Where am I from? Scenes from hell on the Costa del Sol, an alliance against China, online shopping spree, a new spice rack, our grandson turns 2, his birthday party and other stories of the week.

Madrid, 19th September, 2021.

With Elliot at his birthday party to celebrate turning 2. 

Good morning again everyone.

So what have I got to tell you this week? Not that much really compared to the excitement of the previous week when Juliet was born. But read on if you want to know about my week, or our week as Eladio would say when he tells me this blog is not just my story (hahaha).

Let me start with this week's Covid figures; something I have done since the pandemic began over a year and a half ago. Has it been that long already? It has and there are no signs of it going away yet here in Spain life seems almost back to normal. If last Sunday the numbers of infections and deaths were 225.119.796 and 4.638.780, today they stand at 228.952.022 and 4.700.279. Vaccination programmes are doing well but only in rich countries. 80% of all vaccinations have been given only in rich countries. Believe it or not some countries in the west, including Spain, are hording vaccines which are now going out of date, vaccines which could have been donated to less fortunate countries. Meanwhile, in Europe there is a debate about giving booster jabs to those who already having a double dose. Shouldn't the debate be about how to extend the programme to the poor countries? Until the whole world is vaccinated none of us are safe.

Last Sunday Covid was not on my mind. It was quiet and a bit of a bind for me as I was on my second day of dieting for a dreaded colonscopy which took place on Tuesday. All I could eat and drink  came down to strained juices,  broth, plain white toast, eggs and coffee and tea, neither of which I like without milk. After our walk we went to the local supermarket to stock up on eggs, white bread and fresh orange juice. For 3 days I had eggs for both lunch and dinner and won't be able to face one again in a long time. I was hungry most of the time so chewed on tasteless plain white toast and filled my stomach with orange juice. 

Monday would be worse as from 16.40 onward there were to be no solids at all; just a liquid diet. I shouldn't be complaining and knew I would survive as it was only 3 days and I was doing this for a reason. The reason was preventive medicine just to make sure I don't have any issues with my colon as my mother had colon cancer.  I should be taking the test once a year but it is such a pain to prepare for that I'm not sure when I will do my next one. All I had to do was to get through that day and the next and then on Tuesday evening I would be able to eat what I wanted. Eladio asked what that would be and actually I was stuck for an answer. What I was most looking forward to really was my morning coffee with milk the way I make it: a long and strong Nespresso with thickly foamed milk. That's what I missed most. They say true coffee connoisseurs like their coffee black - it's the same with chocolate - so I am obviously not a connoisseur just a coffee lover. I have always been; perhaps since I first tasted "café au lait" in France as a teenager traveling with inter rail at the Gare du Nord station, accompanied with that heavenly French pastry, the "croissant". There is nothing I like better than a freshly baked and light French croissant dipped into a café au lait. 

On Monday our French guests were leaving. We would miss Florence and Olivier who had come to deposit or bring their son Julien who will be studying physiotherapy at the UEM University. They were driving back to Lyons - about 1200km  - but this time would take the San Sebastian border route as they wanted to visit Bilbao. I have nothing against Bilbao but far prefer other cities in Spain. Tourists though flock to Bilbao as they do to Valencia. If only they knew there are other and better destinations such as Santander or Burgos to mention just two. The pull to visit Bilbao is the famous Guggenheim museum, if you are into modern art which we are not desperately. We did once visit the museum and were impressed but Bilbao, even though it has been given a new face over the years, remains for me a rather dark and industrial city in Spain and it's not even in my top 20. 

Our Brazilian guests, Fernando, Mirian and their daughter Laura would be changing rooms as would Felipe, our long term lodger. That meant work for Lucy but I had to supervise of course to make sure the transition went smoothly. 

So Monday was a bind and quiet for me. It wasn't for the new tennis sensation Emma Raducanu, the 18 year old who last weekend won the US Open. She was finally allowed some time off and used it to explore New York City. Good for her. She deserved some time off and time to savour her win and all that it means. She was pictured in the Big Apple by a poster of her on one of New York's big avenues. That picture surprised her. I wonder if she really understands just how much her life has changed and what it will be like to be a famous sportswoman, in the eye of the public everywhere she goes. 

