Registered to vote in the UK - hurray, spring weather in January, a morning in Boadilla village, lunch out and other tales of the week.

 Sunday, 28th January, 2024

A warn and sunny walk on Wednesday morning 

Good morning friends and readers. What a warm and sunny week it has been. The temperatures have been more like April or May and several records have been broken for January. That's great of course but worrying too. It the temperature reached 29ºc in Murcia and 27ºc in Valencia this week, what will the weather will be like in the summer?  Unbearably hot. Spain will one day be a desert, no doubt. Selfishly thinking, we could always move north. But even in Asturias this week it reached 21c. 

On the world's stage, war continues in Ukraine and in Gaza. What can I say? I am sick of it. But we have the great privilege of living in Western Europe and in the EU, where things are relatively safe. My heart goes out to those whose lives have been taken or those who have lost their loved ones, not to mention their homes. This week our dear friends, Kathy and Phil, practically lost their lovely Victorian house in Keighley, West Yorkshire. They come home from a Winter break in Barcelona to find the house completely flooded from burst pipes in the attic. Their house is ruined, down to the very brick of its walls. I cannot imagine their shock. The insurance people are doing their best, but it looks like they will have to spend a year in lodgings until the house is fit for living in again. My heart goes out to them too. What an awful thing to happen. It happened to us once  in our previous house in Boadilla (Río Tajo 5). We came home to a burst pipe with water gushing out but it was in the basement not the top floor. We commented this week, thank God we have someone living here all the time when we are absent. Maybe the solution in the future is just to switch the water off. We do that in our house in Montrondo. 

Last Sunday we had Oli and the kids round for lunch. They duly arrived as I was in the middle of making roast lamb. Elliot was apparently ill and had been diagnosed with a strep throat. The correct term for this bacteria is "streptococcus" which sounds quite dangerous if not treated. He had been prescribed antibiotics in a child like strawberry tasting mixture. But, he refused to be given it. He has always refused medicine. We tried as best we could but it didn't work. He also refused up until a short while ago to have his hair cut.The alternative was to force him physically and none of us had the heart to do that. So, I hope his body will be able to get rid of the strep naturally. A while back he had a very painful ear infection and preferred the pain to taking medicine. When I was a child I remember biting doctors who tried to come anywhere near me. So maybe I am in no position to correct his behaviour, not that he would let me as he has  a mind of his own. 

The afternoon was quiet but interrupted by yet another horrible and recriminatory Whatsapp message. What had we done this time? It made me very upset and put off any desire to go away to Asturias the next day which had been our plan. 

Monday came and brought with it news in the form of an email with an attached letter from Bradford City Council. It was to confirm I can now vote again in the UK. This comes after my application sent last week following the new law that finally allows overseas UK citizens who have lived abroad for more than 15 years to vote again. This was it. 

The letter from Bradford City Council confirming I am now registered to vote in the UK as an overseas elector for Bradford West. 

I was given the option of using a proxy to vote on my behalf which I suppose must be someone in the same constituency, so I opted to be registered as a postal voter. Although to tell the truth I would far prefer to be able to vote in person. I tried to think who I voted for the last time I went to the polling station which used to be in Shipley. It must have been Edward Heath or Margaret Thatcher!  I have always voted Conservative but my God, I won't be this time. Not that Labour is any great alternative. But at least I have my suffrage rights back; finally!

On that happy note we went to Ikea that morning to buy a small desk for Oli's room which is now being used by Maria. She needs one and so do future guests. I love Ikea don't you? I was a bit cross with them though that day as they wouldn't sell me 8 plates which were on exhibition and not for sale. Honestly what do they do with all their exhibition stuff I wonder?

The highlight of the day was my Skype call with Amanda where we discussed my new voting rights and who we voted for back in the day. 

Tuesday brought another awful Whatsapp audio message which we have to live with. Of note we went out for coffee and did some more food shopping. To cheer us up I booked a night at the Parador in La Granja de Segovia. I took them up on a St. Valentine's romantic package. This is what it includes.

The Paradors' St. Valentine's offer

If you have not heard of Paradors, they are state run hotel like establishments with a difference. Most of them are housed in historical buildings and they are usually synonymous with quality. Now we have something to look forward to. 

I spent most of the afternoon waiting for a new guest, 18 year old Gabriela and her aunt. Instead of taking a taxi from the airport they decided on public transport which is not easy as there is no direct route. My listing highlights the fact that public transport is scarce and that a car is essential but people either don't read or care. Later in the week they were using scooters to get about. 

Wednesday was 24th January. I love the 24th day of the month as it is pension day. Thanks to always having paid the maximum tax contribution I now enjoy the maximum pension as does Eladio. Recently a financial journalist friend accused me of not having saved into a pension fund or not having saved money. I was a bit taken aback.  No we didn't, we preferred to invest in bricks and mortar. We never understood financial services, stocks and shares or any of that but we do understand buying and selling houses. So they are our pension fund. 

Wednesday saw us on a lovely sunny walk, as you can see in the feature photo above. Later Eladio got on with the job of mounting the Ikea table and I caught him on camera.

Eladio mounting a new desk for Oli's room

He finished in later in the week and this is what it looks like. It's functional and small, but the only one we could find which would fit in the only space available.

A new desk for our guests

Thursday was just as quiet as the rest of the week.  We went for a coffee and sat outside but not in the sun as it was too hot - in January! The weather is unbelievable right now and I dread to think what the summer will be like. We spoke this time of this year's trip. Eladio is not that keen on doing 13,000 kilometres again although I am. The alternative is a trip far away by plane. He suggested Vietnam and I added Cambodia and Laos. That is a region we would both love to go to so stay tuned.  But it's not a region we know much about except for its history of war during our youth, so I must do some research. I am also tempted by Mongolia. Thus the world is our oyster and aren't we lucky that it is?

I finished the whole of Downton Abbey that day and now feel orphaned. I will miss the characters so much. I turned to Call the Midwife Season 13 on the BBC iPlayer which I love but not as much as "Downton". I am obsessed with life at the beginning of the last century. Whenever I saw the year on the screen, such as 1924, my first thought was "oh my father would have been 5 years old". He lived through that era and the war and life has changed so much. Here is a photo of the family on their pony and trap taken in 1923. How  different a life it was for him in 2021 when he died. He could never have imagined all that was to come, neither could have my grandfather born in 1887 in Anglesey, Wales. 

My father, his brother Raymond and parents Canon John Lloyd and Dorothy Gertrude Scull on their pony (Tommy) and trap in 1923 - Probably taken in Amington, near Tamworhth, former Staffordshire, where my father was born. 

My father had written the details on the back including the name of the pony which was Tommy!  I treasure that photo. By 1926, my grandfather had a car which he must have bought when they moved to Sledmere (Yorkshire). This is it, outside the rectory which we were lucky to visit on my trip down memory lane in 2019. I think it is a "Morris Cowley". 

My grandather's car in 1926 - photo taken outside the rectory in Sledmere, in the "East Riding" of Yorkshire

From what I gathered from my father and from writing his biography, my grandfather was a very modern man for his times. I do think these photos are very Downton. Maybe, now you understand my obsession. 

