To Asturias in glorious weather, problems with Reale Seguros, our insurance company, visiting old haunts and discovering new ones: Playa de la Huelga, St. Peter's walkway in Llanes, Playa de Toró, Playa de Póo, Asiego in the Picos de Europa, and other stories.

 Sunday, 1st October, 2023

On our walk by the Playa de Toró in Llanes on Wednesday

Dear all,

Here I am again in Asturias, our third trip here this year. We are leaving today but it won't be our last. We shall come again in October or I hope we will. 

We left Madrid last Sunday, rather late. Oli and the kids turned up to give us a kiss goodbye which was very sweet. We felt guilty leaving her alone with them all day while Miguel worked as they are such a handful. 

We stopped three times, once for a coffee, again to eat our sandwich and a third time to get petrol. We arrived to beautiful sunshine at around 6 pm. We were not happy to see a broken wall in the entrance though. Just look at this. Later a plumber I finally found and a builder both told me whoever did it was out of his mind and should have inspected the WC before breaking the wall, as in the end the leak was very minor and easy to fix with absolutely no need to do the damage Reale Seguros, our insurance people, did. Damn them. 

The wall broken by our incompetent insurance company which they now want me to fix because I complained on Twitter. Unbelievable. 

It had been done by the insurance people while searching for the source of a leak which caused a damp stain on a wall on the ground floor. The leak came from the upstairs WC which they broke too. We were later told the cause was a building defect and we would have to get a plumber to mend it but that they would repair the damage they had done. Thus we found ourselves in a catch 22 situation. Impossible to find a plumber so asked them to do the work which we would pay for. They agreed but wouldn't be coming until 16th October. That meant of course that I had lost all potential rental income for most of September and October. Damn them again.

We decided not to be upset about the incident and to enjoy our stay and the beautiful weather. We weren't happy either to see most of the flowers wilting after the hotter than usual summer here but decided that wouldn't worry us either. We settled in and felt at home right away. Soon I was sitting outside on our little terrace and sipping a glass of wine which we had with some pistachios. I love our wine and pistachio moments. 

On Monday we went to beautiful Llanes. We could have taken our bathing costumes and I wished I had. People were bathing at the Sablón beach - the one in the middle of town.

The Sablón beach in Llanes on Monday

It was about 11.30 so we headed to the main square - Plaza Parres Sobrino to have coffee at La Galerna bar where we always go. I love people watching there.  Here I am waiting for my frothy coffee aka as a cappuccino except that it's not polite to ask for one in a Spanish bar hahah. 

Coffee time in Llanes on Monday

Eladio took the photo but didn't tell me I had been photo bombed by a green van hahah. Opposite La Galerna is that Asturian gourmet shop I cannot resist called Aramburu. That day I got 2 dozen fresh eggs, some home made fish pate (pastel de cabracho), a slice of meat pie, chorizo and hams for stews as well as a packet of Bonilla crisps. They are supposed to be the best in the world and come from Galicia. Have you ever tried them? They are divine. Here is a photo from inside my favourite food shop in the area. It specialises in cheese but as most of you know I don't do cheese.

The Aramburu Asturian gourmet food shop in Llanes

From there we walked to a local printing shop to get more copies of a form guests have to fill out when they arrive. I got a hundred copies for a pittance. We also stopped at an ironmonger to get an outdoor electric cable extension (is that what you call it?) so that I can use my PC on the terrace. They didn't have a suitable one so of course I ordered one on Amazon. It arrived the next day. Sorry if I am feeding the monster.

With errands out of the way, it was time for our walk and it had to be along Saint Peter's Walkway (Paseo de San Pedro) above the town overlooking the Sablón beach. We just love that walk and so does Pippa. It's one of our favourite places in the area.

 
A stop for a picture on the walk along Paseo de San Pedro on Monday in Llanes

On our way home we stopped in Posada - our nearest town - to get more provisions, mostly fruit. I had brought  home made ready meals for the first few days so as not to have to cook too much. Thus lunch was an easy meal to make. The afternoon was spent in the sun or rather under the parasol in the sun on our little terrace, the saving grace of this house. The weather has been marvelous here. 

The day ended with me watching Exodus on Prime Video. It was made in 1960 and stars Paul Newman and is based on the novel by  Leon Uris which I have read more than once. I have see the film more than once too and it is one of my all time favourites. It is a loose interpretation of  the story of the founding of the modern state of Israel in 1948. I'm not sure if the facts are actually historical but the film is beautiful and I never tire of it. I think it is called Exodus as a sort of reference to The Old Testament and the ship - the Olympia that illegally carried 600 or so Jewish Holocaust survivors to Palestine from Cyprus. Both Cyprus and Palestine were governed by the British at the time. That part of the film and book are true. The rest I imagine is pretty fictional. 

I then went to bed with Ben Macintyre's book "Operation Mincemeat" - a spy story from WW2 which again is loosely based on a true story. You will notice my taste for books and films about WW2. Well, I was brought up on my parents' experiences and used to have nightmares about the Gestapo knocking on our door at night at 6 Heaton Grove in Bradford. No doubt, a psychologist would have a field day with my post traumatic stress syndrome related to WW2 hahah. 

On Tuesday as we were getting nowhere with the insurance company apart  from a vague promise for work to commence on 16th October, we decided to take matters into our own hands and drive to their offices in the small town of Nueva de Llanes and confront them in person.  On the way and for good measure I posted a complaint on Twitter which I got my journalist daughter and my friend Kathy to retweet. We didn't get far with "Jaime" the rather gormless employee at the office. But as we left, I got a call from their customer care people who had seen my tweet. These days it is sometimes good to wash your dirty linen in public. I find it works but against me this time as you will read later.  Bottom line was we had to try and find a plumber before they could do the work which we did but would he come the next day as he promised me? His name is Jesús and I had some faith in him (hahaha). He had put in a new bath tub last year and all had gone well. 

With nothing else to do we revisited a pretty beach nearby, the Playa de las Cuevas. We took an off piste path which looked promising but did not reach the end. When we had coffee later in Nueva we heard we had missed seeing the Playa de San Antonio, apparently the prettiest wild beach in Spain. But we weren't going back. Instead we went to explore somewhere new; the Playa de la Huelga which I had heard was pretty. Well, which beach in Asturias is not pretty I told myself. Nature here is at its best, on this beautiful and lush green coast of Spain. So that day we discovered a new place, one we may return to. The tide was out so the beach or cove was not at its best but oh boy we found an amazing walk. At the end of the beach there was a wooden bridge which led to a path we thought would take us to the cliffs above the beach. So we followed it.

