The week leading up to Christmas 2023, TV series Vigil, Elliot's school show, Julio came for dinner, "Maestro", time with our grandchildren and other stories of the week.

Madrid, Christmas Eve, 24th December 2023

With our darling grandchildren Juliet (2) and Elliot (4) yesterday in Boadilla. 

Well, Happy Christmas everyone. How are you all?  Are you all ready for Christmas? We are finally, after putting together all last minute planning this week leading up to tomorrow. Tonight, Christmas Eve, will just see Olivia and us alone for the most important dinner of the year in Spain. Miguel and the kids will be with his mother and brother but on 25th we shall be all together, that is bar Suzy who  has promised to come for Kings' Day on 6th January. We are not only missing Suzy and the kids but also my father who lived with us from 2005 until his death in October 2021. He loved Christmas as much as I did. Here is a photo of his last Christmas with us in December 2020 and I treasure it.

With my father at his last Christmas - December 2020. Oh how I miss him

Last year, we were a full house so we shall maybe feel a little forlorn tonight. Christmas, as a friend said, is bitter sweet. 

Christmas Eve last year. 

You always remember those missing and I have lost so many; too many. But let's do what my father would have always have done; put one foot forward, carry on and enjoy all that life gives, however, small. Here's to you Daddy; forever in my heart.

This time last Sunday I had most things in place but was missing a few presents and had to plan the meals; dinner with Julio at home on 21st, tonight's dinner and Christmas Eve dinner and lunch. For the record. for our annual dinner with Julio I served: Spanish ham with cherry tomatoes,  tuna fish vol au vent, stuffed salmon rolls, "perushki" (our Russian pasties), thick asparagus and chicken fingers with curry (something new). Dessert was a small cream filled "Roscón de Reyes" (King's cake). The Christmas Eve menu is similar and I will be serving: salmon rolls, potato salad, perushki, bacon rolls and prawn salad. For tomorrow I will not be roasting a turkey but rather a "pularda" (sort of fattened chicken; I think) with all the traditional trimmings including sage and onion stuffing and cranberry sauce. Dessert will be Christmas pudding. Gosh we are going to eat so much lovely food. Aren't we lucky? Many people will go hungry over Christmas. The world is not a fair place. To think that the birthplace of Jesus Christ, Bethlehem, today is mostly rubble. His parents would have found it difficult to find a place at an inn. 

Last Sunday was quiet and we were alone, apart from our guests. Now we have only one left; Mohammad, as Mileny has gone back to Peru - returning in January - Besides, we close at Christmas and New Year. That morning we did something very different. Encouraged by our neighbour Julio, we attended a neighbourhood board meeting - that looks after the needs of the 1600 households in the "urbanización" (sort of private estate rather unique to Spain) we live in on the outskirts of Madrid. It was to approve the budget from the new board and was to be boycotted by the old board who had been governing for the last 30 years. It took place at a big auditorium in Villaviciosa and was a bit chaotic. We voted for the new boards' budget which got through. Let's hope the administration of the area improves with the new board. By then it was late for coffee but who cares? We found what Oli later told me was the best cafe in town, "Lekker - coffee and cakes - a German inspired cafeteria. It was excellent. What was not excellent is that unknowingly I had exited the loo with a ream of toilet roll hanging from my waist. A lady pointed it out and we both laughed. Later I found more, hahahah. 

I bought a small "roscón" which we shared with Oli who came for lunch. She had brought a home made quiche lorraine, a dish she wanted to enter into her language school food competition this week. It was nice to have her alone for once.

The highlight of Sunday was a long Skype call with my dear friends Sandra - who "doesn't do Christmas" and Adele who adores it. We talked about next year's reunion - maybe a road trip for them from France and Belgium to Asturias and even a weekend in December in London together - exciting. I don't have many friends but I thank God for those I do have. If only some of them lived in Spain. 

Monday came and we went food shopping as our cupboards were extremely bare. I don't particularly like food shopping at Mercadona where we get our staples, but I love my coffee out and doing errands with my husband. Olivia came early in the morning to pick up a Christmas hat for Elliot at school which is when we realised we couldn't find the huge big bag of festive garb including lots of green sparkling hats I bought last year. She was taking the day off and went into Madrid with Miguel to do their Christmas shopping and have lunch in town. Their outing was more exciting than ours. Later, rummaging in the garage I found it and counted 10 hats and 7 costumes which will come in handy this Christmas, once again. 

Not much else happened on Monday, so let me move on to Tuesday. We did a lot that morning; our walk, a visit to my GP and then on to the market in Majadahonda. I had hoped to get more Christmas presents there but didn't find anything.

It was a very cold morning with a lot of frost. For our walk I had to put Pippa in her red jumper which she is not very used to. Here is a pic of her with Eladio where I think I captured the frost. I loved the sparkle on the ground as we walked.

A cold and frosty walk. 

It was a good job she was protected as we heard from a gardener that that morning he had seen it was -5ºc down by the river. No one can imagine Madrid with such a low temperature. 

That afternoon, after a recommendation from Sandie, I started watching Vigil on the BBC iPlayer - thanks to my Express VPN. 

Vigil, one of the best detective series of the year

I got completely addicted. It is a detective series set on a nuclear powered Royal Naval submarine (the crew call it "a boat") off the coast of Scotland. I immediately recognised one of the crew, Chief Petty Officer, Craig Burke as Martin Compston, star of Line of Duty. Later I read Vigil is directed by the same people as Line of Duty. No wonder it is so good. PD, in the UK, the last episode of Season 2 was playing while I was just starting Season 1. 

Wednesday would be busy too. At 10.50 I had an appointment with my dentist, Dr. Garralda, to remove the stitches after the horrible operation the week before. I was there on time and all went well. I had a question for my dentist. Remember I mentioned my taste buds felt strange after my flu and cold, etc?  He took one look and said my tongue looked like it was on fire and so did my gums (didn't he notice that before?. It had got so bad I haven't been able to tolerate any acidic type food; mainly fruit and my mouth felt really strange. He was sure it was oral thrush - fungi in my mouth, most probably caused by the penicillin I had taken recently. Honestly, I thought, this is just one more bloody thing to deal with. Thankfully there is a cure, some anti fungal mouth wash which you have to ingest. But, at least now, I knew what was causing the problem with my taste buds.

