2 years since the invasion of Ukraine, astonishing blog statistics, getting my teeth back, sorry for Russia, new clothes, Spain's "Grenfell tower" burns in Valencia, another bear near Montrondo and other stories of the week.

Madrid, Sunday 25th February 2024.

Wearing one of my new tops - stripes of course!

Dear all. 

This week marks the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine by Putin and his army. The war is now at stalemate with Ukraine desperately needing more armament and funding from the West. It looks like the West is now tiring of the war, especially since the focus has moved to  Gaza - another tragedy. How long can this go on for? Will Russia ultimately win? The astonishing thing is that they should have cowered their previously brotherly nation into defeat within a week. Putin did not envisage any resistance and I am sure that, deep inside, he regrets his actions. 

So here I am again, writing post number 1051.  I have been writing the story of my week in the context of world events  for years now. It's incredible to think I have been writing a weekly blog post since the summer of 2005 - nearly 20 years ago. It's incredible too to  think that my life interests anyone but it must do as I have many readers, according to the blog viewing statistics I get. They are mind boggling: 888.225 all time, 31.613 this month and just yesterday 1498. I often wonder who my readers are and where they are from; the ones who are anonymous to me. I have just looked and the top ten countries my visitors come from, in this order are: USA, Russia, Spain, Singapore, UK, Germany, France, India and amazingly, Turkmenistan. 

Top 10 countries my blog readers come from.

Turkmenistan, really?

Well, wherever you are reading this from, thank you and welcome. In last Sunday's post, you had me with a hemorrhage in my mouth which had lasted all night. It was after yet another dental appointment where I had surgery and it turned out the bleed was caused by one stupid aspirin I took. Will never do that again. 

If you have been following my adventures recently, you will know I am undergoing serious and long term dental treatment. The bottom line is I want  back the beautiful teeth I once had. This is what they looked like when I was 26. They were the whitest of the white, B1, according to my dentist and that is what I will get back too, one day soon, I hope. 

The beautiful teeth I used to have - me on my wedding day aged 26, just over 40 years ago

 Although I have tried to look after them, they have not aged well and 40 years later I am undergoing serious dental treatment to get them back. That includes 2 bridges and veneers on my front teeth. The process is awful and so far I have had more than 8 appointments. But just 4 to go until I get teeth better than Tom Cruise's, according to my wonderful and patient dentist, Dr. Garralda. I have told him if they are as good when he finishes I will invite him and all his staff to lunch. Hopefully, by then, I will be able to chew on both sides. My mother always said that to be beautiful you have to suffer - how right she was. She must have got that expression from her French as I don't think it is used much in English. In French they say "Il faut souffrir pour être belle". (Thank you Adele for telling me that). 

So, yes I was suffering on Sunday last but not for long. I couldn't leave the house and didn't feel like it. Food was boring because it could only be soft and cold. Thus I ate mushed up muesli, orange juice and yoghurt which was like having 3 breakfasts instead of breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

But what am I complaining about I thought to myself when I watched the BBC Oscar winning documentary about Alexei Navalny, who needs no introduction, that afternoon?  If you haven't seen it, I urge you to. I knew the main facts about him, his stand against Putin, his poisoning, his return to Russia and his imprisonment after conjured up accusations and now his death but not the whole story. 

Alexei Navalny answering the question of what his message is to the world if he gets killed. What a brave man. 

When asked what message he wanted to leave to the world if he was killed, he first joked but at the end of the documentary which was made with his complete cooperation, this was his answer which I want to share with you: "We don't realise how strong we actually are. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing." He ends by saying "my message is very simple, don't give up". His wife Yulia has vowed to continue his fight. Long may she live. But she must take more care than her husband did. I often wonder whether he was wise to return to Russia after recovering from the novichok attack. Only this week was his body shown to his mother, with no more trace of the poison but she has been threatened. If the family hold a public funeral they will do something to his body. What else can they do I ask myself? They threatened that if she didn't agree  to a secret burial they will bury Navalny at the prison.  She refused and then amazingly they handed him over to her yesterday. RIP.  Obviously Putin is doing his best to avoid a public funeral and a show of support to his greatest political opponent. 

Navalny's death came to me as a big shock but not a surprise. More than anything I am sorry and sad for him and his family but also for Russia, my family's homeland they had to escape from. I can only end this by saying "Oh Russia"! Soon Putin will be reelected for another term as absolute President and most possibly Russia will win the war in Ukraine. Add to that, Trump coming to power again and we have a very sorry world to live in. 

In Spain that day the big story centred on  the results of the regional elections in Galicia, in North West Spain. I have to say I was happy that the PP, right wing party, got the majority of votes as I am sick and tired of the current government in power - a coalition of the worst kind. I am not against the socialist party, the PSOE, I am against the parties in the coalition that they rely on to get on with governing the country. These include communist parties as well as parties made up of ex members of the terrorist group; ETA, not to mention the far right Catalan party, JUNTS, headed  by the scoundrel, Puigdemont, who unlawfully declared Catalonia independent. He then fled justice by escaping to Belgium and it is his party's 5 votes which made it possible for the PSOE leader, Pedro Sánchez, be reelected PM. This set of thugs he has gone to bed with must be giving him nightmares. So, yes, I was happy they won't govern up north, as they don't in Madrid, Andalusia and other big regions in Spain. 

Monday came. I would have loved to go away for the week but had the dentist again and another medical appointment. We went for our walk like the good souls we are and then had a coffee to restore them. It was then time for some quick shopping before I upped and left, once again, for the dentist. 

That day I finished the book, The Society of Snow, upon which the amazing new film about the Andes crash is based. I like it more than the others because the author interviews all 16 survivors. They are very special people because they went through something very special together. My next book was about Russia or rather a Russian Spy. It has been dubbed "the greatest espionage story of the Cold War". The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre,  is the true story of the KGB spy who turned and worked for M16 in the 80's. What  a brave man Oleg Gordievsky was. He began to doubt the goodness of the Soviet regime when the USSR invaded Prague to stop the uprising and when the Berlin wall was built. No wonder. He was very brave too. I wonder what Alexei Navalny thought of him. 

Tuesday was very quiet. It started with our 1h long walk together with Pippa. Then I was alone for lunch as Eladio was out with his friends, Juanjo and Roberto to celebrate the latter's 80th birthday. 80! Oh my God. My own husband will become an octogenarian in September but honestly, he looks more like a sexagernarian!!

While he was out and he didn't come back till nearly 6 - celebration lunches go on forever in Spain - I watched the end of the original One Day film made in 2011. It was made by the author David Nicholls and I can't wait to read the book. If truth to tell I think the Netflix version is better. I far prefer the script and the actors. Anyone who graduated, like me in the 80's, will relate to it. Have you seen it yet? 

