To Asturias to settle into our new house, signing the deeds, Elliot turns 1 year old, exploring the area, Madrid in semi lock down and other stories.

El Cueto de Meré, Asturias, Sunday 20th September, 2020

Signing the deeds, an important moment in our life

Good morning all from Asturias, from our new house in El Cueto Meré where we moved in on Tuesday 15th September, a day to be remembered.

Last Sunday saw us at home with much warmer temperatures. We had lots of guests from both Airbnb and Swimmy. We only saw the French couple for a moment in the morning but they are delightful. I was astonished to learn the wife (a nurse) was from Madagascar. So we had a guest from Africa and one from Polynesia hahahahhaa. On the subject of Airbnb guests, I was delighted to receive a glowing review from Marlène, my guest from the weekend before. I have to share it with you, in French, of course which amazingly I could understand every word of. This is what she wrote:

Marlène's review

This is a rough translation of what she wrote: “You can go to Masha with confidence. My daughter and I were very pleasantly received. Whatever your language, you will have no communication problem because Masha speaks so many !! In addition, her house is ideally located for anyone like me to settle their child in Spain, in order to study at EMU. Address and hostess recommended !!!! ”

Thank you Masha for your welcome. Emma and I are delighted to have spent a few days with you, we felt very comfortable. Your family is charming, just like you. Thank you again and see you soon I hope;)”

She also gave me an overall 5 stars and then 5 stars for each of the 6 categories (accuracy, check-in, cleanliness, location and value). I don't always score well for location - well we are out in the sticks, but I did this time. 

5 stars for all categories

It's review like this, and I have had many, that make it all worth while. I go out of my way to make my guests feel happy and comfortable but I also very often enjoy their company. So Marlène's review on Sunday was well received. It's like a pat on the back from a boss. I have no boss so to say in my new "job", it's the guests who are my bosses and all positive feedback from them only spurs me on to continue my good work. 

The group of girls coming to use the pool arrived at about midday, behaved perfectly and left at around 8pm. The only problem we had was with water as that morning Eladio found a big leak in the irrigation system (this happens often) and switched off the water in the garden which meant the outdoor loo had no water so the guests had to use the one on the ground floor. Later they left me a 5 star review as did the group of boys who came last Saturday. That had me pleased as punch too. I hardly saw our guests that day. It was as if we had the house to ourselves. Guests who only come to sleep and don't use the house are the best kind. 

I spent most of the day hooked on Exodus - oh what a book and what a tale, about the beginnings of the state of Israel. It fascinated me. 

There really is not much else to say about last Sunday, a very quiet day despite the guests. It ended with dinner with Eladio and Suzy on the kitchen terrace. We had duck, melon and avocado salad while Suzy ate her vegetarian dinner. We watched more of Borgen which we are hooked on. We started Season 2 and were not happy that the dubbing for the audio was with Latin American Spanish rather than Castillian Spanish. We had got used to the characters' dubbed voices and found the change rather off putting. Even so, the script is so good we carried on. If Borgen is a Danish type West Wing series, I do wish there could be a UK or Spanish version. I would never ever want to be the Prime Minister of any country after seeing this political series. Everything gets thrown at the PM Birgitte Nyborg and any episode that affects the country is used by the opposition and against her. She never has a moment of peace and when she does she is embroiled in personal problems as her work invades her personal life too.  The role of the press in the series is equally enthralling as the life of the woman PM and anything that can be turned into a scandal against the government is used by them. Sounds familiar? In most countries, yes, but it surprises me that this series aims to be a reflection on politics in Denmark, a country I look up to as a model of democracy, women's rights, standard of living, etc. Well, no country is perfect I suppose. 

Monday came, 14th September and just one day before we left for Asturias. I spent most of the day planning our trip and stay in my head. Monday was rather a lazy day spent in anticipation. It started with me watching Olivia live on TV reporting on the cost of working from home and using augmented reality. How clever I thought. This was just before the Minister of Work was to be interviewed live and one of the topics would be the new law regulating work at home. 

I have been working from home for years. What does that cost me? Well, actually not much. After an initial investment in home office furniture, it's just internet and printing really. That day saw me work on and off on various minor issues for my main customer. I was able to do so mostly on my mobile phone. 

That morning saw me too exchanging emails with the London publisher of my father's book. It has been one year since I signed the contract and the book is not yet out which frustrates me. Of course they blame Covid but I blame them for having missed my most important email to them (sent twice) where I had sent them the original manuscript and a word document with changes I wanted to make. They apparently never saw the word document. Well, they have now and we are, according to them, "now on the same page". I find that a bit sloppy but have to keep on good terms with them as I have no other option.

What would my world be without books I always wonder? What would my father's world be without them? I come from a book family although my taste is nowhere near as high brow as my father's. This week I finished Exodus by Leon Uris. I was inspired to read it after seeing the 1960 film starring Paul Newman on Filmin a while ago. What a book it is. Of course it is pro Jewish and pro Israel but even so it opened my eyes to all the events around the making of the State of Israel in the late 40's. My mother always used to tell us how clever the Jews had been by turning an arid and barren part of Palestine into an oasis of land where fruit grows as if it were Spain or South Africa. They turned a medieval and barren land into the country it is today, prosperous of course, although never ever gaining peace. Leon Uris does a very good job in explaining why and there are an awful lot of politics behind it, a festering history that started thousands and thousands of years ago. We went to The Holy Land 10 years ago; an amazing experience. Having been there made me understand Exodos better. It also made me want to go again. Oh, there are so many places I want to return to. Don't you?

So, yes, with my chores out of the way, I spent most of the day avidly reading Exodus. It is a page turner and is also a love story which in itself is of a very different kind to those I normally read about. I felt rather guilty "wasting my time" but on the other hand, it was a great break after the stress of the last week, "exam week". Thankfully that is over now.

Apart from reading I also saw the news and it was dire. Raging fires in the US with deaths and thousands losing their houses was one of the main topics. It seems impossible that such a powerful country cannot control the fires. Much further away on the Greek island of Lesbos, approximately 12.000 refugees who had seen their camps in Moria burned also by fire, were struggling to pick up their abysmal lives again. No one wants them, like no one wanted the Jews in Israel. It's the same story always. In the UK a bill was passed to go ahead with a no deal Brexit. But there was some good news too. It seems "life" has been found on Venus. I wondered as I watched the news whether perhaps Elliot or his offspring would ever see or witness life in "space". I sort of doubt it but astrologists and other scientists spend their lives on studies like this. So who knows? 

We saw the first day of rain on Monday as the temperatures dropped slightly. It rained a bit at dinner and we had to push the table nearer the kitchen and squeezed around the dry part to finish our meal. It would be the last dinner there for a while. 

Another episode of Borgen entertained us that night. I found it difficult to sleep. When I was a child I was always excited before a trip. My mother used to call the sensation "reisefieber", a German term meaning "travel fever". It's a term that describes well the butterflies in your stomach before a trip or something exciting happening.  Before leaving the house she would always make us sit for a minute in the porch and pray. I don't pray anymore before a trip but I still get travel fever. 

I somehow got through the night and finally it was Tuesday morning 15th September, the day we would move into our new house, our fourth house, believe it or not. After packing food and clothes, we said all our goodbyes, to my father, to Suzy, to Lucy and to the French couple. I did not, however see my guest from New Caledonia, Louis, who I presumed was asleep. At about 10.45 we left, leaving all the responsibility of running our great big house behind and you know what? We felt free as a bird and as happy as Larry. We were about to embark on a new adventure and a new chapter in our life. We spoke about how we had got to this point, from our humble beginnings when we first met in the summer of 1980 with hardly a penny between us. Of course my parents helped us get on the property ladder for which I am forever grateful but it has been sheer hard work that took us to the top plus maybe a little bit of luck. We also commented that my three severance pays from Motorola, Nokia and latterly Yoigo, certainly contributed to our now owning 4 houses. Of course there is only one, our main home outside Madrid, that is really valuable; the others are much more modest. This fourth house which we have bought as an investment, for our pleasure and to maximise  through renting, will hopefully pay itself back eventually. 

It's just over 500 km away so we had a long drive ahead of us. The Satnav took us via Valladolid, Palencia and then towards Santander and onto Asturias from Torrelavega. We stopped in some small village on the way for our picnic lunch which we set out on the banks of a river as we could not find anywhere to stop on the motorway. Here is Eladio about to enjoy our picnic - way to go these days because of Covid.

Eladio at our picnic table on the way to Asturias

Meanwhile in Madrid, Oli had finished work for the day and was with Elliot and Miguel. I love to see photos and videos of him. He is on the point of walking as you can see in this video , albeit with the help of his adored tractor. Oh how he loves his tractor.

Elliot on his new tractor with his friends on Tuesday

We were soon in lush Asturias with the wonderful backdrop of the mountains and were surprised to arrive to sun and warm weather as the forecast had been for rain. It wasn't raining when we finally arrived in our new village; "El Cuetu" next to Meré. To think we had bought the house after just seeing it for 5 or 10 minutes. Were we mad? We were so happy to be finally there and about to take possession of it. I took lots of photos. Here are just some of them.

The house as seen from the terrace

One of the windows close up.  I do love the windows

Soon the previous owners, Mari and José, arrived to hand us over the keys and show us the house again and tell us how everything works. They are a couple in their 60' and 70's, like us,  and who used to have a herd of cows until 20 years ago when they began renting this house and then went on to rent two more. This house, they told me, belonged to Jose's mother and was built more than 100 years ago. Mari told me the kitchen was bombed during the Spanish civil war and that one of her mother-in-law's siblings who had moved to Cuba, sent the money needed to restore it. So this house has a lot of history. It certainly has character and I love most of it although I will have to change some of the rather cheesy decor. Eladio thinks everything is fine including the ghastly old brown leather settee but hopefully we won't argue about the changes. 