I would have gone home straight away but had to do my last minute Christmas shopping which saw me for the next few hours at Centro Oeste shopping centre in Majadahonda. I actually quite enjoyed the outing and managed to get nearly everything. I was home on time for lunch which was ready on the table - thank you Tana.

The afternoon saw me binge watching Vigil. It is set in Scotland and on a Royal Navy submarine which had me remembering my father who was both in the Royal Navy and in Scotland during WW2. To think he only died just over 2 years ago. In his halcyon days, he would have loved Vigil. That had me browsing photos and documents I collated for his passing. I came across a lovely one of my parents in their  60's 's taken at the Norwich Russian Courses they used to teach at in the summers. It must have been taken in the late 70's or even early 80's. Here they are.

My amazing parents in their 60's. Never to be forgotten

I uploaded it to my Whatsapp profile and Olivia commented "You had such amazing parents Mummy, really special and cultured". That is so true and I miss them every day. 

Eladio was out while I binge watched Vigil but back on time for dinner. He went for a routine doctor's appointment and then to Oli's who needed help with the kids while she made the Quiche Lorraine which was her entry for a Christmas cooking competition at the local language school where she is taking French lessons. 

Later that night I carried on watching Vigil until I finished Season 1 at past 1 in the morning - naughty.

I was up at 7.15 on Thursday 21st December, Winter Solstice and of course the shortest day of the year. From now on the days will get longer. One of the things I love about Spain are the long days of sunlight especially in the spring and summer where it can be light until after 10 pm. 

Unaware it was the shortest day of the year, Thursday was a very important day for Elliot. His school function was that morning at 9.40 and,  like the good grandparents we are, we were there to see him. His class had prepared two Christmas songs and they all wore outfits they had made themselves. They were dressed as cooks as the first song was about making a cake for Mary and Joseph. Here they are all ready for the show which they must have been preparing for months.

Elliot's school Christmas show

It took a while to spot Elliot but he is in the back row, 6th from the left. Here is a close up.

A close up of Elliot, 3rd on the left in the back row

In last year's performance he froze on stage but this year he joined in with enthusiasm. Here is a  short video of the song they sang in English, which I have posted on my YouTube channel. After their two songs, the show was over all so quickly. I think the children were supposed to follow their teacher back to the classroom from the stage but Elliot couldn't resist rushing over to give me a hug which was the highlight of the show for me, bless him. I managed to get a photo of him with his equally proud father and grandfather to remember the day. Here it is.

Elliot after the function with "Booboo" (his grandfather) and Miguel (his father). 

Elliot's sister, Juliet's class didn't do a Christmas show; perhaps because they are very small. However they did do Christmas portraits of the class and I just have to show you sweet Juliet. 

Juliet's school Christmas photo 2023

We had an early start that morning but plenty of errands kept us busy. We stopped at 11 for chocolate and churros. I took a photo of Eladio and sent it to Oli who was on her way to Oviedo to cover Friday's "El Gordo" Christmas lottery. 

The joys of retirement: chocolate with churros on Thursday morning

She wrote back saying "lucky you" to which I replied "the joys of retirement" and should have added one we well deserve haha. I love our free mornings together when time is ours and ours alone.

Thursday was the highlight of the week, not only because of Elliot's Christmas function. That night Julio my ex Nokia colleague and firm friend, was coming for our annual dinner at home. Ever since I met him in 2000, we have met ever Christmas, for dinner at our place and dinner at his. Of course Fátima was an essential part of that tradition, our dear, dear friend who sadly died on 5th December 2019. But I think she would be happy we have carried on the tradition.

I started preparations at around 6 and everything was ready by 8, half an hour before our friend arrived. The house was full of Christmas spirit with all my decorations lit and music on. The lounges and dining room looked very festive. When Julio arrived, he commented that Christmas for him always begins with dinner at ours; bless him. 

Before we attacked the food we had a small photo shoot, courtesy of our Iraqi guest, Mohammad - thank you. Here is one to remember yet another Christmas dinner at home with my dear friend Julio.

Annual Christmas dinner with Julio on Thursday night

Dinner at home with dear Julio marked the beginning of our 2023 Christmas celebrations too and a good time was had by all.

Despite the glass and a half of wine I drank that night I slept quite well but was up at 6.30 on Friday morning. I woke up to the possibility of becoming rich that day, the day of the Spanish Christmas lottery called "El Gordo" (the fat one) but once again we didn't win a penny (boohoo). It's a big big thing in Spain with people queuing up outside the Teatro Nacional to get a seat and journalists from all the media being sent around the country to, hopefully, cover the stories of those who win part of the first prize. For a 20 euro (partial) ticket you can win 400.000 euros, some of which goes to the nasty tax people. If you have the whole ticket (10 décimos) you get the biggest prize, 4 million euros. There are many more prizes and the lottery draw takes a whole morning. Olivia had been sent to Oviedo. Later she told me only one partial ticket (décimo) of the winning numbers (88008) was sold there, thus she wasn't asked to do a report. 

Oli with TVE from Oviedo

In a way she had gone for nothing newsworthy but for her it was an important break and one of the very few occasions she hasn't slept at home since Elliot and Juliet were born in 2019 and 2021. She enjoyed the break enormously by having lunch at the best restaurant in town, exploring Oviedo and then binge watching a series on Netflix (Vigil, btw) while eating chocolate. Good for her. 

Meanwhile, we had another engagement that morning - being very social this week hahahaha. We went to have coffee with our Chinese friends, "Amanda" and "George" who were our Airbnb guests last January. They sold their home in Shanghai and upped and moved to Spain where they enrolled their 11 year old daughter "Lucy" in a nearby private school. They stayed with us until they found a flat to rent; not far from here. I have nothing but respect for them for their life changing decision to move to Spain is nothing short of   sheer bravery. Why did they move? Simply because they could no longer tolerate the Chinese regime. We all complain about our countries and governments, but for people living in 
"the west", a move to the other side of the world is never in anyone's mind when they complain about the standard of living or their governments. We met at Manolo Bakes cafe to celebrate that George had passed his Spanish driving test (in English). It took him 4 tries to pass the theory test but of course he passed the road test in just one go. We spent a good hour and a half together catching up. They are now fully immersed in Spanish life and even go to free language lessons offered by the local town hall. I asked them what they missed most about their countries. For Amanda it was her family. For George it was food. I quizzed him on that saying there are thousands of Chinese restaurants in this country to which Amanda replied that very few are actually run by her countrymen who know how to cook, hahahha. I took a photo of this lovely young couple whom I have grown to admire before we parted. Here are George (so enthusiastic and always laughing) and Amanda (an ex teacher of English in China and equally enthusiastic) for this week's blog post.

