Sub zero temperatures in Montrondo, "empty Spain", the perfect Spanish "tortilla", a white horse in a white field, further adventures in the snow and other stories of the week.

Montrondo, Sunday 29th January, 2023

Enjoying the snow in Montrondo where temperatures reached -9ºc this week

Good morning again friends and readers. How are you doing?

Today is our last day in Montrondo. It's time to go home and as my father used to say "all good things come to an end", They do. After more than 10 days, I am actually looking forward to going home even though we have had a great time. It was the snow that had attracted us and we got plenty of it.  I hadn't seen real snow since the Filomena storm in Madrid two years ago and I got my fill. I also got my fill of cold weather and a wonderful rest in our cosy house. If anything can be described as "slow living" it was our time in Montrondo these last 10 days. 

Last Sunday morning we woke up to -9ºc which is even quite cold for Montrondo. Tucked into a small valley at over 1000 metres high and surrounded by mountains, it often snows here, although, as elsewhere, not as much as when my husband was a child. Even so, it was quite a record for me. Here is a screenshot from my phone to record the sub zero temperatures this week. 

Sub zero temperatures in Montrondo this week

I sent it to the family whatsapp group and Suzy, my elder daughter, asked for a photo to prove it and this is what I sent, the view from behind the house. In the summer this is where we lie on sunbeds under the shade of apple trees - what a contrast. 

There was still quite a lot of snow last Sunday

The sun was shining and it was the perfect morning for a walk. Before leaving I had to have a photo of the house surrounded by snow. Our house - the stone one with brown windows - can only be seen from one place in the village. Otherwise, it is completely hidden. It is sandwiched in between houses belonging to my husband's siblings. 

Our house surrounded by snow - it's the stone one with brown windows and doors

We took the only walk we could, the road to Murias de Paredes, as it was impossible to go up the snow covered mountain path where I once broke my leg on ice. On our way out of the village we always pass one of the fields that belongs to Eladio. He likes to know he has it although we won't ever do anything with it, I suppose.Here he is pointing it out, wearing his fetching red winter coat. 

Eladio on our walk last Sunday, pointing out a field he owns - well, I suppose, we own. 

Wherever we went, Pippa went with us but she didn't like the snow. I was surprised when that afternoon she attempted to climb the steps at the back of the house on to a snow covered garden.  Here she is, a little hesitant to tell the truth. 

Pippa braving the snow

I took a video to record the moment which you can see on my YouTube channel here. 

I had a visitor in the afternoon, my neighbour Salo. She had brought us some walnuts and home made sponge cake, bless her. It was good to talk to someone different from my husband for a change, hahahaha.

Not many people live in the village permanently. I tried to count and think it is just 10. Other people, like us with links to the village or a house here, often come at the weekend and in the holidays, so it isn't completely deserted. However, Montrondo, is definitely part of what they call  "empty Spain". Roughly 90% of the population  (about 42 million) live in towns and cities that occupy just 30% of the land while the remaining 10% occupy the remaining 70% and Spain is pretty big. 

Empty vs crowded Spain 90% live in just 30% of the land and 10% in the remaining 70%

There is a lot of talk but not much is being done about it. Empty Spain (la España vacía or España vaciada) lacks the most basic of services; health, education, internet and even though housing is very cheap, rural Spain is not an option for many people from the city precisely because of the lack of services, not to mention the job market. I wonder how many people lived in Montrondo when Eladio was a child, probably a couple of hundred or more. Oh how that figure has dwindled. In the 60's he  persuaded his parents to leave the hard life of farming cows to move to the nearest city- León -  and they did , as many others before and after them; the original cause of "empty Spain" But their roots here have never been forgotten. Our girls now nearing 40, love the village and little Elliot does too. So when we built the house 8 years ago we did it not only for us but for our daughters and future generations. That's why I love seeing Elliot and Juliet enjoying their time here like their mother Oli when she was a child.  It  was more a sentimental investment than anything else. It's also an incredibly safe place to bring children, especially in the summer, when it is anything but empty.

There is not much entertainment around here so you have to bring your own and we came armed with our PCs, my iPad, our mobiles, kindles, DVD player,  smart watches and blue tooth headphones. That means we need more and more plugs so recently I invested in a sort of control tower which is what we call it and it goes with us everywhere.  This is what half the kitchen table looked like in Montrondo this week when we were connected. Quite a sight  I thought I ought to show you. 

Our control tower in Montrondo

You might notice there is also a note pad for hand written notes. Well, we all still write by hand occasionally don't we? Funnily enough this last Monday was the International Day of handwriting - there seems to be an international day for everything these days. It caught my attention and brought back memories of lessons in calligraphy at Rossfield, my posh primary school in Bradford. Our teacher, Miss Haze (or was it Miss Haize?), was very strict and thanks to her I had beautiful handwriting. However, it has suffered over the years and she would be appalled at how I write now, owing to the digital age I'm sure she would never understand. 

There is a semi smart TV  in Montrondo but internet is the basic type (ADSL) which makes watching Netflix a slight challenge. We watched more of Fauda that night. It's very gripping. 

I slept so well here, waking at around 8 am instead of 6 am and feel completely restored mentally and physically but I don't think I could live here for longer than a month. However, it's nice to come and go when we please or when we are free to come. 

Again we woke up to sub zero temperatures on Monday this week. We had another quiet and repetitive day, not that I am complaining. Our time in the village was very restoring for the soul, the body and the mind. Again we wrapped up well for our walk that morning as you can see in the photo below.

Our walk on Tuesday morning

We met other walkers, not many and curiously a man who is not from the area but upped and left Alicante to live in Murias by himself and his dog. It must be a lonely life. No way could I live here alone. 

Of note that day, I tried my hand at making the perfect Spanish tortilla using the old fashioned kitchen range, so much in use in this area. This is it and I am not an expert at using it but it does make food taste better. It must be thanks to the oak wood Eladio uses to fire it up. When I posted a photo of it on Instagram people thought it was an antique cooking range. It's not as they still make them in many areas of Spain and we got ours when we built the house. 