Friday came, another very sunny day. I slept reasonably well that night. We had a full house of guests; Maria from Galicia, Gabriela and her aunt from Colombia, an absent Inés from Portugal, Leticia from Burgos and Mohammad from Iraq. Today we shall be full house too when 3 Moroccan guests arrive occupying "Andy's room" which is now being renamed as "Leticia's room". 

I woke up thinking I would like to do something different that day as we are rather in a rut with out routines. So I suggested we go for a walk in the old part of Boadilla - nearby village, have coffee there and then lunch out. I booked a table at one of my favourite restaurants, De María in Majadahonda. It's an Argentinian steak house right across the road from the Atlético de Madrid playing fields, so full of football people and quite expensive.

We had a glorious morning. Coffee time was in the old square opposite a medieval church with three or four pairs of storks. I caught Eladio on camera in a rather nice photo I think, don't you?

Coffee time in Boadilla on Friday

From there we walked into the Infante Don Luis Palace gardens which are open all year round. Here is a picture to record that visit. We always wish the palace was more than a façade and used for a purpose but I suppose that would be too much for the village finances.

In the gardens of the palace in Boadilla del Monte

It was built by Infante Don Luis de Borbon, brother of King Charles III, in 1765 and the architect was Ventura Rodríguez, the most famous of those times. The palace and gardens and outer buildings dominate the historic centre of Boadilla, just 15km from Madrid. We walked out of the gardens and instead of heading to the park which we know so well, we took another path, which takes you past allotments and other palace buildings, such as the one Eladio is posing next to in this picture.

Enjoying the weather in Boadilla on Friday

We have lived in or near Boadilla since 1988, yet had never been on that path. When our walk ended it was time to drive to the restaurant in Majadahonda for lunch. 

We sat outside on the terrace; a luxury in January. Here is Eladio studying the menu. After Covid most menus are QR codes - something my father would never have fathomed, hahahaha. 

Eladio studying the menu at De María on Friday

They give you so many extras  at De Maria, we decided to go for just one course each and we couldn't even finish that. The older you get the less you can eat; unless it's chocolate or ice cream, in my case, hahahaha.

We came home to have a delicious siesta, except that I couldn't sleep. In any case we had had a lovely and different sort of day; a day to remember.

Yesterday, Saturday, was another warm and sunny day. We should have gone for a walk but instead drove into Boadilla, to the modern part, far away from the village itself, to have coffee at Manacor. Manacor is our latest favourite coffee haunt. I love Alveran, but OMG, their service is so slow. We sat for an hour on the terrace savouring our coffee (well, me at least) discussing our worries about our daughter Suzy. We go round and round in circles talking but we can't do anything. If last week I wrote we had lent her the Volvo, this week she told us she doesn't want it and that, according to her, it's not working. What has gone wrong?  We shall have to drive to Santa Pola in the Mini to find out.

Today is the last Sunday of January. Oli and the kids are coming for lunch as Miguel has been sent by TVE to Benidorm for 8 days. It's to cover some ghastly festival where they choose the candidate for the Eurovision Song Contest. That means that this week we shall be on grandchildren duty and will have to take them to school on Wednesday and Thursday. Otherwise, no doubt, we would have gone to Asturias as the good weather is going to continue. We will go one day soon and I look forward to that. I have always thought it's important to have something to look forward to. 

But I must leave you now as I have to get on with the day and start preparing the lunch too. 

Cheers then until next Sunday,

Masha

Sunday in Santa Pola, Suzy came home with us, reunited with Elliot and Juliet, Brits abroad for more than 15 years regain general election vote and other stories of the week.

 Madrid, 21st January, 2024

In my element at the Sunday  Jumble Sale in Gran Alacant last Sunday

Good morning again friends and readers.

As you can see, we are home again and only stayed a few days in Gran Alacant (Santa Pola). We had to be back to sleep at Oli's on Wednesday and Thursday night to take the kids to school in the morning as Miguel was away this week. And - it's a big and - Suzy came with us. That is because we are lending her our Volvo for while she is living there. Thus she had to drive us home. We could have gone back by train but with Pippa it would have been a bit of a challenge. Before I continue,  let me rewind to where I last left off. 

Last Sunday saw us deliberating about lending her our car and managing with just the Mini ourselves at home. In the end we decided she needed it more than us as the apartment is in a location where having a car is a must. Now that she will be more independent transport wise, it also means, that if she wants, she can try and get a job and won't have  trouble getting to work. All we want is for her to be happy and to be safe. I'm sure you understand. 

Last Sunday we did lots of things and I enjoyed our morning thoroughly. It started off with a video call with Alexandra, an old colleague from Yoigo (Telia). She is from St. Petersburg but lives in Almaty (Kazakhstan) and works for Coca Cola as their Communications Director for Eurasia and The  Caucasus. She got in touch as her brother is getting married in Spain and had lots of questions to ask me. I also took the opportunity to ask her some too. They are regarding our possible new road trip this year to Eurasia; to Azerbaijan and the "Stan" countries. She told me Turkmenistan is a no no, that she would look into ferries crossing the Caspian sea and told me that the safe countries were Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and also Kyrgyzstan. I really hope we meet when she comes to Madrid. Talk about "Nokia reconnecting colleagues", our internal slogan.  It was more than good to talk to her. 

The next item on the agenda was going to a jumble sale across the road from our apartment. Imagine, a jumble sale in Spain! I've loved them since I was a child.  I think they are called Car boot sales these days, but I'm sticking with the term I used when I lived in England. . There are very few second hand markets in Spain and here they call them "charity markets" (mercadillos de solidaridad). I reckon those that exist on the coast do so because of the Brits living there. It was great fun and I bought some dog food and water bowls for Pippa for 1 euro, 6 gorgeous wine glasses for 3 euros as well as a beautiful Snow White outfit for Juliet. The photo illustrating this week's post is of me by the wine glass stall. Here are some more.

Shots from our visit to the jumble sale in Gran Alacant last Sunday

If my sister-in-law, Dolores is reading this, she should know I had her in my mind while going round the stalls as she is a huge fan of second hand markets. Next time she comes I'll take her there. It's open every Sunday morning.

By then it was mid morning coffee time and once again we went to the lovely new cafe called "Dime qué no" (tell me not). It was sunny but as it's so popular there was nowhere to sit outside. Thus we went inside and oh my what wonderful baked things they have. I took a poor shot of Eladio buying some bread for himself and Suzy who are bread monsters - as is Oli, my other daughter. 

Eladio buying bread at the new local cafe and bakery, "Dime qué no"

We sat next to an interesting looking couple who have identical twin girls aged 3. We got talking - as I normally do (Eladio commented I am just like my mother in that way) and it turns out the man is from Iran and his wife is a "Berber" from Morocco. They both spoke perfect Spanish and English. It was interesting to meet an Iranian living in Spain. Again, I heard from him that it is perfectly safe to travel there (we would love to include it in our road trip) as long as we don't do anything against the government which could be many things.  We also learned they are the owners of a very popular restaurant here called "Atípico" which we must go to one day. Have to say there are people from all parts of the world living in Gran Alacant. Gran Alacant is like a huge community with lots of different gated communities. Oh how it has grown since we bought our modest little flat there in the spring of 1999, the year my mother died. I always wished she could have seen it.  