Our lovely Chinese friends, Amanda and George with whom we had coffee on Friday morning

The rest of the day was quiet with not much to report. It was busy for Eladio though who spent the afternoon mowing the lawn probably for the last time until spring. 

That night we watched Maestro on Netflix about the life of the famous composer and director Leonard Bernstein and his wife, the actress Felicia Montealegre. I knew little about this eccentric, incredibly talented and passionate musician who, although in love with his wife, had affairs with men on the side which Felicia, stoically, learned to live with.  Not only that, she converted to Judaism to marry him and gave up her own talented career on Broadway to have children and run the home. I learned he was the son of Russian Jewish parents who immigrated to the United States and is perhaps most famous for writing the score of West Side Story. The film is made by Martin Scorcese and is a little eccentric itself. However, the actor Bradley Cooper who plays Bernstein is sublime. Equally sublime is Carey Mulligan as Felicia. One critic wrote "the climax of Maestro sees Bernstein conduct the London Symphony Orchestra in Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony at Ely Cathedral". That was for a sure a marvelous part of the film but I love the end where the real Leonard Bernstein conducts his own piece composed for Chichester Cathedral, the Chichester Psalm 23. Oh wow is all I could say as I saw the man himself and also realised that Bradley Cooper recreated this musical genius to perfection. No doubt the real Leonard Bernstein would have been pleased with his performance, or not?  It's not your typical biopic and it's not for everyone but I put up with its eccentricities to enjoy the brilliance of the acting and the amazing love story.  In a way it is a masterpiece  and I was left wanting to know more. 

Bradley Cooper, left, who plays Leonard Bernstein, right.

PS. Reading more critics, I heard that to look more like the real Bernstein, Cooper had a prosthetic nose made for which there has been a lot of criticism. Honestly does that matter? Not to me. 

Saturday came and we had no plans. I wanted to see Elliot and Juliet so rang Oli who agreed to come for lunch. Thus I rustled up "spag bol" which never fails to please children, and adults; I should add. We were about to go on our walk when Oli rang to say Miguel wasn't well, they were going to A&E and could they drop off the kids? Well, of course. Our plans changed and we went to pick them up, took them to Alverán for coffee for us and mini croissants for them. There was a slight crisis when Elliot grabbed part of Juliet's. He got a bit boisterous so out we went into the street for a walk in the sun.

Walking (slowly) with our grandchildren in the sun yesterday in Boadilla

I offered to take them to a  cheap Chinese run shop, the equivalent of a  Poundland to buy them a balloon each. But they have minds of their own and wanted to choose what to buy. Elliot came out with a set of fake Power Ranger dolls whose arms came off as soon as he touched them; hahahha. Juliet came out with an umbrella shaped chocolate - that's my girl hahahaha.

From there we walked to a small local park which we had practically to ourselves. There was a little fighting over the Power Rangers but I managed to thwart any potential tantrums. Meanwhile Miguel was being seen by a doctor and undergoing tests. The diagnosis was "A" type flu and he came home with a mask on. I have to say I was a bit worried I might catch flu yet again. We all got our coughs and colds from the children who are the super spreaders. It is they who should be given flu vaccines; not only the elderly.

By the time they were home, Juliet was sleeping, Elliot was on the floor playing and lunch was on the table. We had a quiet and civilised lunch for once, hahahha. They left later so we could have our siesta; a very important item in our daily agenda. We had had a lovely morning with our grandchildren and I can't wait to see them tomorrow when they come for Christmas Day. Elliot must be so excited about Father Christmas coming tonight, bless him.

I woke up today, Sunday 24th, at the unearthly hour of 5.30 am. That maybe because I fell asleep early last night. I just couldn't sleep again thinking of all the things I had to do before laying the perfect Christmas Eve dinner table, even if it's only for 3, so got up shortly afterwards.

I have lots to do so shall leave you now but not before wishing you all a very merry Christmas. 

Thank you for reading my blog and following our lives. I really appreciate that. Cheers then my friends until next Sunday which will be New Year's Eve, another memorable night of the year which is also a little bittersweet.

Cheers Masha

Christmas as a child, a dental nightmare, poinsettias, meeting with the tax people, our grandchildren enjoying the decorations, taking Elliot on the metro to Madrid and other stories of the week.

Sunday, 17th December, 2023

Elliot's first experience on the Metro when we took him into Madrid yesterday. 

Good morning all,

Christmas is getting very close now. Are you all ready or are you one of those people not so keen on the Yuletide season? I am one of those people who love Christmas but am finding it hard to get into the spirit of it this year owing to my many preoccupations. 

I was brought up to celebrate a very English Christmas. This time around 60 years ago, I would be sending letters to my dear cousins, Jacqueline, Michael and Antony with whom we spent Christmas throughout my childhood. That is, until they so sadly died in an air crash aged 12, 9 and 7, with their parents, my father's sister - Aunty Gloria - and Uncle Derek in May 1971. I must have spent every Christmas with them and my paternal grandparents until their deaths. They all lived in the village of Ickenham near Ruislip outside London and we would travel by train as a family from our home; first in Ruskington (Lincolnshire) and latterly in Bradford (Yorkshire). I remember going on a steam train and the terrible noise it made in the tunnel approaching Kings' Cross. From there we took the tube to Ickenham and if I had to walk today from the tube station to my aunt 's or  grandparents' houses I could do so blindfold still today. My parents, my brother and I always stayed with my grandparents at their house in 17 Hoylake Crescent. I found a photo of it on internet and it looks just the same as it did then. Oh what happy memories. 

17 Hoylake Crescent in Ickenham where my grandparents move when my grandfather retired and where I spent every Christmas until 1970. 

