1 year since the Hamas attack on Israel, autumn is here, a trip to Vitoria to see wooden cabins and a burst tyre on the way, Rafa Nadal to retire from tennis, National Day of Spain in Madrid with Geraldine and other stories of the week.

Madrid, Sunday, 13th October, 2024.

In the Retiro Park yesterday with my school friend Geraldine

Hello again everyone.

It's been quite a week with ups and downs. Recently someone posted a meme I thought was very fitting of what my life is like and I suppose most people's lives. I used to think I was a very lucky person and I am in many ways but I have had a lot of downs in the last few years. So I wanted to share it with you.

So true

It is courtesy of my cousin Andrei's wife, Debby who lives in Florida so imagine her week enduring Hurriane Milton. My friend Sandra who I often refer to in this blog says this is life but it's not always like this. 

Last Sunday at least was a quiet day. Suzy had spent most of the weekend with Olivia and the kids and their friend Laura and her baby. She had enjoyed it but I think it was all a bit too much for her. After all she has been living like a hermit and too much socialising had taken its toll. 

Some things pass and others don't, such as the situation in the Middle East. Ever since I was a child I have been aware of tensions in Israel and Palestine. It has been in the news during all my lifetime and even more so when one year ago on Monday, 7th October, Hamas attacked Israel and murdered and kidnapped many, some of whom were returned, some died and others are still being held hostage. Israel retaliated and we all know how Gaza has suffered but then their allies, Iran and Hezbollah in the Lebanon got involved and the war is expanding regionally. Israel boasts it has killed many of the leaders but where one dies, another emerges. I do not see an end to this war or even a solution. So no, it never f***ing ends does it?

Our lives continued quietly. We went on our walk and enjoyed Suzy's company for lunch. 

Tuesday was busier. I had lots to do; fill the tank of my Mini, get a prescription for more sleeping tablets and then a trip to my hairdresser, Conchi, who does my hair for a paltry 18 euros. Suzy and I had lunch alone as Eladio had invited his friends Roberto and Juanjo to a belated 80th birthday lunch. I spent time with
Amanda during our Monday afternoon skype call which I always look forward to. New guests were coming from Ecuador and Suzy had to move to our Annexe which we had spruced up but none of us slept well. Thankfully the guests had preferred to use one room instead of two so after that Suzy had her own space.

She would have had it anyway as on Wednesday we had decided to drive to Vitoria which is about 4h north of Madrid on the A1 towards Bilbao, San Sebastian and France. We weren't going for the weather as it was foul. Autumn really came this week with lots of rain and wind but nothing compared to Hurricane Milton. But it does mean our Indian summer is officially over. We were going to see a showroom of wooden cabin homes imported from Holland by a company called Hobycasa. They seem to have the biggest range of log cabins on offer. The only thing is they don't' offer them turnkey which means we need a contractor for all the rest (electricity, plumbing, etc) but I have found two. If we really were going to buy a log cabin we had to see them for real rather than just on internet. I booked a night at the Parador de Argomaniz, about 11km from the centre of Vitoria. I had been years ago during some cycling race with my dear friend Fátima and was keen to go again. 

We left home at 9.15, aiming to arrive at the Parador for lunch at around 14.00, so plenty of time I thought. However, some other thing came to pass to thwart our plans. One of the back tyres of the Volvo literally burst on the AI, about 85km from the Parador. It was raining and foggy so I think we never saw what caused it but it was possibly gravel.  Luckily, there was a service station just off the hard shoulder so we could stop somewhere safe rather than on the hard shoulder on the motorway. This is what the tyre looked like; ravaged.

The burst tyre on our way to Vitoria on Wednesday

We immediately rang our insurance company who promised to send someone within 45 minutes. The man actually came 1.5h later. Here he is changing the tyre in infernal weather by the way.  I don't remember what time he finished but  it was late and we had missed our lunch. 