By then it was midday and time for a much needed walk. It was so warm we really enjoyed walking by the sea on the lovely newly discovered promenade called Almirante Carrero Blanco. Lots of people were out enjoying the sun,  with their dogs or on their bikes or scooters.

Pippa met two of her kind which is always fun. When we got her 9 years ago, I hardly ever saw another miniature, chocolate coloured and smooth haired dachshund like her - called Teckels here - but now sausage dogs of all kinds  have grown enormously in popularity. I always observe that she makes immediate friends with her same breed. How can that be I wonder? Whatever the answer, it is always like this and such a pleasure to watch. We then talk to the owners about dachshunds' personalities and traits and they always coincide: very needy, territorial, protective, loving, wanting to be close to their owner and others. One is that dachshunds always pick their main human owner - like the head of the pack. In Pippa's world that is me and I feel so blessed. Never have I loved any dog as much as her. They always say that dogs are a man's best friend and that is certainly true in our case. I always say too that in our marriage we are not 2 but 3 hahaha. 

We were home to lunch prepared by Suzy. It was then that we offered her the Volvo. At first she was hesitant but as I wrote above, she has accepted it gratefully and brought us home. I really hope it makes her life easier in Gran Alacant. To decide she had to read her Tarot cards!  So, as you see there was peace in Santa Pola but the worries don't go away.  She spent most of her time during our stay preparing a video for her YouTube channel which is 39 minutes long. She asked me to listen to the audio where she hopes to channel messages from "the Galactic family" to people who need help or are having a spiritual awakening like her. I did so with a heavy heart but if that is her choice of life, so be it. I can do nothing to change it; just have her best interests at mind and care for her as much as possible.  We had fun moments that night on the terrace where it was 16ºc, looking at old photos of her with her sister. I wondered what on earth went wrong.

I missed the news but did see some of the scenes of the ascension to the throne of the new King Frederick X of Denmark. There was no actual coronation as such. I thought his mother leaving him quietly from the balcony was quite poignant.  Queen Margrethe II reigned from 1972 to 2024 and after the death of "The" Queen and herself, there are no longer any female reigning monarchs that I know of. She is aged 83 and I wish her a happy late retirement. I wonder if other monarchs or even the Pope may follow suit? I often think they have the right to retire like we ordinary mortals, don't you? So long live The King of Denmark but also a happy retirement to his very popular mother.

I slept dreadfully that night. My bloody cough won't go away. I was up at 7.30 or so on Monday morning. It was then Suzy told us the cards had said to accept the car and then that we decided to come back on Tuesday. It was warm again that morning which seemed to be too  busy to enjoy leisurely. The light went with all that that meant, I was inundated with questions from potential Airbnb guests and a hundred other things I had to respond to that frankly I felt a little overwhelmed. Finally I was free around 12.30 and out we went for a well deserved mid morning coffee. As you know nothing will stand between me  and my favourite  daily habit. Shopping at Mercadona was next on the agenda as I had to take food home and leave some there for Suzy. 

We came back to a quiet lunch and spent the afternoon in peace. Tuesday came. I was up early. It was sunrise when I took Pippa down and once again I admired the view of the Bay of Alicante from our apartment. I never tire of it. 

The view of the Bay of Alicante from our apartment at sunrise on Tuesday 

We left just after 10.30 with Suzy at the wheel. She was delighted to be driving again. I sat in the back with Pippa doing my daily NYT Spelling Bee, a fixture of my mornings these days. We stopped for lunch on the way at Mesón San José in Zafra de Záncara, 136km from home. It's a place we know well and they serve good food. Towards the end of our meal Suzy went to take Pippa out and came to the window by our table. I had to have a photo. Suzy doesn't often let me take one so I snapped one quickly.

Suzy with Pippa at Mesón de San José where we had lunch on our way home from Gran Alacant.

Pippa was not allowed in but got a bit of Eladio's rabbit which must have delighted it. No way can I eat rabbit but when it's on the menu my husband often chooses it.

We were home at around 4 pm. We just had time to unpack and settle in before Oli arrived with the kids. Suzy hadn't seen them seem August and the reunion was so sweet with both Juliet and Elliot. We were left with them alone as Oli went off to her French class. What a pair. Here they are posing for the  camera while we tried to entertain them before their father came.

Elliot and Juliet came to see Aunty Suzy

They were delighted to see their Aunty Suzy again as she was delighted to see them and scooped them up in her arms.

When they went I had an hour to rest before a quiet dinner with Suzy and Eladio in our dining room - a bowl of soup and ham. It was good to see Mohammad and Maria again. Mohammad told me they had missed me and that the house was very quiet. What lovely young people they are.

We went to bed early and watched the news. The news that did excite me this week came that night when a friend sent me an article from the BBC. It was entitled "Brits living abroad for more than 15 years get general election vote" - that's me I thought. A few years ago I read something similar and in my eagerness wrote to my last constituency (West Bradford) to get on the electoral roll and I got a negative reply. But it's real this time and I hope I will once again be able to vote. It is estimated there are up to 3 million people like me out there. I always think that if we had been able to vote the outcome of the Brexit referendum would have gone the other way and then Britain wouldn't be in the mess it is today.  It was WW2 veteran Harry Shindler who lived in Italy for 40 years who championed the cause . He said "There was a war to bring the vote to the people of Europe. We won the war, but some of the people who took part in the war, me included, are not allowed to vote themselves" His case was my father's case too and it sad that the new law comes too late for them. For me that was  good news and about bloody time if you don't mind me saying so. 

I slept badly and coughed the night through and got up far too early on Wednesday morning. I think I slept about 4 hours so when I came up for my shower I promptly fell asleep for 1 hour and then woke up feeling like a zombie. But things had to be done. It was Suzy's only day at home and Oli was coming for lunch. She went with her sister to take the kids to school and then to the hairdresser for a badly needed cut. We went to do a few errands and then met up with her for coffee at Alverán. Here she is kissing her father which I wanted on camera as I don't often get her on camera. 

Suzy kissing her father

They went off together to get some vegan cosmetics for her while I went to the bank. I caught them on camera again a short while later. So here's another photo of Suzy for this week's blog. She has been absent from it for so long and it was about time she was back.

Suzy with her father in Boadilla on Tuesday

We went on to do the shopping and met at home later. Olivia arrived just on time for lunch and for once it was the 4 of us around the table. I only wish I had thought to take a photo.

Soon it was time for them both to leave; Oli to pick up the kids and Suzy to drive back to Santa Pola in the Volvo which is now hers while she is living there. 

We had a quiet afternoon and dinner and then I had to drive Eladio to Oli's house where he was staying the night as both Olivia and Miguel would be up at 6 and 7 in the morning and the kids can't be left alone. I agreed to be there at 8 am on Thursday morning to help him get them ready for school.

Once home I did an important thing. I applied online to register to vote in the UK. I honestly thought it would be difficult as I don't remember or have my national insurance number. But it was actually quite easy. This is the link to follow if you are a Brit abroad like me who wants to vote again. I was pleasantly surprised to get a confirmation message and thought it was quite an historic moment for me. I haven't voted in the UK since I left in 1981. You may think that if I have lived away so long I should no longer feel the need or be allowed to vote as the UK is no longer my country of residence. Ah, but it's my birth country and I keep up with the news there everyday and it means a lot to me. No other country that I know of has a law where you can't vote if you leave the country. 