Wednesday was more interesting. It took us to the churros cafe bar half an hour's walk away from home. Rest assured we just had coffee. There we bumped into our lovely Iraqi student lodger, Mohammad. He sat down with us and finally asked his burning question to my husband; how and when did he know I was the woman for him. That was lovely to witness. We all came to the conclusion it was probably a month after we met in Spain when he had to back to his job and I had to go back to England. The real truth is we both fell in love within the first week we met. That was in the summer of 1980, the year I graduated. My story is rather different to the characters in One Day as you will know if you have seen it. I always feel I won the marriage lottery and Eladio does too. Here's to true love my friends. 

Just as I got home I received a booking for 4 people apparently from Slovenia, coming the next day for 4 nights. They wanted to come that night but I still had my Chinese guests who didn't leave until Thursday after 2 weeks with us. All of this was related to my dear friend Amanda in our weekly Skype call which is usually on Mondays but sometimes gets cancelled or changed. I always love pouring out my heart to her. Talking to her is much better than going to a shrink. Girlfriends are so important. Love you Amanda (who doesn't read this), Sandra, Adele and Kathy. Fátima used to be on that list but sadly she left us in 2019. She can never be forgotten.

I had to cut short the call though as I had a bone density scan that afternoon. I do one every two years. I think it's to check if I have osteoporosis which thankfully I don't. I made the appointment through my private insurance; Adeslas. In Spain private insurance if far cheaper than in most countries. Depending on your age it costs between 30 and 100 euros a month per person and covers nearly everything. Unlike the UK, you do not have to get an appointment with a specialist via your GP. You just ring the specialist of your choice or hospital. I usually go to Hospital Quirón or Montepríncipe. I didn't have to wait at all and the test was over and done in 10 minutes. The results will be in my Quirón app within a week. That was the last of the tests my gynecologist asked me to do. I have the results of all the others and all is good. So this year's MOT is now over, until next time. Now I am waiting for all my dental appointments to be over and we will be free to travel my friends; probably in April. Roll on April

Once home I got another booking, this time for the tail end of August for our house in Asturias. Wonderful I thought. It was a direct booking so no commission lost to Booking or Airbnb. I agreed to 7 people when normally the limit is 6. So I was furious the next day to hear from the guest that they would be a party of 10. I put my foot down and told them if they tired to enter the house with 10 guests they would not be allowed in. What a cheek. Let's see what happens in August. This hospitality lark has its benefits but also its complicated moments I can tell you.

Thursday dawned and that morning my Chinese guests, JZ and his parents left after two weeks with us. I wished them a pleasant journey back to China, a 12 hour flight to Beijing and then 1.5h to Shanghai. JZ works for a Spanish bank so comes here on and off. He and his wife have now bought 4 apartments in Madrid and have a golden visa. This golden visa attracts Chinese money as well as Russian money, as you can imagine.

That day we did not go for a walk as Eladio had a doctor's appointment to do a blood test - just a routine one and get a vaccine for shingles which he does not want to get ever again. He got it on our trip to Armenia and suffered a lot. Meanwhile, it was all hands on deck when he came back to get the rooms ready for our next guests - the 4 from the Balkans and a Spanish girl coming that day. Once again one of the bathroom basins was leaking and once again the insurance people came, just on time, to fix it. There is always something, ......

I was in Majadahonda by 12, the town where my dentist has his practice. I was there early and went to have a coffee. With time on my hands, I wandered up and down the main street, called La Gran Vía - every town in Spain has one or nearly - and looked at the shops. I came across a very attractive boutique called Miya which seems to be a global women's clothes shop of Chinese origin. In less than 5 minutes I walked out with 2 t-shirts, a blouse and a jumper, all for just 45 euros. This is what I bought. 

Lovely new clothes from a boutique called Miya of Chinese origin,  I came across in Majadahonda on Thursday

I haven't had new clothes for a long time and the feeling was good. The feeling was not so good at the dentist. It was the longest session so far and the worst. It was to take impressions for the moulds for 2 new bridges and veneers for the 5  top front teeth. I had no idea though that to fit the veneers, he had to reduce (drill/file down) my top teeth to about half their size. They were the best I had and I was so upset to feel them go. I could feel them with my tongue once he was finished and nearly cried. It was an awful feeling to lose them. Finally, about 2h later, he replaced them with a provisional sort of cover which is a supposed copy of my teeth but with no enamel. I walked out with a completely numb mouth feeling dreadful. 

In case you are not familiar with veneers (carillas in Spanish) this is what they look like (I think).

Veneers

They will eventually look great although the downside is that they only last about 10 years. Time will tell. 

The next session is on 6th March to try on provisional bridges and veneers. If they are ok, my dentist will order the final ones which, if all goes fine, will be placed in my mouth on 14th March. Meanwhile, my bottom teeth will be whitened. I hope I am not boring you with the story of my dental ordeal but it's top of mind at the moment and the most major treatment I have ever had. If I hadn't embarked on it, eventually my teeth would have rotted. I am scandalised by the state of many people's teeth in the UK, simply because there are hardly any NHS dentists. I even read some people resort to pliers to remove rotten teeth. Many others go to Turkey for cheap dental jobs and there are so many horror stories from the health tourist industry there. Bottom line, is take care of your teeth always. 

Anyway, enough of that. I spent a quiet afternoon waiting for our new guests. 4 strapping men dressed in worker overalls arrived promptly at 7 pm. Two are from Slovenia, one is from Bosnia - the Serbian part called Republika Srpska -  and one from Serbia. They work for a company called Dorssen based in Slovenia which claims to to be a world leader in automated storage - conveyor belts and robots at warehouses to pick and pack products. They are nice guys but were not very careful with the doors and gates until we told them. 

Finally when everyone was settled, including Ana from Bilbao who got lost, we were able to go to bed and watch the news. A horror story was emerging in Valencia where 2 blocks of modern flats were on fire. The fire started at around 5 pm and completely destroyed both buildings which were adjoined. It was a true towering inferno to watch live.  The high rise blocks contained more than 130 apartments where 450 people lived. The victim toll so far is  14 people were injured and 10 died.  More people did not die, thanks to Julián, the building concierge. As soon as he knew there was a fire he went from door to door of the 14 story buildings to make sure everyone left. The fire fighters took over when they arrived. I later heard a terrible story of a family with 2 small children. They tried to get out but were told by the firefighters to return to their flat and take refuge in the bathroom and put wet towels against the door except that by then there was no more running water.  The firefighter imagined the fire would be put out shortly but it wasn't to be because of the wind and other factors. Others disobeyed his orders but this family didn't. With a new born baby they took his advice which although it adhered to protocol was wrong in this instance. Otherwise they would be alive today.  I cannot imagine their suffering. Whoever he was, he will have to live with this all his life. 

Here are some of the images of this towering inferno.

Image from the towering inferno in Valencia on Thursday

Oh God I feel so sorry for the victims and owners who have lost everything, especially this family.  As I watched I couldn't help thinking of the dreadful Grenfell Tower fire in London and wondered if the fire in Valencia was also made worse by the cladding. And it seems so. I'm not sure it's the same material. Designed to keep out the heat and the cold, at the same time it was very inflammable. Now we have our own Grenfell Tower but in Valencia. None of the occupants who escaped the fire will have slept that night.  This is their worst nightmare coming true. I wonder whether they will ever get back in money the cost of their apartment and content. I read the flats were relatively new and cost upward of half a million euros each approx. How absolutely dreadful. It was the biggest news in Spain this week - no wonder.