Changing the tyre on the way to Vitoria

We were starving too. We could only drive at a maximum speed of 80kmh with the spare tyre and arrived tired and hungry at the Parador. They had no food for us either as the kitchen was closed and the cafeteria didn't even have sandwiches. Thus we had to drive to the nearest supermarket to get food to make a sandwich which we had in our hotel room at 5.30 pm, nearly English tea time, hahaha. The village we headed for was called "Alegria" (happiness) but the drive was not happy as there was a huge rain shower and I got soaked going into the Eroski supermarket. We later ate sandwiches in our room. 

But we were safe and nothing major had happened, just sh** that happens and you have to deal with until the next thing comes. We then had to postpone our visit to the showroom and also find a garage to get a new tyre. There was no rest for the wicked that day.

But we had our reward that night by having dinner at the Parador, not that we were particularly hungry btw. I noticed many of the guests resembled ourselves, retired couples, and many from outside Spain. I think the Paradors in Spain are very popular with people like us. We certainly like them. 

Despite a beautifully comfortable bed I didn't sleep well - I have had a horrible spate of sleepless nights and I am exhausted. Hopefully, that will pass too. But I perked up at breakfast on Thursday morning at the Parador. It was magnificent with anything you could imagine you might like for breakfast and to suit all tastes. I especially liked the churros. 

By 9.30 we had checked out and were on our way to Vitoria to get the tyre changed at Neumáticos Arriaga. 

Leaving the Parador

We left the car there to pick it up later and then took a taxi to Hobycasa. We had left the car in very good hands. In the end, as you probably know, when you need to change one tyre, you have to change the other one too:(. There we were met by Nuria, an expert in wooden houses. They had many on show but not all of their 300 or so models. But we got the feel of the place, got to meet the company who imports the flat packed wooden houses from Holland and it felt good. We have searched long and wide and I think Hobycasa is where we are going to buy our little house. We chose the Cádiz model which is much bigger than what we initially wanted - 35m2 with a lounge and kitchen area, a bathroom and two small bedrooms. Here are some photos.

And this is the layout inside.

And below is a glimpse of what it looks like inside. 

We would have placed an order there and then but first have to meet the contractor who will do everything else - plumbing, electricity, installation of the kitchen, bathroom, etc. He is coming here on Tuesday to discuss all we have to do. Then, of course there is the furniture and decoration; so quite a big project. But it is a project which, hopefully, will bring us a lot of joy and income too which is the main purpose. A friend said it could be our retirement place when we get too old to climb stairs. Well, who knows?

We left at 12.30 and were about to take a taxi to explore the centre of Vitoria, known as Spain's greenest city, but we got a call from the garage to say the car was ready so headed there instead.

Soon we were on the road home, the A1 and just one hour away from Burgos. Thus, the obvious choice for lunch was the Hotel Landa where we stayed recently to celebrate Eladio's birthday.  Once again we could not resist the roast suckling lamb.

We were home by 6.30 due to heavy commuter traffic but we were home and glad to be. We were greeted by Suzy, Tana and Pippa. Before even unpacking, we went outside to the back patio where we will eventually build the wooden house, to measure it. The house measures 7 metres long and 5 metres wide so takes up a lot of the patio which is already very big. But that is its place.

The big news that day was the announcement from legend Rafa Nadal that he is retiring from Tennis after the Davis Cup finals next month. What to say? He is 38 and has been plagued with injury and pain most of his more than 20 years of professional tennis but no one wants to see him go. He won 22 grand slams, just two short of Djokovic. Who knows how many more he would have won though if he didn't suffer from the rare degenerative condition called Mueller-Weiss syndrome. In 2004 he was told he had to quit tennis because of the syndrome. But he is a warrior and continued despite the chronic pain that affected the bones in his feet, He has given us so much joy, along with Federer and Djokovic. He has also been Spain's best ambassador ever. In France he is a legend too for winning 14 Roland Garros. Here is his video in Spanish but with English subtitles. I loved it. 

Sad announcement from Spain's Rafael Nadal this week

It was good to be home but once again I slept badly. My Kindle which usually helps me to sleep had frozen but thankfully I was able to reboot it on Friday after googling how to. What would we have done without Google in the past?