Emma Raducanu comes across a poster of herself while sightseeing in New York after her first Grand Slam win this last Monday

I just hope she can keep her head. I also wish there would be less debate about her origins - born in Canada, moved to the UK aged 2 to a mother from China and father from Romania. It seems to me the British who are not all in favour of immigrants, do like immigrants who bring sporting success. I wonder if they feel the same about other people of mixed origin who just lead normal lives. I suspect that in some cases they don't. However, even people like Nigel Farage were quick to get on the band wagon of supporting her as a UK tennis star. She is not a UK tennis star. She is a universal tennis star. I understand that as I too am of mixed origin and I love that. 

So where am I from? Well, I was born in the UK, which makes me a UK citizen. I was born in Cambridge to an  English father (with a Welsh father and Irish grandmother) and to a Russian mother who was born in Rome. That's because when her family escaped from the Russian Revolution my grandmother  was pregnant with my mother and Rome is where they went for a while before settling in Bulgaria.  I lived in the UK until I was 24 and have now lived in Spain for 40 years. So, again, I ask myself, where am I from? I usually say I am half English and half Russian.  Home for me in England is not Cambridge where I was born or Lincolnshire where we lived when I was a small child but West Yorkshire where we moved in the early 60's and where I spent my formative years. I carry Yorkshire in my heart.  If anywhere is home in England it is Yorkshire, more specifically our house at 6 Heaton Grove in that dark but no longer so industrial city, Bradford. 

My parents' 19th century semi detached house - 6 Heaton Grove in Bradford West Yorkshire. I live there from aged 7 to 18. 

But what about the 40 years in Spain? Does that make me Spanish? It probably doesn't but it makes me a citizen of this wonderful Mediterranean country. In essence I just see myself as a citizen of the world and do not understand petty nationalist feelings. I never have.  I sort of like that - it makes me unique but it also makes me a bit of a multi cultural cocktail person, just like Emma Raducanu. 

As I have lived in Spain for so long I do feel I belong. So anything important that happens here is also important to me, except for damned politics which so divides this society. One of the most worrying stories this week was the huge wild fire in the Costa del Sol region, the worst Spain has even seen I think. There have been scenes from hell since it started on Wednesday the week before.  The region most affected is the Sierra de Bermeja near the popular resort of Estepona. The fires drove some 2000 people from their homes and one fire fighter died. The area is a dry and wooded terrain and the fires, deliberately provoked, they say, have been described as " unusual powers of power and strength". The area is immense, measuring thousands of hectares, 10.000 of which burnt completely. There were a record number of 365 fire fighters tackling the blaze and 41 aircraft and 25 vehicles. Aside from politics, it has been the biggest news in the country this week.  The worrying thing was the smoke cloud that  formed could have been just as deadly as the flames themselves.  Thankfully the rain came and by Tuesday evening this week it was under control although it is still being monitored. 

A scene from hell on the  Costa del Sol

The other big news, here and in other parts is the cost of electricity. It baffles me how the price just goes up and up. The government is under a lot of pressure to "lighten" the burden for Spanish households. It is a disgrace to see how while we users of electricity pay huge bills  the electricity companies continue to make enormous profit. It doesn't make sense to me. The answer they say is renewable energy which is supposedly cheaper to produce. It is true that today private households can install solar panels. We looked into it but it was not worth it. We would have had to invest over 20.000 euros and would only begin to benefit from cheaper electricity in 15 years time. By then we will be too old. Doesn't make sense does it with all the sun in Spain?

As there is nothing more to comment about our lives on Monday - except for my awful diet - let's move on to Tuesday, the day of the dreaded test. At 7 am I had to take my second dose of sodium phosphate followed by 2 litres of water. That gives you the runs for up to 6 hours which meant I couldn't leave the house. I told my friend Amanda, who turned 65 (happy birthday my dear friend) that day that I was having a "shitty day". I was in more than one sense (hahaha). 

The rain that came this week also fell in Madrid, the first rain we have seen in months. The temperature dropped to 20ºc which for us is not warm. That day I wore leggings and long sleeves for the first time. We didn't go for a walk, not because of the rain, but thanks to the preparations to clean out my gut completely. That had me sitting on the loo for most of the morning as it had me doing the same the night before from 8 pm to past midnight. Can't they for goodness sake come up with an easier way to clean the gut rather than 3 days diet and then the dreaded phosphate sodium mixture? I mean couldn't they put you to sleep and then do an enema? Many people don't do colonoscopies or are put  off them simply because of the preparations. But then I think back to my dear friend Fátima who died of bowel cancer. If only she'd had one on time to stop the cancer. There was a history of bowel cancer in her family and if she had done routine tests, no doubt she would still be alive today. 