My Aunt and family lived nearby on 18 Ivy House Road, an address that is etched in my memory in aeternum. 

17 Hoylake Crescent had 4 bedrooms and George and I shared one. In the mornings my grandmother would shout up to us all from the kitchen asking us how we all wanted our eggs as she used to serve us a full English breakfast. I remember her cooking and my grandfather, a former vicar, drying in sync with her, bless him. I still have the 30's retro tray that my grandmother would use to bring us up an orange cut into pieces each night before we went to sleep. Christmas Eve at her house was special as was Christmas Day. It is my grandmother's traditions that I have carried on in my own family until today; except for the stockings which I stopped making when the girls reached their mid 30s! And I sincerely hope my own grandchildren will remember their Christmases with us as fondly as I do mine when I was a child. I also hope they will carry on some of the traditions. 

So George and I woke up to our stockings filled to the brim. I seem to remember them containing walnuts and tangerines and that made me happy enough. What a difference today! I also had an Advent Calendar but there were only pictures under the numbers, not like chocolates today or my lovely Body Shop calendar which I am enjoying every day.  We would then have breakfast after which we all gathered around the tree to open our presents. I remember asking for the LP of The Sound of Music one year. I also remember at one Christmas George being given one of my grandmother's most important momentoes of her son Raymond, my father's brother, who died of polio in 1939 aged just 16. It was his train set that George got and I can imagine my grandmother feeling some comfort from giving it to her grandson.  We also once got roller skates, the type you put on over your shoes. I was 5 years old when it was the Big Freeze, one of the biggest snowfalls in London ever and George and I enjoyed the snow and "sliding" on the pavement outside for want of a sledge.  Lunch was turkey with all the trimmings after which we would watch the Queen address the nation. The afternoons were spent at my Aunt's house where we often played Monopoly together and my Aunt or Jacqueline and later George would play the piano, the piano which belonged to my grandmother and which graces our lounge today. It's a family heirloom that means a lot to me. "Tea" was served by my Aunt in the dining room where I think I sometimes slept in on a divan when I stayed there. I especially remember the jam sandwiches and tea pot; all so very English. I still have one of  my Aunt's jugs and I treasure it fondly. I adored Christmas with my father's family which sadly came to an end in 1971. During the days following Christmas and on other occasions during the year, Aunty Gloria would take us on excursions nearby. I remember seeing the London lights, visiting the Natural History Museum, the model village in Bekonscot, Pinewood studios and of course Windsor and Windsor Castle.  There are very few photos of those days but I do have one of George and I at Windsor Castle which was probably taken in around 1963 when I was just 6. This is it.

My brother George and I at Windsor castle on one of our trips there with Aunty Gloria. 

If you are my age and a girl, you probably wore similar shoes to those I did;  a sort of leather summer sandal all children wore in those times. Those were happy family days I carry in my memory and in my heart as I carry Aunty Gloria and my dear cousins who met a tragic death. 

I think my grandmother would be proud of me for carrying on her traditions and I'm sure she would love all my trinkets and Christmas toys which I have collected over the years. If last week I shared some photos of the lounge, this week I am sharing a video of all my Christmas toys. You can watch it here. 

Most of them needed new batteries this year. I had to coax my dear husband to do the job after making quite an investment in batteries in all  sizes last weekend. While he sat patiently replacing one, I put my  favourite toy on his head, a singing and moving Santa Hat. Here he is, my man, putting up with my idiosyncrasies. 

Patient Eladio replacing a battery in one of my Christmas toys with the fun hat on

It was taken last Sunday which was a quiet day for both of us. 

Monday came and at 14.30 I had a dreaded dental appointment. It was to remove a 5 piece bridge and have 3 implants placed underneath after which I shall get a new bridge.  I was most worried about how I would look without my top left teeth until a provisional replacement could be put in until the final work is done early next year. 

We went for a walk and at 13h I had a sandwich using all my teeth while Eladio went out to have lunch with his friends Roberto and Juanjo using his perfect teeth. I didn't realise then that I wouldn't be able to chew for quite a few days after. I was a bit nervous but felt in good hands, the hands of Dr. Garralda who has been my dentist for over 30 years. But even in his hands this was a dental nightmare because to put in the 3 implants he had to remove two of my own  drilled down teeth under the bridge. Despite the massive amount of anesthesia I could feel all the pushing and pulling and hear the crunch of the teeth coming out. It was so awful, I am ashamed to admit I cried. It made me sympathise with people who lose a limb, a finger or whatever. It's like part of you is being removed. Horrible! The operation took just over an hour and out I walked out with a big gap to the left of my top front teeth and a bandage placed there full of blood. I was given prescriptions for antibiotics and pain killers, a trendy bag which when pressed turns into instant ice to place on my cheek as well as lots of instructions.  These were: no chewing, only eating cold and liquid food, sitting up until the evening and then sleeping with lots of cushions, etc, etc. I honestly don't know how I managed to drive home in that state and go past the chemist and the supermarket - the latter to get yoghurts and fruit juice to survive on.

I came home just as Eladio returned from his lunch. I didn't want him to see my teeth or lack of them but of course he commiserated. I managed to sleep that night and was not interrupted by my cough for once. I was up at 7.30 on Tuesday morning. The gums where the teeth were removed and the implants put in felt very swollen. Breakfast was a milk shake made with milk, banana and mango; a bit like baby food haha. 

We went out in the morning to get more "baby food"; mostly yoghurts, hahaha but also stopped for a luke warm coffee for me - Eladio no longer has coffee when we go out (boohoo). I thought it was the perfect time to buy this year's poinsettia. They cost about 3 or 4 euros at a supermarket but I wanted a good one so we went to the local florist. Poinsettias are associated with Christmas these days but not in the 70's in Bradford. However, in Spain every house has one or more as part of their festive decorations.  And here is Eladio with our beautiful plant in a bag outside Bonsia Floristas.

Buying this year's poinsettia for Christmas on Tuesday morning

As soon as we were home, we placed it on the main coffee table in the big lounge in pride of place. Here it is in all its glory.