The secret path to the cliffs above the Huelga beach 

We walked across fields with horses and cows towards the cliffs until we came to the edge and saw this view. Just look

The sea surrounded by rocks as seen on our walk from Playa de la Huelga

It was stunning. Eladio saw there was a very narrow path down to a tiny hidden beach  but I didn't dare follow him. I preferred to walk on to enjoy more views from the cliffs like this one below. Just look at the colours. 

On the cliffs above the sea near the Huelga beach about 15km from Llanes

It was warm and we were both wearing long sleeves. I swore we would bathe at least once before we left and we did (twice in the end):   But what a beautiful place and what a beautiful walk. The only problem was parking in a rather rocky field. It took ages to get the car out of it. 

We were home a bit late for lunch but who cares when you are retired? Lunch was more ready to eat home made food I had brought from Madrid; this time chickpea stew which tasted divine.

I spent a lot of the afternoon on my rental work. A young Canadian boy coming to be a conversation teacher assistant at a school in Brunete will be spending nearly a month with us. So there was a lot of correspondence with him and his parents that afternoon. They seem lovely people. His parents told me they were glad to find us. I was glad they found us too. 

After dinner of fried eggs - always Eladio's favourite; possibly because that is what he was fed on most nights in Montrondo as a boy -  we watched the news. It wasn't new to me. That day, the Opposition leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo was in parliament for a hopeless investiture. He may have won more votes than Pedro Sanchez' party, PSOE, but he won't become PM. That will be Pedro Sánchez again if he closes an agreement with the Catalan fugitive, Carlos Puigdemont, in hiding in Waterloo, Belgium, for holding an illegal referendum. Sanchez needs his votes which means he has to agree to 1) an amnisty and 2) a referendum. Frankly it disgusts me that the governing of this country depends on such a despicable man. Much more interesting was news from the Caucasus where we travelled to in on our road trip in the spring. It was about the  enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed area which officially belongs to Azerbaijan but is claimed by Armenia and where some 120.000 Armenians live. Very recently there were military skirmishes soon quashed by the stronger Azerbaijan army. Armenians now fear a possible genocide and up to 100.000 have left their homes for Armenia. This is a conflict which is not going away soon and one I am now more interested in because we visited Armenia. 

After the news  I watched the end of Exodus and then started on the 1970 TV series, Holocaust (of course) and once again went to bed with Ben Macintyre. I was at the part where the operation is centred in Franco's Spain in 1942, the largest hub of spies in Europe at the time. Oh the wheeling and the dealing. Amazing.  I like Macintyres novels but there are too many names to keep up with. If you have ever read the book, One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez, you will know what I mean. 

I slept on and off that night and was up at 7.45 - late for me - on Wednesday morning. Amazingly, Jesús, the plumber turned up at 9 am as he had promised. It was a blessing to see him (hahaha). We had to ring the insurance company for them to explain to him what his job was - something about connecting a pipe from the upstairs loo to the mains. He promised to come back on  to do what is really quite a simple job. I hoped that would spur on the insurance company to repair the broken wall but it didn't. 

Thus we were free for the day again.  It was supposed to be warm enough for bathing so I packed our beach bag. I then offered Eladio three options of where to go. He was rather hesitant as my husband is not one for on the spot decisions. I pointed out to him that any one would do as he is not a pensioner sitting in a tiny little flat somewhere with no such options. In the end we decided on Playa de Toró, the other larger beach just outside the posh seaside town of Llanes. We decided we would have our coffee there, go for our walk and also have lunch at the restaurant by the beach, Miramar, which offers a menu of the day and which we had never tried - another new place for us on this visit to Asturias. 

This is the pretty beach of Toró. It would be a dream to have a house right next to it but that will be for another lifetime I am afraid. 

Playa de Toró

After a delicious coffee just above the beach, we took a steep path up to the cliffs where you get great views of the town and the beach. That is where two kind ladies offered to take a photo of the two of us, the one I have chosen for this week's feature photo. I am all in pink but feeling fat which I am. However, I was rather pleased when earlier a woman who asked me for directions, looked at me and said "oh how beautiful you are and what lovely eyes you have". Gosh, she raised my self esteem to heights I haven't been at for a while. Right now I am not in the mood for a diet so let things be as they are.

On the way up I heard a couple walking behind us speaking English and I couldn't resist talking to them. They are from Telford and had just come off the Santander ferry. They had no plans for their holiday in a motor home and knew nothing about the area. Their first questions were about the mountain range. So I enthusiastically told them it's the Picos de Europa (the Peaks of Europe) and the main places to visit which they painstakingly wrote down. I was eager to share the beauty of Asturias and they were happy to get my tips. 

We then walked from the cliffs towards the town past two smaller beaches where people were bathing. . We walked as far as the port and back and by about 1.45 were sitting in the dining room of the Miramar restaurant/bar. In Spain beach bars and restaurants are normally referred to as "chirringuitos". But this was  a lot more. 

The Playa de Toró beach with the Miramar restaurant on the far right of the photo where we had lunch on Wednesday

We had two hearty courses each, none of which we could finish so brought back a large doggy bag which would come in handy for more meals at home, so I didn't have to cook. Don't get me wrong. I love cooking but it's time consuming and if I want to spend my mornings out, I do not want to waste time cooking. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon quietly. Amazon had delivered  a 7.5 metre long electric cable extension with an adapter for 2 plugs and thus I was able to work and write my blog from our modest little terrace. Eladio was able to read/consume content on YouTube. I had to capture the moment on camera. I entitled the photo on social media as "the quiet life". Retirement is all it's cooked up to be and more, while you are in good health that is. 

Working/reading/surfing/consuming content on our little terrace on Wednesday afternoon

I have to add that this was possible after we installed fiber internet from Adamo, the company I worked for before I retired. The post is just across the road from our house and the coverage is splendid. If only we had the same option in Montrondo.  I worked hard that afternoon and evening, mainly on guest relations, helping our new Canadian and Peruvian students to obtain their visas. Then I got a very sudden booking for that same night from a Mexican lady desperate to find somewhere to sleep. She had come, like many others, to accommodate her daughter at the local Uni. 