The cooking range in our kitchen in Montrondo

I had used it already for making soup and frying steak and mushrooms but tortilla would be more challenging. To my surprise it turned out a treat. This is what it looked like.

The perfect Spanish tortilla accompanied by ibérico ham - a good combination

If you are interested, here is my recipe, one I have perfected over the years. If you are not into cooking, just skip this part (hahaha). 

How to make the perfect Spanish tortilla

This recipe will make two small to medium tortillas and is much easier than making one large one.

Ingredients: Olive oil, 3 to 4 medium sized potatoes, 1 large semi sweet onion, salt, 4 large eggs. These are the basic ingredients for a Spanish tortilla, although some prefer it without onion – not my case.

Method

1)    Finely chop one semi sweet large  onion

2)    Peel, wash and slice about 3 medium sized potatoes

3)    Fry the potatoes and onion together in olive oil in a large frying pan until they become soft and slightly brown. - use about the same amount of oil you would for making chips. 

4)    Meanwhile whisk 4 large eggs and season with a pinch of salt - make sure the mixture gets really fluffy. Leave aside in a big bowl to which you will add the potatoes and onions later.

5)    When the potatoes and onion are softer than soft, remove the pan from the hob and pour them through a colander to separate the oil. Add the potato and onion mixture to the whisked eggs and stir with a wooden spoon.

6)    Heat a smaller frying pan and add a couple of spoonsful of the leftover olive oil. Only when it is sizzling, add half the mixture of potato and onion. Cook until you think the base is ready.

7)    Then the tricky part comes. Take the pan off the hob, cover the pan with a plate larger than the pan and turn right upside down.

8)    Return the omelette to the pan with the underdone part at the bottom. It must just hit the hot oil and brown at the bottom but not cook anymore inside. Immediately remove it from the hob, turn upside down again or just slide onto a plate.

9)    Repeat the process for the second half of the mixture.

It’s important for the egg part of the tortilla to be a bit underdone inside but brown on the outside. Once out of the pan, it will continue to cook with the residual heat.  So, if you like yours moist – which is how it tastes best – serve immediately.  If it is not moist  inside, it can taste a bit rubbery and dry, so getting the right consistency is key to the perfect tortilla.

Later we devoured three more episodes of Season 4 of Fauda and only had two left to watch but decided we would watch it from the beginning again to refresh our memories and keep us entertained. The Middle East and its problems fascinate us. 

Tuesday came and brought cold weather again. Olivia was sent to cover the weather for her programme to the pretty town of El Escorial in the mountains of Madrid. It's where the Kings and Queens of Spain are buried and notorious for its cold weather. Here she is, freezing, no doubt. This is the clip from her report which I later found on the programme's twitter feed as she never tells us when she is on live. 

Oli reporting live on the weather in Spain from San Lorenzo del Escorial on Tuesday morning

While she was reporting, we were having our breakfast after which we got in touch with the Ikea after sales people run, not surprisingly, run by Electrolux which is, of course, Swedish. It seems we had managed to get  a man to come on  Thursday either to repair the induction hub or replace it. We didn't want to  leave here until it was sorted. In the end he came on Friday. He took it away to be repaired and has promised to bring it this morning around midday. We cannot leave until he comes. 

That morning I got my first pension pay of the year. The government had announced a rise of 8.5% for pensioners, supposedly in line with inflation and I was interested to know how much more I would be earning.  However, part of that would be offset by rising income tax - in my case by 3.5% which meant the net increase was only 5%.  For people who earn an average or low pension the increase is very little. I was interested to know how many pensioners there are in Spain and it is over 11 million. However, only 463,000 earn the maximum pension. Eladio and I are one of the lucky ones. In Spain too the retirement age is now 66 and will be soon 67. Anyway, enough of that, apart from to say that life as a retiree (hate the word pensioner) is great although I dread old age. 

Before our morning walk and my long leisurely shower, I put a shoulder of lamb on in the oven with potatoes. I couldn't believe it was ready in under an hour. So, after a quick morning coffee - yes we maintained the practice here - off we went for our morning walk to work up an appetite for the  roast lamb - my faourite meat!

It seemed colder than the previous days as there was a bit of cloud and a slight wind. Everything looked beautiful as it does in the winter with snow. We went past one of the two wells in the village. Each has its own name and this one is "El Pilo del Barrio". Every nook and cranny has a name in this village where only 10 people live!

"El Pillo del barrio" - one of the two wells/fountains in the village - frozen
 

As we left the village, I was greeted with the sight of horses in a snowy field. They belong to Manolo, the only villager who has cattle and horses; another man who lives alone which can't be easy. When we come he is often  in my thoughts as he was the person to rescue me when I broke my leg on ice in the mountains 8 years ago. 

Horses in a field as we left Montrondo

I just had to take a video to record the beautiful scene that met my eyes, to share with you here. 

I got Eladio to pose too. For the record he is wearing the Nokia woolen hat I purchased from the Nokia store when I  went to Lapland probably in 2004 or 2005 - there was a lot of snow there. I still have my skiing trousers too from another Nokia trip - this time to Baqueira in Spain around 2003. They are now kept in Montrondo for when it is cold and come very much in handy. Nokia had great merchandising. And here is Eladio in the slightly too small Nokia woolen hat posing with the horses in the field in the background. 

Eladio with by the old path to Murias with the horses in the field in the background

To accompany the photos I took a video which I want you to see so that you can appreciate the beauty of this area in the winter. This is it. 

We were home at lunch time which for us is generally at 2 pm. I heated up the lamb and we devoured a delicious meal. Afterwards, as always, here, we watched the news. Here is the scene for you to get the idea. 

