Recovering from flu, Israel and Hamas agree on ceasefire and hostage exchange release, cooking spree and other stories of the week.

Sunday, 26th November, 2023

Coffee at Manolo Bakes on Thursday, the highlight of the week

Good morning everyone. How are you all? 

Did you notice I didn't publish my blog last Sunday? Maybe you did or maybe you didn't. So why you might ask? The real reason is that I have been ill first with flu and then with gastroenteritis and actually had absolutely nothing to report; nor even share a miserly photo. It's as if that week has been erased from my life. I hadn't had flu for many, many years and had forgotten just how it knocks you out. . Not publishing my blog had me feeling guilty as it's one of the very few times I haven't written since I started writing in the summer of 2005. It's been an effort to write this week's post too as I am still recovering but am slowly getting better.

It was only last Sunday that I crawled out of bed for the first time. I had to make an effort as Oli and the kids were coming for lunch and I hadn't seen them for at least 3 weeks. After preparing a simple meal of spagbol, we met them for coffee at Alveran. We walked there as I was in desperate need of some exercise. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was looking forward to coffee out with the family. It's quite a walk - at least 45 minutes and we were a bit late. By then the kids had eaten their croissants (small vigilantes, a speciality of  Alverán),  so as soon as we had had ours, we took them to the nearest park. We had it to ourselves and I spent part of the time on a big wheel shaped swing with both my grandchildren. They were hungry early so we drove straight home to give them their lunch. Juliet is a great eater but Elliot can be very fussy. He wanted ice cream but hadn't eaten his lunch, hahahaha. We gave in, of course, which we usually do.  My appetite was slowly coming back but not wanting an ice cream was a sure sign something was wrong with my stomach. I'm usually so greedy it's been strange losing my appetite. The flu or gastroenteritis also affected my taste buds which could only handle really bland food. It also affected my sense of smell putting me off a lot of food, especially cooked meat. 

Just as Oli and family were  leaving, a new guest, Maria, was arriving. She is Spanish and from La Coruña in Galicia and is staying with us for 2 weeks . She has come to set up some business and look for accommodation. At this moment in time we have guests from Spain (Maria) , China (Robert), Iraq (Mohammad) and Peru (Mileny) - quite the United Nations. In January  or February Mileny's sister will be coming to join her and study at the local University too. They will be sharing her room - the largest one we have which was Suzy's old room. 

Bu then all I wanted to do was to crawl back into bed and rest. On Monday morning we went on our normal walk, my first in about 2 weeks. I felt a bit weak but the exercise was good for me. We then went on a a couple of errands before lunch. We were joined by Oli - without the kids - and I think it was the first time I had felt hungry in a long time. One of our topics of conversation was Spanish politics. You may know that we have a new government, the continuation of the socialist leader, Pedro Sánchez, who was supported by the far right, extremist, Catalan independence led by the fugitive Carlos Puigdemont. To get the latter's votes and become PM again, Sánchez had to agree to an Amnesty for all independence related crimes since 2012. That has the other half of the country up in arms and demonstrating in the streets. But it's a done deal and life will continue, albeit thanks to the country's enemy, Puigdemont who will now come back from Waterloo as a hero in the eyes of some - not mine. He makes my blood boil. What also made my blood boil recently was the unexpected return of David Cameron to politics. He has been appointed as the new Foreign Minister - the very man who brought us bloody Brexit is now in charge of foreign affairs That stinks as I told my dear friend Amanda in our weekly Skype call that afternoon.

It was good to talk to my oldest friend but neither of us had any joyful news to share really. To me it seems as if most of the joy has gone out of my life and that I am going through a bad patch. We both are in a way. I must snap out of it which is easier said than done.

Tuesday came and it seemed as though Eladio had the beginnings of a cold. I was dreading him catching the flu from me; I really was and it seemed a miracle he hadn't, so far. I was on the mend finally and we both enjoyed our walk in the autumn sun that day. 

We had plans to go to Asturias on Wednesday as we have to do some paintwork in the hall before our December bank holiday guests arrives on 7th December. But neither of us were feeling well enough to go so have put it off until the beginning of December. 