Dinner was a no brainer: easy to pour Mercadona "salmorejo" followed by fruit. Salmorejo is like gazpacho. It comes from Córdoba and is made with tomatoes, bread and olive oil. We love it.

Entertainment that night, when I was finally free of guest work, was a wonderful Polish film called Forgotten Love on Prime Video.  It's also on Netflix here. It's about a renowned surgeon who loses his memory but never loses his ability to practice medicine. I loved it. 

Jesus, our plumber did not turn up the next morning so we left the key for him and off we went to enjoy the day, one of the warmest. We chose our favourite, Playa de Póo just a few kilometres from Llanes. It was too early for our coffee so we walked up to the cliffs overlooking this inland fjord type beach which is so lush and beautiful you would think you were in Costa Rica or Thailand.  In the background always are the Peaks of Europe (Los Picos de Europa national Park) which dominate the Asturian rugged coastline and make is so unique. 

I just never tire of this place which I think is my overall favourite in the area. Here are some pictures for you to get an idea.

The views from the cliffs overlooking Póo Beach where we would bathe later

I took a video too which you can see here. And as I was quite inspired I took another one which you can also see on my YouTube channel here. Watch and be delighted. As I say in the second one, "don't come to Malaga, come to Asturias". Later I met an Irish lady on the beach and she was as enthralled with the place as I. I told her the Brits don't know it really and it is mainly the Spaniards who come to Asturias on holiday. Being Irish she told me it should stay that way hahahaha. She was very kind because as we bathed she kept an eye on little Pips. 

By the time we walked down to the beach again where the tide was still out, it was time for our coffee. We had it at the Farola del Mar hotel and restaurant where we had coffee the first time we discovered the Póo beach in September 2020 just after we bought the house. We sat at the very same table too. So I had to have pictures didn't I? Here they come.

Coffee time at Playa de Póo on Thursday

We must have sat there for an hour. During that time as well as enjoying the coffee and the views, we planned what we would do on Friday - go up to the mountains this time and visit a pretty village called Asiego. We spoke to the waitress who, although she is from Burgos, knows the area well and she recommended the restaurant we should go to. So I rang and booked a table there and then. I also was on the phone to electricity companies to change our supplier for the house here. We were being charged 0.19 euros per KW and now we will be paying 0.12. These types of tasks are usually taken care of by my husband but apparently the contract here is in my name. What a bore but a positive outcome.

By then it was nearly 1 o'clock and high time for a bathe in the sea. We took our chairs and found a little rock to hide behind to change into our swimwear. Pippa stayed behind, tied to one of the chairs looked after by the Irish lady. That very day a new law for the protection of animals came into force in Spain which may sound good but it is has its pitfalls. The main things I learned is that animals cannot be tied up - great but what about when you have to go into a shop where they are not allowed? The same applies to the fact that they cannot be left alone in the car. I totally agree but then they are not allowed on beaches, in restaurants, hotels, most parks and a lot of other places. So if you can't take them there or leave them at home alone for more than a stipulated number of hours, how are you supposed to keep the new law. The new law would work if this country was more pet friendly and it isn't. But  Pippa is used to waiting for us for a short while so off we went into the sea. We had to walk quite a while for the water to cover us as the tide was still out but coming in and quite fast. The water wasn't cold and we had a glorious bathe. Here are some pictures to remember the moment.

Póo beach where we bathed on Thursday

Our spot on the beach

I could have stayed there all day but we were hungry so reluctantly left at around 2 pm. After a shower, etc, we sat down to eat the doggy bag we had brought home from our lunch at Miramar in Playa de Toró the day before. It was delicious and I was starving after our bout of mountain air and bathe in the sea.

After a short siesta, once again we sat outside on the terrace with our PC's. I sent a message to my sister-in-law who was going on holiday to Uzbekistan to wish her a happy holiday. That got me thinking about our road trip next year. We want to do the "Stan"  countries so I did a preliminary search on Google Maps. I soon realised that from Baku in Azerbaijan we would have to cross the Caspian Sea to Turkmenistan as the route by from Georgia to Kazakhastan and all the way to Turkmenistan overland would take forever. I shared the route with Eladio and we both nodded. A seed has been sown. Will we do it?  I hope so. If we made it to Armenia, why not to Almaty via Turkmenistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan? It's the true Silk Road which we only really touched superficially on our road trip to Yerevan. 

I came back to earth when it was time for dinner and rustled up a simple meal from the few ingredients we had left. That night I slept quite well and was awake at 7.30 on Friday morning. Jesús, the plumber, after a gentle reminder, arrived at 9.30 to fix the upstairs loo. It was a simple and very inexpensive job which should not have required the wall to be broken by the damned insurance people. As soon as he had gone, I range Reale Seguros. I was flabbergasted to hear them tell me that their subcontractor had refused to fix the broken wall because I had complained on Twitter!!!! They told me I had to find a builder and painter and pass them on the bill. I was furious as you can imagine. I rang a higher up guy from the company and am still waiting to hear from him. Honestly I have never come across such an inept company and that would not be the end of it, I can assure you. The problem of course is that finding anyone to do the job is a job in itself as there are not enough building professionals in this area. When we changed the main door of this house the carpenter, who did it in between jobs, took more than 6 months. 

But we refused to let this upset our day which we had planned to spend in the Peaks of Europe, visiting the pretty village of Asiego. But first we drove to Posada to go to the Friday market where I bought some delicious asparagus and tuna fish for our dinner. We had coffee in Posada and then got back in the car again destination Asiego. The village which overlooks the famous Naranjo de Bulnes peak, has about 100 inhabitants and is largely unspoiled. It became well known when it was named "exemplary village of the year" in 2019. Each year a village in Asturias is given this distinction and the King and Queen of Spain along with the Princess of Asturias, the Crown Princess, go to the village in question to give the prize, an event which is much televised. Asiego, by the way, is just 18km from our village, El Cuetu de Meré so quite a short drive up beautiful mountains. 

Before driving into the village we took the path to a special view point (mirador) where you get a spectacular view of the Naranjo de Bulnes, also called Pico de Urrielu (peak of peaks in the local dialect). This mountain which is 2.519k high is not the highest in the Peaks of Europe, that honour going to Torre de Cerredo (2650), but it is the most famous. I think this is because it is the most difficult to climb as the peak is sheer rock. It also has a peculiar molar like shape which makes it so iconic. 