Watching the news after lunch

After she had finished her bone, Pippa joined us. She always chooses the nearest part of the sofa  to the wood burner

And then, as always, we fell asleep watching the news and had a siesta. I couldn't believe I slept for nearly 2 hours!

I could't believe I was hungry again either when it was dinner time but the mountain air and snow in Montrondo only increase my appetite. The news was good that day. The NATO allies agreed finally to send tanks to Ukraine. On the other hand, I think their hesistancy is how Russia will react. Well, it can't get much worse can it? Eladio thinks we are in the middle of World War 3. I hope not.

I was cheered up by two more bookings I got that night. Roger, our Canadian guest who was born in Panama was returning that evening and today a professional padel player from Sweden is coming for 13 nights. We also had the Chinese family staying and this weekend a group of 8 students. So the house was chock a block. When we go home it will be less so. 

That night we devoured the last two episodes of Fauda's Season 4 and I hated the ending - no spoilers if you haven't reached the end. We both agree it is one of the best spy thriller series out there, as good or better than Homeland. And then we started watching it from the beginning again. My memory is so sketchy these days that there is no problem watching series more than once as I can hardly remember anything. The exceptions are my favourite films of all times: The Sound of Music, Dr. Zhivago, Gandhi, Gone with the Wind and The  Inn of Sixth Happiness. 

Wednesday came and again we woke up to -9ºc. Seriously? Back home in Madrid Oli sent us a charming video of our grandchildren, Juliet and Elliot,  going to school. We haven't seen them for at least 2 weeks but will be seeing a lot of them this week. Miguel has been sent to a dreadful music festival today in that dreadful seaside town, Benidorm, for a week so Oli will be alone with them and will need a hand. . This week will be very different to our quiet time in Montrondo. 

That day was the first day we left the village since we arrived the Wednesday before. We went to do the shopping in Villablino, the nearest town to Montrondo. I think our supplies could have lasted longer but I, at least, needed a change in our routine. 

We didn't leave until I had had my leisurely shower. I love the slow living in Montrondo and the house we built to spec from the original family house. I especially love  our bedroom  which we designed ourselves - lots of black and white. I was a bit inspired by a hotel I love in Barcelona, the 1898 where all the rooms are decorated in  stripes. So I took some photos for you to see. 

The huge modern shower is great but I particularly love our claw foot bath tub. I remember the builders saying it wouldn't fit in the en suite so I told them damn it, just put it in the room outside the bathroom which is what they did. I don't use it much but it's very decorative. Pippa uses it more than me hahaha. She lives like a queen when she is with us in Montrondo.

Our black and white themed bedroom and bathroom with its claw foot bathtub. 

Leaving the village was a challenge as the car was literally frozen. Not having anything better to remove the frost with , my husband used his bare hands as you can see in the photo below. 

Eladio removing the frost from the car with his bare hands

I was worried out +20 year old Volvo wouldn't start but it did. I suppose as it was made in Sweden it was designed to withstand sub zero temperatures. It used to be my Nokia company car and has stood us in good stead for some years now. Soon the engine purred and we hit the road. The drive to Villablino is over a mountain pass and the scenery was even more spectacular that day because of the snow. 

A scene from the spectacular drive from Montrondo to Villablino -  22km away

It takes just under half an hour but we went slowly as at some points as there was ice on the road and there we were with our summer tyres. 

Our main shopping was done at Gadis - a supermarket chain from Galicia in the north of Spain - which I only wish had a branch near us as I love the produce and variety there. We stocked up for the remainder of our time in Montrondo and to take provisions home where I suspected the fridge would be rather bare.

Finally this week we got to have coffee out at "elevenses" (12 midday for us in Spain). That was quite a luxury. Our last stop was to buy delicious "cecina" (cured beef, similar to braseola) and some ibérico ham from a shop I discovered through my sister-in-law Dolores. Called El As de Jamón, it is run by a young South American woman, Patricia, and her husband and sells the best quality cecina I have ever bought, even better than at "Aramburu" in Asturias and far cheaper. I noticed they sell online so when I run out I might make an order from Madrid. 

The drive home was just as beautiful and we were nearly alone on the road. What I appreciate most about this area - Omaña (a sub region of the province of León) is that it hasn't been discovered by tourists. That is its salient feature and may it remain tourist free for a long time. As we drove through Murias, I spotted a white horse in a snowy white field. It's not often that happens so I asked Eladio to stop the car so I could take a photo for you. 

A camouflaged white horse in a white field as seen in Murias on Wednesday morning

It's beautiful isn't it?  Although I felt a little sorry for the horse which must feel very lonely. If it was mine it would have company and be covered in a blanket which I have seen in fields in Sweden and in the UK.

We were home just before 2 pm, unloaded the shopping and Eladio lit the cooking range as I needed it to make our lunch. Lunch was soup, fried fish and salad followed by delicious fruit. That's something we eat a lot of and I always have a huge variety that must include mangoes, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. We are fruit and veg freaks but I'm afraid we are old fashioned and still enjoy meat. No way will I ever become a vegetarian. 

The news was all about tanks for Ukraine which Russia said they will destroy. It was also about the Brazilian ex Barça football player, Dani Alves, who allegedly raped a girl at a discotheque in Barcelona in December - shame on him. There seem to be so many stories of sexual assault  these days it makes me sick. I wonder if it is happening more now than in the past or is just that more stories are being reported on? I guess the answer is the latter. There was also a horrible story which could have come straight from Fauda. A lone Moroccan man wielding a machete went on the rampage, going into 2 churches in Algeciras in Southern Spain. He killed a verger and tried to kill a clergyman and all this while a service was going on. Is he a terrorist or just a madman? Killing in the name of religion is loathsome but has happened throughout the centuries. Empty Spain might be empty but it is far safer than the cities in these mad times. We always say that if war comes we are moving here. 