We went to bed watching Viven (Alive), the original film about the Andes crash. Eladio thinks it's better than the Society of Snow. I am obsessed, you must think. Maybe I am but what a story of suffering and survival in the most extreme circumstances possible. That is what fascinates me.

I didn't sleep well and was up at about 7 on Friday morning, hoping the kitchen was free and it was. We didn't do much that day. I dressed for a walk which we didn't go on and tried on the various tops I had bought and took a photo of one of me in pink and white stripes - very me of course - That's the one I have chosen for this week's feature photo.  

We had coffee that morning at home, sitting in the sun by the old wood cabin which needs restoring. Here I am, in pink again, hahahaha, enjoying the moment.

Coffee at home on Friday morning - in the pink hahaha

Who was probably not having a good moment was the person who took a video I want to share with you. It's of a bear in a village called Villaseca - near Villablino and not so far from Eladio's village, Montrondo. The poor bear had probably come out of hibernation and couldn't find any food so it rummaged in someone's dustbin, albeit unsuccessfully. This is it.

A bear spotted near Montrondo this week

I reposted the video on Tiktok and on my YouTube channel. In the late 70's there were just 90 bears left in Spain, mainly living in the Asturias area with some in Leon, Galicia and Palencia. Today there are over 450 of them and the largest population of bears in Spain today is in the Villablino area  of León - the town nearest Montrondo where we do our shopping. The news has reached New York as you can see in this article I read about the new bear patrol set up to monitor the bears and protect the people living in the area. The villagers are none too happy as the bears enter their gardens, kill their chickens and rummage in their bins. Some people are afraid of taking a walk while others are keen to spot bears which has an affect on increasing tourism in an otherwise very remote area of Spain. So, yes, yet another bear was spotted near Montrondo this week.

We haven't been back there since the summer and hopefully we will be able to go once all my dental work is finished and before our "big trip". These were the things we talked about over coffee in the garden that day.

The rest of the day was quiet. We followed the news of the blaze in Valencia which made headlines all over the world. Again, I am so sorry for the victims and for those who have lost everything. 

Saturday came and out we went to have coffee together, go to the chemist and get more yoghurts for me - I am surviving on them at the moment with the state my teeth are in. At Manacor we were surprised to be greeted by a young woman who seemed to know us. I couldn't for the life of me think who she was. It turns out she is Bea (Beatriz) who was in Olivia's class at St. Michael's school. I remember her well because her family lived and still lives in Parque Boadilla near where our old house was in Río Tajo. Her mother owned a haberdashery and many an afternoon was spent at either their house or ours after school. I had to take a photo to remember the moment. 

Eladio wtih Bea yesterday in Boadilla

What a lovely coincidence to bump into her after all these years. I think we hadn't seen her since she was about 14 or 15 and now she must be 38 like Olivia. Very sweetly she told us we hadn't changed. But we have, hahahahaq. Bea totally agreed when I remarked what a happy childhood she, her siblings and our girls had had, being brought up in the quiet Urbanization of Parque Boadilla and going to a lovely bilingual school, St. Michael's. Their schooldays were so happy as was our life in our old house. Oli and Suzy were very lucky to live there and go to that school which I remember very fondly.

We came home and I had to rustle something up for lunch which would be easy on my teeth (aarrrgh), then it was our quiet time watching the news, sleeping, reading, etc. 

Today is Sunday and I think it will be another quiet day with not much to tell. So, let me leave you now till next week.

Cheers till then,

Masha

Remembering George on his birthday, a letter from the past, grandparent duty, a night away at the Parador of La Granja to celebrate Valentine's Day, visiting the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso this week and 43 years ago, home again, Navalny killed, the kids in Zaragoza and other tales of the week.

 Sunday, 17th February, 2024.

With Eladio on Valentine's Day in La Granja de San Ildefonso, an hour from Madrid. Visiting the Royal Palace.

Good morning again friends and readers, 

If last week we celebrated my birthday, this week we celebrated Valentine's Day and spent a night at the elegant and comfortable Parador in La Granja de San Ildefonso, about an hour away from home.  But before I tell you all about our visit, let me rewind to last Sunday where I last left off.

It was a quiet day, just the two of us and five guests who were not around much, except for the Chinese family who spend nearly all day in the kitchen, Their cuisine is complicated to make and the grandmother seems like a slave to her husband and son's palate and hunger. What must she think when she sees us preparing such different and simpler dishes.  She looked on with great interest as I prepared roast suckling lamb with red peppers. If only I could exchange a word with her. But all I know is "ni hao". She is 77 so no doubt remembers life under Mao Zedong. She nodded knowingly when I showed her a vintage bound foot shoe I bought years ago at an antique market in Shanghai where she is from. Her mother may well have had to have her feet bound too. Her son, JZ, took his parents on a 20 day tour of Europe, their first time here and maybe her first time outside China. What must she think? I wish I knew.

That day, the day after the Spanish film about the Andes crash in 1972, won so many prizes at the Spanish Academy awards, I re watched it. This time I knew who all the characters were in the magnificent film, The Society of Snow, as I have now read 2 autobiographies and 1 biography. Have you seen it yet? 

Monday was 12th February, my brother George's birthday. He would have turned 69 but sadly died aged just 46 of the worst type of skin cancer, melanoma.  It was last week I came across a letter from him to me written 45 years ago in February 1979 which is an absolute treasure. 

Treasure of a letter from George to me written 45 years ago in 1979

He was studying Latin American Studies at Portsmouth Poly and I was on my year in Madrid as part of my degree in Spanish and Portuguese at Nottingham University. You may not know that my dear brother became schizophrenic shortly after graduating although all the signs were there years before. At his funeral I spoke to his psychiatrist who told me boy teenagers who took drugs were easy victims to schizophrenia. It was so unfair as my dear brother was a golden boy, blond, blue eyed, over 6 foot tall, handsome, kind and gentle with an amazing talent for music, languages and sport. He enjoyed the talents but was never able to benefit from them professionally. Women fell at his feet as he was so handsome and the letter is full of the stories of the different women in his life, bless him. In that letter I can see the George I knew before mental illness turned him into a misfit in society. How cruel that must have been for my parents. God bless you George. I have never stopped loving you and if I didn't understand you were ill until the very end, please forgive me.  PS. What would you think of the world today I often ask myself.

George was very much on my mind when I went to the hospital that morning to have a small cyst removed surgically from my back. There had been 3 attempts to remove it so in the end I had to have a small operation. The dermatologist assures me it is absolutely benign but even so; it had to go. George didn't pay attention to all the small lesions or marks on his skin so when he finally felt really ill, it was too late. Poor George. He would have laughed to see me all dressed up for surgery though. I took a picture to share. I look ghastly but had to share the moment, hahaha.

Dressed up for very minor surgery to remove a tiny but persistent cyst on my back this week

I wonder what he would think of my increasingly wrinkled face. Last time he saw me I was just 44, so relatively young and pretty.