The iconic shaped peak of the Naranjo de Bulnes mountain in the Peaks of Europe - photo courtesy of Google. 

It is easy to identify and can be seen from many places in Asturias, nowhere better than at Mirador de Pedro Udaondo. I think this is named after the first person to ascend it. You have to be a good rock climber to reach the top and many people have died in the attempt. We were the only ones there except for a lone camper in an old VW van which I wish we had for our road trips hahaha. This was the sight that greeted our eyes from the Mirador. If you enlarge the photo you will see the summit of the mountain better. 

Eladio at the Mirador de Pedro Udaondo near Asiego. Eladio showing me the Naranjo de Bulnes summit. 

After we had had our fill we got back into the car and drove to the small village of Asiego where we had booked a table at the only restaurant there, Casa Niembro and which comes highly recommended. We parked outside the village and walked its streets which we found charming and the houses too. Here are some pictures to show you.

Discovering Asiego 

Soon we were sitting down in the restaurant where Pippa was allowed in but only after I pointed out to the owner that because of the new law for animal protection I could not leave her either in the car alone or tied up outside. But she did bark a bit too often and we kept having to say "stop it Pippa", bless her. The restaurant and village are famous for the local blue cheese (queso de cabrales) but I do not eat cheese. Instead we had their home grown tomatoes for starters. We chose lamb cooked in cider (also famous in the area) as our main course and it was divine. Divine too was the cider poured for us by one of the two brothers who run Casa Niembro. 

Natural and home made cider being poured for us at Casas Niembro in Asiego on Friday

Eladio commented he had never eaten such delicious lamb and I think I agree. Although I had not much room left I had to have a dessert and I chose their almond ice cream which is also home made. It was served with "cocos" - a short of souffle shaped pastry made from corn. I was in seventh heaven.

Turrón (nut) ice cream with "cocos" for dessert

The bill came to a paltry 50 euros for one of the best meals we have ever had in this area in the three years since we bought the house. We shall be going back, for sure.

We walked out into brilliant sunshine with a temperature of about 28ºc which is unheard of in these parts at this time of year. That's climate change for you I'm afraid.

The drive home was short and soon we were both having a well deserved siesta. Mine was short. Not long after I was on our modest terrace having a cup of decaf tea. That's when I spied some men doing a job at a house round the corner from ours. So off I went to approach them and see if they could repair the broken wall. Ramón came with me and was astonished at the unnecessary damage caused by the insurance company. To cut a long story short, he will be coming on Wednesday to repair it and hopefully the costs will be covered by Reale Seguros. Amazingly we had found someone who would do the job. Let's hope he does a good one too, like Jesús. Soon this little nightmare will be over.

Saturday came, our last full day here and again the temperature would reach 28ºc and we wanted to spend the morning on the beach. Again we went to Playa de Póo which was much fuller than on a week day but nothing like Benidorm and the like. We had coffee at La Farola del Mar and walked to the end of the beach with the tide out. It's such a beautiful walk. Here are some pics.

At Playa de Póo yesterday, perhaps the warmest day

We had to walk quite a way to find the sea and it was a bit rough but we both enjoyed the bathe enormously. We then sat in the sun, next to the Irish lady who is staying with friends who have a house in Póo. I wish we did. But I am happy with ours.

We were home later than usual after a wonderful morning on the beach, our last in Asturias. Lunch was steak and chips - naughty but nice. The rest of the day was spent quietly except that I was constantly in contact with Tana, new guests, old guests, you name it. My phone was pinging all afternoon but all for a good cause, thankfully.

The day ended with us us having wine and pistachios on the terrace, the last time here. We didn't bother with dinner, watched the news and finished a disturbing series, The Nurse on Netflix  which is based, unfortunately, on a true story. It's about how a nurse called Pernille in Denmark discovers a fellow colleague is a serial killer of ill patients. We know a lovely nurse called Pernille from Denmark too. She was the girls' au-pair which is about the only coincidence. The series though did remind me of that ghastly nurse in England who killed so many new born premature babies. May Lucy Letby and Christina Hansen rot in hell.

I slept so so last night and at 5 am was on my phone accepting a new booking for the only room available at home tonight and tomorrow. It's for a young Peruvian student. So today we shall be going back to a full house. We shall also be going back to unusually high temperatures where in Madrid today mercury will reach over 31ºc. It will reach 28ºc here which we had never experienced in September in Asturias.

We shall say farewell to Asturias and hope that the builder Ramón comes on Wednesday, as promised, to cover the broken wall. I am crossing my fingers he will and that Reale Seguros will reimburse us as they should. 

Today, my friends, is 1st October. That is the date my dear Mother died aged 79, now 24 years ago. It is a date that is etched in my mind, one I will never forget as I can never ever forget her. She was an extraordinary woman in so many senses and such a fun mother to have. Bless you Mummy. You are always in my heart.

In my heart too are my grandchildren whom I look forward to seeing this week before I am off again. On Thursday I am going alone to Santa Pola where my daughter Suzy is living. On Saturday my dearest friends Sandra and Adele are coming for a girly week so I will have lots to report next Sunday.

I shall leave you till then. Cheers to you all. 

Masha

 

Elliot turns 4, a raucous kids' party in our garden, Royal visit to France, grandparent duty, Eladio's birthday and other stories of the week.

Sunday, 24th September, 2023

Celebrating Eladio's birthday yesterday at "El Jardín de la Máquina" 

Dear all,

Today is Sunday, blog day. The week has been quiet, except for two family birthdays. Little Elliot turned 4 last Sunday and my dear husband Eladio turned 79 yesterday. When I was young, 79 was practically ancient but my husband does not look a bit ancient hahahaha. Maybe the 70's and 80's are the new 50's and 60's. Certainly in his case. So let me tell you about our week.