Friday was obviously shopping day as the cupboards were rather bare. It took us most of the morning. Once again we ate alone while Suzy went to have lunch with Oli - I love that they are having quality sister time.

I managed an hour's sleep after lunch which had me in better spirits and then I was out again, this time to my nail bar or salon. I don't like going to the hairdresser but I enjoy having my nails done. I had what they call a Russian manicure which uses a drill to get rid of all hard skin. That was my hour of indulgence this week.

And then Saturday was here and I had a great day and a break from routine. My school friend Geraldine from St. Josephs' College Bradford, who I have known since we were 11, was stopping over in Madrid for two nights on her way from Washington to her house near Marbella. It was a wonderful chance to see her and for her to see a bit of Madrid as, although she has travelled extensively, she had never been to Madrid. 

We met in Plaza España on one of the worst days ever to visit Madrid. It was raining heavily for most of the morning and it was Spain's National Day which is a holiday to celebrate Christopher Colombus' discovery of America in 1492. It is also the Armed Forces Day with a huge parade attended by the Royal family which also means traffic chaos. But I took the metro and Geraldine walked from Atocha. We headed to the rooftop bar of Hotel Rui  but it was not the best day to see the great views from the top owing to the heavy rain. 

The rooftop bar in the rain

Despite the rain it was great to be together. I hadn't seen Geraldine since she held a garden party for us in her home in Yorkshire when we were there in May 2022 for my father's funeral. We had a good catch up over a capuccino and tried to decide what to do escape the rain. I very stupidly looked for tickets to see the Royal Palace but of course it was closed for the King's reception after the parades. There were no tickets available for the Prado either but we did find tickets to see a lesser known but magnificent palace, The Palacio de Liria which belongs to the house of the Duke of Alba, Spain's most noble family.

When there was a slight in the rain, we ventured out and walked up the Gran Via teeming with people, towards Callao and along Spain's most commercial street, Preciados, until we got to the very heart of the city the Puerta del Sol. As Madrid is in the very centre of the country, roads are measured from this square and people queue up to take a photo of the exact spot called "Kilómetro 0" We did too.

Kilometre Zero with Geraldine yesterday

Being the local, I guided my friend to the Plaza Mayor and took her to its most famous entrance, "Cuchilleros" and showed her Botin, the oldest restaurant in the world, the building of which was started in around 1590. It was a pity we couldn't get a table there but you have to book weeks in advance. I had found it difficult to get a table for us but finally found one at El Paraguas (the umbrella!). It's in Madrid's chic district of Salamanca so we took the metro from Opera to the Retiro park and then found our way there. It was so lovely to be somewhere so civilised and where you know anything you order will be of excellent quality. For the record we had battered prawns, artichokes and croquettes. Here we are sitting down and about to enjoy a lovely Spanish meal at a chic restaurant, a far cry from going to the Kashmir in Bradford for lunch when we were at school hahaha. 

Lunch with Geraldine at El Paraguas yesterday

I then took my friend to another favourite place in Madrid, the beautiful Balbisiana cafe where she had Earl Grey and I had a decaf. We also tired one of their delicious homemade truffles.

Our tickets for the Liria Palace were for 15.45, so at about 3pm we got a taxi and were dropped off by the Royal Palace so my friend could see it. There were crowds outside waiting to see government figures and the King but we were not for waiting. We had to rush to the other palace, got there a little late but on time to see it. I had always heard this palace was stunning. It is owned by the Albas, who count among their descendants Mary Queen of Scots, the House of FitzJames and the first Duke of Berwick. Their lineage is rather complicated but did you know that the former Duchess of Alba had more titles than the Queen of England and that they were friends? The Liria Palace is their Madrid residence and is full of paintings by famous painters  - what a collection. This is it from outside

El Palacio de Liria, the Madrid residence of the House of Alba

My friend Fátima used to know the Duchess of Alba's children when she went horse riding at the Club de Campo in her teens. The elder son, Cayetano told her that to see his mother he had to go through her secretary. She also told me the kids were generally left to their own devices while at the Club. Funny eh?