I was soon home and out again with my husband for a mid morning coffee at Manacor. There we discussed our trip, poring over a map of Europe  I found online. But we also spoke about the wood cabin in our garden which is deteriorating and needs complete refurbishment. That or pull it down and replace it. That's when I had the brilliant, or not so brilliant, idea of replacing it with a proper living in cabin to rent on Airbnb. I had said just before if only we had another room in the house I would fill it too. But with over 9 guests the kitchen gets too full.So how about an independent luxury wood cabin for 2 people with everything included? We are now working on the idea. All our best ideas seem to come when we are having our morning coffee I commented to my husband.

From Manacor we went to our bank to pay the awful tax arrears for 2019. I am hoping that is the last of the payments to the Spanish tax agency. All of this was discussed with my friend Amanda during our weekly Skype call that afternoon. I do love sharing my life with her and vice versa. 

That night this week's grandparent duty commenced. Eladio had to go and sleep with the kids and I would be there at 7.45 the next day to help him get ready and take them to school.

I was up at 6.30 on Tuesday morning as I need time for my breakfast and shower and reading the headlines before I am talkable to, hahaha. But you probably know that already. I was there by 7,45 with Oli's door key this time. Remember when I had to sit outside for 20 minutes as Eladio didn't hear the door bell a while back? 

Elliot was very keen to be on time for school, so much so he made us leave far too early. Here is Eladio with both kids leaving their house. 

Taking the kids to school on Tuesday morning

They are very sweet in the morning if a little stubborn, hahahaha. For example Juliet refused to put her coat on as you can see in the picture. We were one of the first to arrive at their school and killed time by taking them to Juliet's play ground which is full of all sorts of fancy tricycles. By 9 they were both in their classes and we were free but exhausted.

Eladio came home to shower and have breakfast while I set up my PC to do some guest related work. I was having problems updating Windows so then spent at least 2h on the phone to a Microsoft customer care agent who spoke to me from Bogota of all places. But she sorted it so the 2h were not spent in vain.  I had lots of back office work to do and when all was updated I got a new reservation for out house in Asturias, quite a good one. The place is now fully booked from 20th July to the end of August. Amazing!

Eladio had to spend the night again with the kids. I don't like seeing his empty side of the bed and didn't sleep well myself. I think I managed 5 or so hours and was up again at 6.30 on Wednesday. It was Valentine's Day my friends and we were off to La Granja de San Ildefonso, a beautiful little town near Segovia and near the mountains of Guadarrama. But first we had to take the kids to school. That morning Elliot was sleepy and a little down. He again wanted to be ready well in time for leaving even though there was loads of time. While we were dressing Juliet he nearly fell asleep so I held him in my arms. Juliet joined us and Eladio took this picture. It was a nice moment but OMG I look so old.

With my grandchildren on Wednesday morning

As I lead Elliot into his class, Juliet kissed him but pushed him in too and he burst into tears, poor little boy. I honestly don't know what came over him so took him aside and comforted him as best I could. Olivia later said he smelled of my perfume (Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb). So I left feeling sorry for him.

We came home to get ready to leave for La Granja de San Ildefonso not far from Madrid and near to Segovia.  Tourists who come to Madrid often include Segovia, Toledo, El Escorial, maybe even Avila and Aranjuez but I think they haven't really discovered this picture postcard town .We were staying at the Parador for one night to celebrate Valentine's day, something we had been looking forward to for a while. The Paradors are state run luxury hotels usually located in historic buildings in towns or places with special appeal. They are a guarantee of quality. There was an article in The Times about them this week so I thought it appropriate to share it here. We had stayed at the Parador in La Granja in 2011 but I was just as impressed this time as I was then. It's absolutely stunning and so big you can't take a photo so I pinched two online. It was once The Princes' "house", i.e. the sons and daughters of the Spanish monarchs at the time. No wonder. 

The Parador in La Granja from the outside and inside

We checked in around 12.30 and were given a warm reception. I had booked the St. Valentine's romantic package which included a meal, breakfast and I think a room upgrade as ours was magnificent. This is it or part of it. There were also some delicious chocolate strawberries awaiting us in the room. 

Our lovely room at the Parador.

We would settle in later as we were keen to visit the most important monument of the town, the Royal Palace, before lunch.

We had been before quite a few times but it never disappoints. In the early 18th century it  was built by the first Bourbon King of Spain, Philip V, who was the grandson of Louis XIV, the sun king. He modeled it on his grandfather's famous Palace of Versailles. It was Philip V who also made changes to the Royal Palace of Madrid in the style of Versailles. The gardens too resemble the French royal style of the time and they are amazing, especially the fountains which I have never seen working. The Palace itself measures 25.000 m2 and the gardens 360 acres which I gather is even bigger than the French original. At first the palace was meant to be the summer residence of the Spanish court from the 1720's during the reign of the first French king on the Spanish throne. Philip V, whose second wife was the infamous Isabella de Farnesia (Elizabeth Farnese) and with whom he had 7 children. (PD he had 2 surviving sons with his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy who died very young).  When he abdicated in favour of his son, Louis I, he retreated to La Granja. However his son died and the next in line was too young to reign, so Philip V took over again and that is when the Palace became the official court location. The history at the time is fascinating but I won't bore you with it. Just let me show you some of the photos taken that day. We managed to get one together taken by some passersby and that is the one I chose for this week's blog. Here are some more. 

Visiting the palace and gardens in La Granja de San Ildefonso

It's funny I am wearing red. Well, that reminded me of the very first time we visited the Granja. It was before we were married in 1981 and I was wearing a red jumper knitted by Eladio's mother. I remember too that Eladio didn't stop taking photos of me that day, like he still does, bless him. Once home, I went and looked for the album and found them but more about that later. 

There we were celebrating our love once again. As my dear friend Sandra said, we don't just celebrate it on Valentine's Day but everyday. I think we do or at least we try to. Love has to be tended to and kindled and there has to be time together to celebrate it like this week. Oh how I love my husband. 

After walking only a minuscule part of the magnificent gardens we ambled back to the Parador for our Valentine's Day lunch. I didn't take any photos but can tell you it was magnificent too. We both went for suckling pig which meant we wouldn't be hungry for dinner. To top that Eladio also had a first course of the famous bean stew which hails from La Granja.

We then went back to our room where we unpacked. You would have thought that for one night we wouldn't need very much but oh we do. It's not clothes that we needed but all our PCs, phones and related items as well as my morning coffee things. Only when we had set everything up could we sink into the amazing 2 metre bed with its fabulous memory foam mattress. I couldn't sleep so read my book. It's called The Scarlet Papers by Matthew Richardson and was named The Times' thriller of the year.  Set in the Cold war, this spy story is one of the best I have ever read. I finished it that night and that has me wanting to read more books by Matthew Richardson. It was recommended to me by dear friend Adele. Thanks Adele. A great find. 

At about 7 pm I invited Eladio to join me at the spa, one of the main reasons I had chosen this Parador. He declined, preferring a bath and shower in our room. So, off I went on my own in the lovely white and fluffy bath robe and slippers provided by the hotel. The spa water circuit was one of the best, especially the giant jacuzzi and the sauna.