Finally the time came to go to the hospital. Eladio took me in the rain and we were at the Rey Juan Carlos Hospital well on time. Thankfully the test was on time too. I had to lie in the fetus position on a stretcher like bed and was soon fully anaesthetised. The procedure took about an hour and 1h 20 minutes later I drowsily began to wake up. I am good at recovering from anaesthesia and usually perk up immediately but not so much this time. I tried to sit up after a few minutes and was told to lie down again. Finally the time came to leave the operating room and I was told I had had a polyp which they had removed. I won't get the results of the biopsy for another month. Whether it was cancerous or not I don't know but what I have read is that a cancerous polyp takes 10 years to turn into cancer. That means I shall probably have to have routine colonoscopies over the coming years. I came out feeling completely bloated as the instrument used to explore my gut (hate the words colon or bowel) obviously introduces a lot of air. I hadn't eaten for 24 hours and had had no liquid for over 6. I felt very thirsty but not very hungry. I could have eaten anything for dinner that night but all I fancied was a cup of decaf tea with buttered toast and a small plate of fruit. 

I slept relatively well that night and by Wednesday morning the nightmare was over. It was another rainy day. I was cheered up by a photo of little Juliet, growing every day. She is now 2 weeks old and her brother is 2 years old. Right now the difference in age seems enormous but in a few years time they will be siblings close in age.  Juliet is growing fast and in two weeks has gone from 3.5 to 3.7 kilos and from 52 inches to 54. 

Little Juliet growing - just what she has to do.

Breakfast cheered me up as after 4 days of dieting I could eat anything I wanted. I chose my usual healthy first meal of the day: oat bran porridge, coffee with milk (finally) and a plate of fruit. How wonderful to be able to have normal coffee again. I never got used to black coffee - not my thing.

I was looking forward to our walk. It had rained a lot and the path looked like we were in a jungle. Just see for yourselves in the photo below.

Eladio and the dogs on our "jungle" walk on Wednesday

But we had to turn back as the rain got heavier thus cutting short our walk which did not make me happy. 

Happy I was though to see Suzy when she visited that day. She came at noon - our time for mid morning coffee or "elevenses". It was good to see her. Today we are off to our apartment near Santa Pola and she will be coming with us so we shall have more of the pleasure of her company this week coming. 

We all had lunch together - fish and chips - appreciated by all and then, as usual it was siesta time. I think I might still have been under the effects of the anesthesia as I slept a full two hours. That night we were going to Oli's for dinner and I was to take some of the food. I decided on "perushki" (little pies of Russian origin using my mother's recipe) as I had all the ingredients necessary. 

My perushki (Russian pies)

Lucy helped me while Suzy had an early dinner at 6 pm - English time I commented:). She couldn't come to Oli's as she had an online course that evening. She does a lot of them. This one was about how to improve your breathing. Suzy is so into wellness.  I had to have a photo of her eating as she had both dogs at her feet and it was a funny moment. Besides I don't post many photos of Suzy as we don't see much of her. Here she is with Norah and little Pippa.

Suzy having an early dinner with the dogs looking on, hoping for crumbs

It was Lucy who helped me make the pies. In Paraguay where she is from pies are part of the food culture. I made enough also for Elliot's birthday party. 

Off we went at about 7.30 armed with our cider pump ("Isidrín"), the perushki and some bought but supposedly home made croquettes (Oli loves them). We were greeted enthusiastically by little Ellliot who hugged us over and over again. He immediately took our hands and led us to his toys; cars and horses. There was no time even for a peak at Juliet. I shall have to go in the mornings when he is at play school if I want to see her. But she was handed to me at the dinner table when Oli had finished breast feeding. The little mite had a bit of a crying episode which had us all stumped as this is most unusual for her. I suspected it was wind but who knows? We left the little family early at around 9.30 and were home in a jiffy. 

Just before going to bed I had a chat with our Brazilian guest, Fernando who works for Corona in Mexico where he is the head of industrial production. He was worked all his life in the same company but is thinking of eventually moving his family to Europe. The main reason is safety as he told me what I already know that both Brazil and Mexico are very dangerous countries to live in. My Brazilians had booked for 10 nights to install their daughter at the Uni nearby and were astounded that within 2 days everything was done including finding her a student room, getting her travel card and even opening a bank account. They told me these things in Mexico or Brazil would have taken anything up to a month. When they first arrived they kept asking me if this area where we live is safe. I kept assuring them it was and is as is all of Spain and Europe. No wonder they want to come and live here. I must say I love this family. They are just the type of guests I like best.