Last Sunday was hectic to say the least. It was complicated for me too as I was supposed to have blocked the guest calendar for Elliot's birthday but I forgot to do so for 2 of the rooms. I already had 2 guests, Mileny and Veronica, so there would be 6 in total. Host parties are NOT the thing to do when you have guests but I had no other choice. Thus I spent the day juggling things so the party would not impact my new guests. That was easier said than done. At around 1 pm when Olivia and all the family were in the kitchen making sandwiches, etc, Thomas and his partner/friend arrived. I ushered them into the green room and told them I would show them the rest of the house in the evening. My other guests, 2 ladies in their 60s and 80s, also from France, arrived in the middle of the raucous party. Unfortunately they were staying in "Andy's room", a downstairs room looking over the patio where the celebrations were taking place. I cringed every time the noise got too loud. I promised them all would be quiet by 8 pm. I sincerely hope this inconvenience for them does not affect their review. I love my Airbnb business except for the review system to which I am a slave.

Back to the preparations. While Oli and Miguel prepared the party food, Eladio and I had to entertain the kids. I had bought Elliot a painting by numbers set without realising the paint was not washable. But at least it kept him and Juliet busy and quiet for about 20 minutes hahahaha. He later left our presents at home, forlornly left I should say. They were nothing compared to the extravagant ones he got from his parents and his other grandmother. Here they are sitting quietly - for once - with "Booboo" (Eladio).

Eladio with Elliot and Juliet last Sunday

We had a birthday lunch; not that the kids ate very much. They never do. On the menu were "bitki" (Russian hamburgers) with chips; huge amounts made by Tana. Then came the birthday cake moment which was actually a plate of small pastries as the kids do not really eat cake. Here is Elliot smiling while we lit the candle and sang Happy Birthday to you.

Elliot during the cake moment on his birthday last Sunday with his father Miguel

There was no siesta for us that day as the the decorations and chairs, etc had to be set up for the party beginning at 5 pm. It had rained all day until about 3 and we were all worried it would rain during the party. But no way was I allowing 40 people into the house. The only alternative was the garage but we were lucky as at about 3pm the sun came out. It was cool later but warm enough to be outside.

While Eladio and Miguel set up the chairs, etc, Oli had me blowing up balloons; not my favourite activity. I kept thinking to myself that it would have been far easier to hold the party at some proper venue with all included. Having been an events manager, the last thing I wanted to do was blow up balloons, as in my career I always outsourced practically everything. But I had to go with the flow didn't I?

Some of the party decorations

Soon our garden was invaded - and our study which leads out onto the back patio. We had to shoo the kids out who were sitting at our desks and touching all our things. As soon as Elliot's best friends arrived - he had invited the whole class (!) - he immediately wanted to lead them to the library where all his toys are. But I wasn't having it. Eladio and I spent most of the party being gatekeepers, making sure no one entered the house. Thankfully they would be entertained for one hour by a magician. I sat on the steps leading to the pool to watch him and the kids as there is nothing I like more than magic.

The raucous party in full swing

But I was disappointed as his tricks were not good at all. He couldn't  manage the crowd and soon kids were walking off. Elliot disappeared at one time only to come back and shout to all his guests "piñata". Like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, they all followed him to the end of the garden to pull the strings of the two piñatas hanging from a tree. The magician was left alone and his performance ended half way through. Even so, I was assured the next day by Olivia, the kids had had a great time. I'm glad. The truth is I was glad when it was over, mostly because of the guests but also because I was tired. We both went to bed exhausted. 

Monday was a quiet day in comparison. Even though the house was full of guests - some 7, we only saw them sporadically. Oli came for lunch and took all the leftovers. She wanted to bring the kids for dinner but we suggested we go to their place instead. Thus on Monday evening we spent some time with Juliet and Elliot again. They were in high spirits. Helping Olivia bathe them was a challenge and I was relieved when Miguel came home early and took over. 

We came home, just as a new guest arrived. Yolanda is a tattooist and was here on a course to learn new techniques. Didn't I tell guests come for all sorts of reasons?

Tuesday was busy. We went to pick up the Volvo which made a dip in our savings and I hope  it doesn't need any more repairing soon. One good thing I heard about our 22 year old Volvo S60, is that the engine will work for ever;  according to a mechanic from the garage. We also did some food shopping and had an appointment with my doctor. The highlights of the afternoon were my Skype call with Amanda and a video call with Phil and Kathy. In both calls we referred to the abominable Russel Brand  - the comedian and supposed "guru" - who has been accused of being a sexual predator. My daughter Suzy is one of his avid fans who listens to his weekly garbage on YouTube. No amount of telling her the truth about this scum will persuade her that he is guilty. . I hate the fact too that he plays with people's minds, including my daughter's. I wish the worst for him. 

On Tuesday I had good news.Olivia has been asked to present the Illy coffee awards in November in, guess where? -New York. It's not completely confirmed but I am sure it soon will be. The organisers saw her at the World's 50 Best restaurants awards and offered her the job. If she goes, I shall go with her. New York here I come; I hope. Now wouldn't that be smashing  and something wonderful to look forward to?

On Wednesday we were supposed to go to Asturias but looked at the weather forecast for the rest of the week there and it wasn't good; with lots of rain until tomorrow. Thus we shall be leaving today for about a week or 10 days. It will be good to have a change of scenery. 

It was beautiful weather here that day and we went on our daily walk in our shirt sleeves with Eladio still wearing his shorts. When my friends complained on Tuesday about the weather in the UK, I laughed and told them they were living in the wrong country. The top benefit of living in Spain is the weather.  That day we walked to the local shopping centre for coffee and a "porra" (thick churro) which we had sitting in the sun. It was a lovely walk but the churros sort of defied the object. 

While we had leftover "cocido" for lunch, the King and Queen of England, Charles and Camilla were on their first state visit to the Republic of France. I stress "Republic" as their reception was very regal, including dinner in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles built by Louis XIV the "Sun King". When I was taught about him by Miss Scorer in history at St. Joseph's College in Bradford of all places, Versailles seemed to me to be a magical place. The same Miss Scorer, along with other teachers took my class to Paris on a school trip when I was about 14 and we visited the Palace. I shall never forget hearing from the gardeners that it took them a whole year to do the whole of the gardens. But what I really was most impressed by was the Galerie des Glaces. I could imagine huge balls taking place there. King Charles expressly asked for the state dinner to take place there. Lucky him. Macron, the French President has been likened to the Sun King and there are similarities I suppose. Whether this visit between the two states that still talk about the "entente cordiale" will smooth some ruffles from the outcome of Brexit remains to be seen. Whether you like monarchies or not, the British monarchy is very good at using its soft power and the visit is being reported on in  mostly  positive terms, even from left wing French media. Of note Queen Camilla was praised for her choice of dress when she wore pink.  Here is a picture of the visit which royalists no doubt love.