Mari had cleaned the house beautifully. Everything was immaculate. There was a beautiful bunch of hydrangeas too in the entrance to the hall. She had also baked us a sponge cake and left us three jars of her home made jam as well as eggs laid by their hens. With this amazing welcome pack there was a letter for us. A letter for us? How could that be as no one knows this address? Ah, but it was a card from my friend Joanne in the UK who is very good at detective work. She is  amazing when it comes to things like birthdays. Since I met her and we became friends - 2 years or so ago when she came because of Airbnb - she always sends something for important occasions in our life. She has even sent a present for Elliot's first birthday! I was so touched.

Our welcome pack including Joanne's card

Before leaving, Mari  introduced us to a neighbour, "Loli"who has agreed to look after the house in our absence. We certainly need someone here as we live so far away.

Soon the previous owners left and we agreed to meet the next day in Llanes at 1.30 to go together to the notary to sign the deeds. Then finally it was time to move in. Here is Eladio with two supermarket bags at the entrance, hahaha.

Moving in

As soon as all the food was put away, the most urgent task for me was setting up the wifi. I had got a router from Movistar that will provide it although it is neither fiber or ADSL: It is like a radio and has a sim card inside to connect to the 4G network here and in the same way we use our phones as hotspots, it is the hotspot. It didn't take me long and I was amazed to see it working with full coverage not long afterwards. Internet for me here is as important as water or electricity. We cannot live without it today.

My next task was to choose which of the 4 bedrooms would be ours. They are all of similar size so I didn't go on size but rather on bed comfort and I chose the blue room. The others are red, yellow and green. They are small but lovely and all have two windows. I only wish the double beds were not all 135cm but bigger.

By then it was time for dinner and it felt strange to be preparing dinner in this new kitchen. We felt like guests staying at a holiday cottage and kept having to pinch ourselves to realise it was ours. That will take a while I think. And here is Eladio sitting down at the kitchen table and raising a glass of wine to cheer the occasion. 

Dinner on our first night

We had lots to celebrate and should be grateful for that. That evening I got a message from my dear friend Kathy to tell me her father has cancer again and if he agrees will have to have his voice box removed. Just how awful is that? Brian, bless the man, told Kathy that he has followed Elliot (on instagram) since the day he was born "because of his beautiful eyes". I was both touched yet sad for him. Poor Kathy has a lot on her plate at the moment. Her dear husband Philip, our good friend, was to be operated on his shoulder the next day and was terrified. Because of damned Covid she couldn't be with him. She told me it had been a horrible year for them. I am so sorry. 

We later got ready for bed, got in and watched an episode of Borgen on my iPad. We switched it off at around 11 pm but I found it difficult to sleep. I think I was just too excited. I was awake at 4.30, then 5.30 and lay in bed waiting for it to be 6 am, the earliest I think I should rise. 

We had a leisurely breakfast which included the delicious sponge cake from the welcome pack. That day would be a day to remember, the day we signed the deeds to the house. We didn't have to be in Llanes until 1.30 when we would meet the owners and walk to the notary. Thus after breakfast we made our way to Posada de Llanes, the nearest town to here, to do some basic shopping at the local supermarket, Alimerka, and also to stock up on things like "bog roll", etc for the house. Before leaving I wanted a photo of me outside the house. After all I had dressed up a bit for the signing of the deeds at the Notary.

Outside our house the day we went to sign the deeds

On our way to Posada we stopped at  little village, very near here, Puente Nuevo where we were told there is a general store and cafe. We went in to take a look and I liked what I saw; a very typical village store which I am sure will be useful on occasions. "In Posada we did the shopping and also visited an ironmonger for various things the house needed. Then before leaving for Llanes, we had a coffee there, sitting pleasantly in the sun. That's when we found out that things were not good in Madrid after many more people were found to be infected with Covid. The local government there had declared that the areas most affected would most probably go into lockdown. I wanted to know where these areas are, so looked them up. I knew where we live would not be on the list thankfully. It seems the working class district of Vallecas seems to be the worst hit. I was worried and I am worried that other measures, like freedom of movement outside the province may come into force too, thus wrecking my Airbnb business. 

I cheered up when we arrived in the very pretty town of Llanes, the capital of the province. Here we parked by the town's beach, "El Sablón" which is quite famous. People were enjoying the sun and swimming. I wished I could too but we had to go to the notary. There was time for a photo though and here I am on the steps to the beach.

By the El Sablón beach in Llanes on Wednesday

It was while walking back to the car park to meet Mari and José (the owners) that we spied what looked like a great restaurant to celebrate afterwards, "Sablons" right by the beach with great views which is actually part of a hotel.  We wanted to invite Mari and José but unfortunately that didn't happen as Mari felt very unwell that day and spent the afternoon at A&E. She had stomach issues and was put on a strict diet.

The restaurant where we celebrated after signing the deeds on Wednesday

By 13.40 or so we were at the Notary. The notary is a woman called Angela and I later learned we had a common friend. This world is indeed small. It was all quite efficient and we didn't have to wait long until the deeds were ready to sign. I wanted a photo of the occasion and Mari took a few for this blog. In the feature photo I am signing and in the photo below Eladio is signing while I look on smiling. 

Eladio signing

It was a funny feeling when the act was over. Now the house was ours but have we done the right thing putting all our eggs in one basket with nothing now left? I think we have  because even if the going gets tough, the house market, at least for houses outside towns - thanks to Covid - has picked up enormously. In any case it was an important moment for us. Straight afterwards we went to see Pilar, the lady at the accountancy that does all Mari and José's paperwork. She will be doing it for us too for all things related to the house. Especially important is transferring the tourist licence to our name to be able to rent the house. 

When that was over we said goodbye to Mari and José and walked to the restaurant for a  lovely meal. We actually had a "menu del día" for just 15 euros which was excellent. I think the views were worth more. We will be back no doubt.

We got into our car to drive "home" but stopped on the way to explore one of the many beaches not so far from our house. There are quite a few to choose form which are about a 10 minute drive. The one that most rang a bell was "Playa de Barro". We had been told that films and series had chosen its location for filming. I could see why when I saw it; it's stunning. I was interested to hear too that part of one of our overall favourite Spanish series, "La Señora" was filmed there. I love the Playa de Barro and know it's somewhere we shall go a lot.

Playa de Barro 

We were home by about 5ish and I spent the whole afternoon - well 2 hours of it at least, sitting on our terrace and reading Exodus which I finished that afternoon. We were not hungry for dinner but ended up having a glass of wine with pistachios and a bit of tortilla and fruit. I went outside afterwards to enjoy the evening area and looked into our kitchen from the street. There was Eladio washing up. It was a funny feeling. This is our house, yes, but I still feel like a guest. 

Eladio inside the kitchen  - photo taken from the street. 

We were in bed quite early and watched a bit of Borgen until ours eyes began to shut.

I didn't sleep too badly and was up at 7 the next morning, 17th September. That day was Elliot's first birthday but we would not be with him which was a great pity. That day, because it was his birthday, he did not go to the nursery which he still doesn't like poor boy. Instead he would celebrate his 1 year on this earth with his other grandparents and with his cousins. However, I later saw that at some point this week the nursery had put a special birthday crown on him for his 1st birthday. He is wearing it but doesn't look particularly happy.

Elliot at the nursery wearing his 1st birthday crown

He probably far enjoyed the "party" with his parents. Here he is on his 1st birthday with Oli and Miguel. I did wish we could have been there that day.

Elliot on his first birthday

We shall have to wait until 26th September. Suzy created this beautiful picture for her sister and beloved nephew.

Happy birthday Elliot

I can hardly believe a year has passed since his arrival and oh how he has changed all our lives. We love the darling boy so much. He is our future and we all wish him the very best. My father always says he wishes him a "very productive life". Hear hear to that.

Thursday was a day of errands that had to be done about the house; mainly passing on utility accounts to put them in our name. In the morning we waited for the "gas man" and in the afternoon we went to the insurance office. We waited all morning for the gas man and meanwhile missed the bread van. I asked our neighbour, Loli, to ask him to stop outside our house from then on. He apparently sells great bread, croissants and pies which we have to try. While we waited Eladio watered all the flowers, mostly the geraniums. They are on all the balconies and need tending to. I, meanwhile, took my first walk through the small village getting to know it. We are at the end of the road and surrounded by mountains so I suspect there must be some good walks. 

Exploring the village

I came across a mirador from where you can see Meré below. El Cueto, although a separate village, really belongs to the bigger Meré. This is the view.

View of Meré from El Cuetu

The village of El Cueto seems quite smart to me with some lovely houses although there are a lot of ruins too. Asturias has become so popular, people buy ruins and barns and old farm properties and do them up so I suspect some of the old buildings in front of our house will be next on the list. There is a property across the street at the back of the house which we might be interested in but not for now. Later I heard from Loli that there are 11 holiday cottages just in El Cueto. Oh my God I thought that is stiff competition. On the bright side she told us that our house is the most popular. However, I cannot list it anywhere yet, apart from Airbnb, until I have the coveted tourist licence and its corresponding number.

We had our first lunch at Casa del Cueto that morning. I didn't do anything fancy, just some gourmet burgers with mushrooms and tomatoes after which we had a short siesta. At 5 pm we had to be at the insurance broker's office in a village not so far from here called "Nueva". I later learned it had been voted prettiest village in Asturias in the 50's and it was pretty. Even prettier were the nearby beaches we would see afterwards. With the insurance sorted from 1st October, we drove to the beach called "Playa Cuevas del Mar" which we found delightful as we do all the beaches we have seen in Asturias. It was a balmy afternoon and I wished we had bought our swimming costumes. Next time I would put them in the boot of the car. I never thought we would need them as rain had been forecast for the whole week of our arrival but the forecast was wrong and we had glorious weather when we arrived until rain came yesterday. Here I am on the pretty beach feeling a bit too warm in a long sleeved t-shirt, one of the oldest I have but also one of my favourite. I have countless photos in that trusted Zara blue and white striped t-shirt hahahaha.

