Alcaraz beats Djokovic in Australian Open and becomes youngest man to complete career Grand Slam, Kafkian new rule for rental hosts, some retail therapy, flooding in Spain, Suzy invited us to lunch at Honest Greens and other stories of the week

 Madrid, Sunday 8th February 2026 - My birthday

The four of us at Honest Greens on Friday where Suzy invited us all to lunch. Thank you Suzy. 

Hi everyone. Today is a great day. It is my birthday and I am just shy of 70 so have one more year in my 60's. Where did the years go? Time flies doesn't it? 

It's been an up and down week but last Sunday was certainly an up day. It was a great day for Spain's tennis prodigy, Carlos Alcaraz. Aged just 22, he beat the GOAT of tennis, Novak Djokovic, aged 38, the holder of 24 grand slams. At the moment the match finished, Carlitos became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam (all four major tournaments - Wimbledon, Roland Garros, US Open and the Australian Open). He also won his 7th grand slam, the youngest man  to reach that number. He now leads the select club of those male tennis players who have also completed the Career Grand Slam. For the books the others are: Rafa Nadal (24), Roger Federer (27), Novak Djokovic (29), Andre Agassi (29) and Rod Laver (31). Quite a select club from the Open Era. But did you know that Steffi Graf was already a Career Grand Slam winner aged just 18? 

Eladio watched the match but I couldn't as it was too nerve wracking. So I followed it on my phone in the bathroom. As soon as I saw the 4th set score, I knew he had done it and rushed into our room to see him live - such a pleasure. Both he and Novak were amazing and there was Rafa Nadal watching them from the stadium. Later they hugged which was beautiful to see. I love watching the prize ceremony when a Spanish or British tennis player wins and Sunday was unique. I later came across  a great photo of them and their trophies combined with a photo of Carlitos aged 13  watching Novak practice at the Madrid Open. When that photo was taken could Alcaraz ever have imagined playing the GOAT (greatest of all time) in a Grand Slam final and beating him? Who knows? Anyway, here is the photo which went viral, of course.

Above, Carlos aged 13 watching Djokovic practicing in 2016 and below after beating him at the Australian Open

In the press conference afterwards, one question stood out. Could he win all four grand slams in one season? Even Carlos thought that was quite an impossible objective. But who knows? He could do it. The last man to do that was Rod Laver in 1969. More women have achieved the "Golden Slam" though and they are Maureen Connolly (Little Mo), Margaret Court and Steffi Graf. Of interest, by the way, sitting in the stadium was the GOAT of women's tennis, the one and only Margaret Court who is Australian. Both she and Djokovic hold the greatest number of singles grand slams and last Sunday Djokovic's main objective was to reach 25 and beat Court. It was not to be but he may still do it. Who knows?

If you are not into tennis, I hope you don't find my blog boring. Sorry if it's not your thing.

The highlight of Sunday was a long video call with my dear friends Kathy and Phil. Oh how I wish I could be with them in Yorkshire now. 

Monday was, by the way, Groundhog Day and it felt like it. The weather was foul, robbing us, once again, of our walk and it seems to have rained everyday since. We have had Storms Leonardo and now Marta and they have caused havoc, mostly in the South of Spain.

If Sunday was an up day, Monday was definitely a down day. I had to battle with trying to comply to a new and Kafkian rule for short term rental hosts, like me. It was so difficult I even began to think it was impossible and we would have to sell our houses and give up the business. If last year I had to battle to get a special number for each listing from 3 different Land Registry Offices which took me the best of 3 months, this year a new requirement was published and it is a nightmare. It has to be finished by the end of this month and if you don't submit the forms, they will  cancel  your special number and I and many others won't be able to publish our listings on Airbnb, Booking and the like. Basically the Government wants to know the dates of each reservation and the reason for the guest staying but why I really don't know. I suspect it is just more control. The form to fill all this out - and in my case that is 7 forms, is devilish. You have to download a software programme called N2 and have a digital certificate as well as be a subscriber of the Registry Office. The N2 app is awful and had me in knots. Just look at my PC while I struggled to complete the processes.

