Back from Santa Pola but our hearts are still there, a quiet week in hot and sultry Madrid, Elliot at the barber's, time out in Montrondo and other stories of the week

 Montrondo, Sunday 1st September, 2024

Walking in Montrondo where the temperature is 10 degrees less or more than Madrid

Good morning everyone from my husband's village, Montrondo, in North West Spain where we came to escape from the heat except that it rained  in both Madrid and in the village which was not quite what we wanted. It is good for the country though. 

Today is the first day of September and it feels like the end of the summer as the temperatures have plummeted in most of Spain. But we are not complaining as we have suffered the heat in both Madrid and Santa Pola for so long now.

Last Sunday we were only just back from being with Suzy and have been thinking about her all week. Is she taking her meds? How is she coping? We don't know as she has hardly been in contact with us and doesn't want us to bombard her with messages. 

On Monday, Oli and family were back from Montrondo where they had spent a quiet and pleasant time. Here are a couple of photos to record their time here. 

Elliot and Olivia in Montrondo last week

While they were travelling, we did all sorts of errands including food shopping, of course. But there was time for coffee which we had at Manacor quite often this week. Here is a lovely photo Eladio took of me as it was a happy moment.

Coffee out this week on a few occasions at Manacor in Boadilla

We had guests coming and going that day at our veritable guest house in our own home and we are more or less fully booked for most of September already. Thankfully I have Tana to meet all their needs. But I am the main organiser and it's hard work. I have to be terribly careful with double booking which can happen. 

Tuesday was Suzy's big day. She was to have her first appointment with the outpatient psychiatrist in Santa Pola - the only public health one in the area - and the day could not have turned out worse. First she couldn't find a working hole in the wall to get cash for the bus and blamed it on a conspiracy from the state. She went to the wrong centre through no fault of her own and had to walk miles to the correct one. She was 18 minutes later  and the doctor had gone out to have breakfast! When she returned Suzy was so cross she put in a complaint and refused to see the woman.  The incident was like a huge step backwards in her progress and had us worried stiff all week. 

Olivia and family cheered us up though when they came for a swim and an early dinner. They took our minds off the main issue in our lives; the cross we have to bear. Tana made our dinner which we had on the table on the kitchen patio and it was great to be with Elliot and Juliet that day. Elliot was looking smashing as that day he had had a haircut. That shouldn't be news except it is as from the moment go, he has always had a tantrum when his father tried to cut his hair until last Monday when he agreed to go to a barber. It has taken 5 years for him to accept having his hair cut without kicking up a huge fuss. Here are some photos to remember the moment. 

For the first time since he was born, Elliot finally accepting having a hair cut without a fuss

That night my dear boys, Mohammad and Sarang, from Iraq and India returned. They had been in La Nucia near Alicante on an internship at the David Ferrer Tennis Academy as part of their Master's degree. They will be staying a month and hopefully more. What a delight it is to have them back. 

On Wednesday Oli and family were off again for their last short break of the summer. They went to stay at a flat owned by Miguel's family in Madrigal de la Vera (Extremadura). Here is a photo to record their stay if, by chance, Elliot and Juliet ever read my blog when I am long gone. I hope they will.

Oli and family in Madrigal de la Vera this week

We did a crazy thing on Wednesday afternoon when we went to Leroy Merlin to look into building a new cabin in the garden to replace the old one which is so ramshackle it needs taking down. We are thinking about turning it into living quarters to rent. Watch this space

Thursday came and we had decided to spend a few days in Montrondo to get the house ready for the winter but also to spend some time with Eladio's brother and his wife; my "in laws", Toño and Dolores. Although when we were leaving, my husband said his heart was telling him to go the other way, where Suzy is. We had left her and Santa Pola but our hearts are still there.  

We had a smooth drive and arrived on time for a late lunch. Oli and Miguel had cleaned the house so there wasn't much more to clean apart from the fridge. It was good to be back but I hadn't realised just how much cooler it would be compared to Madrid. I was soon wearing long trousers and a jumper.

Friday was a wonderful day. I spent the morning with Dolores shopping in Villablino for food but other stuff too. I got some lovely trainers which I now think might be a bit big for me but they are so pretty, don't you think?

New shoes from Villablino

The highlight of the week was a long walk with José Antonio and Dolores on a new path they had discovered recently. We took photos as we were walking up towards the mountains to remember the moment. I have chosen one of them for this week's feature photo. Our stay in Montrondo was well deserved time out for us; a chance to disconnect and recharge our batteries. Here are some more.

A new walk in Montrondo

Have you noticed we were wearing coats? That's a first this summer. We came home to have wine and pistachios at our house which later became a dinner of sorts. We opened the bottle of red wine we had bought in Orvieto (Umbria) and I drank far too much of it. Our "sobremesa" - a Spanish term for sitting round a table after a meal and talking, went on till late. But that night I slept like a log. Being in Montrondo had done me the world of good.

Saturday was cloudy and cool with the highest temperature only reaching 20'ºc. I made a typical dish from Madrid called "cocido madrileño" for lunch to share with José Antonio and Dolores' family. 

We went on another walk in the afternoon which turned out to be a bit of an adventure as we got lost trying to get back to the village without wading across the river. Eladio thought it was great fun but I must say I got rather tired. I hoped our next walk would be easier and less of an obstacle race. Here is a photo of Eladio when we finally crossed the river without having to take our shoes off in the freezing water.

Yesterday "La Vuelta" - the Tour of Spain cycling race, had its finish line in Villablino, so close to us. Had it been 30 odd years ago, we would have been there for sure; especially my nephew Miguel. We didn't go but, we met up with friends for dinner that night in Robles at a place called La Bolera. It was odd to be going out to dinner so late at night (21.30) in Montrondo but the occasion was well worth it. We were looking forward to seeing Ludy who is married to the famous ex cyclist Pedro Delgado, and her family as well as a cycling journalist and mutual friend, Sergi. It was to be a great night out and such a change in my  routine. Eladio chickened out so I went with Miguel my nephew. We had a great dinner and were not home until nearly 2 in the morning!!!

I woke up today at 9 am; very late for me. Today looks like it will be a sunny day and no doubt we shall go for another walk with Toño and Dolores later in the day. I look forward to that so long as it is on a natural path and not through fields cut off by barbed wire or across the river hahahahaha.

That's it from me today. Cheers till next Sunday,

Masha