Playa Cuevas del Mar on Thursday afternoon

We spied a path at the end of the beach where a sign showed us it led to another beach, Playa de San Antonio. We followed it with our damned masks on which kept steaming up my glasses which I had to take off to enjoy the view and what a view it was. I never tire of Asturian beaches, coves and cliffs, they are so dramatic.

Eladio on the coastal path from Cuevas del Mar beach to San Antonio beach

To access the San Antonio beach which was hardly sign posted, we had to walk past a farm with pigs, horses and cows, animals I can never resist. The cows were lovely and clean with their young and even the huge bull seemed quite placid. What a lovely place for them to live I thought. What a dream location for a farm I also thought.

Cows and their young on the farm we had to pass to access the San Antonio beach

At the end of the path we were rewarded with the beautiful view of the San Antonio beach where people were swimming. It looked like a small cove but was in fact two coves and bigger than the Cuevas del Mar beach. Eladio took a photo of me at the entrance to the steps leading down. 

At the entrance to the San Antonio beach

I walked down the steps eagerly wanting to see this jewel of a beach surrounded by cliffs and shaped in two coves which were separated by a rock. I sat on a rock contemplating the sea and of course taking numerous photos. I wasn't the only one doing that as you will see if you watch this video.

We enjoyed our walk and visits to these two beaches which was really a part of our exploring the area. We must get to know it as we shall be coming a lot and of course to be able to pass on information to any future guests. 

On the way home we stopped to get some ice cream (and chocolate) at Alimerka in Posada de Llanes and were soon home. I had a nice chat with Suzy who was having a good day (hurray). She was out to dinner at her friend's house Elenita. She had news for us this week. Instead of returning to Bali which in any case she can't do until at least next January, she has decided to go and live, for the moment at least, in ..... Guess where? Costa Rica is the answer. We support her 100% as we do not want her to return to Bali where we know she is in danger. 

We had our own dinner shortly afterwards. We missed the news but knew it would be about the rising number of cases in Madrid. We kept crossing our fingers the city and county would not be put in lock down. We mostly fear the end of freedom of movement outside the province. We both fell asleep watching another episode of Borgen and I was awake at 6 am on Friday morning. 

Friday was a day of exploring the area; the mountains in the Picos de Europa and more local beaches. First, though we went to Posada de Llanes, our nearest "town" where the local Friday market was on. It was quite small and I didn't buy anything. My husband, though, couldn't resist getting some local chorizo. I am not a great fan.

Eladio at the market in Posada on Friday morning

Whilst in Posada we went into to see an architect studio that does plans for reforming houses. We are keen to transform the huge empty attic in this house and turn it into an en suite bedroom and study. An architect from the firm will be coming tomorrow to take a look. There are quite a few changes we want to make, Apart from the attic we would like to build a door from the pantry to a small terrace outside, knock down the wall between the pantry and the kitchen and make one giant kitchen, knock down the wall between the small lounge and garage and turn it into a much larger lounge. We even want to add bathrooms to two of the bedrooms upstairs. These are all future plans which finances will not permit us to do for the moment. But we can dream can't we?

From Posada we drove back towards our village and this time carried on up the mountains towards The Picos de Europa - a wonderful mountain range in this area which is a very popular tourist destination. The house we have bought is in a very strategic location, near both the beaches and the Picos. It was our first time up that road and it was beautiful. We stopped to take a photo of the famous Naranjo de Bulnes mountain popular with rock climbers. It is around 2.600m high and stands out on the horizon like a big tooth or that's how Eladio pointed it out to me from the viewing point we stopped at on the way up to the Picos.

View of the Naranjo de Bulnes mountain

There is actually a cable car you can ride to get to the summit of the Naranjo de Bulnes that is on our bucket list of things to do round here and there are many. As you can see it was a sunny day.  We have been very lucky with the weather.  The weather in Asturias is often very unpredictable. You can wake up to fog and rain and an hour or so later the sun may come up. The sun was definitely out for us that day and we were grateful.

We reached the town of Arenas de Cabrales about 15km from our house and one of the main gateways to the Picos. I thought it was nearly as pretty as Potes. Here we ambled the streets enjoying the picturesque village and even took photos on a bicycle statue that seems to be one of the main local attractions. Of course I had to get on it. The backdrop was to die for - the road leading to the famous "Ruta del Cares".

Enjoying life in Arenas de Cabrales

Arenas de Cabrales is famous for its very smelly cheese. As you know I absolutely hate cheese so of course I wasn't tempted. I thought Eladio would buy some as he does like cheese but he didn't. From Cabrales we drove further up the mountain. Eladio was keen for me to see the famous Gorge of the Cares river. People go there in their droves there to walk along the famous and long and arduous but beautiful Cares Route but we are not mountaineers and of course did not have the right equipment. The road ends at the gorge or entrance to the route which in itself is a sight for sore eyes.

The river Cares gorge up in the Picos de Europa

It was lunch time by the time we reached the end of the road so after taking a few photos we drove down the mountain road again and this time made our way to the small village of Carreña. I had spied a popular restaurant there, Los Montañeros, on internet and we were not disappointed. Their "fabada" (local bean stew with chorizo and blood sausage) was one of the best I have ever tasted. We had a most magnificent "menú del día" for just 14 euros each. We drowned the food down with local cider - typical too of the area - and I later bought a box of 6 bottles for just 11 euros at the enticing looking local store.

Los Montañeros bar and restaurant where we had lunch on the terrace by the river on Friday and where we shall be going back.

We both marveled at the food, the place and the warm weather. It was raining in most of the rest of Spain and here we were eating in our shirt sleeves and basking in 25 or 26c. We couldn't believe it. We came home with a doggy bag as the portions were so big. I was about to have a siesta when I got an alarming message from Suzy. 

Norah was ill with a temperature of 41c which is terribly dangerous. She spent most of the afternoon at the local vet. Poor Norah has a tumour on one of her teats, a cyst in her ovaries and some grey area on her thorax, ulcers and also gastroenteritis and  she most probably has cancer. Her white blood cells were very low. But none of this explained her high temperature. Thus she was admitted into the hospital for more tests. That night the vet rang to say they had sent a sample of her blood for a test and wouldn't have the results for 5 days but were giving her antibiotics. They suspect the fever is a by product of her ongoing illness - leishmania which comes from a mosquito of the same name. She is an old dog, nearly 12  and is in a very sorry state. I felt so bad for not being there with her but followed her progress all afternoon and evening. She stayed one night and Suzy picked her up with all her medicines on Saturday evening. There were two hefty bills to be paid by me which I did to do online from here. 

Feeling bad about Norah, we went out again, this time to explore more local beaches and even to take a bathe. That was in sharp contrast to the downpour of rain in Madrid and many other places in Spain. My new Airbnb guests had arrived that afternoon and I may or may not coincide with them next week. 

We set off to visit our nearest beach, Playa de San Antolín, about a 10 or 15 minute drive from here. We were a bit disappointed that is next to the motorway and wasn't nearly as nice as Playa de Barro or Playa de Cuevas del Mar. But the sun was shining and we got our beach chairs out from the car and changed into our swimming costumes. There was a lot of seaweed but I still went in as I was determined to make the best of the weather. Here I am in the water.

Swimming in the water at the San Antolín beach on Friday evening

We weren't too keen on this beach and had spied signs of more beaches not so far away. We were interested in seeing one in particular, the "Gulpiyuri beach". The sign post said it was 1km away but it was much further. I walked in my bathing costume, mask on my face, and wished I had been wearing clothes. We got to this curious beach and finally understood its attraction. It is really an inland beach. Wikipedia describes this phenomenon with this description "Playa de Gulpiyuri is a flooded sinkhole with an inland beach ........ it is fully tidal due to a series of tunnels carved by the salt water of the Cantabrian sea which allows water from the Bay of Biscay to create small waves". Apparently the word "gulpiyuri" means "water circle". The water looked a bit murky but I was determined to go in and swim even though it was freezing. Eladio eventually followed suit as you can see from the photo below.

The curious and unique Playa de Gulpiyuri

From the beach we could see people walking on cliffs further up the hill so decided to join them. We were happy we did as we discovered the most amazing cliffs and views. What a unique place the cliffs of Gulpihyuri are I have to say. The backdrop was magnificent too, the mountains of the Picos de 

Europa. This was a fabulous destination to discover. 

Up on the rocky cliffs near the Gulpiyuri beach

While we were gallivanting and exploring new beaches, in Madrid there was bad news. Madrid has the highest number of cases in Europe and they are on the rise. The death toll is slowly rising too so it's obvious we are going through a second wave. The authorities announced that afternoon that 37 areas of the city and province were to go back into semi lock down. These areas are almost all working class where the population density is higher and this affects over 800.000 people. The lock down is not as strict as the national lock down we all had to suffer and people will still be going to work and to school. I wonder if that is enough to quash the virus. I think it is not. I was sorry for those affected but also glad that where we live is not on the list. I think that is probably because of the low population density there. Most people live in large houses separated from their neighbours. Asturias, by the way, is the area in Spain with the fewest cases and has been since the start of the pandemic. Maybe that's why so many people, like us, bought houses here this summer. 

I was sad to hear this but also happy to be away in Asturias. We came back home to take a shower and then had a semi light dinner accompanied by a glass or two of cider. The day ended with more of Borgen on my iPad in bed. My giant iPad is the best present I ever got during my time as Communications Director of Yoigo.