Our poinsettia

Poinsettias need a lot of light and very little water. Some last for months; ours begin to fade in January. I posted both pictures and got a few reactions from people which made me research why poinsettias or "flores de pascua" (Christmas flowers) are associated with Christmas. There are many stories behind the association. In a nutshell they come from Mexico but were made famous by an American whose surname was Poinsettia. I read that from the 17th century monks in Mexico included them in their decorations and that the star shaped leaf pattern is supposed to represent the star of Bethlehem and the red coloured leaves the blood of Jesus Christ. So there you have it. These days too the Italian sponge cake called panettone  is also associated with Christmas and I read people in the UK are substituting it for the rather heavier Christmas pudding. I don't like panettone and nor do I like the even stodgier stollen cake which has crept into our festive diet. Not that I am a great fan of mince pies, Christmas pudding and Christmas cake either. This year I shall be innovative and we shall be having "baklava" for dessert on Christmas Eve. But I am far too much of a traditionalist to replace Christmas pudding with anything else on 25th December. 

Amanda and I discussed all this in our weekly Skype call that afternoon. It was good to catch up and so nice to have a friend to listen to my woes and my news. We spoke far too long about my dental nightmare which I'm sure, one day, will be a hazy memory or so  I hope.

I managed to chew something for dinner that night when I made scrambled eggs. It felt good. I can't wait until I have a full mouth of good teeth to bite on a delicious piece of steak for example. That day will come, I hope.

I slept 6 hours that night but did not cough - hurray. I was up early at 6.15 as at 9.15 on Wednesday morning when we had the dreaded appointment with the horrible tax people. But actually they were not horrid. It's just the system which is horrid. They had been looking into my tax returns from 2021 to 2019 which involves a hell of a lot of paperwork and my financial advisor, Pilar, just wasn't helping. We were told they couldn't help us and we would need a tax advisor to sort it all out. We had hoped to just ask them how much we owed them and pay there and then but the system doesn't work like that - the correspondence can take up to 6 months for each of the fiscal years and it was not time yet to pay. The whole thing is Kafkian. So we went to see her (Pilar) without an appointment. Thankfully, she was apologetic and promised to sort it. In a nutshell it has to do with the law changing after Covid about tax relief for expenses related to being a freelance worker. So, money I claimed now has to be returned and an awful lot of it I'm afraid. But at least now I understand what it is all about and hopefully Pilar will do her job.  

Anyway, enough of that. When we left Pilar we went to have a coffee and decided instead on chocolate with churros which were delicious. That was the highlight of the day. We came home feeling better as this tax issue has been one of my main worries since the summer and now at last I understand what is going on.

Thursday saw me back at the dentist. It was to be given what Garralda called a "parcial" to cover the gap at the back of my teeth which worried me so much. I was not expecting false teeth with a plastic palette; the most uncomfortable thing I have ever seen in my life. I am a clumsy sort of person so could hardly manage getting it on and once in my mouth the feeling was so alien. I turned to the dentist and told him no way was I wearing that. Once on, it looked good but oh so uncomfortable. It is now sitting in a drawer in my bathroom. It's better to keep your mouth closed than wear something like that my friends. So I am keeping my mouth shut in front of people and not looking my best which is why I have deliberately chosen not to include a feature photo of myself this week. 

From there - Majadahonda  - funny name for a posh little town outside Madrid, I decided to do some of my Christmas present shopping. Eladio doesn't enjoy this activity. I usually do but his year I had been putting it off. So instead of going home I drove straight to the El Corte Inglés - Spain's flagship department store. First I had a coffee and a chocolate covered donut at Starbucks and then I went to the perfume section. I got my perfume (Mandarin Basilic by Guerlain) for me (from Eladio hahaha) and Esencia by Loewe for Eladio. I then went into the hypermarket (Hipercor) to get toys for the kids. That's when I found a section with family Christmas jumpers and got one each for Olivia and family. I bought some sort of dinosaur by "Super Things), a junior Twister game for Elliot and for Juliet I got a Nancy doll and set of clothes for her first Nancy; a favourite for girls in Spain. I also went to the gourmet food section and spent a fortune on ready made food, including my favourite, Beef  Wellington. I came home to find Eladio waiting for me. As usual, he helped me unload the car. 

We had the kids round in the afternoon so that Olivia could go to her French lesson. They hadn't seen our Christmas decorations and they loved them. Elliot, like me, especially loved the Christmas hat. Here he is with it on.

Elliot with my silly Christmas hat on on Thursday

Oli took a video which you can see below and on my YouTube channel. 

We had a great time with both of them who loved all my Christmas toys which is what I had looked forward to when I put up all the decorations. Grandparent duty was short that day as Miguel turned up an hour or so later. He is now on holiday until 1st January, lucky him. They stayed until 8pm but we saw them again on Saturday when we went into the St. George's Anglican Church Christmas bazaar. It was to be their first time and I was really looking forward to it. 

Dinner was half a small Beef Wellington each which I had to eat slowly as I can only eat on one side (boohoo). That night I got my usual 6 hours of sleep which is ok.

On Friday I was up at 7.15 and didn't have much to do that day. We did go on our walk though and in brilliant sunshine. Our lunch would be leftovers but I cooked that morning for Mohammad, my young Iraqi student guest. He had to take food for a Christmas party for his class at the Uni. The students were supposed to contribute with a dish from their country but as he can't really cook he/we decided on curry which I ended up making for him. My curry is a made up dish which resembles either chicken Korma or Tikka Masala. With him that morning, working on an assignment, was a young Indian student called Sangar from Bombay. Some of his Indian fellow students laughed when he offered to take curry and I wondered what on earth they would make of mine. I was bowled over later to be told they loved it and found it very authentic with only slight differences in some of the spices I used. If you are interested, these are the ingredients: chopped up onion and red pepper, diced chicken, a bit of tomato sauce, also cheat curry sauce by Sharwood, desiccated coconut and yoghurt or cooking cream, as well as  a mixture of Indian spices. I also made him a whole bag of bashmati rice. It was a great compliment that Indian eaters loved my made-up curry recipe. 

I spent the whole afternoon binge watching the second part of the last season of The Crown. Even I as an intrigued royalist found it a bit boring. I know the story backwards - from the death of Princess Diana to the early 2000's a bit old hash but I still enjoyed the drama. If truth be told I far preferred the earlier episodes. 