You would have thought I would have slept well that night being alone in our great big bed with just Pippa for company but I didn't. Again I only got about 4 hours. I was up at 6.15 and at Oli's place by 7.45 on Thursday morning. Both children were awake and it took a while to get them ready. Elliot chooses his own clothes and made a big fuss about what colour underpants to wear. Juliet is no longer the little saint and it's nearly impossible to dress her. But we managed. What we didn't achieve was their eating their breakfast. They don't seem to have much appetite in the morning. We set off for school well on time but kept having to stop because the back doors of the Mini kept opening. But again we managed. Once home the only thing we wanted was to go to bed. I got an hour's sleep which was a big help. 

It was on Thursday that Mohammad, our Iraqi student guest, announced he wants to stay on until he finishes his master in sport nutrition. He was going to leave to find somewhere more affordable but in the end decided there is no place better than ours. Bless him, his main reason for staying on is me. He says I'm like a mother and that he had missed me while I was away, adding that the house lights up when I am here. Bless him really. We love having him. We have chats over a cigarette most nights and he is learning a lot from me about Western ways I can tell  you. He complained about the Uni gym being mixed and how it affects his testosterone. I do not want to reproduce here what my answer was as it was rather rude. I am enjoying giving him a basic education on the equality of men and women. He is learning fast.

Again that night I drove Eladio to Oli's and again that night I slept badly. I was up at 6.30 on Friday morning and at their house by 7.45, except that Eladio couldn't hear the bell nor his phone (on silence as usual) and I had to wait outside the flat for 20 minutes!  The kids were up far too early but didn't fuss too much about being dressed and fed to go to school. Well, that's not quite true. Elliot wanted to put on a coat without a hood but it was raining so I told him to put his normal one on. Clever little minx, he took the hood off his normal coat and wore it with the new coat. He had to hold his hands on his head to keep it on. This time the Mini didn't play up and we were at school far too early. I took the time to take a picture for today's blog post.

The kids going to school on Friday morning 

Once again I went straight to bed for an hour when I got home and woke up feeling a lot better. We had a social date that morning; coffee with friends we haven't seen for yonks. They are Mariano and Mar, both journalists who we have known for years. Mariano has been battling 3 types of cancer for 18 years now although he was told he had 2 years to live. He is now 73 and told us he will try and live to 80. He looked pretty good given the circumstances. They live quite near and on our way back we went past our old house in Parque Boadilla (Río Tajo 5). 

Our old house - Rio Tajo, 5, Parque Boadilla, where we lived from 1988 to 2006.

We lived there from 1988 to 2006 when we moved here. It was quite nostalgic to go past. That is the place of the memories we have of bringing up our children. How happy they were there with the school, St. Michael's, so close by. 

We came home to find lunch on the table - thank you Tana and to have a quiet afternoon.

Eladio spent some time on traffic fines and I spent time on my hospitality book keeping and other general stuff. One nasty thing was more tax to pay for 2021 (damn the tax people) and another was the second estimate from my dentist for all the dental work needed for my teeth. I wrote to accept and added I hoped I would have teeth like Hollywood actors at the end of it. It's going to cost a fortune but I have to do it. The first of many appointments is on 1st February. Wish me luck. 

Saturday came. It was Tana's 60th birthday and so she went off quite early. We went on our walk and I made a very simple lunch. I spent a lot of time corresponding with JZ (a former Chinese guest) who is coming with his parents in February. I have gone over and above to fit him in but my goodness he had me at my computer for most of the morning and afternoon. Eladio often says I may be retired but have a full time job. He is damn right but no complaints. A new guest arrived from Portugal so we are full house this weekend which I am not complaining about either. 

And today my friends is Sunday. I was up at 6 am - far too early, but on the plus side I had the house to myself. Today Olivia and the kids are coming for lunch so we look forward to that. We also look forward to sunny weather this week and are debating whether to go to Asturias or not. 

And that''s that from me this week. I'll sign off now wishing you all a good Sunday. Cheers till next time,

All the best

Masha. 

Christmas is over, returning presents, Pippa and I go to the dentist, to Santa Pola to see Suzy and other stories of the week.

Gran Alacant, Santa Pola, Sunday, 14th January 2024

Candid camera shot - working from "my room" in Santa Pola

Dear all.

How have you fared this week? Have you got the January blues? In Spain January is often referred to as "la cuesta de enero". It roughly translates into "uphill January" as everything seems uphill after Christmas but also financially, owing to all the extra expenditure. Do you ever calculate how much you have spent over the season? I don't but maybe I should.

You will see that I am writing from our apartment in Santa Pola which was certainly not in our plans last Sunday but we had to come to see our daughter Suzy who worries us so much. 

Last Sunday was the first day after Kings' Day and should have been the day we took down the decorations but we put that off until Monday which seemed to me to be more the official first day after Christmas. Instead, we went for our walk with Pippa which I am sure did us a lot of good. It was also the last day of over eating before starting yet another diet on Monday - my usual New Year's resolution (damn it). So I gorged on the leftovers of the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, ice cream and chocolates. Won't be tasting anything like that for a while I hope; well until my birthday next month.

The house was quiet, despite our 3 guests, Maria, Mohammad and Mileny who seem to get on famously. They are lovely young people and I wish they would all live here permanently. Maria took Mohammad to a special halal shop in her brand new car and no doubt he has bought kilos of chicken. I have promised to make him my staple chicken curry. On Tuesday Mileny from Peru, announced she was leaving the next day, the end of her reservation on Airbnb. She's found a place half the price so it's understandable. We will miss her as she was an excellent guest. But they come and go and that's the way the business works. 

Sunday was all about self comfort so I took to watching Downton Abbey from the beginning again, probably for the 3rd or 4th time as I couldn't find anything at least as good on any platform, BBC, Netflix, Movistar Plus, Prime Video or RTVE Play. It's obvious I am not a typical TV streaming consumer as there is so much rubbish on these apps. I had recently watched Fool Me Once which is excellent. If only there was something else as good. 

At dinner I had more ice cream and chocolate and even a glass of red wine and do you know what? I slept like a baby and got over 8h shut eye which is a miracle for me.

I woke up on Monday morning feeling on top of the world. Thus I had no hesitation in taking down the decorations which only took us about half an hour vs 1.5h to put them up hahhaa. As usual, I took a photo of Eladio starting on the task. 

Eladio taking down the Christmas tree decorations

He is wearing 3 of his presents: a black jumper and black jeans from Zara and his new Timberland trainers and is looking very smart. 

Once the job was done I pronounced Christmas  over. It hasn't been a bad one, but not the best. My heart wasn't really in it as Suzy refused to join us.

We then went to the shops to do what many people do after Christmas; i.e. return presents. I heard on the news that 50% of people return them.  Thus all the world and his brother were at the shopping centre we went to that day called Tres Aguas.

But Benetton was pretty empty. We went there to change a beautiful tartan shirt I had bought for Eladio so I took a photo. For the record he is wearing the lovely green puffer jacket Oli bought him there too for Kings' Day. I commented he could be a senior model for Benetton if they wanted him hahahhaaha.