Saturday came and it rained for the first time.  When there was a lull we drove to Posada to get some money from a cash point. We had run out and lots of establishments in this area don't take cards. We had a coffee there too and then out of nowhere the skies opened and discharged so much water in the form of a rain storm that we had to stay for nearly 40 minutes for it to die down. It was, apparently, a tropical rainstorm. Wow, I hadn't seen so much rain in an age. When it finally receded we ran to our car and drove home, mostly to change our clothes as we were a bit wet. We had booked a table for lunch at the local bar, Bar La Tilar, which had great reviews. It was good I have to say but the portions were enormous and again we brought back doggy bags. Our fridge is full of them. I don't know when we will get through all the food there is in the fridge but we shall have to finish it before going out for a meal again.

The girls at home were also out to lunch that day and Miguel sent me a photo of them with Elliot and Elenita, their great friend. Here they are together with my grandson. 

Elliot with the girls yesterday

We had a great siesta after the food and cider and I was awake at 5.15.  I couldn't believe the rain had gone and the sun was shining. I went outside to the small terrace where I had placed two chairs. This is the little terrace I want to have a door to the pantry. Of course we have the other much bigger terrace but if you sit there you are in full view of everyone whereas on the small terrace there is a lot more privacy.

The little terrace

It was sitting here that I had a skype call with Kathy and Phil. I was keen to have news of his operation and was happy to see him home and in good shape. We had a good old natter for at least an hour. The sun was out and we wanted to make the most of it and go for a walk. It was to be our first walk in the village. We took a route towards a beautiful valley leading to the small village of Debodes and passing a pretty stream. There was much corn being grown and I could see the cobs clearly. There were cows in the distance and I thought this looks a bit like a mini Switzerland. It's paradise.

The fields on our walk yesterday

Parts of the walk were steep but we loved the views. We also loved the village of Debodes which has some beautiful houses. Many of them were on sale and I thought what a pity we hadn't come across them when we were searching for a house. 

In the nearby village of Debodes yesterday

It's a bit like having bought new shoes and then looking at shop windows and seeing others you like better. I can't help looking at the houses but we are very happy with ours. It's what we could afford too, as we had our limits. This is it yesterday in the rain, still looking pretty.

Our house in the rain

We came back to watch the news  and were depressed to hear of more and more cases in Europe, not only in Spain but in France, Germany, Portugal and the UK. It is very obvious we are now experiencing a second wave. Today's figures world wide, as I record every week, have gone up too as they always do. The number of cases now is near to 31 million and the death toll, at 961.461, nearing a million. Meanwhile the race is on for a vaccine and countries are going back into a sort of lock down with more and more restrictions. For the moment we can still move around the country and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that won't change. 

So my friends, today is Sunday and time to publish the stories of the week, a milestone for us when we moved into our new house and signed the deeds.  We still feel like guests but are loving it.

I wish you all a good Sunday and cheers until next week,

Masha

Oli's debut with TVE's new programme La Hora de la 1, exams, new Airbnb guests, Elliot starts nursery, remembering Fátima, massage for two at Templo de Masajes and other stories.

 Sunday, 13th September, 2020

Fátima and I together one year ago this week on 11th September. We could never have imagined that within less than 3 months she would no longer be here. 

Good morning all. Today is Sunday 13th September. I never like the number 13 but I do today because it is my oldest friend, Amanda's birthday. We met at school in 1967 when we were just 10 and we are still friends today. She lives far away in Devon (UK) and I live outside Madrid so we hardly ever see each other but thanks to Covid we now talk once a week on Skype and our friendship has gone from strength to strength. She will be 64 today. To think we have now known each other for 54 years is very special.

Sunday last was very special for Olivia my youngest daughter. That day saw her in the newsroom and studio of the new morning programme La Hora de la 1 by the national broadcaster TVE. The programme was beginning on Monday 7th but all the team had to go in for a rehearsal. She sent us some photos of the team including the presenter, Mónica López, and the five co presenters, including herself. I couldn't have felt prouder. I am very happy for her. It's funny but it was this week 9 years ago that she made her debut live on TV - Facebook reminded me last weekend. Her first appearance was with Pedro Almodovar and Antonio Banderas. I remember that day as if it was yesterday. She has now worked in TV for 9 years and this week saw the fruits of her experience when she became a co presenter. Here are the three photos she sent me and which I want to include to record this new beginning for her forever. 

The team in front of the cameras 

The 4 women from the team

My daughter in blue

When I posted these photos on Instagram - I couldn't resist doing so - I commented that my younger daughter was now a woman and a mother but also a co presenter on TV. Well done my darling.

While she was at the newsroom, Eladio, Suzy and I had to take care of Elliot. We took him on our walk with the dogs. Here is a quick photo I took of Suzy and Eladio and the pram just to remember the moment.

Taking Elliot on our walk last Sunday

He always falls asleep half way through the walk but was awake soon after we arrived back. The house was full of guests that morning. At one stage we all coincided in the kitchen, my French guests, the mother, Marlene and her daughter Inma, and the Italian family, Giulia, Dario and little Matilde. I had been talking to Marlene  in French and listened in admiration as Giulia spoke to her in perfect French. Giulia speaks perfect Italian, French, Spanish and English. Well, it turns out Marlene's parents were Portuguese so I got to speak some Portuguese  too. The kitchen was a hive of different languages being spoken and it was a wonderful moment. I love Airbnb guests like that. Soon Marlene and Inma left but the Italian family stayed until 6 pm. 

Meanwhile we had a barbecue and were pleasantly surprised to be joined by Oli who returned earlier from her rehearsal than we had imagined. So she joined us just as we were finishing lunch. Thankfully she was there to take Elliot off our hands so we could have a siesta. Mine was very short. Less than an hour later I was in the kitchen about to make a cup of tea. Norah, our beagle, had been up to her tricks again. Someone had left the cupboard under the kitchen sink slightly open and that's where we keep our dustbin. Well Norah had tipped it over and licked and ate what she could find. What a damned mess she had left in her trail.

With the mess out of the way I made my "cuppa", took my kindle and wandered down to the garden to read on the deck chairs. Soon Oli and Elliot were with me so goodbye to my reading hahahaha. When the Italian guests left we all rushed up to the pool. I skinny dipped and felt marvelous. The girls wanted to make something special for dinner and had decided on making a vegan based brownie accompanied by ice cream. So off they went with Elliot to a local supermarket. Thus I was able to resume my reading but not for long. Soon it was all hands on deck to come up with a resemblance to dinner. While laying the table, Oli was feeding the dogs their treats with little Elliot looking on. I thought the scene was charming and wanted to share it with you so took some photos like this one.

Feeding the dogs

For our own dinner, I just got out lots of little leftovers. The brownie was delicious. We didn't linger long over the table as it was getting late and Oli had to go to bed early as she had to be up at 4 am!!!!! Thus Eladio and I had the luxury of being able to watch something on TV in the peace of our own bedroom. We started watching the famous Danish political series, Borgen, which is finally in the Netflix catalogue. We are loving it. 

When she left early in the morning, Oli left  Elliot's door open  so we could hear him if he cried after she had gone. I was up at 6 am and thankfully he was sleeping peacefully. He actually slept until 9 am which allowed us to watch the beginning of the new programme as well as Oli's debut. She told us the schedule went haywire because the Prime Minister was late for his 8.30 am interview. Thus some of the content was left out,  including some of hers. She was on, though, at the start being introduced by Mónica López, the presenter. Here she is talking about the return to school in the different areas of the country, as well as the numbers of coronavirus going up in Spain. Spain was the first country in Europe this week to go over half a million cases!

Oli's debut on Monday

We didn't watch much more although if I had had the time I would have liked to watch the whole 5 hours to get a better opinion of the new programme. The media and audience seemed to like it. The studio is amazing as well as the lighting and all the augmented reality they now use; so much in vogue these days.  Oli later told us she was very nervous on the first day although she didn't come across as nervous as she is such a professional. She also told us that the presenter, Mónica López, had said she was so nervous even her eye lashes trembled but again she came across as quite the opposite and did a great job. All eyes were on the programme and the media in general seemed to think it had been a success. The main pressure is to achieve a higher share of the morning programmes, going from the current 10% to 20% but there is stiff competition from the private broadcasters so let's see if La Hora de la 1 can do it right and become as popular or more as their rivals.

Elliot woke up at 9 am and smiled at me when I picked him up. We later gave him his breakfast - my choice -  a smoothie made with yoghurt and fruit which he loved.  I took a photo to share with Oli and Miguel to reassure them their baby was in good hands.

Elliot having breakfast while his mother was busy on television

We took him for a walk again and he fell asleep but soon woke up again when we were back. Eladio entertained him while I made lunch - broccoli, carrot and mushroom soup followed by pork rib casserole. 

With meal preparations out of the way, I took an hour off from grandparent duty to swot for my upcoming exams. Yes, my friends, it was back to school for me this week too as I had 3 exams to sit. These are exams (CCSE and DeleA2) which I have to pass in order to start the process to get Spanish nationality. The CCSE one is about Spain - culture, history, politics, geography, etc. and the DeleA2 is the language exam (oral, comprehension, listening and writing). I knew I would do well in the CCSE one but I was  a bit worried about the language tests which are not as easy as I had thought. In the practice exams on the app the audios and texts were very long and I was worried more about my memory retention than my Spanish.  You would think I wouldn't need to do any sort of exam after having lived here for 39 years, not to mention the fact that I have a degree in Hispanic Studies. But none of that counts now since the law for getting nationality was changed 5 years ago. If I had applied for Spanish citizenship before that, having been married to a Spaniard for over 30 years, I would have got it automatically but not now. So why I am applying for Spanish nationality my friends? Well, it's a dumb question as you will all appreciate that what I want is not so much to be Spanish as to have an EU passport, something Brexit has stripped me of. So this week it was back to school and stressful exams.  