Wednesday 22nd November happened to be the 60th anniversary of the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. If you are in your 60's or over you will remember this. I was about 6 at the time and we were living in Ruskington (Lincolnshire). I remember watching the news with my Mother, George and our Finnish neighbours, Anya and her son Jeremy. The women cried and I think I did too. It was the first international piece of news that I remember and what a terrible thing to remember.

The news this week is all about the negotiations between Israel and Hamas, via Qatar, for the release of 50 hostages in exchange for a short ceasefire and the release of  150 Palestinian prisoners. It's a dreadful situation and this war will not end soon. Meanwhile, the world is forgetting about a war nearer to us, the invasion of the Ukraine by Russia which will soon be into its second year. It's unbelievable that Russia did not win this war outright. No doubt Putin is regretting ever having invaded his neighbour. It has only brought him problems. Oh, how I hate wars. 

Wednesday was another quiet day at home. We managed our walk with me recovering from flu and Eladio starting a cold, poor chap. Did I ever tell you my least favourite month of the year is November? It's basically winter, dark in the evenings and a bit depressing. I can't wait for spring, my favourite season  when life begins again. 

Thursday was shopping day. We didn't feel like going out but had to make the effort. It was our only outing of the week so we made the most of it. I don't normally like doing the weekly food shopping but it was nice to be out and about and the sun was shining which was a plus. Coffee at Manolo Bakes was the highlight. As I had no photos for this week's blog post, I took one of Eladio and he took one of me which is this week's feature photo.

Coffee and mini croissants for me and toast with olive oil and tomato for Eladio at Manolo Bakes on Thursday

I was wearing my new black and white coat I bought in Santa Pola which I love. It makes me look slimmer or I think it does. While at Mercadona (the supermarket) we bumped into 2 neighbours, Inés and Fernando, who live in Parque Boadilla, opposite the girls' school, St. Michael's, where their children also went to. Beatriz, their daughter was in Suzy's class and many an afternoon was spent with the kids at Ines' house or ours. I remember dear Inés making the girls' halloween outfits for them as I am hopeless at sewing. It was Inés who told me I looked "slim". That's because she hasn't seen me for donkey's years but it was nice to hear. What a lovely couple. We spoke for a long time by the fruit section talking about the past. How time has flown!

In the afternoon I went to a very much needed dental appointment to see my dentist, Dr. Garralda. He has been my dentist for about 40 years and I trust him with my life. I had been procrastinating after a crown fell out and two teeth broke during our road trip to Armenia. Finally I plucked up the courage to get an appointment. I should have gone in January but kept putting it off. Now there is an awful lot of work to be done to get my teeth into better shape. I always had lovely teeth but should have looked  after them better in recent years.  Eladio has lovely teeth too but they are much stronger than mine. Would you believe the colour of his teeth is still A1 (the whitest) and that he doesn't even have one filling?  Amazing! He does have good genes. Dr. Garralda agreed. I shall be going back very frequently now after a study of what is needed to be done is ready. Meanwhile I will be having a panoramic x-ray and a scan on Monday. 

I came back feeling pleased with myself as I had finally been to see my dentist; something I should have done much earlier this year but with modern techniques that exist today, there is hope for me still, thank goodness. 

That night both Eladio and I slept really badly owing to our coughs. I take pure codeine when I get a coughing attack - difficult to come by without a prescription and even then doctors are reluctant to prescribe it. It usually does the trick but didn't that night. Oh what a horrible night. Hopefully the day would be better. Friday was another sunny day but we didn't go for a walk as Eladio didn't feel up to it, poor chap. He is going through the worst of it while I am coming out of the rabbit hole but still not feeling one hundred percent. 

Friday was what is now known as Black Friday. a huge commercial phenomenon imported from the US - the sales after Thanksgiving. I didn't take a blind bit of notice. Likewise I am no fan of Halloween either and pray that one day we won't also be cooking turkey at the end of November in thanks for God knows what? Thanksgiving and Black Friday are the precursors of Christmas which these days seems to start in November, a month too early. There will be no Christmas decorations in this house into well into December. I usually love Christmas but have yet to get into the spirit of it. 