I was back in our room an hour or so later and ordered a  big glass of red wine for myself which I had with a little salad left over from lunch. That's when we ate the   chocolate covered strawberries and they were divine.  

We woke feeling splendid and happy and very much looking forward to our breakfast. The Parador buffet breakfasts are famed. 

Wonderful breakfast at the Parador

I went for sweet, as always and Eladio for savoury. That's how we are, even different in our taste for food. I piled my plate high and would not be hungry for lunch. Once home it was back to my on and off diet. 

Before leaving La Granja we decided to visit the other important building in town, the Royal Glass Factory.  We had never bothered before as glass is not particularly my thing - it was the same in Venice but it was worth the visit. 

At the Royal Glass factory in San Ildefonso this week

I could tell you the history of it but would probably bore you. We left at around 11.30 and took the scenic route home past the well known skiing town of Navacerrada which borders with the province of Segovia, both being in the Guadarrama mountain range. I think I might have told you before that Madrid is the highest capital in Europe with the highest peak - Peñalara, measuring 2428m. The town of Navacerrada stands at over 1880m and it is often from there that TV journalists report on snow in the region. There was no sign of it that day. We got out to take pictures like the one below.

At Navacerrada in the Guadarrama mountain range in Madrid on our way home from La Granja on Thursday

I did a bit of shopping before coming home and with time on my hands after unpacking and having lunch I went to find the album where the photos of our visit to Granja would be. It took a while but I found the album and came up trumps. For some reason we have never forgotten that day trip. We visited the palace, inside and out and then went to have a picnic. I even remember using the gas stove as you will see in the set of pictures below.  Obviously in those days we could not afford to eat out. But what a find.

Visiting La Granja for the first time in 1981

1981 was the year I came to live in Spain. We found a flat together and married two years later. I knew when I came to be with Eladio that we would marry. What I could not envisage is how our life would pan out. I could never have known that I would still be in love with him 43 years later or that we would be celebrating Valentine's Day in that same place. We were just 24 and 36 in those pictures. I look serious, I wonder why. I shared them with my friends and Sandra told me I look better now than aged 24 - no way. She says it's because of the blond (fake) hair and lipstick. Whereas my friend Amanda, tells me I have kept my looks (thanks darling) but it is Eladio who has blossomed. I loved this comment from her "I was thinking Eladio has grown into George Clooney".  When Eladio saw the photos again after all those years, he told me I looked stunning. Was I? I never noticed and that is the truth because I was so obsessed with my weight. 

It's curious now I think of it that we chose to go to the Parador in La Granja for Valentine's Day, one of the first places we visited on our journey of love which began in 1980. I only hope the journey continues for many more years. 

It was a lovely break and good to be back. 

The house was full of guests. That night 2 young Croatians arrived. The girl, Tonka, is from Rijeka. That town is damned for me as it is where my Aunt and all her family (Gloria, Derek and children, Jacqueline, Michael and Antony) died in that terrible air crash in May 1971 travelling from Gatwick to Rijeka where they were going to spend a holiday on the Island of Krk. But how could I tell that to Tonka. Thankfully she told me she lives in Split which we visited on our road trip. What a wonderful city. We loved Croatia. 

That afternoon I had another of my multiple dental appointments with my dentist of more than 30 years, Dr. Garralda. It was to uncover the gum to reveal the screws for 3 implants and cover them with some metal objects upon which he will place a bridge. I left with plenty of time. It was raining and when I came to a zebra crossing I spied a woman with a dog who I thought would cross it. She didn't but the car behind me didn't stop and bumped into me. What a shock he gave me and my neck lurched with the bump. I got out thinking the back of the car would be completely damaged to find hardly any. We have yet to see if if has damaged the camera at the back. The man was very apologetic and obviously hadn't seen me. We filled out an insurance report paper on the bonnet of his car and in the rain. Soon I was in the car and on my way to the dentist. I got there just on time. The procedure was not particularly nice but it went well or so we thought. 

I was home around 6 and after telling Eladio about my exploits - mainly the accident, I had some free time before dinner. As usual we were in our bedroom by about 9pm ready to watch the news. 

However good the Parador bed was and it was great, there is nothing like our own bed. To think it is the same one we bought when we married in 1983. We have only changed the mattresses which are also memory foam. Pippa was happy to sleep in it that night too after spending the night on the floor in Tana's room.

Friday dawned and we went for a walk - a walk to the nearest cafe. Friday was the day the world learned that Alexei Navalny, the ex leader of the opposition, if that really exists, to Putin in Russia. He was jailed for being the opposition, nothing less and sentenced to 30 years in the worst prison possible in the Artic Circle. We don't know much more. The Russians have not given the body to his family nor will they say where it was. All they say is that it was a sudden death. Putin will never own up will he? Navalny had already been poisoned by him but recovered in Germany. He should never have returned to Russia where he was arrested upon arrival and now he is dead. What an awful story. RIP. You were very brave, too brave but the world will always remember you.

Both Friday and Saturday were quiet. On Saturday we had a man come to explain the installation of solar panels on our roof which many people around here are doing. I'm not sure we'll do it as the initial investment is pretty high and we might not even be here at this house to see the return on investment. I say, let the next owners put them in. In any case it only reduces your electricity bill by half;  not that much. I left Eladio and the man for an appointment to have my nails done. I spent nearly an hour falling asleep while the girl at the nail bar did a great job.

The rest of the day was quiet. I actually slept for about 1.5h and then watched the end of the new series on Netflix called One Day. It is marvelous. It's working class meets upper middle class at University with two great characters, one of them of ethnic origin. It's also a story of will they get together finally or not, so called "sexual tension". They meet once a year on 15th July for 20 years and wow it really hooked me and I didn't think it was my thing. Pretty twisted ending though I'm sorry to say. It's based on a huge best seller of the same name so I might be reading that soon too.

That day was not quiet for Oli and the kids. Miguel was stationed in Zaragoza this weekend to do some filming. So off they went to join him which was a great idea. I got some great photos of our sweet grandchildren visiting the TVE van with their father which I have to show to you. I especially love the one of Elliot with the microphone, don't you?

Elliot and Juliet with their father Miguel visiting the TVE van on Saturday in Zaragoza. 

I had a funny night. After my short siesta yesterday I woke up with blood in my mouth. One of the gums surrounding one of the implants was bleeding and it would bleed all night. I have a hemorrhage in my mouth and spent most of the night with a guaze pad on. This morning I rang my dentist on his mobile (bless him) and he told me to apply hydrogen peroxide and to come and see him tomorrow. I sincerely hope this doesn't complicate the ongoing treatment. 

And today is Sunday, the last day of the week, the Day of the Lord or so they say. And I'm thanking the Lord for all the good things in my life (apart from my "bloody" mouth hahaha).