Our day in Madrid did not end there. It had stopped raining after lunch so we decided to walk from the Palace to the Retiro park - quite a walk. We stopped at the Cibeles square where the Correos building and the town hall are. It is one of Madrid's most iconic buildings. 

Our last picture of the day was by the lake and it is the one I have chosen for this week's post. We then walked to the end and sat and had a aperol spritz sitting by the lake and chatting until it got late. We parted ways after a wet but wonderful day together, at the end of which we had walked more than 20 thousand steps! When I got home my legs were aching. I joined Eladio for a quick bite for supper and soon we were in bed. He watched Spain beat Denmark in a football match while I turned on my iPad to watch more of The Resident on Netflix which I am quite addicted to.

I was up today, Sunday, at around 6.50 after having slept 7.15 hours which is a lot for me. Today will be a sunny day and the temperature will reach 25ºc. If only it had been like that yesterday then my friend would have seen Madrid in a better light. Even so, we had a great day together. It was fun and a super break from routine for me. 

Now my friends I have come to the end of the tales of this week. Let me wish you a happy Sunday and say thanks to you for reading my blog. 

Cheers till next week,

Masha

Suzy is home and she is back, the family reunited again, time with Elliot and Juliet, 25 years since my mother died, Airbnb super host again and other stories of the week.

 Madrid, Sunday, 6th October, 2024.

Suzy and Olivia melt into each other's arms when they were reunited on Tuesday. That's the photo of the year and it made me so happy.

Good morning all. In contrast to most of the last year or more, I have had a very good week and it's all because Suzy came to stay and of her own volition. That is progress and I'm still pinching myself as if I can't believe she is better and she is here with us. As Oli said when I posted photos of her, "Suzy is back". That is huge progress.

Last Sunday we were still waiting for her after she missed the bus on Saturday. That day  was quiet but busy. A Canadian couple, Karla and Jim, came to stay and would be here till Thursday. We were there to welcome them and answer all their questions. I took Jim to do some food shopping and it was funny to see him adapting to a Spanish supermarket compared I imagine to one in Ottawa. I later helped them hire a car. I was only free in the afternoon when we had a social engagement. We were going to Elliot's umpteenth birthday party; the one with his school friends we hadn't let him have at home because of the chaos of 20 or 30 kids and a similar number of parents. Instead they held it at the social club where they live. We arrived after it had started and the noise was the first thing that hit me. Elliot and Juliet were in their element with all the things going on. We stepped outside to talk to some of Oli's  friends and after a couple of hours, made a quiet exit.

Monday came, the day Suzy was coming. In the morning I had a coffee date with my friend and neighbour, Elena, who seems to spend most of her life on a cruise ship going round the world with her husband. That's why we hadn't seen each other for more than a year. It was good to catch up. I walked to the cafe with Pippa and walked back with her. Meanwhile, Eladio had gone to see his eye specialist and came home with dates for his cataract operations; 14th and 21st October. 

Just as we were watching the news after lunch - the dire situation in the Middle East - we heard from Suzy that she was safely on the bus. Only then was I able to relax and I laid down to watch The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (the 1969 film adaptation of Muriel Spark's book). It stars a young Maggie Smith who puts on a very good  upper class Edinburgh accent. I mentioned the film last week and a friend, 
Veronica, sent me the link on You Tube where you can watch it for free. This is the link if you are interested. 

Suzy's arrival was approaching so I started on our dinner which would include smoked salmon that she adores. By 8.30 pm she was with us and looking good. She melted into my arms. Oh how happy I was to see her. It was her first time back in about a year. I asked her at dinner why she had come and it was because she was home sick. She told us she will be spending a month here. Poor lamb she will be moved from room to room because of all the room bookings but she didn't seem to mind. She tells us she is taking her meds but got her psychiatrist to remove one of them. Her stay here means she will miss her appointments but I suppose being home, if that is what she wants, will be therapy in itself. Later she joined Mohammad and I for a fag on the terrace. She didn't seem to mind all my guests; the Canadians, Jen from the Philippines, Bea from Mexico and others. Before she used to hide from them all. Now it seems Suzy is back to her old self, although still very fragile. I am taking day by day and whatever happens will happen. For the moment all is well and I can hardly believe it.