I only stopped revising when it was time for our midday meal with the family. Olivia joined us just as we were finishing lunch.  She had been up since 4 am and after a 9 hour stint at the TV studios was bushed. I was bushed too and was in desperate need of a siesta. I only got a short one as a headache was coming on. My phone pinged with a new reservation for Tuesday; another student for the local UEM, so I got up to make a cup of tea.  I had work to do, fine tuning a press release as well as giving feedback to a vendor press release. 

We had the house to ourselves as well as the pool but only Oli went in. Later she and Elliot went back to their flat as Miguel was arriving that evening. I had my weekly skype call with Amanda and gosh it was 7 pm when we had finished, having nattered on and on for 1.5h. The day ended with dinner with Suzy and a blinding headache - so no wine that night. The pain was so bad I couldn't watch the television so we would have to leave our latest series, Borgen, for another day.

Tuesday came.  It would be a big day for me; the sending of a press release with lots of pressure from my customer to gain media coverage and my first exam which was at just past 1 pm. 

Before the day started officially for me, I was able to watch Oli on television, her second day. She was on 3 times and was great every time. That day she was wearing a fabulous yellow dress which I far preferred to the flowery one she wore the day before. Her topics were coronavirus figures and the cost of going back to school. Here is a shot of her in the studio presenting.

Oli presenting on Tuesday

I had a very busy morning indeed. I sent out my press release. I can now tell you what it was about. Euskaltel, Spain's 5th operator had signed a deal with Adamo, the fiber operator I work for, to use its network nationwide. It was big news for the telecoms press and as soon as the release went out, the media coverage was pretty immediate. But I wouldn't know until the next day just how extensive it was. 

Eladio, meanwhile went to the bank to process how we shall be paying for the house next week in Asturias. I stayed at home busy on the press release and follow up questions. I also had to get rooms ready for new guests. Oli finally has allowed me to use her room which I need as Suzy is occupying the 3rd room we rent. I had to get rid of a lot of personal stuff and put it away only to be replaced when she comes to stay. Lucy had to clean the room and bathroom and then I took photos to create a new advertisement on Airbnb. I got my first guest pretty soon, Adrian, who is coming in October. Everything had to be perfect both in Oli's room and the green room for the guests coming that night, Louis and Marie, both related to the University.

That left me with little time to prepare lunch as well as do some preparatory work for my oral exam which was at 13.06 in nearby Pozuelo. I left at 12.30, early enough to fill the tank of my car which both girls had left completely empty (no haha here). I was at the ESIC school well on time and by 13 was at the exam centre. I was nervous as I haven't done an exam for more than 40 years unless you count the test for my driving licence. I shouldn't have been as it was really easy. Stupid me, I had been practicing for the format for 2019 and not 2020 and the 2020 was much easier than I thought. It consisted of three simulated conversations with an examiner and a supervisor looking on. I was out 20 minutes later knowing I had passed with flying colours. I was warned though that the written exam on Friday which would last 3 hours would be much more difficult.

I was home on time for lunch with the family and then had a much needed, although very short, siesta. I was down in the kitchen shortly afterwards to have my afternoon cup of decaf tea. I read for a while in the garden where I was joined by Eladio. We then went out to Mercadona to top up food supplies at home and were back about an hour later reading in the garden. I was waiting for my guests to arrive who were both a bit late. Thus we had dinner outside before they came. Just as we had finished, my first guest, Louis, arrived. I thought he was French and yes he was but not from mainland France but from New Caledonia. Excuse my ignorance but I had to ask him where that was and he told me it's near Australia in Polynesia, thus his very good command of English. I told him he was my first guest (and probably the last) from New Caledonia. He was charming and sweet and should have been tired after 35 hours flying (via Japan) but as he is so young (I have to add very handsome too) he didn't seem it. He, like many of my student guests, has come here to study physiotherapy at the UEM University. He has also come to stay at our house to look for accommodation. He was in luck as I know someone nearby who rents rooms in a house just across the road from the Uni. I rang Cristina and she had a spare room as someone had cancelled. Coincidentally it was the room where my friend Joanna's daughter, Elisa, had lived 2 years ago. I offered to take Louis there the next day to see the room. He was very grateful. 

My other guest, Marie, messaged me to say she was late and that the bus she was waiting for was late or hadn't arrived. Thus I offered to drive to where she was and bring her back. I was in my nightie but no one would know as I wouldn't get out of the car. Frustratingly on my way I saw the bus that arrived shortly after she messaged me. I picked her up donned in my mask and brought her home but first took her to see where the bus stop is for her to catch the bus the next morning. 

I think I did two good deeds that day, helping Louis find accommodation and driving to find Marie. It was late by the time I got to bed but not too late to watch TV. That night Eladio and I continued watching more of Borgen.  I was interrupted with a much welcome message that I had a Swimmy booking for Saturday. 4 people will be coming for the day to enjoy our pool. Great I thought. We will also have Airbnb guests but they are not here for the pool so will coincide without problems. I later got another one for today; 5 girls coming from 12 to 20h. It's still good weather and as the public swimming pools have closed earlier than usual because of Covid, no doubt Swimmy is a great alternative. 

Wednesday came, an exam free day. It was supposed to be Elliot's first day at the nursery but the poor lamb had had a bad reaction to a vaccine given to him the day before so he wasn't well enough to go. I felt sorry for him. Talking about vaccines, it was on Wednesday that we heard that the much awaited Oxford Covid vaccine had been put on hold as one patient had had a bad reaction to it. That was what Oli reported on that morning at 8 am. Oh dear I thought. Yesterday though, we heard that work on it had been resumed. I saw her later, by chance as she didn't warn me when she would be on, reporting on the problem of squatters as well as the problem with road signs and their male symbolism. She told me later she had been on 7 times that morning, each time with different news and graphics. Oli was up at 4.30 and at 1.30, after the programme finished, she was still there, working on stuff for the next day. She was really tired poor thing but doing an excellent job.

I love watching her live on TV and as she is on every day from around 8 am, I first see on her on my iPad while writing this blog. Just after watching my daughter, I received the media cutting report from my clipping service. I was eager to see how much media coverage there had been after the press release sent out the day before. I was pretty astonished to see there were about 120 articles. That has to be a record I think. I felt quite "chuffed" when I got a congratulatory email from my customer:-) 

Later that morning, I helped our new guest, Louis from New Caledonia, to find accommodation. I took him to see the house where my friend Joanna's daughter, Elisa, stayed during her Erasmus year. The house is lovely but the student apartment a little small. There is just one kitchen and 6 small rooms on the lower ground floor. On the plus side it is a walk across the street to the University. I think he wasn't impressed so continued looking. I helped him by ringing a few estate agencies and organising visits for him. He has until 23rd September to find somewhere and while he is searching he will be staying with us. 

While I was helping Louis, Eladio was at the bank. That day we paid for the house in Asturias which was a funny feeling. We won't be going until Tuesday 15th and have already paid - well most of it. I have looked at the weather forecast and we are in for bad luck as it will probably rain throughout our stay there. That's Asturias for you, the rainiest area in Spain. Maybe you think we are mad to have bought a house there. Well, maybe we are, but what we love about the area is that it is so green. It's probably on a par with buying a house in Devon or Cornwall and that's not so bad is it?

After helping Louis, I settled down to cram for my language exam which was on Friday. Oh how I hated the exercises. I understood the Spanish of course, my problem being memory retention when having to answer questions on long texts or audios I had read or listened to. Some of the audios are 7 minutes long!!! What a stupid format to find out whether I know enough Spanish to live here. It's a pity my degree in Hispanic studies from the University of Nottingham doesn't count. It should as we live in the EU but it doesn't damn it. 

I should have continued with cramming for the language exam in the afternoon but postponed it for the next day, preferring to read. Amazon UK had just delivered Leon Uris' Exodus in paperback as it's not available on Kindle. So I started on that. It's a wonderful book but oh my goodness this paperback has such small print it's difficult to read, even with 3 strength glasses which provoke a headache.

Eladio did something far more practical. I had ordered a baby tricycle for Elliot's upcoming 1st birthday. It arrived in a big box but needed assembling. I wouldn't have known where to start but Eladio is good with his hands so got to work on it.

Eladio assembling Elliot's birthday present, a baby trike

This is the trike fully assembled. Isn't it sweet?

Elliot's tricycle assembled by Eladio. It's for his 1st birthday on 17th September

If I already had a small headache from reading the small print of Exodus, I got an even bigger one after succumbing to a glass of Albariño white wine at dinner which for once was just Eladio and myself. I should have known. Chocolate and alcohol are not good for people with a tendency to get headaches. Later I sat by the pool terrace marveling that I had it to myself. That's not often the case. We are not using it much as this week as the weather, although warm, was not warm enough for me to swim. Instead I just enjoyed the view and having it to myself.

The pool on Wednesday evening which I had all to myself, rather a luxury

The day ended as it did the day before, watching more of Borgen season 1. We really like it. Ok it's about Danish politics but somehow it holds your interest throughout. It's a bit like a Danish West Wing but better in my opinion.

I was up at 6.30 on Thursday morning. After our walk that morning, I spent the rest of the time until lunch, revising for my exam that day about knowledge of Spain (culture, history, politics, geography, constitution, etc) and for the more important language one on Friday morning. That morning was Elliot's first day at the nursery or should I say first hour. He is being gently introduced there going for short periods only until he is comfortable and happy. He wasn't happy to leave his father's arms and according to the staff spent the first half hour sitting completely still. Thankfully he began to interact during the second half. I suppose this is strange for him, a little baby who has never been out of the sight of a member of his family. No doubt he will grow to love it but needs time.

My CCSE exam (knowledge about Spain) was at 18h approx at a university in nearby Pozuelo. I arrived early feeling rather nervous. After all I don't think I have done any sort of exam since I took my driving test so many years ago. 