Next week will be a new week and will not bring much fun or anything to look forward to apart from dental appointments and a bone density test. I can't wait for all this to be over and for us to be on our travels in April. Roll on April I say

Cheers then till next Sunday,

All the best Masha

Tomato war between France and Spain, Jumble sale in Gran Alacant, time out and lunch in Alicante, The King has cancer, home again, my birthday, words of love, family lunch and other stories of the week.

 Sunday, 11th February, 2024

By the port in Alicante last Sunday and what a sunny day it was too. 

Good morning everyone. I hope I find you all well. It is very shocking to hear the new King Charles III has cancer which we learned on Monday. But more about that later. 

We are now home again but last Sunday we were still at our apartment in Santa Pola. That morning I was eager to visit the Sunday car boot sale which I still call a jumble sale. What fun it was. Here is a photo to remember the visit. I wish I could go every week. 

At the Gran Alacant Sunday car boot  sale last week (jumble sale)

It was a beautiful sunny day and there was plenty to look at. I got a toy house for the children for their play corner at home as well as 3 lovely large mugs for the apartment. Suzy was happy with  them.

From there we drove down to the beach hoping for a coffee at a well known bar but it was closed, being February I suppose. Thus we went once again to Ca Pacorro on the lovely promenade at the entrance to Santa Pola coming from Gran Alacant on the the coastal road. We were lucky to get a table. It's amazing how full this area is now in the winter. When we first bought our apartment in 1999 (yes, that long ago), the area was pretty deserted in the winter but not now. Suzy was busy preparing a video for her You Tube channel so suggested we went out for lunch. We grabbed the chance and decided on going to Alicante, the capital of the province. Alicante is the city with the most hours of sunshine in Europe and is always vibrant. But it has an elegance other touristy coastal towns and cities do not. 

We hadn't booked a table so just headed to the port where we went into the first place we saw; Bodegon del Mar. It really was nothing special but it was right by the yachting port with views of the city and sea and served pretty good food. Plus, we were allowed to take Pippa in. But oh boy she was a nuisance, barking all the time. I love the typical starter in the area which is bread or toast with aioli and tomato sauce. That day I was not on a diet so indulged in one delicious slice.

Bread with aioli and fresh tomato sauce is typically served with a meal in the Alicante area and I love it. 

We both decided on a rice dish you would probably call paella but paella is only one type really. We went for what is called "arroz señoret" -  rice with seafood that is already peeled. I have to say it was one of the best we have ever had. Especially good was what is called "socarrat". You have to be a paella or rice expert of the region to know what that is. It's the crusty part on the sides which is always the tastiest part of the dish. This was our "arroz señoret"

Arroz señoret last Sunday in Alicante at Bodegón del Mar by the yachting port

The portion was too large so we took some home for Suzy.

Once outside I had to take photos of the view of the port and city. The only part I do not like is the eyesore high rise building on the horizon. It must have been built in the 60's or 70's and really spoils that skyline of Alicante. 

View from the port in Alicante. On the far right is the Castle of Santa Barbara. 

We then walked to the only beach in the city, the Postiguet beach which is where TV journalists often comment on the weather. It's nearly always good in Alicante. The beach was pretty full. Most people were clothed as there was a breeze in the air but some were in the water. Wow!

View of the Postiguet beach in Alicante last Sunday

Feeling inspired I took a video to post on my YouTube channel  and to share with you here. This is it. 

Postiguet beach in Alicante last Sunday

The whole place was buzzing and before we headed home we went for a short walk on the famous promenade called La Explanada - a sort of copy of a similar promenade in Copa Cabana I once read. It was to go the stalls there to buy some incense for Suzy. 

We were home mid afternoon, happy with the visit to the jumble sale and our time out and lunch in Alicante. 

Monday morning dawned and I still had a damned headache. I was beginning to wonder whether after more than a week with a headache maybe I had a brain tumour but I won't go there. I took a codeine and an aspirin which I had been hesitating to take together and it did help a bit. 

Eladio, Pippa and I went into Santa Pola, our nearest town and the town that our "urbanization", Gran Alacant, belongs to. It's about 7km from away. It is mainly a fishing town but also popular with tourists, mostly families or retired couples. There are no high rise blocks, hardly any hotels and no discotheques so there is no mass tourism like in Benidorm, Torremolinos or Lloret del Mar to name a few of the worst type of package tour destinations in this otherwise wonderful country. We headed for the main square by the old castle and sat and had a coffee at my favourite place, Dalua. That's where Sandra, Adele and I spent many a morning gorging on their delicious chocolate covered croissants when they came in October. And here we are together enjoying the moment. The photo is courtesy of the very kind waiter who served us.

Coffee at Dalua in the main square in Santa Pola on Monday

It was so lovely to be sitting in the sun in February. That's what so great about many parts of Spain in the winter. 

Sunshine was on my mind when I read an article in The Times that morning about the so-called "tomato war". Have you heard about how Ségolëne Royal, the former partner of Francois Holland and socialist politician, insulted Spanish tomatoes of all things? This was in connection with  huge strikes mostly by French farmers protesting about costs caused by super strict EU farming regulations. Their main complaint is that non EU countries, like Morocco, do not have to adhere so the former can no longer compete. Well, Spain is in the same boat as France. However Royal suggested otherwise when she said Spanish ecological tomatoes are inedible and do not belong on French supermarket shelves! She implied Spanish farmers do no adhere to all the EU regulations which is not true. This caused a huge uproar in Spain as you can imagine where we are very proud of our tomatoes. Spain is one of the biggest exporters in the world. And, sunshine, my friends has a lot to do with it. I couldn't argue the case better than a farmer from Southern Spain who said "that lady has a palate problem .... Unlike in France and elsewhere, we have sun all year round. That's why our tomatoes, in addition to complying with all the strict regulations, have flavour in them". I have to say I felt insulted by her comments. 

The tomato war

The Spanish PM has invited her to come and taste for herself Spain's amazing tomatoes. But back to the castle square in Santa Pola where we had been sitting in the Spanish sunshine. 

When I had had my fill of it, I had a sudden desire to indulge myself and get my nails done. After all it was my birthday week. So off I ambled in search of a good nail bar recommended to me by a local. I was immediately ushered in at Angeles nail bar. That of course left Eladio and Pippa to their own devices and I didn't think more about them until I left the salon. For just 8 euros my nails were done to perfection. I chose to have them painted with traditional nail varnish and thought the process would be quick but it actually took nearly 40 minutes. I don't know about any women reading this but after the pandemic I hardly bother with makeup, jewelry or nail varnish; only my red lipstick. So, being my birthday week, I thought I ought to make the effort. Of course I can do my own nail varnish but it's never as good as done professionally. I was pleased with the result which you can see on my hands that are looking older and older hahaha.

I indulged myself at a nail bar in Santa Pola on Monday

My husband had forgotten to bring his mobile so when I came out he was nowhere to be seen. But then they - he and Pippa -  appeared.  I then stupidly went into a boutique which I thought I he saw me doing but when I came out again, they had disappeared again. I went into "La Casa" my friends loved. There I bought a beautiful red jumper by a designer I had never heard of called Surkana. Have you? 