On Thursday morning we woke up to new snow. It snowed most of the morning, new snow on top of old snow and soon most surfaces were covered in the white stuff. Here is a photo of the back garden while it was snowing. I just love the peace that snow brings. My neighbour Salo says there is a theory that people sleep best when it snows. She may have a point

More snow on Thursday

Eladio went out to get more wood from the shed to stoke the cooking range which I needed. That day I made the most delicious "fabada" - bean stew - from ingredients I had bought at Gadis including local butter beans from the El Bierzo region. He wore his "madreñas" - wooden clogs to walk over the snow. 

Eladio's "madreñas" - wooden clogs

Madreñas are typically worn and made in Leon and Asturias. They are worn with slippers and are designed mostly for cattle farmers to avoid the muck. They are not easy to walk in if you haven't had the practice. Eladio has of course as he was once a "shepherd boy". 

Even though it was snowing, we dared to go out for a walk. I was dressed in my skiing trousers, thick boots, thick knitted socks (yours Anne from Finland) and my winter skiing coat. I felt and moved like an astronaut. I love the snow but skiing was never for me although I did try twice in my life. My husband, in contrast, is a natural. When he was a child, he wore home made wooden skis to ski to school with in the winter.  It was common in Montrondo. What weren't common in the "old days" in Montrondo were snow ploughs. Just as we opened the gates onto the road we were met by one and I had to have a photo. I was glad it had come as the road would be clearer for our walk. 

The snow plough as seen on Thursday when it snowed again

It was a very wintery sight which I had to take a photo of. I also took a selfie to remember the moment. 

A selfie in the snow on Thursday morning

Most people would be making snowmen or throwing snow balls. I realised we weren't and that's probably because we are now too old for such childish things. I wouldn't have minded having a sledge though. 

I was just content to enjoy the scenery and breathe in the fresh snowy air. The same horses we had seen the previous day were still in the same field and I hoped they had not spent the night there. I was worried they would be cold but even so enjoyed looking at them. I love horses and think the horse is one of the most beautiful animals in the world. When I was a child I wanted riding lessons but my parents thought that was for rich kids. My mother told me the nearest I would get to them was with my pony tail. I would have loved to learn to ride. Eladio did as it was the natural thing when he was a child. They had a horse called "Moro" (the Moor) which they all rode. He remembers his father taking him on their horse after the Christmas holidays all the way to Murias to catch the coach that would take him all the way back to the Seminary in León. He doesn't like that memory. I can hardly imagine a scene like that today. Life was hard in the village but people have fond memories. So it can't have been that bad. 

Horses in the snow

And here he is in modern day dress; very different to what he would have worn as a young boy riding "Moro" after the Christmas holidays. How times have changed. 

Eladio in the new snow on Thursday on our walk

I wanted a photo with the horses and I got one, thanks to my husband. I am carrying little Pippa so she can be in the photo. I felt sorry for her without her coat which we had left in Madrid. But no worries, she had a hot bath when we got home  - yes in our claw foot bath tub  - and then dried off by the fire. 

Me, Pippa and the horses - I felt like an astronaut in my skiing outfit. 

We came home to have my delicious "fabada" which I reckon tasted better than ever as it had been cooked on the range. It was divine, as good as any served at the best restaurants in Asturias I have to say with not much modesty. 

The fabada I made on Thursday, the day of the new snowfall. 

On Friday morning we woke up to a new snowfall. This was the view from our kitchen window, the back garden and terrace where we make barbecues in the summer!

The view from our kitchen window on Friday morning

That day I wanted to go to Villablino again as Friday is market day. I had also booked a table for lunch at the best restaurant in the area, "El Campillo" in Sosas de Laciana. I was worried we may not make it because of the snow. We weren't leaving until the induction hob technician came so I hoped by then the snow plough would have made an appearance. I was wrong. Even so I badgered my reluctant husband to remove the snow from the car and drive to Villablino. I knew it was a challenge and he wasn't happy about it. He went along with me to keep the peace I suppose but you know what? Soon the snow was removed, the car unfroze and we could make a move with care, of course. 

Eladio reluctantly removing the snow from the car on Friday so that we could drive to Villablino

Just as we were setting off, there coming towards us were Manolo's cows following him in his tractor as if they were cattle. What a sight. Later I realised he must have left them in the field the night before, poor animals. Only on Friday would he take them to be sheltered.  I had to have photos of course, like the one below and a video which Eladio and I both enjoyed looking at when we were having our coffee in Villablino a while later. 

Manolo's horses being led to shelter

We drove carefully, especially on the road to Murias and to Senra which joins the main road to Villablino. That was clearer but the snow plough hadn't gone past either. This was the view from our car. Beautiful!

The snowy road to Villablino

We arrived safe and sound in Villablino and felt as though we had had another adventure. Again I said to Eladio that my motto in life is "who dares wins". His is quite the opposite but opposites attract don't they?

I had hoped to visit the market but couldn't find it. Not that I needed anything did I? So off we went to Sosas de Laciana to El Campillo. We have been quite a few times and it never disappoints. They offer a menu of the day for just 15 euros. It includes wine, bread, dessert and coffee and has at least 8 choices for both the first and second courses. If our house was nearer we would go more often. Being January it was very quiet and we were the only diners. We were ushered to a corner table which we loved. The waiter took our orders and then I went to spend a penny and when I came back this was the sight that greeted me - a table full of wonderful food and drink and my husband with a big smile on his face. He was glad to have come after all, despite the challenge of the snow hahahaha. 

Lunch at El Campillo was well worth the challenge of leaving Montrondo in thick snow on Friday morning 

We enjoyed every morsel. It was also great to be out and about again and  to be served a meal after all the cooking I had done.

On our way home, the roads were clearer, except from Senra to Montrondo. Once in Murias, we went past the white field with the white horse again and I had to stop to take another picture. I am very fond of that horse and only wish it was kept warmer and had company. That is not how to look after an animal I thought. 