The Royal visit to France. Camilla in pink made the headlines. 

I, personally, cannot get over the fate of Princess Diana in Paris where her successor and arch enemy went this week. As to what they ate, lucky them, food from the best French chefs and English and French cheeses. I particularly would have liked to try the raspberry dessert as I am a sucker for anything made with this fruit which is my favourite. 

Our day was very quiet in comparison. I spent the afternoon reading and finishing a series on the BBC iPlayer, In the Dark. It's a detective series set in Manchester so right up my street.

Thursday came and I must be getting old as I was convinced it was Friday. Thus I suggested we do the shopping so as to leave enough provisions in the house while we are away in Asturias. 3 guests left that day, the "oldie" French ladies and the young tattooist. In their place a brother and sister, Jad and Joanna, from Kuwait were coming. Jad, like our two other young French students, is also here to find student accommodation. They have left it a bit late I think. Another guest, Angel, arrived on Friday. He is here to attend some motorbike event. Remember I told you people come for a myriad of reasons and I'm glad they choose our house. All our guests this week have been very well behaved, respectful and not at all invasive. My students have taken to hiring scooters to get to the University. They are becoming more and more popular aren't they?

Thus we did the weekly shop and had coffee at Alverán and came home to a home made lunch by me; cream of broccoli soup followed by meatballs in tomato sauce with rice. We had a short siesta and just as I was making my afternoon tea I got a sudden call from Olivia to remind us we were supposed to be at her house at 5.45 to babysit until 8.45 while she went to her French lessons. Oh gosh, we had forgotten. Another sign of old age I wondered. So off we went again. The kids were happy to see us and we were happy to see them too. We took them outside on their pedal free bikes with Elliot leading the way. Juliet preferred to be in "Booboo's" arms while he carried her bicycle. Elliot, meanwhile, cycled off and I was worried we wouldn't find him. Here are some pictures to remember the moment. 

Grandparent duty on Thursday afternoon

We came home and tried to entertain them on the closed terrace which looks more a second hand toy shop. I can't believe the amount of toys they have. Eladio caught us on camera. 

Entertaining Juliet and Elliot on Thursday

After about 1.5h their enthusiasm was wearing off so I decided it was time to make them their evening meal which Oli had left out for me to prepare.  Giving them dinner was a bit like feeding the monkeys at the zoo. They had chicken noodle soup followed by grilled pork with avocado. Juliet only ate the soup with half of it going on her bib.   Elliot put both courses together in a cup and made a huge mess. He then got out an ice cream tub and placed it on top of Juliet's plate where the untouched avocado was and  which went all over the floor. He then decided to step all over it. Told you it was like feeding the monkeys at the zoo. The three hours went by very slowly. Maybe we should have given them their bath but I hesitated wondering what new tricks they would play on us so waited for their mother to finally come home. When she did we were exhausted and both agreed that 3 hours with the kids on our own was 1 hour too long. Don't get me wrong, we adore them, but oh boy, they are a handful.

We came home to make a simple meal of tuna fish salad and sunk into bed at nearly 10 pm. I did not sleep well that night and neither did Suzy. She wrote to me from Santa Pola at around 2 am telling me she couldn't sleep which worried me. Later she explained she had been binge watching Sex Education on Netflix. Then I was less worried. I couldn't sleep myself and tossed and turned until I took a second sleeping tablet to induce shut eye. 

Friday came and we were free of grandparent duty. The day was ours for the taking although we didn't do much. We did go on our walk which is keeping us relatively fit. It was a warmish day so I was able to have my afternoon tea on the swimming pool terrace. Two of our guests took the plunge this week but I didn't and won't be until next year. It's autumn now and far too cold for swimming but I love being by the pool and am glad we have decided to keep it open all year, mostly so it looks good. It always looks horrible with the big tarpaulin on which gets covered with leaves and mucky water. 

Our sixth guest arrived that day, Angel, the motorbike fan. We would hardly see him at all. Friday was the day before my husband's birthday and I had everything ready. I had bought him smart black shoes and a smart white shirt to wear with his new Calvin Klein suit which is stuck at my cousin Zuka's house in France. I also signed his birthday card, ordered the cake and got out the special sash and glasses to wear at lunch. Lunch would be out at El Jardín de la Máquina. For a change we were having lunch out which made the birthday more special. 

The week went past quite quickly and soon it was Saturday 23rd September, my husband's birthday. He woke up in a very different place to where he was born - a ramshackle farmhouse in Montrondo in post Civil War Spain. He had to be separated from his grandfather who had TB, the disease his mother's sister, Argentina, died of too, in her early 20's. I'm sure his mother could never imagine his future. Anyone born in rural Spain in post war Spain did not stand much of a chance of a good future. Neither could I have ever envisaged falling in love and marrying a Spaniard of his generation when I grew up in far more prosperous UK to teacher parents. But here we are today, 43 years since we first met in the summer of 1980 living a very different life with its ups and downs but definitely a much better one. When Eladio was born there was neither electricity nor running water in his house and nor was there heating or a bathroom. The house where he lives today is a place his parents could only imagine. It was thanks to my husband that  his parents finally left their difficult life in Montrondo as  farmers. His mother's dream was to live in a flat in Leon and he made her dream come true in the 60's. They moved there and had an easier life but their heart remained in the village which we all still go to today, albeit to much better houses. 

We went on our walk straight after breakfast yesterday and once home, Oli and the kids arrived and off we went again, this time for coffee and pastries at Alverán. From there we took them to a local park and generally killed time until our lunch reservation which was at 2 pm. 

At the park with the kids yesterday

I had chosen El Jardín de la Máquina, a very luxurious restaruant in a wonderful setting with a garden and lake. It used to be "La Leyenda" where I went many times when I worked for both Motorola and Nokia. Today it is run by "La Máquina" which is a guarantee of quality food. By the time we got there, both kids were asleep which meant we could have our lunch in total peace in these beautiful surroundings. Here is Eladio at our table and another photo of his feet - yes his feet, as he is wearing the new trainers Oli bought for his birthday. I love them. 

The birthday boy with his new trainers on. 

