The rain came, family dinner at Elliot's, picking blackberries from the garden, my father fell and went to hospital, home again, Friday night out, the girls reunited with Copito, Corona virus spikes and other stories.

 Sunday, 16th August, 2020

Picking blackberries from our garden. 

Dear all.

Another week has gone by in August and I can't wait for next Wednesday when we are off to Portugal for 4 nights to celebrate our 37th wedding anniversary and I'm also wishing 15th September would hurry up too as I am impatient to take possession of our new house in Asturias. The week would have been a very normal one if it hadn't been for my father's fall. Read on to hear all about it. 

Meanwhile, we are here at home and slightly invaded by our guests from Paris. But of course if we have made our bed we have to lie on it. The income was worth it and that's why we do Airbnb at home but this family, unlike nearly all of our past guests, just don't leave the house. We try to keep our space and I think they do too. I also thought we would make the perfect match but living together can be a strain. If I think back to other families we have had who have been a delight to host, this is not the same and I believe it's because our values are different. 

The pool was where we spent most of the time last Sunday as it was so so hot. It was Oli and Elliot's last day with us and we wanted to make the most of it. I think we managed. Our guests had brought another guest - thankfully only one but they hadn't told us which was not in the agreement. It turned out the man who came was the mother's brother who she told me had come to pick her mother up to take her home. He may have come to pick his mother up but while here, he had  a bathe and also lunch. The girls and I decided we would grab our spot by the pool and the four of us went and sat there before lunch and decided to bathe despite our guests and their guest being in the pool. 

The pool was full last Sunday

We grabbed the sun loungers too and here are the girls and Elliot together on our spot - the grass in the shady area where we also spent a lot of the afternoon.

Our spot by the pool

I left them every now and again to check on the chicken in the oven. At around midday our guests at the apartment in Santa Pola were leaving. I was relieved to see they had left me another 5 star review. The next set would come on Monday. It was such a good idea to list the apartment on Airbnb and I only wish I had thought about it before. 

Oh, yes, back to the chicken - That day I made a new dish that I had invented recently; roast chicken with pumpkin and red peppers. It was delicious. For dinner I asked Lucy to make us 4 small Spanish (potato and onion) tortillas. They were delicious too and the best thing was that I didn't have to cook again. 

By and large it was a lazy and hot day. Eladio decided it was too hot to leave our air conditioned room and watched a nature documentary while we spent time with Elliot in and out of the pool. Dinner was again the highlight of the day and our last dinner as a family together at home until tonight. Miguel was back from Valencia that night and the family went to their flat in Mirasierra until Oli comes back with Elliot today. 

I went to bed early and soon fell asleep watching some silly Cuban soap opera. I then woke up again feeling hot, despite the air con, so decided to go down to skinny dip only to find the French couple there. I went to join Suzy who was still awake and later I managed to get my dip just after midnight when the guests left the pool area. It was glorious skinny dipping at midnight with the sheen of the moon on the pool. It took me ages to get to sleep later and I was awake at around 6.30 am on Monday.

I had just laid my breakfast on the table of the kitchen terrace when the skies suddenly opened and rain poured down. I had to remove my breakfast and get the table and chairs to a dry spot so as not to spoil the wood. I have to say the rain was rather welcome. Of course the rain brought a much welcome cooler temperature that day which was a huge relief. I think, for the moment, the heat wave has gone. For the rest of the week it was in the high 20ºs. 

I had a very busy morning on Monday. First I did some quick extra shopping at Mercadona, then at 10.20 I had an appointment with my GP to get a prescription for my sleeping tablets. I had an interesting conversation with him about corona virus. I was happy to hear that there were very few cases in our area - he had only come across one in the whole of July. His opinion of the pandemic was rather different to what we have learned from the media. He told me that far more people died from normal flu which in his opinion was the mutation of the terrible Spanish flu a hundred years ago. He also told me we shouldn't fear Covid as much as we are being told as the mortality rate is very very low. When I questioned this pointing out the awful stories of people dying during the worst part of the pandemic, he said that was because we were not prepared then and hospital staff had to perform triage and that since then the medical world had learned  a lot more and that as people are being much more careful, the numbers of those badly infected or dying were also very very low. His overall opinion is that this virus will not mutate and that it is most probably fabricated by mankind although he has no proof. The worst thing I heard from him is that because of the fear, our lives will never be the same again. His story came when that day we heard Spain has the highest number of cases per 100 people. I am worried about another national lockdown but it seems the government prefers to confine the most affected areas and not the whole country. I am still wondering whether we will be able to go to Portugal this week. I sincerely hope so. 