I saw the lonely white horse in Murias again on Friday

We had not taken Pippa as she would have had to stay in the car while we were at the restaurant. She was ecstatic to see us, as usual. But I didn't feel bad about leaving her alone in our warm and cosy house. Friday was the only day we skipped our siesta. Instead we watched a bit more of Fauda and then Eladio went on a cleaning spree of the bathrooms, bless him. 

Meanwhile, in Auckland, New Zealand, where my cousin Katty and family live,  the city was experiencing the worst floods ever recorded. People died, the airport closed and my Kiwi family battled with draining the water that had flooded their whole first floor. They also tried to battle with the insurance company. I was flabbergasted and felt for them. Freak weather is becoming more and more frequent. Another cousin, Andrei, in Canada, reported "it snowed enough here yesterday that we beat the 100 year record for accumulation for the 25th January! Our adventure in the snow here is nothing compared to what he faces so often in the winter and where they use snow ploughs even to clear the "sidewalks". We only met once and it was in 1977 - when I was just 20. I traveled with my mother who was to meet her brother, Andrei's father, Sasha, for the first time since WW2. What a meeting. I shall never forget the snow in Montreal - snow here is kid's play compared - and how we actually managed to fly out of the city in the biggest snow storm I have ever witnessed. 

Saturday dawned and it had snowed again. I love the snow but don't like walking on the slippery road to Murias as I dread a fall  - I have a tendency to fall as you probably know. Yesterday though it was quite covered with snow and not slippery at all. 

We woke up to a quiet house unlike our house in Madrid where, unbelievably, 13 people had slept - the group of 8, the Chinese family of 3 as well as Suzy and Lucy. Our Chinese family have finally found a flat and may be gone by the time we are home.  I am going to stay in touch with the mother, Amanda - a teacher of English  - as we really hit it off. The big group will have left this morning and in their place, Roger - the Canadian from Panama - and a Swedish padel player will be coming. 

Yesterday Eladio went into cleaning mode again and hoovered the whole house. I did a few shelves (I hate cleaning) and surfaces but mostly concentrated on making soup for lunch on the cooking range. It was snowing again and we were determined to get in another walk, our last here before going home. But first for my long and leisurely shower after my long and leisurely breakfast - I love slow mornings! While I was showering, Pippa was waiting for me right outside on the bathroom mat. She literally follows me everywhere and I had to have a photo to record that moment too. So many moments to record..... No worries, you can't see any of my ugly ageing body haha. 

Me in the shower and Pippa on the mat waiting for me! She literally follows me everywhere. 

By then it was time for our mid morning coffee - quite a ritual - and then for our walk, once again in the snow. Just as we were leaving some of Eladio's siblings and their families were arriving from León - they are about 1h away from here - we would see them later.

And off we went into our private winter wonderland once again. I had had my fill of snow but it still awed me. Eladio took a couple of photos of me ready to go and I quite like them so chose one for this week's feature photo. My friend Sandra commented "you are such a fashion icon! Pink boots pink gloves, lovely blue coat".  If only she knew none of it was worn consciously, it just worked out that way. The pink wellington boots are hand me downs from Oli, the fuchsia gloves came from Yoigo merchandising and as to the coat, it's a very old H&M one I bought in Stockholm once. It's very warm but rather heavy. What Sandra couldn't see were that the trousers I'm wearing are Eladio's  old Adidas bottoms.  So no I'm not a fashion icon but I do like the result hahahha. 

In the snow yesterday - colour coordinated but not a fashion icon hahaha

We came home to a ready made meal - my leftover bean stew (fabada) and then another siesta. It was the perfect winter day, like all the others; days to remember. 

And today is Sunday, the end of our stay here. But we will be back. It has been a real adventure and a tonic to our systems.

Cheers now friends until next Sunday. Have a great day and a great week. Till next time,

Masha. 

St. Nicholas church in Sofia, an adventure in the snow, winter wonderland in Montrondo, a cozy and relaxing time in the village and other tales of this week.

Montrondo, Sunday, 22nd January, 2022

Happy in the snow in Montrondo

Good morning from cold and frosty Montrondo high up in the mountains of León, in north west Spain. 

January, my least favourite month, is now nearing its end. It is generally the coldest month of the year and that has certainly been true this week when rain, strong wind and snow hit the peninsula. This was thanks to two new storms called Gerard and Fein. I have no idea why storms are now given names but they have. So, silly us, or rather silly me, eager to enjoy snow again, I urged my husband to go to Montrondo, to his village in the mountains of León. I was inspired by a villager (Jenaro) who had posted photos of the snow but I didn't anticipate the enormous difficulty of getting here. Anyway, more about that later. 

Las Sunday, as predicted, was an extremely quiet day with not much to report. I was still reeling emotionally from research into my family's roots in Bulgaria. If you read last week's post, you will know that my mother's family fled there from the Russian Revolution. While I was doing the research last week, my school friend, Geraldine (that lovely "girl" who puts flowers on my parents' grave at Charlestown Cemetery in Baildon) just happened to be in Bulgaria on a skiing holiday. When I published my blog last Sunday she was visiting Sofia, the capital. She even visited my grandfather's Russian Orthodox church, St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker and told me she wished she had read my blog before going as she would have been able to search for his grave. What an amazing coincidence. I wish too that I had told her of my findings. 

She told me it was beautiful inside and out and it looks it. It's very Russian with its typical onion domes.

My grandfather's church in Sofia. St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker

This week I visited the church website and there in writing were mentions of my grandfather. Here they are: 

Over time, the composition of the parish council has changed. As rector of the temple, Vladyka (Bishop) Seraphim himself appointed priests and his assistants. So, in 1925, His Serene Highness Prince Andrey Lieven, who took the rank by vow, became his assistant, according to his contemporaries, the most prominent personality of the Russian nobility in Bulgaria. He was the leader of the nobility of the Kolomna district of the Moscow province, a candidate of legal sciences, a participant in the civil war in the ranks of the Volunteer Army in southern Russia. The history of his vow was well known to the parishioners of the Russian church. During the evacuation from Russia, A.A. Liven tried for a long time and unsuccessfully to find his family in Constantinople, many thousands of people. Then he made a vow to devote his life to the service of God, if the family is found. Soon he miraculously found his wife and children. Having got through Gallipoli to Bulgaria, became the spiritual child of Bishop Seraphim, his desire to take the rank was strengthened. In 1925, Father Andrei was ordained Vladyka and became a priest of the Russian Church, and since 1926. until 1944 he was the secretary of the episcopal council, the right hand of Vladyka Seraphim.