I should have been able to sleep that night but I couldn't. I think I was too nervous. But I got through the night somehow and was greeted by Suzy early in the morning on Tuesday.  I was having my first coffee and she was about to go for a walk or a jog. We would meet later for lunch

That morning Eladio and I went to LM to see the people about  the  garden cabin we want to build in the garden. We wanted to go over the proposal and estimate which I was not too pleased with. I told the guy it did not seduce me, for want of a better word. We came away leaving him with work to do. We are also in touch with other companies so this project could take some time. We talked about it over coffee at Starbucks which is outrageously expensive, don't you think? Oh, but it's so good.

We were home for lunch and Oli was coming too so it would be just the four of us which is quite an event as it doesn't happen often. Oli was home shortly after 2pm and looking stunning with her makeup, outfit and hat. The girls melted into each other's arms and that is the photo I have chosen for this week's feature photo. For me it's the photo of the year as it says so much; that the girls are sisters who, despite all, love each other and that Suzy is better and on the road to recovery. How long that journey will take we don't know but we shall be there for her every step of the way. 

My beautiful girls together. 

Lunch was peaceful and enjoyable. How lovely to have both girls with us and in harmony. Later we all went to have a rest until Oli had to pick up the kids and bring them here while she went off to her French lessons. 

Juliet and Elliot were happy to see their Aunt who they either call "Susi" or "Aunty Bonny" (long story about the origin of Suzy being called Bonny). Here are some pics of our time with them; feeding them, pushing them on the swings and even bathing them.

Time with Elliot and Juliet on Tuesday afternoon and with Suzy who helped us. 

When Olil came to pick them up at around 8.15, she was very happy we had bathed them as that would be one chore less for her that night before putting them to bed. A good time had been had by all. 

Only then could we have our own dinner; not quite as elaborate as the first night Suzy came, but very pleasurable too. That night we learned that Iran had bombed Israel in retaliation  for the killing of the Hezbollah leader. But their nearly 200 missiles were mostly thwarted by Israel's famous anti missile dome. They managed to kill one person, ironically a Palestinian from Jerico. We are all now waiting to see how Israel will retaliate.

I had a slightly better night and woke up feeling slightly more refreshed on Wednesday morning. It was 2nd October. That day an old pupil of my mother's, Vladimir, a teacher of English at the University of Sofia, wrote "Yesterday was the 25 years passing away of your mother and my good friend, Elena Llooyd (née Princess Lieven. May her soul rest in peace and eternal memory". I realised I had completely forgotten. This year was the first time I ever forgot. How could I forget? Maybe because I was so wrapped up in Suzy being back and on recovering. I felt so bad and Suzy told me I shouldn't. Born in Rome on 7th June 1920, just after the Russian revolution,  she died of cancer in Bradford, Yorkshire, on 1st October 1999 aged 79. She left us all bereft. She was such a remarkable woman. I have written about her many times here but have not written her book. Will I ever I wonder? But to remember her I posted some old photos of her over the years; not that I have very many. Those I do I treasure and here are some of them.

Bulgaria probably in about 1940

Feldkirch, Austria after the war and working for the French Control Commission helping displaced people. 1945

The photo she used for her refugee documents during and after the war

With her pupils at the so-called "Spy School" in Cambridge, early 50's.

Cambridge. Engaged and about to be married, probably in 1953

With her fully formed family in Cambridge in 1957, the year I was born

Cycling with George in Cambridge in around 1956

Mummy in the late 50's in Cambridge

In Ruskington (Lincolnshire) where we moved in 1960. Mummy with her children and her pigs. 