We were joined by Miguel who was able to escape from RTVE for a couple of hours and we had a splendid lunch. We shared starters - sardines for Eladio as well as grilled octopus, small scallops, artichokes and croquettes. For "seconds" Oli and Miguel had a rice dish "arroz a banda", Eladio couldn't resist the oxtail stew and I went for lamb chops - my favourite. The dessert was the cake I had bought at Alverán. By then both children were awake and enjoying the remains of their parents' rice dish. I think they liked the place too as there were no tantrums that day. Here they are, the four of them together at our lovely lunch yesterday.

Oli and family at the restaurant yesterday 

They especially liked the cake and candle moment which Miguel recorded for us and which you can see here. Here is a pic too. Notice Elliot is eating ice cream - his favourite as we all know. 

The birthday cake moment at El Jardín de la Máquina yesterday

Then Eladio got his presents from me which Elliot gave to him, as well as a birthday card. 

We all agreed El Jardín de la Máquina was a  very special place to celebrate a birthday, especially in good weather. We left at around 4 pm while other diners were still there; very typical in Spain. Oli dropped us off at home and we came back to a quiet house. Before hitting the bed for his siesta Eladio tried on both the new shoes and shirt and I was delighted they were a perfect fit.

I couldn't sleep so made my way downstairs to have a cup of tea and watch my latest series on the BBC iPlayer by the pool with Pippa at my side. There were no signs of any guests and the weather was glorious. Neither of us were hungry so we skipped dinner and went to bed a bit later than usual. I slept better last night and was up today at 6.45 and  am raring to go to Asturias today with my dear husband and Pippa - of course. It won't be quite as warm up north but the temperatures look very pleasant in the low and mid twenties. We have to deal with a big plumbing issue and hope that while we are there it gets mended. We also have to replace all the flowers. Thus we shall be busy but will have lots of time to explore new places and visit our favourite haunts.

Thus I shall love you and leave you now as I have to get ready to go and it's already 9 am. Cheers then my friends until next Sunday,

All the best, Masha

A quiet and rainy week, earthquake in Morocco, tragedy in flooded Libya, birthdays in September and other stories of the week

Sunday 17th September, 2023 - Elliot's 4th birthday

For lack of any others, here is a photo of me on our walk on Friday - always with Pippa.

Good morning all.

Today is a happy day. It is Elliot's 4th birthday and he is having his birthday party at our house this afternoon. It's quite a milestone for him and for us and as we love birthdays, today will be a good day.

Most of this week wasn't. But, at least it has been quiet and rainy too, I should add. We have had big thunderstorms for the last 3 nights, but no more emergency warnings. We have nothing to complain about compared to the tragic floods in Libya where 10.000 have died and more than 11,000 are missing; probably never to be found again. As if it wasn't miserable enough in a country like Libya for the population to have to go through such a  greatest natural disaster  - it makes me think just how privileged I am, living in this part of the world in a relatively rich and peaceful country. 

Last Sunday saw us reeling from our rescue trip to a small village in Guadalajara. That was the day our Peruvian guests arrived. 22 year old Mileny will be studying marketing at the Universidad Europea de Madrid, and will be staying with us, at least until January. She arrived with her parents who seemed so young to me. Well, of course they are, by about 20 years. Some 20 years ago we were in their same position, seeing our girls start their University courses. They must be pretty well off to travel to Madrid all the way from Lima just to settle their daughter in - and to make sure she had come to a safe home - and to be able to afford the fees. The UEM is the most expensive private university in Spain as I know very well.The parents spent just one day before travelling on Sunday with their daughter to Italy; Milan. She was hell bent on visiting Portofino. Mileny who stuffed the mini fridge we got for her, with so many bags of lettuce, etc, it wouldn't shut, returned yesterday with her parents who only came by to have a shower, get their luggage and return to the airport to catch their flight back to Peru. They had brought us a bag of what looked like crisps. Turns out they are crisps made from bananas. Not sure they are up my street but very kind of them.  We promised to look after their "little girl". 

With us too we had Maria and her daughter Thea from Norway, Veronica who is Argentinian and Ivan who had come from Barcelona to do a private course on stocks and shares. We get people from all over the world coming for so many different reasons. But they were all quiet and most of the time we didn't see them. 

It was last Sunday the world woke up to the news of an earthquake in the Marrakesh area of Morocco, at the foot of the Atlas mountains. Many have died and many homes are destroyed. The King was in Paris and took too long to make a public appearance. Initially he resisted international aid and then only from certain countries, excluding France but including the UK and Spain. One of Oli's colleagues was sent to cover the story. She would have loved to as well but is on a "non travel" contract as who would look after the children as she complained to me. 

I was up very late that night as Suzy was travelling to Santa Pola, to Gran Alacant, to move into our apartment there again but didn't have keys. So at around 2.30 in the morning I was in contact with her to make sure she got in. Oh, she does worry me so.

Monday came. It wasn't any Monday, it was 11th September, the anniversary of a terrorist attack on the US we shall never forget and which forever changed the world; especially how we travel; still today. 

Life continues, as it does and Monday was pretty mundane as was most of the rest of the week. We went on our walk which is a good thing. I was on the phone later to Loli, my neighbour in El Cuetu (Asturias). The insurance people or rather the workers they had sent to fix a leak had arrived. She wanted to know if they should go ahead and break the walls from the bathroom to the lounge. I had to say yes and God it looked awful later. We are now waiting for the plumber to do his job and then I suppose a mason and a painter. We are planning to go this week and we are not sure what we will find. Thankfully there is a second bathroom. We were going to be joined by Zuka, my cousin, and her friend but they are not coming in the end. Well, we shall still enjoy ourselves. Our main mission there, apart from the plumbing issue, is to replant hydrangeas and other flowers which were killed by the sun this summer. That is highly unusual for green Asturias. 

I made lasagne for lunch which would last us 3 meals as I don't know how to make small portions when I cook, hahahaha. In the afternoon I spent a lot of time talking to Maria, my Norwegian guest while Eladio did the massive job of mowing the lawn. With all the recent rain the grass had grown enormously. Last month there were so many dry patches I didn't think it would get green again but it has. Here he is finishing the job.