After the decree of November 17, 1944, liquidated all organizations of Russian emigrants and prohibited any of their public activities, the Russian church remained the only place where they could freely practice their faith, communicate and help each other. Great merit in the rallying of the parishioners belonged to Archpriest Andrei Lieven, who, after the death of Archpriest Georgy Golubtsov, became the rector of the church. He was distinguished by true Russian hospitality, kindness, he did a lot to attract young people to the church, organizing conversations on spiritual topics, poetry evenings, at which he often read his spiritual poems and magnificent translations.

Wow, there it was in writing, the confirmation of my grandfather's time at the church as parish priest and right hand man to Bishop Seraphim. My mother talked often and fondly of this bishop. She remembered a party for his name's day when as the priest's daughter she and a friend (Elena) had to lend a hand.  They were young and underage and drank all the dregs left in people's glasses. Apparently the bishop wanted to thank them and her father whispered their misdemeanors  in his ear and they were swiftly sent home. 

She would describe too the long and many hours spent at the church and not just on Sundays. The family were always short of money so all clothes and shoes were hand-me-downs.   She had big feet (a size 8) and inherited her older brother Sasha's shoes which were men's shoes and far too big for her. Her father laughed and said they looked like boats on her feet. She thought they looked like child's coffins or little tanks. These are snippets of their lives I know from her stories. What she didn't tell me is something I read in the first text above that I learned this week, that he was the most prominent personality of the Russian nobility in Bulgaria. Many Russians fled to Paris - all Russian aristocracy spoke French - but many too went to Bulgaria because the religion is Orthodox. My dear Aunty Valya once explained to me that Russian nobility felt guilty about the Revolution and how their riches played a part in dethroning the Tsar, so they turned to religion to purge their souls. I can understand that. My mother's family seemed to carry that to the extreme. 

I know that if and when I visit "their" church I will find it very emotional. No doubt, just as I did when I stepped into my first and last church in Russia on my only visit there, to St. Petersburg in 2006, I will break down and cry for them all. I shall also light a candle for each and every one of them and kiss all the icons, imagining them there so many years ago. A Russian Orthodox service is long, very ritualistic, very spiritual but also very tiring as you have to stand up throughout and the services go on forever in Church Slavonic.  My mother used to tell me they had to go on empty stomachs to receive Holy Communion and that many fainted on occasion, herself included. What a difficult life they had. 

When the Red Army marched into Bulgaria in September 1944, 4 of the siblings had left. The plan was for their parents to leave too and meet up in Austria. When the war ended, my mother kept going to the train station in Vienna but they never came. Bulgarians she knew, escaping the Communist yolk would give her news of her parents and her sisters Olga and Masha. One of them (Madame Moscova) told her she had said goodbye to her father before leaving and that "he looked as if Christ had risen again and her mother looked as if they had hauled her down the cross". The Bishop did not want to leave and her father had decided to stay.  He did not want to leave his parishioners and would suffer the consequences. Then when he may have finally decided to leave, it was no longer an option. In 1949 he fell ill, I think with pneumonia. Aunty Masha always swore he was killed by the communists once under anesthetic but we shall never know.

Any way, enough of this as I must be boring you. The good news though is that I have written to the church and their reply was very warm. They are happy to host us there. Wonderful they still remember him. I now have to get in touch with the convent and that I shall do, for sure. 

As I say, last Sunday was quiet as was most of the week. Monday came and brought the cold weather. The morning was not pleasant to say the least. I had an appointment with my urologist for a second treatment of 4. When I got home all I wanted to do was rest and relax and that's what I did. The highlight of Monday was my Skype call with dear Amanda to whom I can share even the most intimate details of my life.

On Tuesday morning we did something exciting and necessary for our trip - the trip of our lives through Europe to Turkey and the Caucasus in the spring. For some non EU countries an international driving licence is needed. A while back I applied for ours online and that day we went to pick them up in person - you can only go in person. So off we went to the very large DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico) where I think I only went once years ago to get my first driving licence. It's far from where we live and difficult to park. Luckily we didn't need a prior appointment - lots of people were being turned away - but we had failed to take along a photo so had to go outside and use one of those old fashioned photo booths at 5 euros a photo. That slowed up the process a bit but soon we were back and attended, for once, by a very kind official. I was so pleased with the new documents I had to have a photo to remember the moment. As a friend, Catherine, said on social media - "it's becoming real". Indeed it is. The official wasn't allowed to take a photo (so stupid) but we found one willing person who would - a policeman! As we posed I sort of told everyone this was the trip of our life, that we will have been married 40 years this summer and I think I kissed my husband. People looked and someone said "how sweet". I felt ecstatic. And here we are with the treasured documents.

With our new international driving licences. 

We were home a bit late for lunch which was ready on the table - bless you Lucy - and were joined by Suzy. It was then that I saw a video showing the snow in Montrondo, posted by one of the villagers. Oh snow I thought, I want to be there! So there and then, we decided we would go the next day. I just love the snow in Montrondo, even if I broke my leg on ice there 8 years ago.