Eladio outside Benetton on Monday with his lovely new green puffer jacket

From Benetton we made our way to the much busier Zara. We had to return some boots I had bought for Juliet and the queue was a mile long. There were a lot of people also there for the sales but honestly with so many people I was put off looking at anything. 

We managed a nice cup of coffee for me with no croissant (note) and then a quick entry into Mercadona to buy kilos and kilos of oranges, mandarins and other fruit and veg so that I had enough to start my diet. Instead of gorging on chocolate I shall gorge on mandarins. I shouldn't gorge at all should I' But I am so greedy. I have come to the conclusion that the only person who cares whether I am fat or not is me. 

Lunch was frugal but delicious for me as I ate the cold remains of the roast beef. I gave the fatty and grizzly parts to Pippa which must have made her day.

There was no Skype call this Monday with Amanda as she and Andy have gone off in their motor home. I love our weekly calls. 

On Tuesday I had things to do. I had an appointment with the dermatologist at the local private hospital; Montepríncipe. It was to see what to do about a small cyst she tried to remove at the end of last year. It will now be removed surgically on 12th Feb. It's totally benign so no worries there. 

Meanwhile. the kids were on their way to school, the first day back after Christmas. Oli sent me this photo of them via Miguel. Sweeties. The photo reminded me of a poem my Mother used to tell me when I was a child and it's this: "there was a little girl with a curl on her forehead. When she was good, she was very, very good and when she was bad she was horrid". They are lovely when they are good and challenging when they are bad as are all children. I hope for them the same thing my father hoped for, that they would have a productive life. What a wise man he was. 

My grandchildren, Juliet and Elliot going to school on Tuesday this week. 

It was while I was at the hospital  that Olivia appeared live on TV. For once she warned me and for once I couldn't see her. I wondered whether she was reporting on the weather, particularly the snow in the mountains outside Madrid. Coincidentally, Tuesday was the third anniversary of the biggest snowfall in Madrid in 50 years. Dubbed "Storm Filomena", it was the biggest I have ever seen in all my years in Spain. Here is  a photo from that first day which had us practically snowbound at home for a week.

With Norah - the biggest snowfall in Madrid in 50 years - 3 years ago this week. 

I am with dear Norah, our darling beagle, the only dog who wanted to brave the snow. Sadly, we lost her in 2021, the year we also lost Elsa the lab and of course my dearest father. 

But not a sign of snow here for the moment. The big news in Spain, besides politics and some awful pollution on the north coast from plastic pellets,  is the flu epidemic as well as the rise of Covid. Face masks are now back here at medical centres since Wednesday so next time I go I shall have to wear one. I hate them but I am sure they help prevent the spread of flu. You see lots of people wearing them these days. 

From the hospital I walked to the car park at a small shopping centre and that's where I had my morning coffee (with no food to accompany it). I don't remember the name of the cafe but oh my goodness I got given the best cappuccino ever; as good as the best in Italy. This is it; coffee just how I like it with one third strong coffee and two thirds thick foamy milk.

One of the best cappuccinos I have ever had

While there,  I spent at least half an hour on the phone to my private health insurer, Adeslas. That's because I can't use their app since I changed from being a resident to having a Spanish national ID card. What a bore. Honestly the change of identity has given me hundreds of issues and still does. On the plus side I am now once again an EU citizen and have 2 passports.

On my way back, I stopped at Carrefour for more diet food. It would be fish with vegetables for lunch. I told both Eladio and Tana that when I am on a diet, they are too, hahahha.

I came back to find a man putting in new shower doors in my father's bathroom which is now Mohammad's. One of the glass doors had come unhinged and the only solution was to change the doors completely. I must say it looks great now and needed changing as it was very old. We had a lot of expenses that day; the new shower doors, filling the tank for the central heating and changing the filter of the drinking water filter. These are a sign of "uphill January". Keeping up this house is never ending so thank God for our guests. No way could we live here otherwise. 

While Tana was putting the finishing touches to our lunch, I saw a tweet about an exhibition that is right up our street. It's about the Berlin Wall. So there and then I bought tickets for this Friday.  But of course we never got to go as we came here. But we shall. So watch this space. We hardly ever go out to do cultural things and maybe we should do so more often. When I was a child the infamous wall was already built and it was only in 1990 that East Germany was dissolved. There was much talk about the wall, the war and communism in our house at home so this subject fascinates me. When it came down, my parents went to visit and brought me back two pieces. One of them had a certificate which I have unfortunately lost. I have only ever been to Berlin once and cannot imagine what it must have been like to live on the communist side. I remember also visiting  the monument to those who died trying to escape which was very somber. I therefore look forward to going sometime in the near future. 

While I was away, a parcel arrived from Amazon. It was a lovely blanket bought for us by Oli for Christmas. She had ordered it in grey when I wanted it in blue as our bedroom is mostly blue. This is it; the warmest and snuggliest I have ever seen.

Our lovely and snuggly new blanket

It is to replace a horrible old one we bought back in 1981 when we first lived together. It has served its purpose and has to be gotten rid of now, hahaha. 

We use a blanket to sleep under during our siesta and in the afternoons when I am watching TV - yes, I realise I waste nearly all my afternoons binge watching stuff for want of nothing better to do. I would probably be more active if I didn't have the worry of Suzy on my mind constantly. So I use TV as an evasion technique; something I never thought I would do. But there you have it. My choice again that day was Downton Abbey. For me it is pure comfort TV and I still love it after all this time. One of the reasons I love it is the era. It starts in 1912, only 7 years before my father was born. I am fascinated with the early 20th century - so near to our times, yet so different in every way. How we have come on from there but not always in the best sense. Life was simpler wasn't it?

Dinner was a tuna fish salad - very healthy and diety (hahaha). That night we continued watching "Your Honor" (prefer it spelled with a "u") which is good at the beginning but gets a bit complicated.  My cough returned that night and I only got about 4 hours sleep.

However I woke up ok on Wednesday morning, the only morning we didn't have any tasks to do. Thus we would go on our walk. All was well until lunchtime when I received a disturbing message that sent a chill down my spine. I am helpless and have my hands tied, yet I have to live. 

That night again I only got about 4 hours sleep. I was up on Thursday at 7.30 or so. Olivia brightened up my mood by warning me she would be live on TV at 8.20. This time she was reporting on the weather, the cold and snow up in the mountains of Madrid. I watched her on my old iPad while I had my breakfast.

Oli reporting live on the weather in Madrid on Thursday

I also took a video to add to my YouTube channel which you can see here. She makes me very proud. Her kids were having breakfast while she was in the mountains but were watching Paw Patrol hahaha, according to this photo she sent of them.

Elliot and Juliet having breakfast on Thursday morning 

Thursday was the day both Pippa and I went to the dentist. Pippa's was to be a huge ordeal  as dogs have to be intubated and put to sleep. She had to have her teeth seen to and cleaned to get rid of the plaque which one day could go into her blood stream, not to mention have a less smelly mouth, hahahaha.

Eladio took her there early in the morning and I picked her up after my own dental appointment later in the morning. It was to examine my mouth after the episode of oral thrush caused by antibiotics (damn) but also to schedule all the dental work I need which is quite a lot. It's going to be awful and to "cost a bomb" but it will be worth it.