Eladio after mowing the lawn on Monday

On Tuesday we woke up to the news of terrible flooding in Libya. Thousands have died in this war torn and divided country. They had torrential rain but it was damns that broke, damns that badly needed repairing. That was the main cause of destruction. 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, two of the world's biggest pariahs, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jon Un of the hermetic, poor, communist country, North Korea, met in Siberia. Kim Jon Un had arrived on his private, pink leather seated, train on a journey which took 65 hours. His train and his lifestyle are obscenely luxurious while most of his countrymen are living in poverty. He was there to offer munitions to help Russia win the war against Ukraine, in exchange for more military aid, as well as food. His country needs food more than anything. He disgusts me as does Putin who makes me ashamed of my Russian origins.

My only engagement that day was an appointment with a dermatologist. I had a recurring small wound on my back which was worrying me. After all, my dear brother George, died of melanoma. After telling me off for not having gone sooner he told me it was nothing to worry about and  sprayed it with some burning mixture. In a few days time I will be rid of it. 

That night, with our Peruvians in Italy and Maria and Veronica no around, we had a quiet dinner on our terrace.

Wednesday came. It was 13th September, my friend Amanda's 67th birthday. We have been friends since the age of 10 or 11 when we started senior school at St. Joseph's Catholic College in Bradford where we both live. It is marvelous that 50 years later our friendship is still going strong. We are like soul sisters but I only wish we lived near each other. Our relationship now consists of a weekly Skype call, usually on Mondays. I always look forward to them. 

We had another appointment that day - to take our 22 year old Volvo S60 (my ex Nokia company car) to the garage. It kept stopping and until we took it to the Volvo garage, no other garage could find out what was wrong with it. It turns out three small parts need replacing - something to do with the oil not reaching where it has to reach. Bottom line is it will cost a "grand". Lovely! As to the engine, the mechanic remarked it would last "forever". Someone recently told me that car manufacturers these days prime safety over quality. That maybe so. For the moment we are keeping the Volvo. 

We had a medical appointment in Madrid later where we met up with Olivia. As it was getting late we had lunch out for a change. Oli took us to a new local place where I had fish and chips which weren't that bad. They had the menu of the day, nothing of which was on it appealed to me. Oli told me I'm fussy with my choice of food and she is right. 

But there are many dishes I love and one of them is "patatas revolconas" ( translates badly - sort of means partially mashed potatoes. That is the dish I made for dinner that night which we had on the terrace again. This was the result.

Patatas revolconas for dinner on Wednesday

Pork cracklings accompany the potatoes and Pippa was in seventh heaven when we gave her those that were left over. 

Thursday was the quietest day of the week and we only left the house for our walk. Maria, our Norwegian guest, was leaving that day. Bless her, she left us a bottle of wine, some white roses and treats for Pippa, as well as a thank you note. It's not often you get guests like Maria and I was sorry to see her go.

Of note, I bought Eladio's birthday presents that afternoon online. We will have had 3 birthdays this month. It's hard to believe my gorgeous looking husband will turn 79 on 23rd September and that next year he will be 80!!! How can that be possible I ask myself? When we met in the summer of 1980 I could not envisage he would turn out to be my life partner and that we would still be together more than 40 years later. Marrying Eladio was the best decision of my life. He never got down on his knees to ask for my hand in marriage. He didn't need to as very shortly after we met, we both knew we had met our soul mate and that we would marry. There was no need for a proposal hahahahha. 

Friday was a bit busier as it was shopping day and, as usual, we did our errands together as we always do. First we went to the DIY store, Leroy Merlin. We needed to get a wood plank for one of our benches. That took up a good hour and a half. I even had my coffee there - not the best place. Then we rushed to Mercadona and to Carrefour, hoping to be back on time to unload the shopping and have our lunch before our next set of guests arrived. They were due at 2 but didn't come till 3.15 which gave us a breather. It was 2 families from Vigo (Galicia) who had come to accompany their teenage kids who were playing in a water polo championship and who we hardly saw.  I told you people come for a myriad of reasons. 

That day at school, Elliot celebrated his 4th birthday which is actually today. This is him with his birthday hat next to little Juliet who turned 2 on 4th of September. That makes, together with Eladio, 3 family birthdays this month. A lot. 

Elliot with his birthday hat on Friday

The highlight of Friday was a Skype call  in the afternoon with my dear friend Amanda who was back from her step daughter, Jane's wedding. Who needs therapy when you have a friend like you I told Amanda. She agreed. 

It rained cats and dogs that night as it did most nights this week which scared Pippa stiff. She hates thunder and lightning. I am just hoping the rain will have gone by this afternoon for Elliot's birthday party. I was told yesterday that there will be 20 children and, yes, imagine, 20 adults! That's 40 people in our garden and there is no plan B for if it rains. I do not want 40 people in the house. Plus I have new guests coming. I had forgotten to block the calendar for all the rooms and thus we will have 5 guests here while a kids' raucous party is going on. I am not looking forward to it but bless him, it's Elliot and I shall be happy for him. 

Saturday came and it started with our walk. I asked Eladio to take a photo of me, for want of any other photo taken this week of significance as we did not do anything significant. It's with little Pippa, of course the joy of our lives. 

Tana, our housekeeper had her day off and all the guests were out so the house was quiet when Oli and family came to drop off things for the party. Lunch was a Sunday roast on a Saturday - a shoulder of lamb with roast potatoes, runner beans, gravy and mint sauce. Eladio told me he has put on 3 kilos in the last 5 or 6 months. I have not dared get on the scales. Soon I will have to. Soon is maybe in October after a girly week in Santa Pola with Adele and Sandra.

We slept a long siesta after the heavy meal and then again Oli and family came, this time to bring all the party food and drink. They stuffed the only free fridge we had to the limit. 

Later, for want of anything else to do, I made a vegetable dish for our dinner, then watched more of a series called In the dark on the BBC iPlayer with my illicit VPN masker (VPN Express). We went to bed early, watched the news - more on the earthquake in Morocco and the floods in Libya, then watched a disturbing film about a mother and her drug addict daughter. What a nightmare. We should have watched something more positive.

I probably got about 6 hours sleep last night which seems to be the latest normal and today, of course, is Elliot's birthday proper. They will be coming for lunch and I have made "bitki" - Russian hamburgers (my mother's recipe) to be accompanied by a mountain of chips at Olivia's request.

So today, in contrast to most of this week, will be hectic and chaotic. I'll muddle through and all will be ok, I'm sure. I must be more positive. I will be.

That's it then for this week my friends. Cheers till next Sunday,

Masha