Again I slept well that night. I'm not sure President Macron of France or the Chinese government did though. That day we woke up to hear of a new so called security alliance between Australia, the US and the UK, designed to keep China at bay in many ways. This alliance is a military one and will allow Australia to have nuclear submarines. This was a snub in France's eye as it put an end to a  37 billion dollar deal for the French to supply Australia with ordinary submarines. It seems these days the Cold War has shifted towards China, now the supposed common enemy. The deal is called Aukus and has drawn criticism from allies and of course China. I am not sure what I think. What I didn't like was the way it was announced; with not a word about it to any of the three countries' allies before so.  Why are they going it alone? Why is Nato not involved? There are many whys here and one of them is from MPs in Britain. In the UK MPs are asking Boris Johnson if this means Britain could go to war if say China invaded Taiwan.  Later in the week France took an unprecedented move and recalled its ambassadors from the US and Australia. What troubled times we live in. I honestly think that Boris should attend more to things at home post Brexit. Shelves are emptying in supermarkets and there is a shortage of workers, especially heavy goods drivers. Oh Brexit what a mess you caused. 

The Aukus alliance being announced

All of this felt so far away to me on Thursday, another quiet day at home. The only excitement that day was the arrival of more products I had bought on Amazon. I am a bit addicted. It's so much easier to find products there than in stores and they are often cheaper too; not that I am too happy helping fund a company which is already a giant with a monopoly on online shopping.  I have just looked at the list of my orders over the last few weeks and this is what I have bought: cover for my new phone, a Samsung cable for my old one, summer pyjamas for Eladio, a cover for Eladio's phone (my old one), a phone memory card, a baby welcome set for Juliet, a Peppa Pig toy for Elliot, pack of Peppa Pig figures for Elliot, initialed handkerchiefs for Eladio's birthday (hope he doesn't read this), 9 assorted farm animals by Schleich for Elliot's birthday, a  winter cover for the swimming pool solar shower, extra strong detergent for toilets (!), a Peter Rabbit birthday card for Elliot, a T-shirt for Elliot with the words "I am 2", 2 mattress covers, a set of hotel like shower caps, a light strip for our bathroom, a roll of double sticky tape for the light strips as well as a long strapped small handbag for me. I carry one around this house the whole time and my last one now has holes in it. I dread to think what the total price comes to. Amazon must be pleased with me. I spotted one of their vans delivering some of my orders this week and took a quick photo. Here it is. 

Amazon delivering this week

It was a veritable online shopping spree but now it has to stop. 

Another item I bought was a spice rack. Nothing special you will probably think, except that I probably have about 50 off spice jars which I kept in a cupboard where I couldn't see what I had. The result was I had tons of basil for example and no parsley. Inspired by Oli's partner who bought a drawer spice organiser, I came across this 5 piece rack on Amazon. Not only does Amazon have nearly anything you might want to buy for domestic use, it also delivers speedily so the racks arrived in one day. It didn't take Eladio long to set it up on the wall in the kitchen, adding to a bit of culinary atmosphere I like to think. 

Eladio setting up the spice rack

This is how it looked like when it was full. The problem now is that there is no room for any more spices so maybe I need one more rack. For now though, I have all my spices organised into types and at long last I can find the one I want in one moment's glance. I am especially happy to see all the different Indian curry powders together in one place. Looks great doesn't it?

My new spice rack

More than Amazon I have my husband to thank for fixing it to the wall. Eladio can put his hand to nearly anything when given a little push. That day after months of "gentle pushing", I also got him to put in a new light strip (LED this time) in our bathroom. The previous one had come to the end of its life. So I took the bull by the horns, found one on Amazon and it arrived the same day as the spice rack and my dear husband put it up too.  So why would I need a light strip in our bathroom? Because, my friends, I hate harsh electric light when it's dark outside. I need soft lighting in the evening and even more early in the morning. I far prefer natural light and possibly would never have complained at having to use a candle as people did before electric light became universal. I often wonder if this is because I have light coloured eyes - green by the way. 

It is actually getting darker these days now that we are coming to the end of September. Gone are those long days of May and June, my favourite part of the year. We had dinner on the terrace though as it was not that cold - the temperature reached 26ºc on Thursday and I marveled that we were alone despite having 5 guests in the house this week. It's amazing to think that 9 or 10 people have been sleeping here every night this week yet the house didn't feel at all full. I often wonder how many more years we will live here. We shall cross that bridge when we come to it. For the time being we enjoy the space and of course being surrounded by nature.