It was worth taking Pippa to have her mouth sorted out as it all went well, she didn't suffer and was delighted to see me. Here she is in the capable hands of her sweet vet, Lola.

Pippa in the arms of her dental vet Lola

She came out with brand new teeth .- all white and shiny, unlike me. She didn't need even one filling which was good news.

I came home to have lunch with Eladio and that's when we decided we just must come here to see Suzy after so much worry about her living like a hermit on the edge of society. I could not sleep for worry and needed to know, even if she didn't want us to come. 

Many people in the Middle East cannot sleep at all and their situation is dire. As if the war with Gaza wasn't enough, that day we heard the UK and US forces attacked the Iran backed Houthis in Yemen. It was in response to their attacks on the Red Sea. But all I can see is the conflict escalating and spreading. I feel so sorry for all the innocent people caught up in the conflict, what is known as "collateral damage" - don't like that euphemism.

But I did manage 6h sleep before waking up on Friday. We left the house around 10.30 taking lots of provisions with us and even stopped for a decent lunch at the Parador in Alabacete on the way.

Our daughter was not too pleased to see us when we arrived but then warmed to the idea, commenting it must have been in God's plan for us to go and see her.  We wanted to see how she was and actually I was pleasantly surprised to see she was in a better state than I had imagined and we even had a pleasant dinner together. Thus I slept so much better that night. It was not  only because of that but because I slept solo - alone. She had moved into our bedroom with the king size bed and as the other beds are relatively small we decided to take a room each for ourselves. I went to bed with Pippa of course but also a bit of Downton Abbey and the autobiography of Dr.Roberto Canessa from the famous Andes air crash in 1972. I was spurred on to read it after watching the recent version of their story in the Spanish film called  Society of Snow. It's always better to hear the story from the "horse's mouth" isn't it? 

I woke up at about 8.15 on Saturday. We had not come on holiday, we had come to be with our daughter so we only went out for a coffee and for some provisions. First things first was mid morning coffee with Eladio and Pippa. We went to a lovely new place across the road. There we met Ingrid and her dog Dakota. What an interesting woman she is - German, living here for 8 years and working at an animal rescue centre. There was an instant click so we exchanged phone numbers. I do hope to see her again. 

We then went to the local supermarket - Udine or Unide (can never remember) to get some staples and then back home. Suzy had started on the lunch which we enjoyed quietly together. It's good to see her calm although we cannot approve of her life style. She hasn't seen anyone since we left at the beginning of November. Later I worked and did so from "my room" which has a plus in that it has a desk from where I can work. She caught me on camera and I liked the photo so have chosen it, for want of another one, for this week's feature photo. I entitled it "working peacefully in Santa Pola".  Here is another one which I also liked - notice Pippa on my bed, of course hahahaha.

Working from my room and caught on camera by Suzy

It was so good to be in peace and to see Suzy is in a better place than we thought. She is into spiritual things - obsessively so but one of them is the Tarot cards which I have always found fun. So I asked her to read mine.  From what I remember, the main things that came out are that I am a "magician" and have some decisions to make. The pentacle (money I think) came up a lot too. Hope that means there will be some windfall or that my little business will do as well or better than 2023. 

We all did our own thing in the afternoon. It was too cold to go out really. The weather here in January is cold but much warmer than in the centre of the country. Today it will reach 17ºc though and even 20ºc over the next few days. There are only 2 heaters in the house,  a small but effective radiator in Suzy's room and a gas stove for which we had to change the gas bottle. I don't like gas stoves so we do not have it on at night. 

Thus the house was much warmer than when we came and our lounge feels cozy. I had to have a photo of Eladio and Pippa (in prime position) sitting on the settee hahahah. Here they are saying hi.

Eladio and Pippa on the sofa yesterday - notice she is in my place hahaha

I made pumpkin soup in the afternoon which we all loved when we had dinner together, made mostly by Suzy. She is very good around the house. It was clean when we came and everything was in order. Our day ended when we finished Season 1 of Your Honour which we got totally engrossed in. 

Again I went to bed with Downton Abbey and Society of Snow. I slept well with not much of a cough and actually managed 6 hours. Today is Sunday and our only plan is to go to a local charity market. I can only imagine it will be a sort of Jumble Sale which these days are called "car boot sales"  -not in my day. We shall also have coffee out and go for a walk. So you see, all is quiet here in Santa Pola which I am so grateful for as I was expecting quite the opposite. Long may it continue.

So I shall leave you now to get on with the day. Cheers till next week,

Masha

New Year's Eve, family gathering on New Year's Day, Airbnb super host again, Kings' day and other stories of the week.

 Sunday, 7th January.

Dinner on New Year's Eve

Dear all. How are coping with the Christmas aftermath? How were your New Year celebrations?

For us, you see, Christmas lasts one more week  than most countries.  Spaniards get to celebrate  three events;  Christmas, New Year and Kings' Day which was yesterday, Saturday 6th January.  Epiphany, or Kings' Day in Spain is when most children get their presents from Kings Melchor, Baltazar and Gaspar,  although these days they also get them from Father Christmas.  Also, Christmas is not over for most Orthodox believers. It is today, Sunday 7th January.  My mother used to have us celebrate it when I was a child so it still has some significance for me. 

Last Sunday was New Year's Eve. So let me tell you about our end of year celebrations. Olivia, my youngest daughter, was in charge of the food; i.e. she was making our dinner, giving me a break. She is an adventurous cook but needs quite a few skivvies around her. Thankfully, Tana did all the chopping, etc as well as cleaning up after her. I, meanwhile was preparing the food for the next day, 1st January when Eladio's brother and all his family - 13 of them, were coming for lunch. 

Oli arrived alone which made things easier as when the kids are around it's a bit chaotic to say the least. By 9 pm we were sitting around the table to eat Oli's delicious food. This was the starter; a sort of pastry basket stuffed with mushrooms, foie and apples.

Oli's starter on New Year's Eve

The second course was rice with more mushrooms and a delicious creamy pepper sauce with prawns on top, served like this:

Oli's second course on New Year's Eve

Dessert was my very successful baklava. Everyone loved it and I am pleased that it turned out so well.

We then all had to wait until 12 for the count down. In Spain people eat 12 grapes for luck for each month of the year. Each grape is eaten chime by chime and it's quite difficult to do. I ended up with about 8 still in my mouth  - take into account I can still only eat on one side of it (boohoo).

These were the grapes I got for everyone.

12 grapes are eaten on the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve in Spain

It was Elliot's first time and I think he managed about 5. After the grape eating, a tradition that goes back centuries - something to do with a harvest glut in the Alicante region - people hug and wish each other a Happy New Year. Then champagne is served. Elliot love the pop it made. We only had a token amount and I think I must have poured three quarters of the bottle down the drain afterwards! This year, for the first time since I left England back in 1981, I really missed the tradition of singing Auld Lang Syne. I kept thinking of it the week leading up to NYE and even cried for those no longer with us. I hesitantly suggested to Oli and Eladio that we sing it this year and sent them the lyrics but it never happened. Maybe I should have instilled the tradition when the girls were small. I wish I had now.

While most people in Spain would begin the party after 12 and many until 7 or so in the morning, Oli and family left and we went to bed. The difficult thing for me these days is to stay awake until midnight on New Year's Eve. If we had been alone, no doubt we would have been in bed by 9.30 pm, hahahaha and to hell with the grapes. 

