer, Adrien from France, who wanted somewhere quiet and with good internet to prepare for an exam. He left late the same night and I never saw him again.
At 5.30 or so I had my weekly video call with my dear friends Kathy and Phil. The next day Phil was going into the Yorkshire Clinic for his second shoulder replacement operation and both of them have had to isolate before and afterwards. They were a little nervous which is normal. The shoulder will take a few weeks to recover and hopefully soon they will be doing what they both love best - travelling in their camper van which actually has a name; "Vera". Hopefully too they will be visiting us this summer. We read that day there are plans for the resumption of travel, at least in Europe, with vaccine or test apps or passports. We can't wait to see them again on our territory. I would love to visit them in Yorkshire but that will have to be next year now I'm afraid. As to when we can travel internally again in Spain which is what Kathy and Phil asked me, we will know by 9th May when the State of Alarm is over here.
Dinner was interesting that night in that our kitchen once again felt like the United Nations. That's because our Russian/Spanish guest Felipe, our Serbian guest who goes under the name of "Junior" and lives in Frankfurt, myself - British, Eladio Spanish and Lucy Paraguayan were all there at the same time. Felipe, Junior and I started having a conversation in English about the Soviet Union, Tito, the Balkan War and the situation in Europe at the moment. I was sad to hear that Junior and his family had to leave their country because of the war. That's the story of so many, including my mother and her family, and makes me feel lucky I was born in a safe country with no wars. After our dinner we left them still talking international politics. It was good to have new guests this week; a sign our little business is recovering.
Once again I was yup late that night watching Grey's Anatomy. It is my drug and way of being distracted from the pandemic and my daily worries and problems.
It was raining again on Thursday morning. Our walk was dry though and then after more than 10 days the rain stopped. The forecast is good now for the next 10 days and I look forward to eating outside and at least enjoying the view of the pool which is looking less and less green thank goodness. Really not much happened that day, another quiet and dreary day during the pandemic. That day nearly half a million people were vaccinated in Spain. Eladio and I went to the health clinic to confirm my husband's second jab for Friday. Yep, finally the vaccine roll out is speeding up and hopefully, hopefully, we will have enough "herd immunity" to be able to recover our freedom to travel. I can't wait for that day. I bet you can't either.
A parcel arrived from England for my father that afternoon. It was from my friend Joanna who is a teacher of Spanish and lives in Lancashire. We made friends when she came to stay with us as an Airbnb guest just over 2 years ago. She was instrumental in tracking down information and lost cousins for the preparations of my father's family tree and book for his 100th birthday that year. Since then Joanna has always sent us parcels on special occasions for which I am very grateful and cannot compete at all. But this time she had surpassed herself. These were the contents which included a personalised 102nd birthday card, a parcel inside with my father's favourite English confectionery, as well as a sketch of Elsa, our sadly departed Labrador which was for us. Amazing.
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| Joanna's birthday card for my father's 102nd. |
Thank you so much Joanna. We don't deserve your generosity but we appreciate it a lot. These were the contents. My card and presents for my father, a book on the history or Russia and flowers, were paltry in comparison.
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| Parcel contents. I was amazed. |
We loved the drawing of Elsa, our labrador who died last month. She had it done by an animal artist and I was very touched. This is it. RIP Elsa. We will always miss you. Thanks Joanna again for such a lovely idea. Her portrait is now gracing the TV lounge.
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| The sketch of Elsa from Joanna that was also in the parcel from England. |
Not so far away from where Joanna lives in Lancashire, on the other side of the Pennines, in West Yorkshire, our friend Phil had been discharged from the Yorkshire Clinic after the operation to replace his second shoulder. His wife Kathy posted this photo of him recovering at home. The road to recovery is long but soon this episode in their lives will be a memory. I wish him a speedy recovery. I'm very happy that all went well.
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| Phil home in Keighley after his shoulder replacement operation on Thursday |
Friday morning saw me up early again - no watching of Grey's Anatomy the night before - We were soon on our walk which had to be early as we had the weekly shopping to do. The walk was nothing short of beautiful with all the wild spring flowers in bloom. I especially love the bluebells and the poppies. I had to have a photo to remember the moment.
