My birthday, off to the Parador de Saler in search of sun, visiting Valencia, then to Santa Pola, George's birthday, home again to more rain, St. Valentine's Day and other stories of the week.

 Madrid,  Sunday 15th February, 2026

The four of us on my birthday last Sunday

Good morning everyone. How was your week? Mine was splendid. I always like birthdays although I'm not too happy to have turned 69 as I will be 70 next year. Old age is on my mind a lot these days. I hate my wrinkles, my worsening memory and ageing body. However, I am enjoying retirement while I am still relatively fit and have to be grateful for that. 

I turned 69 last Sunday 8th February. February has been cold and extremely wet in Spain, nearly everywhere. The Iberian Peninsula has been battered by storm after storm and this has to be the longest period of rain I have ever known since I came to live in Spain in 1981. The floods in Andalusia were frightening as were the hurricane winds in Galicia, Catolonia and now in Valencia and Alicante. I am aching for sunny and dry weather and thankfully we got some sun in Valencia. It was sunny too in Santa Pola but too windy for words. We are experiencing extreme and freak weather which of course is because of climate change and I don't like it at all. I wish too that my birthday fell on a warmer month than February. 

We went out for a birthday breakfast and walked to the churros cafe and back. I enjoyed my 2 big porras with thick hot chocolate which is such a treat. Here I am digging in.

My birthday breakfast - chocolate con churros; such a treat

I came home to make fish and chips with mushy peas, our favourite for birthday lunches. Soon Oli and Juliet arrived and my darling granddaughter was carrying a huge bunch of flowers for me, bless her. Thank you Oli.  I do love flowers as a treat.

Juliet bringing me flowers for my birthday

The table was laid and the fish and chips were ready to eat just as Miguel and Elliot arrived. 

Fish and chips for my birthday lunch

I had hoped for a photo with my grandchildren or all of us but Elliot wasn't having it so I had to do with one just of the four of us. I have chosen it as this weeks' feature photo. But I did get photos with Juliet when it was the cake moment. 

The cake moment

I had ordered my favourite cake from Alverán with white chocolate and strawberries and cream. It is simply the best.

I loved my presents too which of course Elliot and Juliet opened for me and then went off and hid them. I got slippers, a fleece, a travel coffee mug and a voucher for a massage from Suzy. Thank you darlings. Loved my presents. 

Oli and family stayed until the evening after which I packed for our trip to Valencia which was part of my birthday treat. 

I was up at 6.15 on Monday and we were soon on the road. We said goodbye to the rain and cold of Madrid and as we neared Valencia the temperature kept going up until it reached 23ºc with lots of sun. Wonderful. I had booked a table and ordered a seafood paella at a restaurant we went to years ago. Called L'Establiment it is in El Palmar right next to the Albufera lake or lagoon. The Albufera lake is the largest in Spain and it is where the best rice is grown and used for paella. I love that lake and the nature around it and the fact that the whole natural park is so unspoiled. 

Lunch - paella - by the Albufera Lake at L'Establiment in El Palmar on Monday

There was too much for us to eat so we got a doggy bag and I actually ate more of it yesterday and it was still nice. 

We had chosen to stay at the Parador de Saler as we love Paradors and prefer staying in the countryside and beside the sea rather than in a big city. It is only a 20 minute drive though to Spain's third largest city, Valencia. Most Paradors in Spain are housed in lovely old monumental buildings but that is not generally so for those built by the sea as is the case of the one in Saler. However the quality is just the same.

At 7 pm I had booked an hour long massage at the spa. I would have enjoyed the spa if it hadn't been for a big group of German football players who hogged it all. I loved my massage; another birthday present to the add to the list and I still have Suzy's to look forward to.

We were not hungry enough to have dinner at the Parador and instead I enjoyed a glass of wine, some pistachios and fruit. The beds were hard but I actually slept a whole 7 hours. Wow!

On Tuesday morning we had the Parador breakfast to look forward to. They are always splendid and this was no less. Eladio always goes for savoury and I always go for sweet and especially enjoyed the pancakes. Here is Eladio having his breakfast with a view of the golf course and dunes.