After the visit to the clinic, I went to get the pills from the chemist and then was on my way again, this time to meet my friend and neighbour Elena. M. for a coffee. I hadn't seen her since before lockdown and we had a lot to catch up on. I had to leave at 12.15 as I had another hairdresser appointment at 12.30. It was to trim my hair as it hadn't been cut very well when I went last week. Thankfully my favourite hairdresser, Elena, was there and she soon had my hair looking perfect. It was chance that brought me another reservation for our apartment by the sea and near Santa Pola while at the hairdresser.  Out of politeness I asked Elena where she was going on holiday and she told me she wanted to go to Santa Pola but hadn't found accommodation yet. I immediately offered her our apartment which still had a few empty slots towards the end of August. After I sent her the information, she discussed it with her husband and both of them thought the apartment was perfect and there and then booked and paid upfront. How great to get a direct booking. Reservations via word of mouth are the best and hopefully there will be more of them.

I was very pleased to see this week that the listing for our apartment in Santa Pola is now a 5 star listing after some great reviews from our first guests there. I still have some free days after 27th  August if any of you are interested. Here is the listing. 

I was home from the hairdresser on time to help with the final touches for lunch which we had with my father as usual. Suzy joined us at the end as her lessons finish a bit late. It was funny not to have Elliot with us or Oli. So we were very appreciative of the photos our daughter sent of him. Here he is crawling in their communal garden. Soon he will be walking and then the fun will begin (hahahahaa)

Elliot crawling on grass - Monday

And here he is playing with some toys. His choice here last week was very limited but he has loads at their flat. 

Elliot playing with his toys on Monday

We also missed Oli. I asked for a photo of the look of the day for her appearance on TV that evening and got this one. She is wearing a green top and jeans. The top was very flattering.

Oli ready to go live on TV on Monday evening

While she was working, rehearsing, getting prepared, etec, we spent time in the garden by the pool but we didn't go in. When I say "we", I mean Suzy and I. Eladio was in our study pouring over the internet looking up how to convert an attic into a studio room of some sort. I refer to the attic in our new house in Asturias. I am more interested in breaking the wall in the pantry next to the kitchen and adding a door to lead to a small terrace which right now can only be reached when going outside the front door. We are both keen to do the same in the lounge to reach the garage and make one big lounge, far preferring that space for living than for parking. These are all dreams I hope one day we will be able to fulfill. We are both so excited about our new house and the plans we have for it.

We then joined Suzy again in the garden and read our kindles while she played her ukelele and sang which was nice background music. For the record I was reading a wonderful book called "The winemaker's wife" by Kristin Harmel, set in France in the Champagne area in WW2. 

Soon it was time to watch Oli live on TV. We now mostly watch her on the RTVE app. This is the link to her  appearance that day. She was reporting on a new Covid app that will be available soon. 

After watching Oli it is usually time to start making dinner. It was just the the three of us on Monday but we had a very pleasant meal after which Suzy gave us our own private concert. Sitting with us always are the dogs and I had to get little Pippa on camera as she looked so sweet. Here she is.

Pippa - simply Pippa - always with us. 

We made the wrong choice on Netflix once again that night. We started watching an Italian series called Baby but soon realised it wasn't our sort of thing.

I was up again to more rain on Tuesday morning. It rained nearly all day and the temperatures plummeted. 

It poured it down on Tuesday

There was a thunderstorm in the morning and I recorded it in this video as the weather was such an unusual occurrence at this time of year. 

Of course the rain changed our day and we had to spend it inside the house or in the sheltered parts of our terraces. That morning we did a much needed task in washing the dogs, or rather I persuaded Eladio to bathe Elsa and Norah - his job as mine is to bathe Pippa hahaha. Here is a photo to remember the moment. 

Eladio bathing Elsa on Tuesday

We were joined by my little shadow, Eva, our 7 year old guest from Paris who adores our dogs; especially Pippa. She was with me all morning like most mornings and helped me make more pies together with Lucy. This time we made my Mother's Russian version of "perushki" filled with minced meat, onion and rice to which I added sultanas and pine nuts. 