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| On my walk with Pippa on Friday. Just love the wild spring flowers, don't you? |
We went shoppping but my mind wasn't on it as I was in constant contact with Suzy who was about to cross the border from Costa Rica to Nicaragua where she will spend some time with her boyfriend Eric's family in a very rural area. She thought she needed an outbound ticket to prove she would be not staying in that central american country - a communist one by the way - and had me looking at flights from Managua to Madrid in the next month or so. There were few to be found under 900 euros - quite an expensive item to have to produce at the border. I suggested she get a return bus ticket to San José which would have been proof enough. Luckily she did get across the border without an outbound ticket. She said it took 2 hours of questioning. She also had me finding her travel insurance policy, another requisite to get into Nicaragua. That was slightly easier but not that much as I had no data to go on except for the name of the insurance company. I was happy to help my older daughter but a bit frustrated at the same time as well as worried.
Coffee with Eladio in between shopping at two different supermarkets was a relief and a break in helping out Suzy. We came home to unload everything and then my dear husband was off for his second Covid jab - lucky him he got the Pfizer. He was home very soon and pleased as punch as I was. I took this photo of him which he did not allow me to publish here but I have as I thought it was quite an historic moment. I hope he forgives me. That day, in Spain, over half a million people were given a jab. I think now that 28% of the population has had at least one dose. That's nothing to brag about but it is a sign the roll out is speeding up.
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| Eladio after his 2nd jab on Friday with the certificate to prove it. |
While he was at the clinic I baked my father's Victoria sponge cake which I would later decorate. It rose beautifully only to sink later. I turned it upside down so that no one would notice. Why does that happen to me always?
I had a lazy afternoon whereas Eladio was busy mowing the lawn. We had a delicious Friday night dinner together when I made "almejas a la marinera" (clams) which was followed by Viennetta ice cream - one of my favourites. Then it was time for the news and some entertainment from Netflix. Later I watched more of Grey's Anatomy and in between texted with Suzy over her flight issues. I was up till 2.15 am. Sugar!
Saturday 1st May dawned, the day of my father,
Charles Courtenay Lloyd's birthday. It's unbelievable to think he turned 102. It really is. 2 years ago it was his 100th which was his biggest milestone and such a wonderful event to organise, not to mention the book I wrote and all the other things. I was determined that he would enjoy his birthday quietly with us. No fanfare, just nice family time. His day started with a birthday breakfast with Eladio and I. I provided croissants and lovely crumpets. Here he is at the table yesterday morning.
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| Breakfast for my father yesterday when he turned 102 |
For lunch I would prepare fish and chips - the standard meal for birthdays in this house. We were both full - not Eladio who didn't touch the crumpets or croissants - but our walk helped and it was beautiful again as well as sunny.
I finished my father's Victorian sponge cake - to his mother's recipe btw - and this was the end result.
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| The birthday cake I made for my father |
Oli, Miguel and Elliot arrived just before lunch. I hadn't seen Elliot for nearly a month and was worried stiff he wouldn't remember me but he did. Eladio handed him to me in the middle of making fish and chips. I stopped doing that and took him as he melted into my arms. Oh how wonderful to be reunited. We sat together hugging for half an hour until he fell asleep. He slept through my father's lunch unfortunately but babies are babies and can fall asleep or wake at any time.
Soon we were sitting at the table for lunch. We had to have photos of my father first and I have chosen one of my father and I as this week's feature photo. Everyone enjoyed the fish and chips and mushy peas. It was good being together again. Towards the end of the lunch we woke up Elliot and were able to spend quality time with him in the afternoon. Here he is playing with Eladio and my ornaments hahaha.
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| Grandfather and grandson playing together yesterday |
There was time for a quick video call with Suzy for her to say happy birthday to her grandfather. Hopefully she will be home soon. Let's see.
The weather was good and we were soon outside. Elliot wanted to go to the swings at the end of the garden and we joined him. It was like old times when the swings belonged to the girls. When Eladio bought them at the old house in Río Tajo, he could never have imagined they would be for his grandson or grandchildren. It was a lovely sight.
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| On the girls' swings with Elliot |
Oli and family left at around 7 pm. I hope we see them again soon. Eladio and I had missed our siesta and were both tired. I was not hungry for dinner after the fish and chips but ate a bit of fruit. We went to bed early and had a good night's sleep for once - in my case.
Today is Sunday 2nd May. It is Russian Easter and also a holiday in Madrid. I won't notice that though as our day will just be another normal Sunday during the pandemic. However, the sun is shining which makes me more cheerful. I have 3 guests arriving today but have had zero contact with them since they made the reservation so I don't even know what time to expect them.
Now my friends, I have come to the end of the tales of this week. I hope you enjoyed the read and wish you all the very best.
Cheers till next time,
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