Breakfast at the Parador was splendid

After a sumptuous breakfast we walked down to the beach and to explore the surroundings of the Parador which is also a golf course and there were plenty of golfers around. The beach was very empty and the sun timid at that moment so we didn't get good photos. It must be lovely later in the year.

At the beach by the Parador and the golf course - the Parador is just behind me.

The morning was to be spent in Valencia in the historic quarter. I had last been in 2017 but I don't think Eladio had ever visited the city. I loved the drive into the centre, past parts of the lake. I had to get Eladio to stop when I spied a "barraca". Barracas are unique to this area and are traditional farmhouses or cabins to be found in the orchard areas (Horta) and near the Lagoon. They are iconic with their steep pitched thatched roofs and whitewashed walls.I had to have a photo.

A typical Valencian "barraca"

I first learned that word when I was in my first year of Spanish at Nottingham University and we had to read Blasco Ibañez' "La Barraca". Ibañez was one of the famous 1898 Spanish authors. I don't remember much about it  apart from it being set in the Valencian "huerta" (horta in the local language). You must remember that Valencia is often called the Orchard of Spain - and you see oranges everywhere.  I had to look it up to remind myself it was a novel about social injustice and collective violence. Just seeing the "barraca" and many more while in the area, reminded me of one of my most important set books which I can now hardly remember. I found the scene very romantic.

We carried on our drive on the same straight road into the centre. My son-in-law, Miguel, worked for TVE and lived in Valencia for many years (it's where he and Oli met while working together) so I had asked him for some tips. One was where to park. He recommended the car park underneath the iconic fruit and veg market, Mercat de Colom. It was full but we found one next to it and were soon out on the streets in the sunshine and about to savour a bit of Valencia.

The Mercat de Colom in Valencia

We made our way to the main square, Plaza de la Reina. There we visited the Santa Catalina church but did not go up the tower. It was soon time for coffee and we only found a table at one of the cafes which turned out to be the most expensive in Spain in my experience, so far, at 9 euros for one coffee and a coca cola. But it was lovely to be there in the sunshine and admire the beautiful buildings. According to Google, the square is a "historic tapestry of Valencia's evolution, featuring a mix of Gothic, Baroque and Modernist styles. 

Eladio in the Plaza de la Reina Valencia with the cathedral in the background

We made a beeline for the cathedral which claims to house the Holy Grail; the cup believed by many to have been used by Jesus at the Last Supper. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption is a city landmark built in the 13th and 15th centuries and a mixture of architectural styles. They include Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Neoclassical styles. I saw a lot of Baroque. 

Suitably impressed we continued to explore the old part of the city and made our way to the Plaza de la Virgen where we saw the Turia fountain and nearby the Autonomous Community HQ, the Generalitat, so much in the news after the flash floods in 2024. We didn't have much time for more as we had a booking for lunch at a place recommended by Miguel. Called La Alqueria del Pou meaning something like "the well country house or farm". It was on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by a huge kitchen garden full of fields of artichokes and orange trees. It's an oasis in the city with the now iconic City of Arts buildings in the distance which we did not visit. 

La Alqueria del Pou restaurant where we had lunch on Tuesday

After such a big breakfast, I was not hungry and only wanted some artichokes and local tomatoes - delicious. But Eladio wanted to try the classic and traditional paella. It's rice with chicken, rabbit, broad beans, snails (yes) and runner beans. And here he is about to enjoy it. 

The real paella is made with rice, chicken, rabbit, snails, broad and runner beans. Not for me. 

I didn't try it but I devoured the garlic mayonnaise with tomato which is served everywhere in Valencia and Alicante. I always go for it and then have no appetite for what I have ordered.

Typical starter in Valencia and Alicante - garlic mayonnaise with crushed tomato and toast or bread

We seemed to spend hours in that lovely place and then walked out with lots of doggy bags of food to be consumed later.