Me ready for my exam

The exam room was big enough for 80 pupils and we were about 25. This was to comply with Covid rules and there was lots of distance between us making me feel safe. We wore masks of course but had to take them off for a moment for the invigilator to check our passport photos. I had taken along reading glasses but with the mask on they steam up immediately so I had to take them off. Thankfully I was still able to read the questions. My eyesight is good these days after the cataract operation about 2 years ago. But I wondered how people having to wear glasses and a mask could possibly do the exam. I suspect they push the mask down slightly. I tried that too but my glasses still steamed up. The trick is to wear the mask tight but that's not always easy.

I was on plenty of time so I practiced answering the questions over and over again in the exam room before it started on the dot at 6 pm. My fellow students were all much much younger than me and seemed to be mostly from either Latin America or Morocco. However, the invigilator was from Dublin so it was nice to chat to him. I told him he was lucky to have an EU passport to which he agreed. He also agreed that Brexit was a "nasty business". It is and look what has happened this week. The Tories seem to be pushing for a non agreement on trade, breaking the terms of what they signed. What a mess.

On the bright side my exam went really well. I was finished within 3 minutes or so when we all had 15 minutes to answer the 25 questions. I am sure I got them all right. I left feeling good and was soon home again and lying by the pool reading Exodus with Eladio reading next to me. 

Friday came, the last day of the week and the day of my last exam - Dele A2, organised by the Instituto Cervantes. It was held also in Pozuelo so easy to get there. I was up at the crack of dawn though as I had to be there by 8.20 and wanted to avoid the traffic. Thus I arrived at around 8 am and was able to watch Oli live on TV on my phone in the car before I got out to walk to the exam building. The language exam was to be in the same room as the day before so I found it quickly. This time there were no Latin Americans as they are exempt from it; unlike me. The exam was 3 hours long and in 3 parts: comprehension, audio and writing. Each exam was about 1 hour long but I finished each and every one of them long before that. Thus I found myself twiddling my thumbs while my mostly Moroccan fellow students took far longer. There was another British guy who I spoke to in the break. He and I both commiserated about having to go through the exams to get Spanish nationality and all because of Brexit!!!!! I had thought the exams would be far more difficult than they were. That's because the ones I practiced with the app on my phone were longer and there was no text to follow when answering questions. I found them easy and must have passed with flying colours probably because the text was in front of me when answering the questions and because, thankfully the audios were far shorter than in the practice tests. By 11.15 I had finished and was the first to leave. I gave in my last exam to the invigilator who remarked how quick I was. I replied well so should I be as I have lived here for nearly 40 years and have a degree in Spanish hahahhaha. That's why it annoyed me so much to have to bother with the exams. They had worried me all week and made me feel tense. However, I felt great when I walked out into the sunshine knowing I had passed. Once I get the results which will take time, my lawyer will finally be able to put in place the process for my acquiring Spanish nationality. I think it will take anything up to a year.

I felt free and all tension went and I decided to reward myself with a cup of coffee on the Avda de Europa boulevard in Pozuelo which I know so well. I went to Manacor café, sat outside and treated myself to a strawberry and cream tart (yummy). I then looked at the shops and actually bought something  - a pair of pink espadrilles. I was home well on time for lunch but found myself busy with emails, etc, as well as a form to be signed by my father to be sent to one of his pension schemes. Every now and again they send a letter asking him to sign it to declare he still wants his pension. Well, of course he does. They only do it to see if he is still alive. Well, of course he is but the problem is it's difficult for him to write his signature, poor man, as he is riddled with arthritis. I sent off the scanned signed document and hope it will do. 

Meanwhile that morning, Elliot was at the nursery again for the second day and I think he spent just over an hour. This time he cried less and interacted with the other children and hugged the carers. Isn't that so sweet. Here he is with his mother (all made up after being on TV) happy to be with her again. 

Elliot and his mother after his second day at the nursery on Friday 

Friday of course was not only my last exam day it was the 11th September and the 19th anniversary of the dreadful terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York. Who doesn't remember that or what they were doing when it happened? Well all do. It is something we shall never forget. In the same way I shall never forget my friend Fátima. That day Facebook reminded me I had been with her one year ago that day. I have chosen that photo as this week's feature photo, one of the last of the two of us together. 

With Fátima, one year ago this week

How could we possibly have known then that within less than three months later she would be dead? I remember that day so well. It was catch up time for us both with our dogs (Pippa and Chispi) and Eladio took the photo. My friend told me how her illness was and confessed she was "riddled with cancer". But in a way I couldn't really believe it as she looked so well. Fátima, my dearest friend, fought for more than 3 years and did everything possible to extend her time on earth. She was amazing. What a fighter and what a positive person. Thus she never looked ill until the very end. All I have now are my memories and photos but I carry her in my heart. 

Friday too marked six months since the Covid Pandemic was announced on 11th March by the WHO. Gosh how our lives have changed. We could never have known how much either. That day, there were over 28 million cases and over 9000 deaths world wide. In Spain we passed 500.000 cases and are nearing 30.000 deaths. We have the third highest percentage of deaths in the world apparently. Not a good figure. This week the government has limited gatherings of more than 10 people in most places in Spain. In the UK it is 6 as there too the figures are on the up again. Amanda and I both commented we thought that the UK was just a few weeks behind Spain and France as the number of those infected is also on the rise. Worrying isn't it? But we have to go on as well as we can and at the same time, avoid Covid as best we can. I have no need to tell you the recipe as you all know the basics: social distancing, washing hands frequently and wearing masks. Even that though doesn't guarantee not catching the virus or infecting someone. This week kids have gone back to school and despite all the safety measures there have been cases and whole classrooms have had to stay home and self isolate. On Monday we saw the images of the King of Spain's daughters going back to school. Well on Friday one of their classmates got the virus and now they are back home at their palace  - not a bad place to self isolate. 

It was not all doom on Friday though. The highlight was a massage with Suzy in Pozuelo. I think I told you an Airbnb guest gifted me a voucher for a massage for two at one of her massage parlours  "Templo de Masajes". Eladio wasn't keen but Suzy was - we both love massages, so we were in for a treat. `

We were soon in the double cabin and ready and waiting for the two masseurs to come. Here is Suzy lying down before we started. 

Suzy on the massage table

We were asked what type of massage we wanted.  I wanted a deep tissue massage and asked for it to be as strong as possible. I think the masseuse wanted to show me just how strong she could be and at times it hurt. However she dealt well with all the knots in my muscles on the shoulders, upper back and neck but hurt my hips a bit. We were covered in oil when we came out but I decided to leave it on and shower the next day as I my skin is quite dry and could do with some moisturising. 

I walked out of Templo de Masajes as if I was on a cloud and felt slightly dizzy but relaxed. It was  a great end to a rather stressful week and I was very grateful to Marina for the voucher.  Once home it was time for dinner - just the two of us as Suzy went to her friend's house. I enjoyed  a large glass of Albariño white wine which again and strangely, did not give me a headache. 

Saturday came and would bring more guests. We went for our walk with the dogs and then out to do the weekly food shopping. Just as we were arriving home, our Swimmy guests arrived; Diego and 2 friends. The 4th couldn't come in the end. They would stay until 8 pm and behaved perfectly. 

While they were enjoying the pool, I sat in the garden reading Exodus until my next Airbnb guests arrived, a family from the south of France. Patrick and his wife are staying for 4 nights and have come to see their daughter Jada who is on an Erasmus here. Patrick is half Spanish so speaks the lingo well and his wife is a nurse who only knows French. Thus I was talking to them all in a mixture of French and Spanish. I was getting a bit mixed up at times but it was fun. I love practicing my French. I was worried they would want to use the pool - what with the boys from Swimmy there  -but they didn't. They told me they lived right by the sea somewhere near Nice and have their own pool. They seem to be great guests who will not be cooking and will be eating out and spending time with their daughter. By 8.30 pm. or so, the Swimmy group had gone and the French family too. Only Louis, our lovely student boy from New Caledonia, was here and we coincided in the kitchen while making dinner. Suzy approves of him as, like her, he is a vegetarian. We went to bed but Suzy waited up for more guests to come (hahaha), this time, her friends and sisters, Elenita and Chati and Elena's dog, Nana. All four of them would be sleeping in her room, the downstairs room. Thus last night I counted 10 people, 4 dogs and 1 cat hahahaha. Thank God the house and garden are so big that people don't get in the way of each other.

We went to bed early, watched the depressing news and cheered up when we started on Season 2 of Borgen. 

I was up at just before 7 am this morning and look forward to a relatively quiet day; that is if the Swimmy group of girls behave well. You will hear all about it in next week's post which I shall be writing from El Cuetu in Asturias. 

Cheers friends and readers till then,

Masha

Massage parlour at our house, to Santa Pola, Olivia and her new programme, La Hora de la 1, enjoying our first bathe in the sea, walk to the lighthouse cliffs, market day, home again, reunited with the family and other stories.

Sunday 6th September, 2020

At my favourite spot by the Santa Pola lighthouse cliffs with amazing views of the island of Tabarca

Good morning all. How are you doing?

Life is good, I can't complain except of course for Covid which continues to infect and kill people and disrupt our lives in so many ways. Today the numbers have again gone up and the total amount of people infected worldwide is over 27 million with a  death toll of 883.780. Cases are rising dramatically in Spain but either this virus is not as lethal as before or is mostly affecting young people because the death toll is very low and there are very few in intensive care. That could well be because hospitals are better prepared and don't have to do triage, because they now know how to deal with the virus better and most importantly because older people are shielded. In any case coronavirus remains the main topic of the day when it comes to news. Other news is about demonstrations in the US related to the Black Lives matter campaign, the protests in Belarus and of course here and elsewhere the saga of the Argentinian striker Messi. He had threatened to leave Barcelona but in the end is staying. His story leaves me cold. 