Saturday came and it was to be the highlight of this week. The news was a bit glum though that morning. I was horrified to read that the IDF had mistakenly killed three of the Israeli hostages. For God's sake, why are they not being more careful? I get they want to annihilate Hamas but in doing so, they have killed more than 18000 Palestinians so far and quite a few of their own people.  I later was disgusted to read on the BBC News page that "the hostages emerged from a building with a white cloth on a stick, and an Israeli soldier felt threatened and opened fire, an IDF official said". How can that be I ask myself? I understand Israel has to defend itself after the 7th October attacks but their retaliation is overboard. That they can't even be careful with their own people makes me sick. 

But that wasn't on my mind as we left the house to pick up Juliet and Elliot at 10 am that morning. We arrived to find them both in the bath and I had to have a picture of the little mites. Here they are as nature brought them to life hahaha.

Juliet and Elliot having their bath on Saturday morning

In the end we only took Elliot as Juliet was reluctant to leave her mother's arms. So off we went with Elliot and later met up with Oli, Miguel and Juliet. It was to be Elliot's first time on the Metro and I think I was as excited as him. He behaved perfectly, singing to us in the car. When my husband parked badly at the station, it was Elliot who told him his wheels were in the wrong position!!! We entered the station with our 4 year old grandson holding our hands happily and I was aware of all the new things he was experiencing like buying his ticket - all on a machine these days. He loved the turnstile as well as the escalators. It's the photo of him on the platform firmly holding his grandfather, Booboo's hands that I have chosen as this week's feature photo. Eladio explained to him that no one can stand beyond the marked line and he quickly moved backwards. On the train he got a seat while we stood and his face was a picture.

Excited and happy little Elliot on the metro yesterday

We explained how the train went overground and then underground under tunnels which had him glued to the window. I have to say he behaved perfectly. We changed stations at Alonso Martínez and he followed us along the maze of passages and escalators to the next train with fascination. We eventually emerged at Velázquez, in the very heart of the posher part of Madrid from where we would walk to St. George's Anglican Church to meet Eladio's brother José Antonio and wife, Dolores. Elliot was excited to be seeing them as he knows them well from Montrondo. We stopped at a kiosk where he wanted us to get him some figures of his favourite toys, "super things". We then gave him money to pay and get the change. I loved the smile on his face as he handed me back the change. In fact I loved the whole journey, making a little boy happy while feeling happy ourselves. Taking him on the metro probably made me happier than him. Love you Elliot.

We got to the church early and as Elliot was bored outside, I went in with him. 

St. George's Anglican Church Christmas Bazaar

It was a bit of a disappointment so we left soon. Eventually when everyone arrived we went to have coffee together. It was lovely to be in Madrid all together yesterday.

We later parted ways as Oli and family were going to have lunch with a friend and we were going with Toño and Dolores to their house for lunch. We had a lot to catch up on and a good time was had by all. We were home by about 5.30 after a wonderful day out.

Today is Sunday and let's see what the day has in store for us. Next Sunday will be Christmas Eve, a magical night which we all love but it won't be the same without Suzy.

Wishing you all good tidings for the season, cheers until next week,

Masha

Asturias in December, painting the hall, 45th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution, "Rizz", word of the year, mornings in Llanes, remembering Fátima, home again, Olivia and family in Montrondo, Christmas came and other stories of the week.

 Home again, Sunday, 10th December, 2023

In Llanes on Monday all wrapped up because of the wind. Notice little Pippa's ears flapping hahaha. 

Good morning everyone.

Well we've been and gone to Asturias now and have been home since Wednesday. We would have stayed longer except that we had guests arriving on Thursday for the long bank holiday weekend.  The 6th December is Constitution Day and the 8th is the Immaculate Conception. Some people take the whole or part of the week off. 

It is 45 years since the new Spanish Constitution was approved in a national referendum in 1978. I was 21 then and spending a year in Madrid as part of my degree in Hispanic Studies at Nottingham University. I remember the fervour surrounding the election which was one of the biggest steps to democracy after the death of Franco in 1975. The most extraordinary thing about the 1978 Constitution is that it was put together by seven deputies from different political parties. They are known as the fathers of the constitution. Only two of them, Miguel Herrero y Rodríguez de Miñón and Miguel Roca are still alive. They did a great job which would most probably be impossible in this day and age, given the state of the political division of the country. The fathers of the Constitution would be very alarmed to know that members of the far right Catalan separatist party, Junts, led by fugitive Puigdemont, and members of the ruling socialist party, PSOE, met this week in Geneva for "talks". These talks are part of the conditions imposed by Puigdemont in exchange for his parties' votes allowing Pedro Sánchez to be invested Prime Minister again. The most controversial condition was an amnesty for all people prosecuted for their involvement in the illegal Catalan separatist movement since 2012. Puigdemont, is Sánchez' political "king maker" but he is also his hangman or could be as he will be watching the government's every move, a government that relies on his support. Apart from the amnesty, Puigdemont wants to hold a referendum for Catalan independence, something the Spanish constitution of 1978 does not contemplate. To add insult to injury, these talks which will be ongoing, are to be supervised by a supposed independent third party and in a country outside Spain. The person chosen is a diplomat from El Salvador of all places. I doubt Francisco Galindo Vélez, can save Spain! This has further divided the country and there have been mass demonstrations again this week.  

We left for Asturias last Sunday on a crisp and sunny day. We were and still are recovering from our various cold and flu like viruses but had to go. We didn't go for pleasure but to paint part of the entrance and lounge before our guests arrived.  The insurance company people had broken the wall, unnecessarily, last September because of a small leak and we were left to clear up the mess. 

The wall the insurance people broke and shouldn't have

We found a man to do it but we gave him the wrong colour paint. The original colour is light cream and the paint we gave him was yellow which we didn't realise at the time. He later sent me a photo of the "job done". 

Wrong colour paint

For God's sake, why didn't he tell us the colour was wrong before he painted I ask myself? The only reason we went this week was to repair the damage. The problem would be finding the right colour paint.