The colourful jumper I bought in Santa Pola on Monday

I considered it an early and well deserved birthday present. I then spent the next half an hour searching for my husband while he was searching for me. Of course we eventually found each other. This often happens to us, mainly because one of us has his or her phone on silence or doesn't have it at all. We had wasted at least an hour looking for each other and when we finally met it was time  to head "home" . It was  a simple lunch including more of my broccoli soup and some cauliflower I could no longer face.

I was busy after that with guest related issues. My latest Chinese guests who arrived that day; Jax, Cindy and their two small daughters, were so delighted with our house they wanted to stay until 20th. I somehow managed to accommodate them. In contrast to the picky Chinese lady who upped and left last week, this family from Shanghai are in love with our place. That was great to hear. It really was. 

All was well at home in our pad by the sea that afternoon when I was alerted to the news (through Sandy as usual) that The King had cancer. 

I'm very sorry for The King

We all knew he had just had surgery for an enlarged but benign prostrate gland which is quite a minor operation. However, Buckingham Palace issued this announcement at 6pm on Monday which must have shocked the world because it revealed the fact that during the operation cancer had been found. It is not prostate cancer.  Here is the statement.

A very shocking announcement from Buckingham Palace on Monday 5th February

That was shocking news indeed for the 75 year old Monarch who has hardly begun his reign. I am hoping he will recover shortly. Otherwise we are looking at one of the shortest reigns in history and William on the throne. The King has stopped all public duties but is "cracking on" with his constitutional responsibilities to quote the PM. That means, signatures and the famous Red Box as well as his weekly meetings with the PM which may or may not be in person. His son Harry flew out to see him on Monday but we have no details. Incredibly he stayed 30 minutes and then flew back!  I hope they  managed to narrow their rift. The last thing the King needs is warring brothers. As he once said "please don't make my last years a misery". He is in the same boat as many fathers and mothers of adult children isn't he?  The statement did not go into details except  to say the King had immediately begun treatment, no doubt chemotherapy. That gets me thinking he has to have a secondary of some kind. When my father had bladder cancer in his mid 90's, they removed the lump as it had not spread and he didn't need any treatment.  So has the King's spread or not? We know nothing more except for what the PM Sunak said the next day that it had been "caught early" which is a very good sign. 

I went to bed feeling sorry for the King. I mean after waiting nearly 60 years to become King, this must come as a blow.

That was our last night in Santa Pola with Suzy. We left on Tuesday morning  in two cars; Eladio in the Volvo and me in the Mini. We stopped for coffee somewhere and then for lunch about 120km from Madrid at La Venta San José. We were making good time until suddenly the traffic piled up on the A3, the main dual carriage way from Valencia to Madrid. Spain has 6 of these: The A1 to Burgos, the A2 to Barcelona, the A3 to Valencia, the A4 to Andalusia, the A5 to Badajoz and the A6 to Coruña. They are the main arteries and all start from Km Zero in Madrid, the centre of the country where all roads are measured from. Blocking these roads is the same as blocking an important motorway in any country. 

It turned out it was because of pickets of a spontaneous and nationwide farmers' strike like in France. Similar to farmers in France, Brussels and other places in Europe, Spanish farmers demand more flexibility from the EU, less red tape and restrictions as well as tighter controls on produce from non EU countries. They also want more help from the government such as petrol subsidies. They complain they are hardly make a living and I sympathise with them. The A3 was blocked on both sides of the road about 80km from Madrid and we were there for an hour until the pickets let some traffic through with the police on hand to make sure things didn't get out of order. Here is a photo to remember the moment. We had seen so much about the strikes in France, we never imagined our journey back from Santa Pola would be affected similarly. 

The A3 Valencia to Madrid road was blocked by a farmers' strike on our way home on Tuesday

I took a video also which you can see here.

Traffic at a halt on our way home from Santa Pola. 

Thus we were home much later than expected. We came home to a quiet house. Most of our guests were away and when they came back we were already in bed. Everything was in order thanks to Tana.

My headache had finally gone after more than a week, or at least I thought it had. However on Wednesday I woke up with another one. I think it's due to stress and lack of sleep.  It was a very busy morning. In our absence the cupboards were bare and we had to replenish them. On my way out I bumped into Jax, the father of the Chinese family. Both he and his wife "Cindy" and their two daughters Eva and Emma speak excellent English. They couple work or worked for GE and the girls very obviously go to an international school. They seemed nice people. We had to move all 4 of them that day to "Andy's room". They so desperately wanted to stay on that they were happy to sleep together in one room. 

At 12 I had another dental appointment. This time it was to put in "onlays" on my bottom right molars as they have a lot of wear and tear and were affecting my bite. I came out with a mouth feeling very strange and it was difficult to chew at lunch time. All I could eat that day were soft things. I have two more upcoming appointments and more to come until I get a Hollywood looking set of teeth. 

Later in the afternoon, my other Chinese family, also from Shanghai, arrived. JZ, who has been here before brought his parents. I installed them in his favourite rooms, the Green Room and Suzy's room. That night we had 9 guests and a total of 12 people in the house. Amazing. 

The highlight of the day was my weekly Skype call with my dear friend Amanda. I had a lot to tell her since our last call. Most of it you will have read about here. 

I had a nasty birthday present in the form of a message from the Spanish Tax Agency that day. It had come while I was speaking to Amanda but I could only download it later. It was more arrears owing to the bad work of my accountant when I was working as a freelance accountant. The nasty present was having to fork out over 4000 euros in arrears for the financial year of 2019.  I have already forked out for 2 other years prior to 2022 and think there is still one to go. Honestly I got the worst accountant possible. I am very cross with her and her shoddy work for which I  am now paying the consequences. 

Later Eladio took Tana to the hospital as she had a large and nasty boil on her back. The A&E people at the Hospital Puerto de Hierro were most efficient. They drained it and she was in and out within an hour. That's our national health system for you. Spaniards complain about it but do not know what they are complaining about I can tell you. 

Thursday my friends was my birthday and I turned the grand old age of 67; no milestone but a bit depressing to be 3 years off 70. Oh my God. How can that be? Maybe for that reason I was not very excited about my birthday this year and didn't really have any plans. We would make them up as we went along. 

The first thing we did was walk half an hour to our local shopping arcade where we indulged in "chocolate con churros" for my birthday breakfast. We love churros and porras (the thicker kind) but only ever eat them on occasion. Once home it was my birthday present moment. I had ordered two presents which Eladio had wrapped up and gave to me with a card he had actually bought. He is a man of all trades but no good at present buying which I forgive him for. Here he is handing them to me.

My good looking husband handing me my birthday presents

And here I am receiving them. I am in red and surrounded by red, including Pippa's collar to quote my cousin Marie Helene. Even Eladio was wearing red too that day but it was all a coincidence.

Receiving my presents

These were them, a pink striped nightie and a long pink dressing gown. You see I always wear pyjamas and a dressing gown on the afternoons I don't go out as I find it so much more comfortable to wear night wear. I even receive my guests in my dressing gown which shocked my friend Sandra hahahaha.

My self bought birthday presents from Amazon

I immediately tried them on and they were a perfect fit. The nightie could even be worn as a summer dress which will come in handy.