I wasn't  thinking of Covid or any of this though that morning when I got up early to write my blog and to pack for Santa Pola. Meanwhile our lovely guests were getting ready to leave. Marina and Cristina have 5 massage parlours in Madrid called "Templo de Masaje" and had asked me if they could use the house, pool and garden to take some photos to be used for promoting their services. Of course I gave them permission. I didn't think more about it and got on with packing and it was only when Eladio came down the stairs with our suitcases and said "I wouldn't mind being next" that I took a look and saw Cristina massaging her sister Laura in our lounge. Our very own massage parlour I thought. How wonderful. If only I could have been on the table rather than Laura hahahhaha. They have promised me a free session in their Pozuelo salon so I hope I can take them up on the offer. I love massages don't you?

Massage parlour in our own home hahahaha. 

They took more photos for their website and I especially like this one taken by the pool. 

A massage going on by our pool!

Our guests were sorry their stay was over and we were sorry to say goodbye. I got the feeling they were the sort of people we could be friends with. One of the best things about being an Airbnb host is making new friends. Our next guests would be from Poland, France and Italy. Finally some international guests. Their stay was related to the local UEM University. It's good to see more bookings for people coming to the University. When I first thought of being an Airnbn host my main target was the UEM. 

Finally we left the house at around 11.15 saying goodbye also to Suzy, my Father and Lucy. We had packed a picnic for lunch which we had at a god forsaken place, on the premises of a petrol station. It's funny there are few places to stop and have a picnic on the A3 road from Madrid to Valencia and Alicante. We arrived at our apartment at just past 16h to good weather but far cooler than the week before. As we parked we saw our neighbour, also called Lucy, the one who takes care of the apartment and our guests here. She was bringing back the laundry from the Brazilian guests who had left that morning. She told us there had been a tremendous storm that night and that neither the lift nor the TV was working in any of the apartments. Thus we had to drag everything up 2 flights of stairs. I was wondering how clean the apartment would be. I knew the guests were pleased with Lucy's work but I was yet to see it for myself. I was blown over when I saw just how impeccable it looked with plants and many little welcoming details all over the place. It looked so good I felt like a guest myself. We have had the apartment since 1999, the year my mother died, and this is the first time we have a cleaner. What a difference that makes and it's money well spent. It means we don't have to clean when we come and when we go or worry about the laundry. It was good to see the new fridge too. All I had to do was unpack and put the food and our clothes away. 

I then went on to the terrace to admire the view which I never tire of. When I see the Bay of Alicante from here, I know I am home. 

The view of the Bay of Alicante from our apartment

When everything was unpacked, we both sat on our terrace reading until it was time for dinner. We had before dinner drinks and pistachios together. Eladio took the photo below of  me feeling content and relaxed. The cold Albariño white wine helped. 

On our terrace last Sunday with a glass of wine, happy to be back. 

After a simple dinner of tuna fish salad, I took Pippa down to do her business and I rang both girls. They had spent the day together. It was late by then and Oli was putting Elliot to bed. I hoped she would sleep well as the next day she would be starting her new job with the upcoming programme "La hora de la 1" on TVE. Suzy was busy on the phone to someone but was happy to chat for a second to tell me she'd had a good day. That's all I wanted to hear; that she had had a good day.

I had forgotten to bring the Amazon fire stick and in any case the TV didn't work. But no worries as I had brought with me my trusted giant iPad and we were able to watch the news and a film afterwards. Pappilon was on but it wasn't the Steve McQueen version but a new version made in 2017. That story has always fascinated me and I watched it until the end. I found it difficult to sleep that night for whatever reason but must have got a few hours in  when I woke up to see it was 6.30 in the morning.

Monday was a lovely quiet day for us. For Olivia, our younger daughter, it saw her start work with the new programme. It's a morning programme that will start on 7th September and will broadcast from 08 to 13h, basically the whole morning. It is the national broadcaster, TVE's most important new programme in a long time and replaces two other programmes "Los desayunos de TVE" and "La Manaña de la 1" all in one. In a way it's going back to where she came from as she worked for the latter for 5 or so years. She was a reporter before and now will be one of the co presenters, her focus being on "sociedad" (society) or rather the main news of the day. Of course that will include coronavirus. She had no idea what to expect that morning and was very surprised when she was told she had to go to makeup, etc at 2.30 (missing her lunch). She was told she was to be part of the promotional clip. Wow! she couldn't believe she would be there with the other star figures of the programme. The main presenter is Mónica López, a well known face on TVE,  a woman who was head of the weather for 20 years but will now head up a brand new programme which will include politics, general news, health, celebrities, weather, etc. Here is Oli popping her head into the brand new studio.

Oli popping her head into the new studio

And here she is after being made up for the promotional clip. I told her she shouldn't have put her hands in her pockets, hahahahaha. 

Oli all made up and ready to take part in the promotional clip of the new programme

Meanwhile, we had a quiet day as I said above but very attentive to any news from Oli about her new role which was still a bit of a mystery to her. We went out shopping and on a few errands. One was to get a new dustbin to replace the one we had since we bought the apartment in 1999. Gosh that is 21 years ago, the year my mother died. I only wished she had lived to see it and of course all the other things she has missed. But I don't want to dwell on that. Our of interest I looked up the prices of houses in this area, specifically apartments similar to ours. I was amazed to see the market was very active and that they had gone up quite a lot in price. I put that down to coronavirus. It's not only the Brits or Germans buying this time, but now mostly Spaniards. I think it's Spaniards who feel a need  for a bolt hole near the sea after the long confinement we all had to go through. We have new neighbours on our floor too, a retired Swedish couple who just bought the flat. One thing is for sure, we are not selling ours any time soon. We are going to continue enjoying it and now to exploit it on Airbnb. 

The highlight of the morning was a cup of coffee together in the main square of Santa Pola with Pippa at our feet. I love our coffees at a bar somewhere when we are out on errands. We came home to put the food away, etc and I got on with lunch; a simple affair. In the afternoon, after our short siesta, we went down to the beach. The temperature was just how we like it; about 28c. We installed ourselves near the water and observed the waves which looked like fun and nothing like what we saw in Nazaré. I was dying for our first swim and I got it. As we waded in across the waves and into the water both of us said that this is a beach like few others, one where the sand is golden, easy to walk on, not too crowded, no buildings around and water at the perfect temperature. Of course this is The Mediterranean and that's why the water is not so cold nor the waves so brave. This is what the beach looked like on the last day of August this year.

Our beach on Monday afternoon - spot Eladio

We then went for a walk to the far end and back and noticed how everyone was social distancing just as they should. We came back to sit on our beach chairs and read a little before heading home as by that time it was 8 pm. I love the fact that it is still sunny at that time. I was taking photos of Eladio on the beach when a young man sitting near us (not too near), offered to take one of us both. I thanked him as we don't often get photos of the two of us together. Here we are enjoying the last rays of sunshine on the beach that evening.

Eladio and I on the beach on Monday evening

We left shortly afterwards and before heading home for a shower, I went to the swimming pool. I had it practically to myself. Then it was time to go home, shower and make dinner. After dinner we sat on our own terrace enjoying the quiet and feeling good after a relaxing day. I spoke to Oli who had lots to tell me about her first day with her new job. I didn't get through to Suzy. Ah and I also chatted on whatsapp with a new guest at home, a young Polish girl, Maja, who was staying with us. She had come to study at the University. Nearly all my bookings so far for September are University related. That is good. 

Tuesday came and I must have slept well as I didn't wake up until nearly 8 am, something unheard of for me. Tuesday was the first day of September and sometimes considered the end of summer but summer certainly hasn't ended for us. We spent a very lazy day, hardly venturing out of the area. In the morning we decided to go down to the pool and read in the shade. There was hardly anyone there which is such a relief in these times but not a good indicator of how tourism is going in this country. In any case, Covid or no Covid, we are very lucky that this beautiful communal pool is never ever overcrowded. We sat on the grass with lovely views of the sea. Here is Eladio posing for a photo.

Eladio relaxing by the pool on Tuesday morning

I felt so relaxed I actually had to lie down on my towel to sleep for a while. Eladio woke me up to go and have a coffee but it was 1.15 by then so too late for "elevenses". Instead we went back up to our apartment to make lunch.

I spent time on our terrace after a short siesta. It was a cloudy afternoon for a change. We decided on a walk to the lighthouse cliffs instead of going down to the beach. That's a one hour walk, there and back, with the inconvenience of wearing a mask. Oh how I hate them. I suppose they were worth it for the reward at the cliffs of that most marvelous view of the sea with the island of Tabarca which I never tire of. Here I am with Pippa and wearing my mask. I could have taken it off but I wanted a souvenir of these times for when, one day, maybe Elliot or his descendants read this.

With Pippa (and my mask on) and the Island of Tabarca in the background

I did take the mask off for the photo I have chosen it as this week's feature photo - yet another photo of me with Pippa at the cliffs. I just never tire of this place and the views. There is something magical about it.

A close up of the island of Tabarca taken from the cliffs. Tabarca is the only inhabited island in the Valencia and Alicante region (Comunidad Valenciana).

We sat for a while on the rocks admiring the view and then reluctantly got up to walk home and make our dinner. We then sat on our own terrace watching the news on my iPad. The news was all about the increase in the number of infected but I keep thinking, surely that has to be because they are doing so many tests? I hope that is the answer. Later I fell asleep reading in bed. 

Wednesday came, another day alone in Santa Pola - such luxury. Who wasn't basking in luxury was Olivia, stressed out with the preparations for the new programme. From next Monday she will have to be at the studio at 6 am. In fact on Monday she will have to be there at 5 am and we will be looking after Elliot. Thankfully Miguel will be there from Tuesday onward to look after Elliot and take him to the TVE creche later on. He will be working permanently now in Madrid and at the same premises as Oli, Prado del Rey, where they have their own creche. This week however, it has been the turn of his parents, to look after their grandchild once Oli left for work at 8.30 or so. She sent us a photo of Elliot that morning which was great to see as we had been missing him.