Making pies on Tuesday

Eva had picked some blackberries from our garden and made a couple of pies with them for herself and her brother. I heard later her 4 year old brother had misbehaved and wasn't given his:-(

I found an old Russian doll for her which must have belonged to the girls and she played with it while I tried to read my book - The Winemaker's Daughter.

It continued raining all day even when we left the house to go to Oli's for dinner that night. We were to be reunited with little Elliot who was delighted to see us. The poor chap never knows when we are going to appear or when he is going to come here but he is always pleased to see us. We had another great family dinner. Miguel cooked this time and made a great rice dish. Later we spent time with Elliot on his play mat where he has some lovely hand-me-down toys which seem very sophisticated to me. He loves being the centre of attention and was soon clapping his hands with glee. He makes us laugh so much.

Elliot clapping hands on his play mat surrounded by us all at Oli's on Tuesday evening

All good things come to an end and at around 10.30 we set about leaving. But Elliot wasn't having it and clung on to his grandfather. It was obvious he didn't want us to go as, of course, he wouldn't know when he would next see us. Poor little lamb, he is so innocent. Later Oli told us he cried after he left wanting his grandfather and that he didn't want his shower. I only wish he could have understood that we would see him again today. 

But we had to leave and say goodbye. It was a dark and wet journey home and we arrived to darkness in the house too. We were in bed late but I was wide awake and started watching Vanity Fair on Netflix. It had been a set book at school but I only really remembered the name of the heroine, Becky Sharp. I enjoyed what I saw that night.

Wednesday dawned and the rain had gone for the moment although it was very cloudy. The temperature at 6.30 in the morning was 15ºc and I found it rather refreshing.

The day started off quietly and had me picking blackberries with the help of Eva. There were more than last week and although there will be more to come I was eager to get a first batch and Eva wanted to make another pie. 

Blackberries from our garden

I have chosen the photo of me picking the blackberries, which is one of the most positive stories of the week and I like positive stories.

All was going well that morning or so I thought. Oli sent us a lovely photo of Elliot and his father who was teaching him how to brush his teeth. He only has two so far, but you have to start early (hahaha).

Miguel teaching Elliot to brush his teeth

Just before lunch I was finishing laying the table and called Lucy and Eladio who didn't appear. So I went downstairs and I found disaster. They were tending to my father who had just had a very nasty fall and there was blood everywhere as well as a huge gash on his forehead. He had been in his wheelchair taking the newspaper, El País, back to Eladio when it fell off his lap. He bent down to pick it up and then fell himself, head first on the wooden floor. It was Eladio who found him spreadeagled a short while later and lying in a pool of blood. I was horrified when I saw the gash. My father had not lost consciousness though and seemed to be ok, saying his head did not hurt. But the wound was quite deep. While Eladio and Lucy bandaged it, I rang the local health centre. Getting no reply I rang the emergency number 112. They wanted to send an ambulance to take him to a hospital but we were reluctant because of Covid and  preferred a doctor and nurse to come and see him. They did about an hour or so later but both agreed the gash was far too deep and would need proper surgery. The wound had no tissue and would be difficult to sew. They were more worried, however, of internal injuries and so we had no option but to take him to the hospital. The ambulance arrived at around 4 pm and I went in it with him. He was on a stretcher and was wearing a face mask for the first time. Of course as he hasn't left the house since lock down, that was a first for him. I wanted a photo for the girls and asked him to smile as much as he could and he told me he could laugh if I wanted. He was in good spirits and I guess he was quite enjoying the adventure. It's not often he gets out so I actually think he didn't mind at all. 

