A week babysitting in "Pam bloody Plona", Oli reporting on Spain's most international "fiesta", the "Sanfermines" Boris Johnson finally resigns, magnicide in Japan and other stories.

 Sunday, 10th July, 2022

Oli and I with Ana  Blanco, TVE's most famous news anchor woman

Good morning everyone. How has your week been? If you are in the UK you may be one of those, who like me, is happy that Britain's most embarrassing PM in history finally resigned after his much troubled leadership. His downfall? Quite obvious; thinking life is a joke and that he is above the law. He is not happy to go and will no doubt go down in history as a complete political buffoon. When he was forced to announce his resignation he was incapable of saying sorry. I read somewhere that "Boris doesn't do sorry!". 

As for me,  I spent all of this week in Pamplona or Pam bloody Plona as Oli and I have come to call it. That's because we hate the bull runs, the drunkenness, the disgusting behaviour of some and the way the sanfermines have turned into a free for all  international party where everything goes. Boris Johnson would love this party. But I don't. 

 I came to babysit for little Juliet as Olivia is part of the team of reporters for a special programme on the "Sanfermines" - the famous bull run. I did not come to see the bulls, that's for sure. This maybe the most attractive festival or fiesta internationally but it is not my thing. I hate crowds and I hate cruelty to animals.  So I was here just to support my daughter. My daughter hates the mere idea of the running of the bulls and the killing of them in bull fights later but is here as she was asked specially to be part of the TVE team. This event is so big in Spain she could not say no. I suppose, it was also an experience. My experience was very limited as I stayed at or near the hotel most of the time only going into the city on Monday morning and yesterday.

We left last Sunday, 3rd July, 3 days before the "Chupinazo" which marks the start of the Sanfermines. I suppose that is because the 100 strong RTVE team needed time to set things up. 

I packed in a hurry, the day after the wedding, and was at Oli's house by 11.30. It was difficult saying goodbye to Elliot. He wasn't at all happy to see his mother go off with Juliet and I and kept saying "con tu". After we left he cried his eyes out. Thankfully he will see his mother today as he and Miguel are travelling this morning to Pamplona to relieve me of my baby sitting duties.

We stopped for a coffee and to feed little Juliet and then for lunch at my favourite place on the A1 (road from Madrid to Burgos) - Hostal Landa. It's a must pit stop when driving up north. We had a magnificent meal in the poshest of surroundings. We were not in a hurry, service was slow and I think we were there for at least 2.5 hours. We had 2 more hours to drive to get to Pamplona, the capital of Navarra which some consider the Basque Country. Our hotel, NH Iruña Park, is about a 30 minute walk from the centre. NH hotels are good quality but not very appealing to me - big concrete buildings with not much added attraction. I hate being in a room in a concrete building without a terrace or balcony as it feels like a prison to me. But our room is nice and quite big. There was a cot for little Juliet who turned 10 months old on Monday 4th July.

Juliet seems to like our hotel room

After unpacking and settling in - I divided the room into two as I am a bit fanatical about tidiness (my friend Sandra asked recently "since when did you become anal?"I had to explain the meaning to Oli and we were in stitches as the only way of explaining it was with gestures (imagine). I also set up my own personal cafe as I had brought our Nespresso, a travel kettle and tea and coffee as well as a bottle of milk. You probably all know I can only begin to function in the morning after I have had a good cup of coffee. 

When we were done, we went out for a much needed walk after sitting in a car most of the day. We were told there was a park nearby and there was; a lovely one, if only we had brought warmer clothes. If in Madrid it was 35ºc, in Pamplona when we arrived it was 20ºc and windy. I always make the same mistake when packing in Madrid in the summer. I later learned it was Japanese as you will read below. 

Oli and little Juliet in the park near the hotel last Sunday 

We were too tired to go out for dinner so opted for room service. I always think room service is a necessary luxury. I remember introducing my father to hotel room service and how he loved it, especially the white table cloths. Navarre is famous for its wonderful produce of vegetables so that's what we had for dinner. When I had finally got my Amazon fire stick connected to the hotel TV and once Oli had bathed and got Juliet to sleep, we both sunk into our plush beds and watched TV until we fell asleep almost immediately. It had been a long day.

Monday was to be a long day but more pleasurable than I had imagined. The three of  us slept fitfully. The baby woke up many times and I was accused of snoring. I was up at 7.15 and made my coffee. The Nespresso machine makes so much noise I have had to make it in the bathroom! Oli had a relatively late start and we had breakfast at around 9 am. I love hotel breakfast buffets don't you? When Oli left at 11 am for a long meeting with the team, I walked into the old city with Juliet who slept, yes, "like a baby" for at least 2 hours. 