Elliot on Wednesday morning before Oli left for work

We will be looking after him today too, Sunday, as Oli and the new team will be doing a general rehearsal of the new programme which starts tomorrow. 

Funnily enough rain was forecast that day  but, despite a few clouds, the sky was blue and the sun was out so we decided to spend the morning on the beach just in case we couldn't go in the afternoon because of bad weather. Well, the forecast was wrong as it was warm and sunny all day. We loved our time on the beach which was very uncrowded. The sea was calm and I went in several times. Eladio only went in once. Here he is going in.

Eladio going into the sea on Wednesday morning.

There were lots of clouds but they soon disappeared. We read on our kindles, enjoyed the sun and water and went on a walk to the end of the beach and back. That day we decided to have lunch out - I wanted a break from cooking. Our choice was "Soleluna", just across the road from our apartment. It used to be an ice cream parlour but is now a quaisi Italian restaurant. We had heard great reviews and wanted to try it out. It did not disappoint. Eladio went for their risotto while I chose their house pizza with truffle, mushrooms and ham. Oh I do love truffle, don't you?

Spectacular pizza at Soleluna

Boy, was it delicious. I think it's one of the best pizzas I've ever had, including pizzas I've eaten in Italy. We told our waiter to congratulate the chef. Their menu is pretty good except for desserts. They only had cheesecake and tiramisu and NO ice cream. So we had our own dessert when we got home.

Feeling very full, we had a siesta. Mine was short as some urgent work came up which kept me busy till late. With work out of the way I joined Eladio on the terrace. My reading was interrupted by a new Airbnb reservation at our home in Madrid for September. As I said my September bookings are all related to the local University; mostly parents coming from abroad to bring their offspring who will be studying there. 

Of course Pippa was with us on the terrace. The poor thing hardly left the house as dogs are not allowed at the pool, beach or at restaurants. She doesn't seem to mind though and just enjoyed being with us. I caught her on camera with Eladio and had to snap away. They are two of the greatest loves of my life, hahahahaha.

Eladio and Pippa on our terrace at the apartment on Wednesday

It was around that time that Olivia sent a link to the family Whatsapp group of the TV clip promoting the new programme. We were delighted to see her in it along with the main presenter and the other co presenters. She said she felt dizzy with the responsibility her new job entails as well as because of the visibility. TVE would be showing the clip non stop from that day until the start of the new programme tomorrow. 

The promotional clip - Oli in blue far right. 

You can see the clip here on Twitter. We felt so so proud of our younger daughter. This is definitely a step up in her career and she will become a familiar face on TV now, appearing live every day. She will have to work really hard but that doesn't scare her. Whatever her worries, I know she will do a great job. Well done darling. 

I celebrated with a large glass of cold white Albariño wine. We were not hungry so hardly had anything for dinner. We watched the news which was depressing and later went to read in bed until we fell asleep.

I was awake at 7 am on Thursday morning and was excited it was market day here. I love the local market but this time it was a bit of a disappointment. There were very few stalls, most of them selling the usual rubbish. So we just got some fruit and veg. We noticed that since Covid the prices have gone up enormously. Here is Eladio with our purchases which we would be taking back to Madrid at Suzy's request.

Eladio with our purchases at the local market on Thursday

I had a lot of work to do that morning and afternoon so apart from our excursion to the market we stayed in the apartment. I continued working in the afternoon and when I had done all that was necessary it was a bit too late to go down to the beach. I also wanted to spend time preparing a bit for next week's exams. Yes, my friends, I have exams next week. They are part of the process to get Spanish nationality. One exam is on general knowledge about Spain and Spanish life - some questions are easy and some are difficult. I used the app provided by the Instituto Cervantes and saw that I could easily pass. It was the tests for the Dele A2 language test that frustrated me. Although I am practically bilingual and have a degree in Spanish the exams are awful and seem more like memory tests. The worst parts are listening to or reading very long texts and then answering questions. Some of the audios are 3 minutes long and no way can my memory retain all the information. I did nearly all the audio and written tests and think I more or less passed but in some cases, only just. I felt cross while preparing for the language exam. I was having to prepare for these silly and badly thought out exams just because of Brexit. Next week I have exams on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and will let you know how I get on. Only if I pass them can the process for becoming Spanish continue. All I really want is a European passport which is why I am applying for Spanish nationality. The irony of it is that when I got married to Eladio in 1983 I would automatically have been given it but things have changed and it's much more difficult now, whether you are married to a Spaniard or not. I wonder how people whose knowledge of the Spanish language is worse than mine get on. Not easy and very frustrating.  After hours of practicing I ran out of battery on my phone. That was the perfect excuse to turn to reading instead of preparing for a stupid exam. 

Our last dinner there was another simple affair. Later we went to bed and as there was no news on - Spain was playing Germany - we watched a well loved film, Exodus, on a new streaming platform I am trying out, "Filmin". I love that film and I loved the book which I read many many years ago. I tried to buy it for my kindle but it is not available. For once then, I ordered a physical copy. 

Friday came and we were leaving that morning to go home.  We had our last breakfast on the terrace - oh how I would miss that view. We laughed when Oli sent us a photo of little Elliot that morning. He will be starting nursery next week and my daughter tried a satchel on him which was far too big. No doubt he won't be using it and she just put it on for him for fun. However, he didn't find it funny. His face was a picture as you can see in the photo she sent us. 

Elliot not happy with the great big satchel on his back

As a friend on Facebook commented, he could fit into the satchel itself hahahaha. I have a feeling though that even if he doesn't like the satchel, he is going to love the nursery. He is quite a feisty boy though and I hope he doesn't hit the other kids, scratch or bite them. He has had very little contact with children or babies of his age so let's see how he reacts. Watch this space and you will find out.

For once too we didn't have to clean before leaving as we now have our neighbour Lucy to do that (what a luxury). So we only had to pack our clothes and food and leave. Just before we went I ran across the road to the British supermarket, Quicksave, to get some chocolates, biscuits and the all important packet of polos for my father. Our journey was event free with hardly any traffic. Again we had taken a picnic which we now seem to prefer as we can stop wherever we want and it's much faster than eating at a restaurant. The only drawback, at least on the A3, is that there is nowhere nice to stop so we opted for the car park of a petrol station which was quite clean and tidy I must say. We had the luxury of setting up our table and chairs under a big tree for shade and voilá here is Eladio about to devour our gazpacho and "butifarra" sausages followed by fruit salad.

Our picnic on the way home on Friday

The car journey seemed shorter than usual - maybe because our lunch stop was shorter - and we were home just after 4 pm. By then our two French guests, mother and daughter (Marlene and Inma) had already arrived. Inma will be starting at the local University as many of our guests. Just as I got home I got another booking for last night, an Italian lady, her husband and child. Giulia has been writing to me on and off for months now and finally made a booking. I had a dreadful feeling she would be a high maintenance guest, not the sort I like. My experience is that those who ask endless questions and take ages to confirm a reservation usually turn out to be the worst type of guests. My hunch was wrong though as they are a delightful family.

It was great to see my Father again, Suzy of course and the dogs. As soon as I had unpacked I joined Suzy by the pool with my book. The pool was spotlessly clean as the swimming pool maintenance people had been that morning - they come on Monday and Friday mornings. Soon the French guests arrived and I had to use my haltering French, my school French, as neither of them wanted to speak Spanish or English. At least I can communicate and I was able to sort out their wifi problems and give them a personal welcome. Later they went out to dinner. Guests who only use the house to sleep are the best kind. Soon Oli was here with Elliot and we were all together again. We had a nice dinner al fresco and Suzy sang and played the ukelele afterwards which Elliot loved. He bops up and down as if he is dancing. It's so funny.

That night we finished Exodus. What a great film. It was made in 1960 and stars a very very young Paul Newman.

I was awake early on Saturday morning. I had more work to do before I faced the rest of the day as tomorrow, Monday I have some PR to do. I wanted it out of the way and ready for Monday so that I could relax this weekend, at least as much as I could. The only obstacle to my relaxation was having to go and do the damned food shopping (aarrgghh). 

We managed a cup of coffee in between - always a luxury - and weren't back till 1 pm, just a short while before our Italian guests arrived. In under 10 minutes Lucy and I had put everything away and sort of cleared the decks. The girls had invited their friend Elenita and her new dog (Nana from a rescue centre) for lunch so my God was the house full - I counted 11 adults, 1 child, 1 baby, 4 dogs and 1 cat!!!!! I was worried my guests would think the house was too full but they all seemed quite happy. The kitchen was full to the brim of people and preparations. I had to occupy Elliot for a while and Oli took this delightful photo of me playing with him and little Nana in the background. It's one of the best.

Playing with Elliot - Nana in the background

At one stage we weren't looking and for the second time that morning, Elliot tipped up the dog's water bucket. He always goes for it. He got drenched for the second time. 

Elliot after knocking down the dogs' water bucket

I left them to it and had a quiet lunch with Eladio and my father in our private dining room and even sneaked in a short siesta. 

The afternoon was spent with the girls, Elliot and Eladio relaxing in the garden and entertaining him. My afternoon was nicely interrupted with a skype call with my best friends, Adele and Sandra who live in Orleans and Brussels respectively. The day finished with another lovely dinner al fresco. 

Today is Sunday and we are on grandparent duty as Oli has just gone to TVE for the new programme rehearsal. We shall be taking him for a walk and let's see how the rest of the day pans out.

I am now at the end of my tales of the week. Next week, with my exams, will be challenging. Wish me luck.

Cheers till next Sunday everyone,

Masha