My father in the ambulance on Wednesday afternoon

The ambulance team who were marvelous, reassured me that there were very few Covid cases at the hospital we were going to, the brand new Rey Juan Carlos in Móstoles. I know it well. Sadly it is where my dear friend Fátima died. The team told me that in any case A+E was divided into two sections, non Covid (clean) and Covid (dirty!). We, of course,went to the former. I was worried we would be sitting in a waiting room with lots of people but no, my father was wheeled straight inside. I was allowed to accompany him to explain what had happened but was then told I couldn't stay with him as during the pandemic no one is allowed to accompany patients. Later though a nurse rang me to say I could be with him (hurray). That was because the doctor in charge of my father factored in his age (101) and communication problems. Although my father knows lots of languages, including Spanish, he hears very badly and needs me for communication. After explaining to her what had happened, she wanted to make sure he was lucid. So I had to ask my father two questions: where we were and what his age was. He passed the test very well of course. She then looked at the wound and confirmed the earlier opinion, that he would need proper surgeons to stitch it. But first she wanted him to have a scan and a blood test. That took a while and waiting for the results did too. My father was in a private box as it seemed all patients were and I was not allowed out and both of us had to wear our masks throughout. I was relieved to see the precautionary measures in place. Besides, I later heard there were hardly any cases at this hospital, there being more of them at an older hospital in Móstoles nearby. Thank goodness for that. The results brought good news. There was no internal injury to be seen. The doctor pointed out that there could be later so he would have to stay the night and we would also have to look out for any strange symptoms over the next few days. The surgeons came later. The two men looked very experienced and knew exactly what to do. I thought they would take him to an operating theater but no they stitched him up in the box, another precautionary measure I suppose. I don't quite know how they managed to sew the wound which was very wide, deep,  devoid of tissue with his scull completely exposed. But they performed their magic and thanks to the anesthesia, my father didn't feel a thing. He was stoic throughout, never complaining and I think we were all amazed at how he took it. Most old people would have grumbled and complained but not my father who was brought up to "be a good beast and suffer in silence". If he suffered it wasn't because of pain but because he wanted to go home. I did too, but there was nothing we could do to avoid one night in hospital. I have to say that he was very well looked after and I saw nothing but efficiency. We were lucky too that there were few patients.  We were also lucky that there was no internal damage. Equally comforting was the support I got from his GP, Doctora Martín. I had written to her on whatsapp when he fell. She was on holiday but even so wrote back and in fact was writing to me all day and until late at night. I was very touched. She didn't have to do that and it was much appreciated. 

Later nurses came to apply a special dressing and they added a bandage all around his head to put pressure on it. What with the turban like bandage and the mask, he looked so funny, sort of Turkish except that he has blue eyes. Here he is again, smiling for the camera.

My father after surgery

They then gave him antibiotics and he was on a glucose drip but not allowed to eat or drink anything until the next morning. I did manage to get a sleeping tablet for him though. He found it hard to sleep. In Spain, there is a custom of family members staying overnight with patients. I don't get why as the person accompanying hardly ever gets any sleep although a comfortable chair is provided. It should be the nurses who look after the patients, not family members. So, when my father, was dozing off, it was getting late and I was extremely tired so decided to leave him to sleep, go home, get some sleep myself in my own bed and come back the next day. I left by taxi and was home by around 11 pm. I didn't sleep well reeling from the shock of the day. 

I was up at 6.30 on Thursday morning and keen to get to the hospital as soon as possible as the earlier we arrived the earlier my father would be discharged. I found him in good spirits and with no repercussions from his fall which was rather a miracle. His own father had fallen in his late 60's and a week later died of thrombosis and I had that on my mind the whole time. Thankfully my father must be made of stronger stuff. He has fallen countless times and although this has been one of the worst falls, he got away with it again, apart from the stay in hospital. I have told him repeatedly not to do anything to provoke a fall and to call us always. But he can be stubborn and I do not rule out him falling again. The protocol for discharging him took its time when finally a doctor gave me his report which entitled his injury as "craniofacial trauma" with a long list of conditions to look out for, etc. In the report it said a nurse from his local health centre would be coming daily to change the dressing. We were out by about 9.30 and home again very soon. My father was delighted to be back and said "home sweet home". He also added he had quite enjoyed the adventure. I suppose it was the interruption to his routine that he enjoyed most. I did not enjoy the adventure which had me both worried and exhausted. 

It was great to be home. We had lots to do that morning, mostly food shopping and I was accompanied by my dear husband. Lucy made lentils for lunch which we had with one of my pies "perushki". I then got a well needed siesta and when I was up at around 5 pm, Suzy had left to spend the night with friends; Mónica and Chati. That meant Eladio and I were on our own. Our French guests were on their own too, or rather the parents were on their own with David, their 4 year old boy who kept running round the house naked! (hahahahah). The woman's mother was supposed to be coming to stay but when she heard my father had been to a hospital she got worried about catching Covid, This is because  she is in a very vulnerable group. She is in her 70's, had a heart attack last year and is diabetic. I am absolutely convinced that with all the precautions, we did not bring the virus into our home but she is still worried. Instead, Eva, went to stay with her.  However, she must have changed her mind as she is coming back today. Thus the house was very quiet until yesterday. I enjoyed reading in the garden until it was time to watch Oli on the TV and then have dinner with Eladio. 