The sleeping babe

That meant I could enjoy my stroll and the pre fiesta atmosphere. The first thing I did was to buy white trousers and a red top to get into the spirit of the "Sanfermines" where everyone wears red and white. I got three pairs of white trousers, a red top and a light white cardigan. When I reached the main square where the beautiful town hall is, I stopped for a coffee and took in the atmosphere. It is from the town hall where the "chupinazo" is set off (a sort of rocket that is fired I think) at 12 noon on 6th July which marks the beginning of the fiestas. The Sanfermines last until 14th July and the bull runs (encierros) start on the 7th in the morning every day from 7.15. Oli's programme would  be broadcast live from 7.15 to 8.30. But there was a lot of work to prepare the programme and Oli was tied up everyday with 3 or 4 hour long rehearsals both in the mornings and afternoons until after the "chupinazo".

The famous town hall in Pamplona

I then walked to where Oli was, with the TVE studio - mostly lorries and vans - which is next to the bull ring. To do so I had to walk along the famous "Estafeta" street along which the bulls run. I soon found the TVE centre and waited for a while for Oli to come out. Outside too was a lady called Ana Blanco. She is the most famous TVE journalist and has been the news anchor at TVE for more than 30 years. Everyone knows her in Spain and everyone respects her. Oli introduced me to her make up artist Rosa who often does Oli's make up too and she offered to take  a photo of us with the anchor woman who obliged very sweetly.  That had to be this week's feature photo my friends.

Oli didn't finish until about 3 pm. We had booked a table at the only Michelin star restaurant, "Rodero" nearby which I would later regret. The food was divine. We had a long lunch and then stepped out into the streets for Oli to see for herself where she would be standing during the programme on the different days. Her main location was the "curva de Mercaderes" - the cross section between the Mercaderes and Estafeta street. There she wanted to meet  Rosa the owner of a famous espadrille shop who she would be interviewing at a later stage.  She was received with welcome arms as no doubt this would be great publicity for "Alpargatas mil colores". I actually bought some for Eladio.

From there I took Oli to the main square where she had a coffee until she had to leave at 5.30 for another rehearsal which would last until nearly 9 pm. That meant I had to look after Juliet until she was back. She is quiet and sleepy in the morning and more frisky in the afternoons but on the whole she is a very easy baby. I walked all the way  back to our hotel - a 45 minute walk - and was pretty tired when we arrived. Juliet was too. I knew she needed to sleep so I pushed her in her pram up and down the corridor outside our room until she finally fell asleep. 

By then I was not feeling well. My stomach was hurting and I didn't know why.  I began to suspect the duck I had for lunch at Rodero. By the time Oli was back I was feeling sick and indeed did throw up several times. What a horrible night it was and I was worried I wouldn't be well enough to look after Juliet the next day. I was better on Tuesday morning but my stomach still felt strange and it still does. 

Again Oli had a late start and at 10 am I took little Juliet to the nearby park called Yamaguchi. Pamplona and Yamaguchi in Japan are twin towns and it was Japanese landscapers who designed this unique and beautiful park which even has its own pagoda. Here Juliet slept so I was able to read for a while and ring Eladio to catch up on his news.

When Juliet woke up I took her to a cafe to heat up her baby food and ordered water for me. I then got out her blanket and she spent a happy hour on the brink of crawling. I was hoping her first time would be with me but unfortunately one leg is still firmly tucked inside hahahaha.

Again Oli didn't finish until 3 and then would be tied up from 6 to 9.30. This time Juliet did not sleep again so I took her to the park for another walk and more time on the blanket. It was getting cold so we came home. I was running out of ideas to entertain her and couldn't wait for her mother to walk in through the door. She did finally and wanted to go out for dinner - what stamina - but my stomach was not interested. In the end she had interrupted room service and I just ate a banana.

We had another fitful night and when I woke up at 6.45 my stomach still felt strange. Oh damn. Oli left at around 9 to cover the "chupinazo" She would be stationed at the famous Plaza del Castillo.

Oli and her team ready to go live in the centre of Pamplona just before the "chupinazo"

I took Juliet for a very long walk, hoping she would sleep so that I could see Oli on TV. She did and I did and that was great. The TV was in a bar across the road from the TV and everywhere I looked people were dressed in red and white - the colour of the blood of the Martyr saint Fermín (not the bulls' blood). Everyone was dressed in red and white except for me. 