The afternoon was spent quietly watching episode 2 of Season 12 of Call the Midwife and then less quietly watching episode 3 of Season 3 of Happy Valley which is not happy at all. Over dinner we discussed our plans for the next day. We also spoke to our Chinese guests who still haven't found an apartment and keep extending their stay with us. I have the sinking feeling they are being turned away by flat owners because they are not Spanish or from the EU. There are few flats for rent and too many applicants. Owners here, so frightened of squatters, impose very stringent rules for potential tenants. Eladio made a few calls and one estate agency told him there were 30 prospective tenants and just to visit the flat they had to pay a month's fee - to be returned if they were not lucky. I feel sorry for them and sincerely hope they find somewhere soon. No doubt this weekend they will have cheered up by celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Rabbit. It is supposed to bring prosperity, hope and calm. They need all three. Don't we all? I certainly got a lot of calm here in Montrondo this week. 

On Wednesday, after quite a bit of shopping as there are no shops anywhere near Montrondo, we set off with Pippa at around 12 o'clock, full of energy and looking forward to the trip and staying at our lovely house. Lunch was to be in Rueda but unfortunately Bodega de Palacio was closed for maintenance. Thus we drove on to the Parador in Tordesillas where we had not too good a lunch for a Parador. But it was good enough to fill our stomachs.

The snow started on the road to León but it wasn't heavy. When we came off the motorway at La Magdalena, that's when we began to see some serious snow. 

However the snow ploughs were working well and the roads were quite clear. We got as far as Senra where you go off the road to Murias and then on to Montrondo where the road ends and the mountains start. Well, that road was absolutely covered in the white stuff and there was no way we could drive in it. Eladio suggested driving further up to a ramp where another road leads directly to Murias. We were alone on the road. That intersection was even worse and we were stuck as you can see in this video. This was the situation we were in and by then it was getting dark. Oh dear, what an adventure. Eladio had brought a shovel and starting making a path but the car just skidded. He also put on some tyre covers - not chains -  ones we had never used and his fingers got frozen. I felt pretty useless so took pictures to document our adventure. 

Stuck in the snow trying to get to Montrondo

Eladio shoveling snow on the road 

The  tyre covers were no good at all in such thick snow.  Oh, how naive we were to have come so unprepared. After a lot of shovelling, we were able to turn round and go back to Senra and there tried to park under cover by the bar, Cumbres de Omaña which was closed. I had to ask for help so rang a dear neighbour. She wasn't at home but arranged for friends to put us up in Senra  -God bless her. Apparently the snow plough had not shifted the snow from Senra to Montrondo so only a 4WD with winter tires could drive there.

And lo and behold, a miracle happened and one appeared. It was the bar owner's car, returning home. He was cross we had tried to park in his enormous car park (he is known for being grumpy) but to cut a long story short, he offered to drive us to Montrondo. So we took all our belongings in his car and left ours outside in the snow - note not in his spacious garage. 

Things weren't easy when we arrived either and the barman helped us shovel away the snow and make a path, telling us off all the time for being so intrepid - as if we didn't know. Here is Eladio with some of our  bags outside the main gate. Without this man's help, we would not have made it to Montrondo that night. So many thanks are due to him. But we have learned our lesson and won't come here again on a whim if it is snowing like this. It was serious snow, the type you see in Canada and Finland. The locals here are prepared but we are not. 

Arriving in the snow at our house in Montrondo

Finally we  were inside what we thought would be a warm home. Eladio had switched on the central heating the night before with his phone but something must have gone wrong as it was off when we arrived. The temperature outside was 1ºc and inside, not much more; 3.5ºc. He soon put it on but it would take all night to heat the house. I had hoped we could light the fire but there was no kindling inside the house and impossible to fetch some from outside. 

We just had to get on with it in the cold. I unloaded and packed away all the food and began to make our dinner. It was going to be fried eggs except that the induction hob just wouldn't respond to my fingers. It suddenly stopped working and I have no idea what has happened. In the end we had a cold dinner in a cold house with the snow outside. But we knew the next day would be a better day and it was.

The night was freezing but I had Pippa to keep me warm under the duvet. I wore 4 layers of clothing including gloves and a scarf. I woke up in the morning to a warm house thankfully. I could not believe I had woken up at past 8 am when I usually wake up in Madrid at 6 ish. I had slept like a baby. Wonderful. 

On Thursday it  was still snowing outside but oh my goodness, what a sight. The photos I took do not do it justice. Here is just one of them, so you can see how deep it was. 

The snow that had accumulated the morning after we arrived

I also took this good morning from Montrondo video which you can see here. 

Finally the house was warm but we needed wood and kindling for both the fire and the cooker - a sort of Aga / range - very typical in this area - which I would have to cook on because the induction hob wouldn't work.  Eladio, dressed in his more than 50 year old dressing gown and snow boots, managed to get wood and kindling from one of the sheds and also shoveled a path from the house to the shed.

Wood and kindling for the fire and the Aga

Eladio shoveling the snow in his 40 or 50 year old dressing gown

Soon he had both the wood fire and kitchen range lit and the house became cozy and inviting. We were to enjoy a quiet and relaxing time in the village now that we had everything under control. 

The fire on in the lounge

My versatile husband lighting the range

I had to cook on the range for possibly the second time ever as we don't usually use it. Everyone does here as they do in the villages in Asturias. So, here I am frying steak. I had to have a photo for the occasion. 

Using the range to make our lunch

In the afternoon I suggested we try and go out for a walk and to enjoy the snow as  by then the snow plough had been and the "main road" was clear. I dressed up in the warmest clothing I had. I dug out some old ski trousers which I wore with thick boots and a very thick puffer jacket that I always leave here. First I had to have a photo of the house with snow - this is it and we love it. 

Our house in the snow - we love it

It was Eladio's original family house which we "inherited". We gutted it about 7 years ago and turned it into a 3 floor cozy cottage. What we also did was to uncover the original stone. It is the only house we do not rent out so it is pretty pristine inside. We are sandwiched in between 2 of Eladio's siblings' houses which used to be part of the farm. Eladio's parents had mainly cattle and sheep. To think my husband was once a  little "shepherd boy" and how different his life is today!