Struggling with the ghastly N2 app to fill out the forms online

Next to me I had a 41 page manual on how to complete the process to be found on the Land Registry website which is a complicated site if ever I've seen one and I'm not completely computer illiterate. But imagine people who don't have a PC or Windows - there is no MAC version yet - Thankfully I was not the only person lost and took comfort in forums on Facebook for hosts and got help. I found a wonderful computer geek, Carlos from Valencia, who is also an avocado farmer, who for not much money would be my saviour. Actually, once he showed me how to do it, I learned but it wasn't easy, not even for him. Whoever designed the programme should be fired. 

I had a break from battling with the N2 programme when it was time for my weekly video call with Amanda. She commiserated and it was great to get up to speed again. 

Tuesday was an up day although I didn't think it was going to be.  I finally got on the scales. The last time was in the middle of August after I had finished my last dose of Mounjaro when I had reached my desired weight. I had seriously thought I had put on weight, especially after Christmas, and was thinking of asking my GP for more Mounjaro. But I was blessed as I only put on just under 2 kilos. How could that be as I have been eating more than I need and lots of chocolate?  I had been wearing black leggings for weeks and weeks and that day tried on my jeans and they were fine as were all the other trousers I wore this week. Whoopee I thought. I hate the scales but for once they told a nice story. 

To add to my happiness, that day I got 3 new bookings. I also cancelled our two night stay at the Parador in Gredos and swapped it for the Parador de Saler near Valencia where the weather will be much better. That's where we are going tomorrow to continue celebrating my birthday and from there to Santa Pola. As soon as I learned that the Parador in Valencia has a spa, I booked a massage. I also booked a table at a restaurant we went to near it about 10 years ago. It's called L'Establiment and is in El Palmar right by the Albufera lagoon. I have ordered  a seafood paella and can't wait to go there.

Feeling good and needing a bit more nurturing I suggested to Eladio that we go and have coffee - well just me - and do some retail therapy at our local shopping centre in Majadahonda. It was to buy my birthday presents. I have a wonderful husband but he is no good at buying presents, haha. I had a grand time, first celebrating the news from the scales by having a coffee and a croissant. I then left Eladio sitting at the cafe while I went looking for presents for me. I found a warm and snuggly cream coloured fleece at Oysho which I know I will wear a lot. This is it.

My birthday present, a fleece from Oysho

Eladio then joined me looking for a pair of pink slippers which I found at Victoria's Secret. On our way out I spied a red and white striped Rugby type jumper at Mango but they were all over size. Thus I ordered an S online which came on Friday. I now wish I had bought a size XS hahaha. This is it. Very me right?

The red and white striped jumper I got from Mango this week. I look as though I'm about to go and watch cricket, hahaha. 

My afternoon was interrupted because of a routine doctor's appointment. But I was soon home and enjoying more of The Night Manager Season 2 which I finished this week. I am a fan of that series and pleased to hear that there will be a Season 3 soon and we won't have to wait another 10 years for it. 

Wednesday brought more rain, snow and flooding. The north was very affected but much more so the south and also Extremadura. Storm Leonardo also battered Morocco and Portugal. One woman died in Malaga and more than 11.000 people have been evacuated as rivers overflow and water pours everywhere. On some footage we saw water gushing out of electricity sockets. We are not immune in Madrid either with the threat of the River Jarama flooding. Part of our garage was flooded as water seeped in through the walls. That is going to be costly to mend but at least we are safe at home. No one can deny climate change. One village, Grazalema in Córdoba registered a staggering 672mm of rain in just 36 hours. To put that in perspective, that is the equivalent to London's average annual rainfall!! Imagine. No I can't. 

Amazingly we managed a walk in the morning. It was on Wednesday I read an article I urge you all to read by Helen Rumbelow published in The Times on 4th February. This week has been all about the latest findings from these millions of  Epstein files published a week or so ago. Rumbelow studied them and I thank her for that. Rather than focusing on those involved - the big names - she explores the vile club of women hating men these powerful and rich men belonged to and still do. It is chilling and makes you understand just how widespread this is. The sorry story is that only 2 people have been convicted - Epstein himself and Maxwell.  There is not enough evidence to put the rest - Gates, Musk, Trump, Andrew, Clinton, Madelson, etc - behind bars. Ah but Pandora's box has opened and we know what they did and some of them are getting their comeuppance. If only poor Virginia Guiffre had not committed suicide and lived to see at least some of it. As the article has a paywall, I copied and pasted it into a Linkedin article which you can read here. It only takes 5 minutes. Bravo Helen Rumbelow. All women should read this. 