The journey was smooth and we only stopped to eat our sandwiches somewhere on the way. We arrived around 4.30 pm and the first thing we saw upon entering the house was the botched paint job. I didn't let it get me down and got on with unpacking and settling in. Loli, the neighbour who looks after the house,  had put the heating on for us so the house was warmish. The system is electric which is very expensive but never really heats up the house properly. Thankfully the climate in that part of the country is quite mild. Eladio also put on the range cooker  with some of the logs from the dwindling pile of wood in the garage and at least the kitchen was cozy. When I was done, I lay down on the sofa in the lounge to watch more of "Cuéntame" with Pippa at my side. I could hear a noise from the hall so got up to see what is was. I was amazed to see Eladio painting the yellow part  of the wall. He had found the right paint colour which was hidden somewhere in the cupboard under the stairs. We had bought it last year to paint the entrance when a huge piece of furniture fell. That was the paint Eladio thought he had given to the builder Ramón! Thankfully though we now had the right paint and the job we had come to do was over as soon as we arrived.

Thus on Monday we had no tasks, just time for ourselves. I was up at around 8.30 after interrupted sleep owing to my damn cough. As usual I read the news. Top of the list are the renewed attacks on Gaza by Israel. The IDF is back with a vengeance. Palestinians had been warned to go south while Israel bombed the north but now they seem to be bombing everywhere and Palestinians have no place to find refuge. The situation is dire. The UN wants an humanitarian ceasefire which, unsurpisingly, was vetoed by the US. 

I was happier reading about this year's Oxford University Press' word of the year. It is "rizz",  a word I had never heard of. Have you? It is slang for romantic appeal and charm and is used a lot by young people, mostly on internet. The word most likely derives from charisma. So do you have "rizz"? The shortlisted words were pretty new to me as I have lived outside the UK for over 40 years and my vocab has remained in the 80's hahaha. The shortlisted words are: "beige flag" (someone or something boring), "situationship" (non formal romantic relationship), "parasocial" (a one sided relationship between a person and someone  they do not know), "heat dome" (hot air; weather related), "swiftie" ( a fan of singer Taylor Swift who I have heard of but know nothing about), "prompt" (an instruction using AI - I suppose an instruction given to Chat GPT or similar). Last and least is "de-influencing" which refers to the opposite of influencing on social media. This list of words would have been most unfamiliar to people of my generation and older. You learn something new everyday don't you?

But we weren't thinking about the war against Hamas on Monday morning or any other news really.  I was happy to be back at our house in Asturias. Here is Eladio getting into our old Volvo. I got it from Nokia when I left the company in 2006 and it must be about 22 years old but it is still going strong hahahaha. 

Getting into our old Volvo to drive to Llanes on Monday

We drove to Llanes to have a coffee in town and wander around the town which we love so much. That's where Eladio took the photo of me and Pippa by the town beach, Playa del Sablón. If you look closely you can see her ears flapping in the wind. It was windy but not cold. It was funny to think that about 2 months ago we were swimming in the sea there. Not this week. 

On our way back we did some shopping in Posada, mostly for house provisions - you know "beige flag" stuff, like washing detergent, loo roll, etc. I made a simple lunch of pork sirloin with vegetables cooked in olive oil and garlic - so Spanish. 

Tuesday was to be our last full day in Asturias and again we were free to do what we felt like. Tuesday too was the 4th anniversary of the death of my dearest Spanish friend Fátima. We met at Motorola in about 1991  and became close friends. 

With my dearest friend Fátima at the Paris Roubaix cycling race in 1993, a photo I love of the two of us having fun together. 

We then went on to work together for Nokia and were even neighbours. So close were we that we were known by some people as "Pin and Pon". Oh dear Fátima, how I miss you in my life. I don't have another "best friend" in Spain so her loss for me was very big. We were like sisters and I think of her very often wishing I could share something with her. Whatever news I had, be it good or bad, I always shared it with my friend and that's one of the things I miss most about her loss. 

Fátima would have loved coming with us to Asturias and she would have loved the pretty town of Llanes. That's where we went again on Tuesday, mostly because it was market day. I love parking by the Sablón beach and walking through the old walls of the city and its old streets, like this one where I got Eladio to pose.

Walking the streets of Llanes

I also love having a coffee in the square called Sobrino Parres Sobrino where scenes from so many Spanish period series have been filmed. Eladio didn't have a coffee but he took a photo of mine with extra foam. 

Coffee in Llanes on Tuesday morning

As we walked to the square he admitted to me what I have always suspected. He doesn't really like coffee but drank it on our mornings out to accompany me. Oh well, at least now it will be a bit cheaper if it's just me having a coffee when we go out!

He was much happier buying tickets for the Spanish Christmas lottery called "El Gordo" (the fat one). Here he is outside the lottery shop with some of the tickets for this year's draw which is on 22nd December next. I have no high hopes of winning but he always does, hahahaha. 

Eladio buying tickets in Llanes for this year's El Gordo Christmas lottery draw

I think he spends too much on the lottery but it is a very Spanish tradition and an argument I am not going to win. I preferred visiting the open market and found a very nice jumper which will make do as one of the Christmas presents from him this year. Eladio doesn't do presents, hahahah. 

After visiting the market we made our way to the other side of the town where the the second main beach, Playa de Toró, is located. It's a lovely walk and the views are great. 

Playa de Toró just outside Llanes - as seen on Tuesday morning this week in Asturias

By then it was past 1 o'clock so we decided to have lunch in Llanes and made our way back to the port where there are a group of restaurants all offering a typical Asturian menu of the day. We both fancied "fabada" (local bean stew with chorizo, etc.) and walked into the second one we saw. This was my fabada which was offered as one of the first courses. No way could I have a second course after that my friends.

Fabada for lunch in Llanes on Tuesday

I commented it was the first time we had been to a restaurant in more than a month. We enjoyed our meal but were happy to be back in the quiet of our home in the village of El Cuetu where a siesta was the next item on the agenda that day.

Our last evening was peaceful. We were pleased to know that Olivia and family had arrived safely in Montrondo where they have gone for this holiday week. It's very cold up there; much more so than in Asturias as the village is 1000m high and surrounded by mountains. This is a picture Oli sent of the kids on Wednesday morning, the day of our return home. 