With George and me in the late 70's at the Norwich Russian courses

On my wedding day, the four of us with Eladio - August 1983. She was 63 then

Recently retired with my father in the mid 80's at the Norwich Russian courses again

On her first visit to Bulgaria after the Iron Curtain fell. With her three sisters (left to right) Masha, Olga and Dara. They had parted in Sofia as young girls and met again as old women to quote my dear Mother. 

Many people wrote how I look like my Mother and Suzy too. Funny but we don't see it. So there you have it, some photos from significant moments in her life and what a life she had. Thank you Vladimir for reminding me that this week was the 25th anniversary of her passing away. Again, how could I have forgotten?

Apart from that lapse, Wednesday was a quiet and good day. We went for our walk and had our meals with Suzy. Of note I also helped Mohammad find free Spanish lessons for foreign nationals. He is now on a mission to learn Spanish and we shall help him. 

The news that most pleased me that day was Carlos Alcaraz beating Janik Sinner in the China Open. He is back with a vengeance I hope. What great players they are. 

Thursday came. Our lovely Canadian guests left< off to Nerja and then to explore Andalusia. We, meanwhile, had to get ready for new guests and Suzy had to move rooms. She is going to have to spend several nights in the annex of our room. Apart from clearing it out and making it look homely, we had to deal with some mould caused by condensation we are told. Leroy Merlin (LM) had the products and this week saw Eladio removing it and painting the room which now looks quite attractive.

We did the shopping in the morning including coffee at Manacor and had a pleasant lunch with Suzy who generally does her own thing but is a lot more sociable than before. New guests arrived in the afternoon, a German lady and her Spanish husband from the Canary Islands. They soon settled in and I didn't see them again that day. 

Oli brought the kids again that afternoon while she went to her Thursday French lessons. We spent some time with them by the pool w hen I got Eladio to string conkers for Elliot. For both of them this was something new. Later I wished we hadn't as his first target was poor Juliet. We had promised to take them out to dinner to a place called VIPs, a rather good and established fast food restaurant. Their behaviour could have been better as it felt like feeding time at the zoo (hahahaha). They only really wanted a dessert and both adored the pancakes and Suzy's chocolate pudding. Elliot ate very little while Juliet wolfed down anything she saw on her plate, mine or Suzy's. 

Juliet and Suzy enjoying a chocolate dessert at VIPs this week

I had a club sandwich which I shared with her as well as a pancake with maple syrup (delicious).  Later I regretted eating such heavy food for dinner.  Oli picked them up shortly after 8 pm and the three of us returned home and went straight to bed. It had been fun but quite exhausting. 

Friday came. That day Airbnb  recognised all my efforts for this last year and declared me Super Host once again with a whole year of  consecutive 5 star reviews. I was rather happy about that.

Airbnb super host again with top marks in each category. 

It's not easy to get 5 stars for all stays in one year but I did it. 

The house was full of guests that day and at one stage I found myself cooking with Jen from the Philippines who cooks for her son every day. We were joined by Bea from Mexico who was translating Mohammad's CV into Spanish. At one stage my new German lady guest popped her head into the kitchen, to add to the nationalities of women in this house this week, including Tana from Paraguay. Jen was making a dish called Pancit Bihon and left some for us and for Suzy to take to Oli's. The main base is rice noodles (the glass kind) and I thought it was delicious. 

We went on our walk, I cooked and made Elliot's favourite, meat balls some of which Suzy took to him for dinner and apparently he wolfed down 8 of them I shall be making more. 

Saturday was quiet too. Oli had a friend from the girls' scouting days, Laura and her 1 year old baby staying. I was so happy that Suzy wanted to join them as she has been such a recluse. Late she told me she had had a good time - music to my ears. We went for our walk and later had coffee at Manacor where our main topic of conversation was the garden house. We are not there yet but will be, I hope.

And today is Sunday and it threatens to rain. I think the Indian Summer is nearly over unfortunately. We shan't do much today but I shall be counting my blessings. I'm so glad to have such good news this week as I'm sure you can imagine. Let's hope and pray it continues.

And that's it my friends from me until next Sunday.

Have a good day.  Cheers Masha