Friday this week will go down in the memory of many people who are following the Israeli Hamas War. That day 13 Israeli hostages, mostly women and children and a further 10 or 11 Thai and Philippine nationals were released by Hamas. They were handed over to the International Red Cross on the Rafah border crossing. They looked to be well handled by the terrorists who I bet are regretting ever having attacked Israel and taken the hostages. 

Hostages being released on Friday

Meanwhile Israel released some 150 Palestinian prisoners, all youngsters and mostly female. That day the much awaited 4 day ceasefire began. It is hoped it will continue and that more hostages will be released. At the border on Friday were the Spanish PM, Pedro Sánchez, there also as the President of the European Council, along with the Belgian PM, who will be the next President of the EU Council. Sánchez caused a diplomatic row with Israel as he condemned indiscriminate killing of Palestinians and begged Netanyahu to respect the laws ruling wars. The Israeli PM replied that his country did (!). Sánchez then  announced his wish for the EU to recognise Palestine as an independent state. He added that with or without the EU, it was Spain's wish to do so.  Israel  retaliated by summoning both the Spanish and Belgian Ambassadors  for "false claims of the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium who give support to terrorism". I don't think either give support to terrorism but maybe Spain's PM's words on Friday came at the wrong moment. Right now diplomacy is a must. It didn't help that Hamas then released a statement thanking Spain for its support!!! Approximately 140 countries recognise the State of Palestine. The problem here is Hamas and Hamas is not Palestine. Hamas is an extreme terrorist group that wants to see Israel wiped out. 

By Friday I was feeling a little better but neither of us were up for a walk. Instead I went on a cooking spree which is a sure sign I am getting better. There was a time last week when I couldn't face food and my taste buds and sense of smell were all over the place. Only this week am I enjoying my food again. For the record I made Russian bitki (small meat hamburgers), potato salad - the house speciality - and "perushki" - Russian meat pies. Here is my trademark potato salad made using my grandfather's Swiss recipe.

My trademark potato salad which I made during my cooking spree on Friday

As I had made so much food; a lot of it for batch freezing, I invited Oli and family for an early dinner that night. They came just as we (Tana and I) had finished making the pies and the table was laid heaving with delicious food which reminded me of Christmas Eve when I always serve potato salad and "perushki". Elliot was asleep when they arrived and only woke shortly before they left, in a tantrum I should add - oh dear. Thus they left early which was a shame but gave us a breather to go to bed early as we need lots of rest these days. Thankfully we slept a lot better, thanks mainly to the codeine tablets which I made Eladio take too.  

I was up latish on Saturday morning at around 7.30  and felt a little better. Eladio didn't and promptly went back to bed after breakfast. Thus it was just Pippa and I on our walk yesterday in the bright November sunshine. By the time I was home, Tana had gone and it was up to me to make our lunch - a simple meal of fish with the leftover potato salad. I don't think I saw any of our 4 guests that day. Facebook reminded me this week that I got my first guests 7 years ago this week. 7 years as an Airbnb host has completely transformed our lives. I wonder what I would do with myself if I didn't have my little hospitality business to run. What a journey it has been. I wonder whether in 10 years time the business will still be going strong. The alternative is to sell this house and downsize but we are not yet ready to take that step which, when it comes, will be a very, very big one. 

It wasn't until late last night that Hamas released the next set of hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. There was a delay when Hamas accused Israel of not keeping to the agreement for aid lorries to enter Gaza. In the end 13 Israeli and 4 Thai nationals were released in exchange for 39 Palestinians. More hostages and prisoners are expected to be released today but timings are not yet known. Today is the third day of the four day ceasefire between Israel and Gaza and hopefully as much humanitarian aid  as possible will reach innocent Gazan citizens before the fighting resumes. What an awful situation. If only this fragile truce could last longer and all hostages be released. But that will not stop the IDF bombing Gaza to smash the Hamas terrorist organisation and at the same time kill innocent civilians. This is just the end of the beginning I'm afraid.

Hoping next week will bring better news both from Israel and the home front, cheers all until then,

Masha