It was in the afternoon I had my first session with Carlos the computer geek. He was my saviour and it was fun working with him. I was exhausted after 1.5h and I would have another session the next day and by Friday everything was submitted and I could feel peaceful again and not worried about having to sell our houses. 

Thursday saw me working on the forms, now by myself, until I had to go to the Qurión hospital for my annual gynecological MOT as I call it. The smear was fine and now I will have  appointments for a bone density test followed by the dreaded mammogram and echo mammogram. I go every year and have being doing so since I gave birth. My mother had breast cancer so I must be extra careful and I try to be. 

Eladio went with me and we had to wait more than an hour for my appointment but were home on time for lunch with Suzy. The rest of the afternoon was spent working with Carlos who accessed my computer remotely and by the end of the day nearly all was done but not quite dusted. 

Friday brought more damned rain. It also brought a negative reply from the Land Registry Office in Santa Pola. What had we done wrong. I rang the office and  apparently I hadn't ticked something. This time I didn't need Carlos' help. I just redid it and rang the girl to see if all was well and it was. I felt like a champion. 

Friday was a champion day actually as it was the day we went for lunch with Suzy - her Kings' Day present to the 3 of us, Eladio, Oli and I. She took us to Honest Greens which Honest to God, hahaha, I love. What a place. The food is so good and  healthy and the place has good vibes. It was lovely just to be the 4 of us,  the original family which doesn't happen often. I have chosen one of the photos we took that day as my feature photo. Here are some more.

Suzy's Kings' Day invitation lunch at Honest Greens on Friday

Best of all was the fact that Suzy could invite us as she now has  a job which she takes very seriously. A year ago I would never have envisaged that this day would come. Bravo Suzy. She is seeing a new therapist online - a lady from Cork - and is also going to Yoga classes. What I don't like though is that she now back to smoking dope which is so bad for her as it can trigger her delusions. I wish she could stop. She knows she has to but it's not easy. I understand as I am a smoker but not of dope which I have always hated.

On our way there I had spied a Balbisiana bakery which must have just opened recently. So I had to take the girls there on our way back. Suzy didn't want to be tempted, Eladio has not got a sweet tooth thus it was only Oli and I who went in. Balbisiana is the nearest to a chic Parisien patisserie or even a Bettys although the branch in Pozuelo is quite small. I first heard of this bakery through a friend, Juana who I think knows the owner Paula. Paula started her cake business online a few years ago and now has at least 8 bakeries in Madrid including one at Terminal 4 of the airport. Well done. I am not surprised because her cakes and pastries are utterly divine. Braveo Balbisiana. Here is Oli posing for me while we decided which truffles to take home.

Oli at Balbisiana in Pozuelo on Friday. We had trouble choosing. The place is divine. 

I had earned a rest in the afternoon when we got back as all my work had been done and I could enjoy my peace again. 

We had guests coming and going this week but I hardly saw them. Bless them. They are loyal guests who always come back. 

Saturday dawned and I was up a bit too early. It didn't rain on our walk but then the heavens opened so I'm glad we went when we did. Tana was off and is coming back today to help with my birthday lunch. Thus I made lunch and most of it was preparing artichokes which take ages to make but when they are on your plate they are delicious. Suzy was happy with them too. 

Today, my friends, is my birthday and we shall celebrate it with the family as we always do.On the menu will be my home made beer battered fish and chips with mushy peas, followed by a white chocolate and strawberry cake from Alverán.  My birthday won't end today as we shall continue to celebrate when we go to Valencia tomorrow. What  a treat.

And that's it from me for today. I must get ready now to go out with Eladio to have chocolate and churros for our breakfast, a wonderful treat we both love.

Cheers till next Sunday,

Masha