I was up at around 7 am on New Year's Day which was Monday and I thought was Sunday - what's happening to my mind? I had lots to do to get all the food ready for Eladio's family who were arriving around 2 pm. Thankfully I had Tana and Oli to help. We managed to get 8 children around one of the tables and 11 adults around the other. This is what the dining room looked like.

The tables laid for our New Year's Day family lunch

I made a buffet lunch and this is what it looked like. The piece de resistance was the stuffed shoulder of lamb. As to the dessert buffet, ice cream was the most popular, possibly followed by my baklava.

Buffet lunch on New Year's Day

I don't have any photos of the family - just the food - hahahah. That's because they are not too keen on appearing online. A good time was had by all, especially the kids from ages 9 to 1. I wish they could see each other more often as they get on famously.

They all left far too early at around 6pm, just before it was getting dark. I think poor Tana was still clearing up then - round of applause for her - and all we had to do was to tidy up the lounges - mostly re order my Christmas "toys" which, of course, the kids loved. 

We were dead that night but happy with the day as it is very rare for us all to get together unless we are in Montrondo in the summer. 

I didn't sleep too badly and although I was awake at 5 and then 5.30, I slept until I woke up again at 7.15 on Tuesday morning. For most of you outside Spain, the 2nd marks the end of the Christmas holidays. In Spain, it's today, 7th January and kids go back to school tomorrow. 

We went out to do our Kings' Day present shopping and chose Centro Oeste in Majadahonda with which we are more familiar. First I had a coffee though before we sauntered into the men's section of Zara. I wanted to get something for my friend Julio and ended up buying not only his present there but also Miguel's and Eladio's. My husband had to try his on, something he is quite averse to. Once the wife of former President Aznar famously said there is not one woman in Spain without at least one item of clothing from Zara in her wardrobe. I'm not sure it's the same for men, or for Julio who is perhaps more into branded clothing. Oh well, he can always change his present - he usually does hahaha.

We got the rest of the presents from Zara Home so contributed to making Amancio Ortega, the owner, just a little bit richer. He is one of the richest men in the world so I don't suppose he needs any more money but I have to say I do like his shops as do a lot of people. Otherwise, he wouldn't be rich would he? He went from rags to riches - never better said. Aged just 16 he started a sewing business in Galicia in 1953  making baby clothes, under wear and night gowns. He opened his first Zara shop in 1973 in La Coruña. 12 years later he opened his first shop outside Spain. Of course he has now gone online but still owns over 2200 shops in 96 countries. Yet not  once did he invest in advertising. He didn't need to. His stores are always in prime locations and the fashion style is always the latest but at affordable prices. At Zara Home we found lovely children's toys made with wood which cheered my heart as today they all seem to be digital and made with plastic. We got a lovely alphabet board in English and a black board and I had trouble deciding which one to give to Juliet and which one to give to Elliot. I hope they like them. I've had enough of Spider Man and "Super Things" toys, so I hoped they would like these as much as I do. 

Zara Home wooden toys for Juliet and Elliot's Kings' Day presents.

We were home to lunch on the table - leftovers from New Year's Day. The highlight of the afternoon was my first Skype call with Amanda this year. We had lots to tell each other and both commented that Christmas this year had lost a bit of its zest. I've always loved Christmas but this year somehow the joy was missing and that's because Suzy wasn't with us. 

If Tuesday was a lovely sunny day, we woke up to rain on Wednesday and thus no walk. Instead we went out for a coffee and then to do some more food shopping (honestly!). Our conversation at Alverán cafe was important as we spoke about what we are going to do when we are really old. Our plan is to stay in this sprawling huge house and renting out rooms until we are no longer able to do so. So what then?  I have been looking into "senior living" alternatives and if it is possible that is something we would like to explore. The type we would like is where you actually buy and own an apartment for two in an assisted living environment but it has to be comfortable and with lots of outdoor space. They are only beginning to catch on in Spain.  Meanwhile, we shall get the most of out of independent living while we can and travel as much as possible. We are already talking about our next road trip where we would like to go as far as Azerbaijan and across the Caspian Sea to the "stan countires" (those we can visit). Really I would love to visit Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan but they are rather "no no" places; a bit too dangerous. Of course that means taking the same route we did to Georgia, through the Balkans and Turkey. It also means we will get to see more than we did last time. If you remember we had to curtail our return journey from Yerevan (Armenia) when Olivia announced she was getting married. The idea this time is not to have a return date. We loved our trip last year and want to go on the road again. We both love exploring new territory and doing so independently.

While out, Eladio bought more lottery tickets. This time they were for the draw on 5th January called "El niño" (the child) which has even bigger winnings than "El Gordo" although it is not as famous. Here is my dashing husband queuing  to try his luck. 

Eladio buying lottery tickets for "El Niño"

Our much cherished siesta was interrupted by the arrival of Oli with the two kids. We spent a pleasant, if a little challenging, time with them until they left. We were going out that night so had to rush a bit. We actually had a dinner date. It was with my dear friend and ex Nokia colleague, Julio, who was inviting us out for a New Year meal. He had chosen a swish place called "Carbón" (coal) on Juan Bravo Street, a stone's throw away from where we used to live on a busy street called Francisco Silvela. It took under 30 minutes to get there as there was little traffic - unusual I thought. Thus we were early and took a walk along the centre of the boulevard on Juan Bravo. We went past the famous Ruber clinic where I used to go to have my ultrasound scans when I was pregnant with the girls. I remember arriving  with my bladder bursting.

Julio was already inside when we went in. We had brought presents for each other which we always exchange at New Year. He got me one of my  favourite perfumes (Flowerbomb by  Viktor and Rolf) and a book for Eladio. I got him a jumper and shirt from Zara and Eladio got him a white bath robe from Zara Home. We had such a lovely meal I forgot to take any pictures (boohoo). I really wish I had. I really wish too that I hadn't left my lovely off white snood behind. Oh dear. We told him about our ideas for "senior living" which Julio thought was fantastic, telling me I am always ahead of times. I'm not sure that's true but I try to be. We also told him about our road trip plan and he, like others, suggested it might be dangerous. My answer to this was "Who dares wins", the SAS motto I have taken on as my own. One can be in danger anywhere but not once did I feel in danger on our road trip last year. 

As the evening came to an end, we agreed to meet again for my birthday in February and to invite him to our now not so new house in Asturias; both lovely things to look forward to. 

We were home by 11 which is quite reasonable and I got a so so night of sleep. I could feel a cold coming on with a slight sore throat and a headache. Oh no, is this flu again I asked myself? In Spain right now there is an epidemic and I have seen many people wearing masks. Maybe I should too except that I absolutely hate them.

Thursday came. It was a dark, foggy, wet and cold day but even so we went on our walk. Most of the day was quiet until the evening when we took Pippa to the vet. She needs her teeth properly cleaned to remove any plaque or tartar. Even though I brush her teeth regularly we have noticed they have gone brown probably from plaque which I read can be dangerous if it gets into her bloodstream and we don't want that. Cleaning dogs' teeth is a major operation. First there is a pre-op with a blood test and electrocardiogram which is what we went to do on Thursday. If all is well, then next week she will have her teeth professionally cleaned while intubated and under general  anaesthetic. Poor lamb but it has to be done.