Juliet and Elliot in Montrondo on Wednesday

Wednesday was Constitution Day as I mentioned earlier but also Independence Day in Finland. Why would I tell you that you may wonder? I feel very close to that Nordic  country having worked for its flagship company, Nokia, for 6 years. I travelled there  many times and came to love Finland. I know what Independence Day means to Finns, getting rid of the yoke of Russia. Today Finland belongs to NATO (finally) but has the longest border with Russia in Europe. It has closed it off recently owing to the increased number of migrants crossing it; mostly from the Middle East and blatantly encouraged by Russia. 

We were up quite early on Constitution Day and ready to leave by 10.30 or so. I made sandwiches for our lunch instead of stopping somewhere to eat. We have come to the conclusion that having a meal at a restaurant on our journeys delays the arrival time by more than an hour and often are just not worth it. The drive was smooth with not much traffic on the roads and we were home by just after 3.30 pm. The house was quiet with only two guests, Mileny whom we didn't see and Mohammad who we did. I had an interesting conversation with him later that night about Ramadan and fasting. He is quite a believer but I was a little shocked to hear him tell me that women with periods don't do Ramadan as they are unclean. He tried to find another word but he couldn't. 

I slept fitfully as usual and got just under 6 hours sleep. If only I could get more shut eye. I was up just after 7 on Thursday morning. We had a morning of errands including food shopping, a visit to the DIY store LM and coffee at Starbucks for a change. New guests arrived that afternoon, a Spanish and Russian couple and their two teenage kids from previous marriages. They had come from Murcia to visit Madrid during the Bank Holiday which I gather was already overcrowded. We will be going into the city one of these days but on a weekday to avoid the masses. The husband who is Spanish asked where my Russian family came from which is not easy to answer as their story is very complicated and difficult to understand.  I told him they were "white Russians" and got a blank look. His wife, Gala, though, understood immediately. They had houses in Moscow, outside Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sochi where they fled during the Revolution but their main home was in a town outside Moscow called Voskresensk. From my Aunty Valya,  I learned in recent years that they had also owned the whole of Pushkin Square in Moscow if that still exists. Below is the family home, the Lieven estate in Voskresensk. 

The Lieven family estate in Voskresensk near Moscow

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The highlight of Thursday was a Facetime call with my dear friends Kathy and Phil who live in West Yorkshire. They have already put up their tree and done all their Christmas Shopping. I have a long way to catch up except for finally putting up the decorations and receiving my order of crackers from the British Corner Shop Online which arrived that day. They are all from M&S. I love crackers but wish those making them would be a bit more creative when it comes to the gifts inside which are usually sheer rubbish. 

My Christmas crackers ordered from the British Corner Shop online which arrived this week. 

I coughed a lot that night too and am sick and tired of my flu, gastroenteritis and common cold which have lasted more than a month so far. I was up at just after 7 on Friday morning, the Day of the Immaculate Conception. Spain is now a lay country so it is surprising that nearly all of the holidays are of religious origin. Talking to Mohammad about Christmas which he doesn't celebrate, I remarked that probably the majority of people celebrating Christmas don't believe in Jesus Christ but just enjoy the celebrations. I'm right aren't I? 

Although I didn't feel like it, I decided that on Friday we just had to put up the Christmas decorations. It's a task we used to do with the girls when they were small and we always did it to the sound of English Christmas carols. Gone are those days and now it is just Eladio and I who do it together. After our walk, something else I insisted on as I just had to get off my back****, my husband brought up the huge cardboard box with all the decorations as well as our rather old and forlorn imitation tree. Here he is about to start the task.

Starting on the Christmas decorations

His main job was putting the tree up as well as the lights. I did the rest in between making chicken curry for lunch. By 2 pm the job was done. I took photos later in the afternoon with the lights on. Here they are.

Some of our Christmas decorations

Finally Christmas had come to our house. But we still have to buy all the presents which I have been told must not be put under the tree so that Elliot won't get confused about their provenance; i.e. not to give the game away that Father Christmas brings them. I am more than happy to go along with that.

The children meanwhile were having a good time in Montrondo. One of Eladio's sisters sent a video of Elliot singing a song with great gusto with his sister Juliet and  a cousin photo bombing it, hahahaha. I loved it and uploaded it to my YouTube channel. You can see it here. I sent it to Suzy who loved it too. She told me it reminded her of when she and Oli were very small singing and dancing together. Those were the days.

Friday was a sunny day and so was yesterday, Saturday. We had things to do that morning. Oh, how I love our morning errands together. We went out to buy lots of batteries for some of my Christmas decorations and toys - I am such a child at heart. We also got more lottery tickets and sent one to Loli in Asturias. We shall also be giving one each to Suzy and Oli. It's a big custom here to give or share lottery tickets with family and friends. Here is Eladio posting Loli's.

Eladio posting a card with a lottery ticket for Loli yesterday in Boadilla. 

By then it was coffee time (for me only boohoo) and I took Eladio to Manolo Bakes as Alverán looked rather crowded. I enjoyed my huge cappuccino and two mini chocolate covered croissants. We spent the time discussing where to go for my birthday in February. Last year we spent two nights in Segovia which we most enjoyed. Eladio wants to go to a Parador so we shall be looking for one not too far away. Watch this space. We also spoke about our next road trip. We are still not sure about the destination or route so watch this space too.

The last stop was the bank and then home where Tana was just about ready to leave until tomorrow morning. The Anglo Spanish family were out so the house was very quiet which is just how we like it. In Montrondo, meanwhile, more of the family had arrived - Eladio has 6 brothers and sisters, 4 of whom live in León, about 1h away. Oli sent me some lovely pictures of the kids with two of their cousins. Elliot adores one of them who is 12 and is great with kids. He told me recently he wants to marry her bless him and bless her because she is a darling child. Here they are. I was so happy to see my grandchildren enjoying the village just as their mother and aunt had when they were children.

Elliot and Juliet with their cousins in Montrondo this week

Had we felt better we would have driven from Asturias to León to spend the bank holiday with them but we just weren't up to it I'm afraid. Hopefully we shall be better next week.

Today is Sunday and when I have published this blog post, we shall go for our walk. The rest of the day will be quiet and calm. Let's see how next week pans out.

Meanwhile, my friends, all the very best until next Sunday,

Masha.