Eladio knows how to deal with snow from his youth, so shovel in hand, he made a path to the road. Here he is. 

Eladio making a path to the road with his shovel

Everything just looked like winter wonderland and I had to have photos and lots of them. It was difficult to choose the feature photo but it had to be of me smiling and stretching out my arms. This is another one. 

Loving being in the snow in our own private winter wonderland

A friend, Joanna, asked if we had made a snowman. I suggested to Eladio that we make one and he laughed saying that was only for children. No doubt, if Elliot and Juliet had been here he would have built one. So, no, sadly, we didn't.

It gets dark here at 6.30 and at around that time it started to rain thus we went back in. I was worried all the snow would go but it didn't as there was far too much of it. It's still here today with no sign of melting. 

Dinner that night was fried eggs - what we love most here - fried on the range and I was quite proud of myself for being able to manage it. 

That night I slept even better as the house was nice and cozy and I couldn't believe I woke up only once and then got up at 8.30. 8.30 a.m. is unknown for me and I felt so refreshed and relaxed. The snow was still there on Friday. It had stopped raining and the sun was out making for some stunning scenery. 

Again Eladio lit both fires and soon I had a cocido cooking which would take hours but was done to perfection. I also sorted out the food cupboards and chucked away  so much food out which had expired. Sorry about that. But I now know where everything is. 

At 12 we set off for a walk to Senra - about 4km - to fetch our car. It was about 9º so not too cold and I didn't have to wear my sub zero puffer jacket. Wherever we looked it was beautiful and we both took so many photos that it is difficult to choose which to share with you. Here are some of them, including a herd of cows I felt sorry for. Eladio assured me they would have a roof over their heads at night. Even so. 

Photos of our walk from Montrondo to Senra on Friday morning in our own winter wonderland

We were amazed to find our car not covered in snow and I suspect the grumpy barman who wouldn't let us park it in his covered garage, removed it. Here is Eladio about to shovel the snow from around the car. The verb to shovel snow in Spanish is "palear" but everyone in this area says "espalar". I thought that was a Castilian Spanish word but it is seems it's local. Everyone here is an expert at it and every house has a shovel. Thank goodness Eladio brought ours. 

Rescuing our car in Senra

And out he came, the grumpy bar man. We wanted to pay him for his services but he refused. We had a long chat about our adventure which I think is the talk of the valley and then Eladio switched on the ignition. I was worried our over 20 year old ex Nokia old Volvo - an S60 - might not start but it did. Soon we were on the clear road and back to Montrondo where Eladio had to shovel more snow out of the way so as to park it on the kerb.

I rushed inside to rescue my cocido but thankfully the range had gone out. But all was good and soon we were sitting down to a scrumptious lunch. Then it was time for the news - all about sending or not sending tanks to Ukraine  - and then a lovely siesta. I do wish the Germans would decide to send their Leopard tanks or otherwise Russia may win this awful war. 

We did not go out again but had a quiet time indoors. We are loving our time here. For dinner I wanted to make a prawn, mango and avocado salad. To do so without the induction hub was an issue and the range needs time to heat up.  Eladio suggested we use the grill that comes with the wood burner. We had never used it so what better time than this week and it worked a treat. It reminded me of my girl guide days (Joanna!). 

Grilling the prawns in the wood burner

And voilà, I was able to make this delicious salad.

Prawn salad thanks to the wood burner

Our entertainment from that night onward was watching Season 4 of Fauda, the popular Israeli series. Fauda means chaotic in Arabic and that it is but also very  thrilling. It's a very authentic story of the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Doran, the main character, played by Lior Raz, who is also the producer, is the main attraction for me. What a wonderful actor he is. 

Again I woke up around 8 am yesterday, Saturday. We spent a good part of the morning trying to find someone to mend the induction hob to no avail. We did get to talk to an electrician we had used before but he had no idea. So that will be our mission tomorrow Monday when businesses open. 

I also spent a good part of the morning leisurely making a delicious lunch of roast chicken leg with potatoes and peppers. Dessert was baked apples which were divine. Everything in Montrondo tastes better than elsewhere. I think it has something to do with the mountain air.

We couldn't go up the mountains because we don't have the right footwear for the snow up there so our walk yesterday afternoon was down to Murias and back up to Montrondo. But it was still beautiful. I would have loved to go on the old path but the snow was too deep and I suspected there would be ice underneath. This is it.

The old path to Murias which we didn't take because of the snow. 

We met people on the way, people, who, like us, had probably come to enjoy the snow at the weekend. Just as you enter Murias one of the main buildings is the old prison which Eladio remembers well as a child. 20 odd years ago it was turned into holiday accommodation and very recently was reopened as a hotel, Casa Rural La Cárcel, by a young couple, Nuria and Fernando. We decided to visit it as we had heard it also operates as a restaurant. Outside the hotel with just 5 bedrooms, someone had built a snowman which was melting. I had to have a photo of that didn't I? I got Eladio to pose.

Eladio next to a melting snowman outside the old prison now a hotel called just that, The Prison, or "La Cárcel" in Spanish

The owners invited us in and also let Pippa in which is quite a concession in Spain. They were  very welcoming and I rather liked the place. They had guests this weekend and seem to be doing very well even though it is low season. We wish them well. I also look forward to having dinner or lunch there one day. 

And off we walked back home to our now very warm house, our nest as we call it, to enjoy another pleasant dinner together and more episodes of Fauda. I couldn't wish for anything more.

Today is Sunday and I woke up again past 8 am. I woke up to a sub zero temperature of -8 degrees  which is even cold for here. Meanwhile, my friend Geraldine, is basking in 19ºc in the south of Spain near Málaga. That is Spain for you; very diverse. Each region is so different as is the weather. 

The sun is shining though and we are warm inside "our nest" and intend to enjoy another relaxing day in this beautiful and remote little village in the north west of Spain. 

Meanwhile, I wish you all a great Sunday, wherever you are.

Cheers till next week, Masha.