Oli looked spectacular that day. I told her to congratulate her hairdresser who had done a great job. 

Oli ready to go live on Thursday

She was actually on twice but we only saw her the first time. Later she sent us the links so I can share the second appearance with you. It was about the banning of smoking in Galicia because of Covid.  This is it.  Meanwhile Miguel was in sole charge of Elliot as he has been all week. He sent me a great photo of our soon to be 11 month old grandson, one I love and want to share with you. He looks far older than his age don't you think?

Elliot posing in between playing with a ball on Thursday - such a happy little chap

He is a very happy little chap but he is also a very determined toddler. He can now crawl up steps as you can see in a funny video his father sent me and which I added to my You Tube channel here. I love it and hope you find it funny too. Shortly after he was reunited with his mother, the highlight of both their days in this lovely photo she sent us later.

Oli and Elliot reunited on Thursday

It was just Eladio and I that night for dinner and we enjoyed the peace and silence. Our meal was accompanied by a bottle of natural Asturian cider, Suzy's friend, Elenita, had brought us back from Asturias where she had been on holiday. We love the cider from that area. It has to be poured from high so as to preserve the sparkle and it was Eladio's job to do that. There is a special name for pouring cider in Asturias which is "escanciar" (the verb) which is nearly an art although these days you can buy special machines that do it automatically. We shall be investing in one when we move into our new house in September.

Eladio pouring cider the Asturian way on Thursday night

We managed to watch the news that night. For once there was some good and non Covid related news. The Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu, announced an historic peace deal with the United Arab Emirates. The deal normalises their relations with Israel announcing in exchange that it will stop its controversial plans to annex more of the West Bank. I really hope that is true. The only Arab states that had diplomatic ties with Israel until yesterday were Jordan and Egypt. Hopefully now with the UAE added, more countries in the area will lengthen the list. That would be great.

As to the news of coronavirus, it just gets direr and direr. France and Spain announced surges in numbers of new cases and the UK has now added France to the countries where quarantine is obligatory upon return to the UK. I was thinking of our friends Kath and Phil who are currently in France who will now face quarantine when they get back. They decided to stay and enjoy another week or so of the holiday and aren't too bothered about self isolating as they are both retired. I thought they had taken the right decision. 

The day ended with us watching a new film on Netflix, "Captain Philips" about a ship being hijacked in Somalia and based on a true story. I don't know whether it was good or bad as I fell asleep half way through.

I woke up at 5.40 on Friday morning to complete darkness but couldn't sleep anymore so up I got. I think I even surprised the dogs. It was another quiet day. Eladio and I went out on errands, first to our bank and then to El Corte Inglés, a big department store. While there we had a relaxing cup of coffee at Starbucks and were home at midday. Lunch was in the making and I spent time reading again. I had finished "The Winemaker's wife" and was reading another book by the same author, Kristin Harmel, also set in Nazi occupied France in WW2. "The book of lost names" is the story of a young Jewish woman who becomes a forger of documents that saved thousands of lives. I found it fascinating. I read it in two days and an now hooked on Harmel's WW2 stories and began "The Sweetness of Forgetting" on Saturday. But I put it down for a while when I came across Mary Trump's biography of her uncle Donald Trump and that makes for fascinating reading, I can tell you. 

I devoured "The book of lost names" in the afternoon but was interrupted occasionally by my 4 year old guest, David. I had to take him to the swings and talk and play with him. I think he was missing his sister and was bored, even of the swimming pool. He has been her since the middle of July and has hardly been out so the novelty is probably wearing off. I think he found the house very quiet too as did I. Suzy wasn't there either as she had gone out to see her friend Juli and we wouldn't see her again until the next morning. 

Soon it was time to watch Oli on TV.  You can see her presenting here. I knew what she would be talking about as that day the Spanish Minister of Health announced new measures to combat new outbreaks of the damned virus. They were measures that would affect the whole of Spain  and included no smoking outdoor (unless a safety distance of 2 metres can be maintained), all night life banned and the recommendation that people stick to their bubbles. Well, we certainly stick to ours as much as we can. At restaurants we feel safe though as the tables are very distanced. Thankfully there was no ban on movement or closing of frontiers. That afternoon I got a booking for a room in this house from a French couple coming at the beginning of September. But who knows whether they will be able to come. I am crossing my fingers and I imagine they are too as they are coming to settle their daughter into the local UEM University. Who knows too whether schools and Universities will be able to function normally again from September.