Friday came and it was Elliot's birthday; his second. I suppose he had no idea what that meant but a party had been planned for him at our house.  While he was at school where they celebrated with his class singing him happy birthday and his teacher "Ichi" giving him a crown she had made, it was business as usual for us. Friday was shopping day and after our walk off we went. We first went to the chemist where I got loads of stuff for my father and for me. Eladio dreads my visits to the chemist. He thinks I have a penchant for them and I do. Spanish chemists are a haven of cleanliness and good service and I love our local chemist where I know everyone. My husband, meanwhile, went to get us a table at the local churros bar where I couldn't resist a "porra" (the thicker type) with my coffee. Then it was to Mercadona where I make two lists, an easy one for Eladio and the rest for me. The shopping finished at Carrefour Market where we get the higher quality produce. We were home just before lunch and our meal was leftovers - pork rib stew which I didn't really fancy as I was a bit full after the "porra". We had our usual siesta but I hardly slept. I could hear noise in the kitchen and suspected Elliot was already there. So I rushed downstairs to find Oli in the kitchen making sandwiches for the party and little Juliet in her pram. She more or less slept through the whole party.

Here she is in my arms where she continued to sleep

I had to explore the garden to find my little grandson Elliot. He was playing with a new car on the patio behind the house by our study. With him were his father and his other grandmother, Merche. He came running to me and immediately took my hand and led me to the swimming pool. But first I wanted to give him his t-shirt, the one that said "I am 2". I managed to put it on him and then he made me go up the steps. He can now nearly manage them on his own. 

The birthday boy

Soon his beloved "Bubu" (possibly meaning "abuelo" - grandfather in Spanish), Eladio was with us and he jumped into his arms too. What a loving little boy he is. But I had work to do on food for his party so left him with Eladio. We all convened in the kitchen where Oli was making the sandwiches and Lucy the tortillas. I made the canapes and baked perushki. 

Shortly Suzy arrived bringing with her a sort of vegan brownie cake for Elliot which tasted delicious and the rest of Elliot's family too; Miguel's brother Alberto and his two sons, Ruben aged 12 and Hugo aged 10. They are beautifully behaved boys. We all sat around the big table on the kitchen patio and before tucking in had a group photo courtesy of Alberto. It was a very happy moment. I think Elliot was happy to have all the people who love him there and to be the centre of attention. As to it being his birthday I don't think he understood that; apart from maybe the cake moment when he had to blow out the candles. He loved that.

Group photo - Elliot's birthday party on Friday

We had just sat down when it began to rain and quite heavily too. Quickly we moved the table to the covered part of the patio which meant the table was just by the kitchen door - a bit of a squeeze. At one point Elliot went out into the rain as if he wanted to experience getting wet in it and Suzy joined him. Of course it wasn't cold so it didn't matter. He got his new t-shirt wet and had to get changed. That was no problem as his grandmother Merche had bought him lots of clothes for his birthday. 

There were far too many gifts for him - his father's side of the family had gone overboard and it was probably too much for Elliot. Thus I reserved the farm animals I had bought him for a later and quieter moment.  I knew he would love them and he did. 

Elliot playing with his farm animals - the ones I got from Amazon

Elliot's party was an afternoon tea one so at about 8 his father's family left. Suzy did  too just after the girls' friend, "Elenita" had joined us. We sat around talking until everyone went. Thankfully Lucy had cleared away most of the remnants of the party so we didn't have much to clear away ourselves  All in all it had been a wonderful afternoon. 

We were in bed by 9.15 and felt satisfied we had made our little boy happy that day; not that he realised why of course.

Saturday came and it was possibly the quietest day of the week. We only ventured out for our morning walk. We hardly saw our guests who will be leaving tomorrow. Our next set of guests are from Luxembourg and sound nice. They are a family with 2 young daughters, one of whom studies at a boarding school near us and they are coming because it is her birthday. 

We have guests too at our apartment in Santa Pola where we are going today, Sunday. They will have left by the time we arrive. I looked at the forecast and it's not so great with 3 days of rain during out stay. We wouldn't have gone, knowing that but I have to for work reasons. I have just been granted a tourist licence for the apartment - it took a year to come through - so must register the apartment with the police (Guardia Civil). That means that in the future I have to register all guests which I already do in Asturias. In any case it will be good to get a change of air and I look forward to walks on the beach. I just hope it doesn't rain too much.

So my friends I shall leave you now as I have lots to do before we set off in a couple of hours. Cheers then until next Sunday.

All the best, Masha.