We spent the rest of our time in our lovely room with a terrace overlooking the golf course, lounging around, reading and then watching the news and some rubbish on the TV.

Breakfast was slightly spoiled on  Wednesday morning when Eladio was served a rotten hard boiled egg. We only discovered it when he took the shell off. We asked for another one which didn't look good either so we gave up. 

We were leaving that morning and had decided to continue on to Santa Pola (188km away) to enjoy more sunshine. And that we did. We got to our flat with 23c outside but it was cold inside and we had hardly any provisions. Thus we got into the car again and drove into town and had a pleasant menu of the day at La Sal.

It was good to be back at our flat but I didn't like the cold which was tempered a bit by the hot air from the a/c units. 

The view from our terrace in Santa Pola

On Thursday morning there was  a lot of wind coming from Catalonia so we decided to head home after just one night back at our apartment. Eladio did a lot of driving this week and he is such a champ. We left quite early and stopped for lunch at the Venta de San José arriving home mid afternoon. As usual, Suzy, Tana and Pippa were there to greet us. We had left the wind behind but returned to rain and cold weather - aarrgghh.

I kept thinking about my brother George who would have turned 71 on Thursday 12th February. But that was not to be  because he sadly died of skin cancer (melanoma) aged just 46 on 15th May 2001. I remember him always and have missed him so much since he left us. Oh dear! Life can be cruel can't it? It was to him in many ways.

It was nice to be home though if only for our wonderful central heating which costs a fortune but keeps us so warm.  I had a funny guest arrive that day who I had concerns about but it was ok. Also arriving was Elena from Puebla Mexico who had been with us in the autumn and will be staying for 12 nights. Bienvenida. She is a delight.

The next morning was Friday 13th but thankfully nothing unlucky happened. It rained though and all day so we just didn't leave the house. I had lots of rental admin to do which is always a good sign. I was also looking forward to Friday evening dinner with Oli and the kids. But it was aborted at around 7.30 just when everything was ready. Oli rang to say she had lost her voice and it seems she had a bit of tonsillitis. So there we were with a table groaning with freshly made Spanish omelets, my Russian meat pies, a plate of ham and cut up fruit. It was a bit of a disappointment. But no worries, we ate some of it and left the rest for today when they will be coming for lunch as Oli is feeling on the mend.

Saturday dawned and it was St. Valentine's Day, 14th February. The great thing is that the rain had gone and the sun came out. And even if it was very windy, we got our walk in. Lunch was to be at De María in Majadahonda to celebrate Valentine's Day.  It's  a very posh and cozy steak house right next to the Atlético de Madrid training grounds and a restaurant I love. They give you lovely little starters so you only need a second course. You don't even need a dessert as they ply you with lemon sorbet and home made almond biscuits. We had a wonderful piece of steak with chips and an Argentinian sauce called "chimichurri" which is spicy and goes well with meat. This year we did not get a Valentine photo of the two of us. Instead I took one of Eladio. I just couldn't remove the two men behind him from the photo with the object eraser for some reason. So here it is, raw, just as I took it.

My own sweet Valentine at lunch yesterday at De María

Just as we were coming home, we bumped into both Suzy and Oli. They were off to a party for their friend Copi's birthday which is on the same day as mine. Oli laughingly asked us if we were then going to bed. How well she knows us. I seem to spend all my afternoons in bed. Best place to be, hahahaha.

I had an unexpected guest that evening. Alvaro booked the room that the funny man had vacated in the morning and thank God Tana had cleaned it. He booked it at the last minute as he had come to Madrid from Valencia (just where we have been) to buy a car but the transaction cannot be completed until Monday so he had to look for somewhere to stay and found our house. Nice. 

We had a quiet and very small dinner after which we watched the news. It came to no surprise to me to hear that the Russian opposition leader Navalny had been poisoned by Putin. He did not die of natural causes in the jail in the Arctic but from some deadly rat poison. Nasty news indeed.

Today is Sunday and the sun is shining so we shall go for our walk after I publish this. 

Cheers then to ye and all until next Sunday,

Masha