That night we watched "Society of Snow", the much acclaimed  Spanish remake of "Alive" (Viven in Spanish) made in 1995. I'm sure you all know the story. A plane with a Uruguayan Rugby team and their family crashed in the middle of the Andes on route from Montevideo to Santiago de Chile in 1972. Of the 40 passengers and 5 crew, 33 survived but after more than 70 days in sub freezing temperatures only 14 made it. It was called the Miracle of the Andes. The story always fascinated me so I was keen to watch the remake. Overall, though, I think I prefer the original film. The remake is rather slow and it's not easy to know who is who. 

Just before I fell asleep I received a message from Airbnb to tell me that once again I am a super host. I have been since 2017 when I began. This is the progress for the period from 1st January to 31st December 2023.

Super Host again for the period 1st Jan to 31st Dec 2023

I wasn't surprised to be super host again as I have great reviews and strive to do a great job. What made me happy was to see the the number of nights my guests stayed here, in Asturias or in Santa Pola, although the large majority stay here. The number of nights was 550!!! Isn't that amazing? When I embarked on this new journey 7 years ago after losing my high flying job as head of PR for a mobile phone company, I had no idea that I would achieve this success. It began as a way to help upkeep our huge sprawling house and has turned into something much bigger. Long may I continue to be a super host and long may guests choose to stay at our houses. That was the good news of the week and I needed good news this week. We all do, don't we?

Friday was Kings' Night (Noche de Reyes), the exciting prelude for Spanish children. Kings' parades are held in every city and town and nearly every village. For some Epiphany is more important than Christmas. 

I spent the morning with Olivia and the children. We went to a shopping centre which has a lovely play area for children where you can actually leave them and go off and do your shopping in peace. How civilised. The kids loved the place. Here is Elliot about to go in.

Elliot happy as a sand boy at Tres Aguas shopping centre yesterday about to enter the children's play area. 

And here is one of Juliet running after him. 

Juliet joining Elliot

They were both happy to be left there. They would have been bored stiff going around the shops with us. That meant we were all happy. Oli and I got to have coffee in peace and enjoy some Christmas shopping together. I had already got all my presents but succumbed to getting more. 

I have to say we all had a lovely morning, we really did. We came home to have lunch with whatever I could rustle up. Later we retired to our quarters while the kids played downstairs. At around 5.30 they left for the exciting Kings' Parade in nearby Boadilla. We were relieved of grandparent duty there as Miguel was able to get off work. I got sent photos which reminded me of when we used to take the girls to the "cabalgata" as the parade is called.

The kids at the Kings' Parade yesterday evening.

I went out later, just as it had finished and the street cleaners were already doing their job and the streets were being cleared for traffic. We had a quiet evening and not too bad a night for me.

I was up yesterday, Saturday, at 7.15 and already began on the trimmings for our roast beef lunch. We were to be at Oli's at 9 for a Kings' Day breakfast. We were there just after the kids had opened their presents, the main ones being costumes. Elliot's was Iron Man with a rather unattractive sword and shield and Juliet's was Super Woman. They also got a lovely big black and white board from Ikea which they took to immediately. I realised they would now have two black boards, this one and the smaller version I had got from Zara Home. But no worries, ours would stay at home in the toy area of the TV lounge for them to play with when they come. 

The children with their new costumes scribbling on their white board. Elliot, btw, does not scribble. He can write his own name and is quite good at drawing for his age. 

We then sat down to a civilised breakfast which consisted of the "Roscón de Reyes". The "roscón" or  "Kings' ring" is a  brioche type sponge with a hole in the middle; a favourite with most Spaniards.  It is either eaten plain or with whipped cream in the middle. 

The typical "Roscón de Reyes" eaten on 6th January and all through the Christmas period I should add. 

On the top you will find crystallised fruit and flaked almonds. Inside there is often a little figure to be found in the shape of a king and also a bean. If you get the bean it means you have to buy the "roscón" the following year. I have a huge collection of all the little figures I have saved over the years and Elliot loves to look at it. I read that more than 30 million were baked this year in Spain which is quite a lot if you compare it to the population of 48 million people. The French also have their own King Cake ("galette du roi) but it is not at all similar.

Soon Miguel left for work and we got the children ready to take to our house where they would spend the rest of Kings' Day. Just when we were about to sit down to open the presents their majesties had left at our house that night, Maria, my guest from Galicia was returning. She will be staying for a few weeks until she finds accommodation. Apart from Mohammad she is the first guest of the year. She got Oli's room which didn't make my daughter very happy.

And here is my daughter with the kids and Eladio during the present opening session, something I usually love but not so much this year.

Opening the presents yesterday

We got some lovely things but the Kings got a few sizes wrong. Thus Juliet's shoes from Zara, Eladio's coat and shirt from Benetton will have to be changed. I read too in an article somewhere that an enormous percentage of people sell some of their unwanted presents on second hand sites!

Soon it was time for me to make the lunch - roast beef and Yorkshire pud - which took me a good 2 hours. Before everything was on the table and while I was still in the kitchen, the eaters were already digging in which always annoys me after all the effort I have put in.  I like to have everything ready, take photos and make a toast before attacking the food which is what they were doing, hahaha. But I did get a couple of photos of the food to share you. 

Yesterday's Kings' Day meal - roast beef and Yorkshire pudding

It was to be the last celebration meal of this Christmas and we enjoyed it. The cracker moment was fun and the dessert - all sorts of different ice creams, made everyone smile. But what a mess afterwards and no Tana to clean up for us. We did it between us and then Eladio and I crept upstairs for some time off.

I came down late at about 5.45 and was surprised the kids were still there. By then they were tired and behaving badly, so much so I had to remove the sword and shield from Elliot which made him cross. Tired herself, Oli took them home. And that was the end of Kings Day and Christmas. 

It took ages to fall asleep last night and at 6.30 this morning we were woken up by the unexpected arrival of our second guest of the year. Mileny, our Peruvian student had arrived unannounced and was ringing the bell which we didn't hear and our phones. She even rang Tana who rang me but mine was on silence. She finally got through to Eladio who had to put on his dressing gown and go and get her and help her with her enormous luggage. No doubt she will sleep for most of the day but she interrupted mine  After that I couldn't sleep and got up at 7.30.

I don't know what we will do today. Will we take down the Christmas decorations? Will Oli and co come and join us for lunch? Hopefully, we will be able to get in our walk which I desperately need. If we are it will be lovely as it is a very sunny day.

I have now come to the end of the stories of this week and it's time to publish this post. Tomorrow will be another day and my New Year's resolution - to go on a diet - is supposed to kick off tomorrow. Will I have the will power? I hope so.

What are your New Year's resolutions? I would love to know. As to wishes for 2024, all I want is good health, for Suzy to get better and return to the fold and for our little business to do at least as well as this year. Is that a lot to ask? On the world scene I wold love to see more peace, the end of the invasion of Ukraine and some sort of solution to the war between Israel and Gaza. I wonder what the news about both wars will be this time next year?  

I will love you and leave you now to get on with this first day after Christmas. Once again I wish you all a Happy New Year,

Cheers Masha