People everywhere dressed in red and white

Most revelers carried a wine bottle in a leather pouch and at the moment the rocket was launched in the sky, wine was drunk but also poured on everyone around. I saw people returning to the hotel with their white clothing turned red. I wonder why anyone thinks that is fun?

I stayed well away from the centre and was able to watch Oli live in the midst of things but in comfort and over a cup of coffee. Here are some shots to record the moment.

Watching Oli live on TV on Wed when the fiesta started

There was one uninvited guest at this year's fiesta and that was the rain. But no one really cared as all they wanted was to party again after two years absence due to Covid. The rain did not make me happy though as I couldn't take Juliet out. Oli was back by 2 and had to be at a rehearsal by 5.15. It was the only rainy day and as the week progressed it got warmer and warmer. 

But that day when we went to find a restaurant we got lost in torrential rain and wind. Lunch was at Sidreria Pil Pil and not bad but my stomach was not up to it. We then went in search of nappies and baby food and everything was closed. That meant walking miles to find a chemist that was open. Luckily we were able to take a bus back. Oli then went off to her rehearsal and I was left with Juliet in our room and soon ran out of entertainment. Finally the rain stopped and I took her for a long walk hoping she would sleep but it was not to be. I love my' grandchildren but don't think I was ever cut out to be a nursery teacher or nanny of any type. Give me a puppy any day hahaha.

Oli was exhausted when she got back.  We were in fact both exhausted and I asked myself what is more difficult a full time job or full time looking after a baby. I think the latter. The fiesta continued well into the night and there was a huge firework display, the loudest I had ever heard which started just as we were going to sleep. All I could say was "Pam bloody Plona". 

But I had nothing to complain about. Far more heroic are others and that day saw Spain's top sports ambassador, Rafa Nadal,  play and win one of the most difficult matches in his career. It was against Fritz from the US who fought a big fight but did not win the battle. Nadal is a master at turning matches his way. He should have beaten the much lower seeded player with greater ease but he was suffering a stomach or rib problem and was in much pain. His own father called for him to pull out of the game but Rafa wasn't having it. Wimbledon later dubbed him a "warrior" on Twitter.  Sadly on Thursday he announced he was pulling out of the tournament owing to a ripped stomach muscle. That must have been such a blow to him. I did not like that news. 

At number 10 Downing Street, not far from the All England Club,  Boris Johnson's premiership since he won the elections in 2019 was coming to a farcical end. It wasn't party gate that finished him off, it was his constant lying and the straw that killed the camel's back was about an MP called Chris Pincher who he had appointed chief whip when he knew he was a sexual offender. He had been accused of groping men - funny that he is called Pincher don't you think? That day 39 or more ministers and top aides quit but Johnson remained entrenched in Number 10. We would have to wait until Thursday until the numbers rose to 50 and his staying on as the leader of the Tories became untenable even to him. 

The press and twitter had a field day with him, The Guardian saying he himself was the cause of his undoing with all his scandals being of his own doing. I cannot agree more and I am not a great Guardian fan.  The photo I love best is of him playing tug of war to illustrate his trying to stay on in the "best job in the world".  For him it has been one long party but now it is over. The next day he made his resignation speech outside  Number 10 but not once did he say sorry. You see, "Boris doesn't do sorry". But you see he did not actually resign as he is staying on until a new leader is elected. What he should have done is go and see the Queen, hand in his resignation and ask her to appoint a new leader. So we shall still have the clown at Number 10 probably until the autumn. He really should have gone that day. 

Boris could no longer hand onto his job thank goodness

I don't  know how he slept on Wednesday night. It wasn't fireworks that kept him awake like me but the thought that he was about to lose the job of his life and all thanks to his own wrongdoing. He knows that but cannot admit it to anyone, probably not even his own privileged self. In my opinion he should have never been elected head of the Tory party and never ever been given the mandate to govern the UK. He is the worst PM in recent history.

After the fireworks I did actually sleep quite well. Oli was up at 5.30, off by 6 and live on TV at 7.15 reporting on the bull run. She said it was awful. I am sure it was.  Oli was finished by around 9.30 but then she had a meeting until after 12. Meanwhile I took my granddaughter for a long walk in the aim of her falling asleep so I could have some quiet reading time in the shade on a bench under a tree. By 1, Oli was finished and we decided to leave the town to get away from the madness. We chose the pretty medieval town of Olite about 35 minutes away by car. 

Olite is a pretty, medieval but rather sleepy little place. Its main features are the castle and the church. It also has a spectacular Parador where I would love to stay with Eladio one day. 

Olite a sleepy medieval town not far from Pamplona. 