But the best present were the words on the birthday card he bought me. Here they are, words of love from my adored husband.

Words of love from my husband on my birthday, words to cherish. 

This is a rough translation c/o Google Translate which is getting better as the years go on.

"Happy Birthday!

After 44 years of always telling you I love you, it is difficult to add something new... Well, I still love you more every day! It is wonderful to always be able to count on you, your company and your love, and continue planning another fabulous trip across the world. ILY v.m (I love you very much) Eladio". In response I gave him a big hug. 

We had my birthday lunch out that day and chose an Indian restaurant, Little India in Boadilla. The food was delicious and it was wonderful to break my diet for one day. 

Curry for my birthday lunch this week

I couldn't finish mine as I eat so slowly these days - I can only eat on one side and the onlays feel so foreign in my mouth, eating is rather difficult. I can't wait to have a full and healthy set of teeth again. When we had finished out came the owners to ask if we had enjoyed our meal. They were a delightful young Indian couple who come from Kerala. We had a long and interesting chat and we will be back. 

We spent the afternoon resting and that was the end of my birthday on the day so to speak. Except that it wasn't. At about 9 pm, Mohammad asked me to come down. He had bought me a cake with a number one candle on it. He told me that's because I am "a number one". Bless the boy, I was dumbstruck at his kindness. I had to have a photo to show you. Here he is with the cake he bought and which I later shared with all the guests.

Dear Mohammad had bought me a cake for my birthday

It was shortly afterwards that Suzy made a video call, something she hardly ever does and that was a marvelous end to my birthday. The only thing I missed that day was celebrating it with my family. But no worries, we would do that on Saturday when I invited Oli and family out for lunch. Of course they couldn't be with us on Thursday as they were working and the kids were at school.

Friday was chaotic. Guests were coming and going and some were moving rooms. Poor Tana had a huge job to perform that day. 

But before that happened, off I went for my yearly breast cancer MOT; i.e. a mammogram and a breast scan. The former is pretty painful and the latter is pain free. I was happy to hear from the woman doing the scan that I was in the all clear. Isn't that good. The last test will be a bone density test next week and then I will be all done for this year. In Spain women do a yearly gynecological test after giving birth. I am especially cautious because my mother had breast cancer.

I came home to find one set of my Chinese guests still at home when they should have checked out at 11 am. That worried me as new guests were arriving. In the end I had to ask them politely to leave. Just as we were about to have lunch Tana announced there was a leak in one of the basins in one of the rooms which was to be occupied a few hours later. Eladio went off to buy a part from a plumbing shop but was unable to fix it. Thankfully the insurance took care of it and within an hour a plumber came and fixed it. There is always something to mend in this house.

2 more guests arrived that afternoon interrupting our quiet time, a girl from France and a girl from Algeria. I think she is our first guest from that North African country. That night we had representatives from France, Algeria, Spain, Iraq, China and of course Paraguay and England. It was the United Nations in our house this week. It was also the Chinese New Year, so I got a tiny percentage of the incredible amount of Chinese people who go on holiday. Most move around their enormous country to see friends and family they haven't seen in a year. My guests are the lucky ones who get to travel abroad and enjoy a high standard of living. Both groups I had this week have  a "golden visa" which is given in Spain to people who buy property over half a million euros. 

The highlight of Friday was a Skype call with my dear friends Sandra and Adele. Sandra commented that if anyone had told us 20 years ago that some of us would be receiving complete strangers into our houses or we would be staying with complete strangers, no one would have believed us. But it is happening and I love it. We also spoke about the Chinese New Year and I found out that both Adele and I are roosters (cockerel please) in the Chinese Horoscope. Sandra is the dog. So what are roosters like? Google came up with this: "The tenth Chinese zodiac is the rooster. People born in the year of the rooster are aggressive and picky. They pay very close attention to their appearances and actions, and they are great performers. In addition with their hard-working and dependable personality, they make great leaders." Not sure I like the terms aggressive and picky. I can be picky for sure but not usually aggressive. The rest may be true. 

Saturday came and although we have had a bit of rain since we returned from Santa Pola, the sun was shining. We went for a walk, had our coffee and later agreed to meet Oli and co at the restaurant. I had chosen Finca La Espiga not far from where we live. 

We were all there by 2pm and the place was pretty full. It was great to see Elliot again who rushed into my arms and I took a seat next to him. Juliet was fast asleep and only woke up after the cake moment. We had taken along a cake from Alverán, our favourite. Covered in white chocolate and fruit with a lovely light sponge layered with whipped cream, it was brought out with great fanfare by the waiters. Wow! What a moment. They played Happy Birthday music and the whole restaurant sang to my delight. Here are some pictures to remember the moment.

Moments with my grandchildren during the family birthday lunch yesterday

Elliot helped me blow out the candles. Then we did it multiple times once Juliet woke up. Oh, what fun. Later the kids went to play with other children with a child monitor. It all ended with Juliet falling in the mud on the grass which is to be expected with a 2 year old hahaha. 

We parted ways at around 5pm. Spanish lunches generally start between 2 and 3.30 and can go on for hours. There were people still there when we left. I have to say a good time was had by all and the food was delicious.

We came home to a full house but escaped to our quarters to wind down. Eladio slept while I watched more of London Kills on the BBC iPlayer, thanks to my VPN express.

Last night the Spanish cinema awards, "Los Goya, took place in Valladolid. I was thrilled to read this morning that The Society of Snow won 12 of them including best picture and best director. What a film. It is now on the list for best foreign film at the Oscars and I sincerely hope it wins. I have watched if of course but also recently read 3 books; 2 by the survivors who made the expedition to freedom, Roberto Canessa and Fernando (Nando) Fernando Parrado, as well as they book called Alive written by Piers Paul Read which are all excellent. But my obsession with the stories of the Andes crash in 1972 where 16 survived, continues as I shall watch the first film, Alive (Viven) again after all these years. I have also downloaded the sample of a new book upon which the Society of Snow was based. Of the same name it is written by the Uruguayan journalist and writer Pablo Vierci. If you are interested, I really recommend you see The Society of Snow which is available on Netflix.

Today is Sunday, the last day of this week which has been full of events. Next week we will be busy too and have something to look forward to. On St. Valentine's Day we shall be spending the night at the Parador in La Granja de San Ildefonso, about an hour form home. We were last there in 2011 for my 54th birthday, all 5 of us with my dearest father who was a sprightly 92 at the time.  Thanks to my blog which is a veritable archive of our life, I found these two photos from our stay there. I am happy to share them here again 13 years later.

Photos from our stay at the Parador in La Granja 13 years ago in 2011 

Gosh, where have the years gone? Tempus fugit my father would have said. So I told Eladio yesterday we have to make the best of the years we have left of health and stamina. The thought of becoming decrepit is not a nice one as old age is just so cruel. Having things to look forward to is always important to me, even if it's just a night away at a Parador, or lunch out. Doing things together is always a joy with my dearest husband. 

On that happy note, I shall leave you now until next week,

Cheers till then,

Masha