We found somewhere to have a menu of the day and then spent a good part of the afternoon on a a blanket under a beautiful weeping willow. We needed the time off. All was well until we got in the car and Juliet started crying for no apparent reason. She would continue to do so until well into the night. I think she had caught a cold and kept coughing. We were pretty desperate. 

On Friday morning when Oli left at the crack of dawn, she was fast asleep but when she woke up it was obvious she wasn't well. To cut a long story short, I took her to the health centre and she had bronchitis for which she was prescribed antibiotics. Thankfully she is now getting better but still has a horrible cough and this morning she woke up with a temperature. 

I was  very busy with her  so only caught up on the news of the day later; magnicide in Japan. The former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, was killed at a political rally. I haven't read much about it and don't know what the motive was or who the killer is. What does strike me as really odd is a killing of this type in Japan of all places. It reminds me of when the Swedish PM, Olof Palme, was killed in Stockholm; very shocking.  I read later that "security was flawed". 

Shock killing of Shinzo Abe

Our week in Pan bloody Plona continued. Oli was back from work just before lunch and I had to have a photo of her in her reporter outfit as it made me so proud. I suppose that is normal isn't it?

Oli in her press outfit and press credentials

That day Oli and I had lunch at an Indian restaurant round the corner. It was Indian but Pakistani run, which seems to be the norm for so-called Indian restaurants. In any case the food was good. We spent the afternoon in the Japanese park which is such a peaceful and beautiful place. Finally that evening we got to taste the famous Pamplona "pinchos" - a bit like tapas and similar to the ones in the Basque country - at a place recommended by a reporter friend of Oli's who lives in the city. 

We went to bed early as we have done every day because of the baby and because Oli has to be up at 5 in the morning. I was shattered too as it's hard work looking after a baby and I have lost practice and am not as strong as I was. I certainly notice that, what with the torn meniscus and some back ache. That night we didn't even hear the fireworks thank goodness as we slept like babies.

I hardly heard Oli leave the next morning; Saturday, my last but one day here. Juliet let me have my coffee and deal with my rental business, catch up with emails and play wordle which I love. She even let me watch Oli's programme for the first time which is on from 7.15 am to 8.30 am. I love watching her even after all these years. I did so on my iPad with my headphones on while my granddaughter slept.

Watching Oli live on TV

Oli was back just as I had gone down to breakfast with Juliet. All her colleagues were there and the room was full of people dressed in white and red. While Oli and her team had a meeting I took Juliet for a walk in the park as I have done every day here. It's our quiet time. When Oli was finished for the day we decided to venture into the city centre for me to see some of the fiesta and atmosphere. It was the hottest day and although I appreciated the experience it tired us out enormously. I have never liked crowds or events with crowds as I feel oppressed  but I had to see this mayhem with my own eyes.

We walked from the hotel which is quite a way until we reached the entrance to the heart of the old city via the street called Calle Mayor.

Oli and Juliet on the Calle Mayor yesterday

Again it was a sea of red and white but with loud music. Then a procession of "gigantes y cabezudos" (giants with big heads!) appeared. which was a sight to see I have to admit. There was so much going on. We literally could not enter the main square (Plaza del Ayuntamiento) as it was so full of people - most of them drinking and singing.

The Town Hall crammed with people yesterday

We had had enough and decided to walk to the more commercial streets but there were just as many people there too. It was on the Carlos III street that I saw the famous statue of the bulls and where people were taking photos, all of them in red and white. I must have looked strange in a blue and white top hahaha.

The bull run statue in the city 

We were hungry by then and finding somewhere to eat with a free table was not easy. Believe it or not we found one at a not too bad Japanese restaurant - lots of things Japanese in Pamplona. The food was fine it was getting back to the hotel that would be a challenge. There wasn't a taxi to be found so we got a bus which dropped us right by our hotel. 

Juliet let us sleep a siesta, bless her and later we ventured out again for a walk in the park - what else can you do with a baby? Dinner was a salad and croquettes at a local Irish pub; nothing special for my last dinner in Pam bloody Plona. One thing I know and that is I am not coming back here next year and neither is Oli. She has had enough. We must be a bit strange as most people would love to come here as thousands and thousands do and from all over the world literally. You hear all the languages in the streets here but I still don't see the attraction of this free for all and rather cruel festival. 

Anyway I am going home today to the arms of my dear husband . I'm not sure I want to go to Madrid though because of the heatwave with temperatures to reach 40ºc this coming week.

So that's it from me guys from Pam bloody Plona, until next Sunday,

Cheers till then. 

Masha