Being Friday night, we went out to dinner and chose El Tinglado where we went with the girls and Elliot the week before. We had a lovely dinner together al fresco. I chose salmorejo made of beetroot. Salmorejo is a dish from Córdoba, similar to gazpacho but thicker. For my second course I chose clams but had to give them back as they were full of bits of grit. Thus Eladio shared his second course with me, batter fried cod. 

Eladio at El Tinglado yesterday

I love the menu at El Tinglado except for the desserts. I always want ice cream which they don't have so once home had a couple of scoops of some delicious chocolate and mint ice cream I had in the deep freeze.

Saturday was not a quiet day. Our guests from France announced they were having friends round for a barbecue which mean plans for our own barbecue went out of the window. As I told you last week we never let guests bring other guests but have had to make an exception with this family. I also told you it won't happen again. I felt invaded. Eladio was less bothered and thankfully the girls were out. They had gone to Avila to Copi's mother, Celeste's birthday party. I was worried about Covid but Oli assured me they were less than 10 and would take great care. Copi is their friend from school and was in Suzy's class. They met on the first day of school at St. Michael's which our girls didn't join until November as we had just moved house. They were 3 and 4 at the time. I remember in the hallway Suzy spying a small girl and saying "Who is that little black girl over there? I want to be her friend". Well, they have been friends ever since and Copi, short for Copito, is part of our family. Her real name is Ana María but for a reason unknown to me was called "Copito", after the albino gorilla at the zoo in Barcelona who was famous at the time. Miguel sent me a photo of the three of them with Elliot which I treasure and am happy to share here.

From left to right: Suzy, Elliot, Oli and Copi yesterday

I don't think Suzy had seen Copi since my father's 100th birthday and yesterday was a very special day for them. Copi is makeup artist as well as hair stylist and works in a beauty salon. Yesterday she applied her art to Suzy. As children she used to put make up on them and when I saw the photo below it took me back years in time. 

Copi the make up artist applying make up on Suzy yesterday

She also did Suzy's hair in lots of wonderful plaits as you can see in the photo below.

Copi worked her magic on Suzy's hair too.

As you can see Suzy took her ukelele along and no doubt entertained everyone yesterday at the birthday party. Ah and here are the two of them together, still the greatest of friends after more than 33 years. And long may that friendship prosper.

Copi and Suzy reunited

I wished I had gone with them as our day was invasive but on the other hand relaxing. Lunch was leftovers and I spent most of the day reading. Ah, but I also attended remotely to guest bookings and requests and was happy to get a new booking for Santa Pola at the end of the month. Now nearly all of August is full. I am not sure September will be the same. No doubt my guests will all be nationals as there is little hope for tourists from the UK and now Germany which has also imposed restrictions on travel to Spain due to Covid. 

The numbers keep going up, in Spain and everywhere. The total number of cases worldwide stood last night at nearly 21.5 million with an overall death toll of 766.194. The US, Brazil, India, Russia and South Africa top the table with Spain coming 10th and the UK 12th. There is no sign of abatement and there is an increase in spikes in countries where the curve had been flattened. The curve is going up again. One of the reasons is that so many more tests are being done, with half of the infected not having any symptoms. The average age of those infected in Spain is now under 40 and the mortality rate is very low which is perhaps why the country is not going into lockdown. It seems the onus is on the behaviour of young people, generally unafraid of the virus and fed up of restrictions. With no night life and street parties banned I wonder how they are  going to entertain themselves. Meanwhile on the border of France and the UK, British and French tourists were rushing to their respective countries last night to avoid 14 days quarantine. Why on earth didn't the British government give their subjects more warning instead of causing chaos at the border and thousands of people having to drive for hours and hours to try and make it on time? The German government issued a similar warning yesterday with Spain (with the exception of the Canary islands) and saw its over 300.000 nationals frantically trying to return home, mostly from the Balearic islands. Apparently, in Majorca, they make up 90% of tourists. That of course has put the final nail in the coffin for international tourism this summer in Spain and what that means for the economy of the country. I consider myself lucky to have had so many Airbnb and direct bookings this summer, thanks to national tourists. No doubt though I would have had more if it hadn't been for Covid. As my GP said this week, our lives have changed forever. I do hope he is wrong.

Today is Sunday and will be quiet until this afternoon and evening. The French family's grandmother and their daughter Eva will be returning. So will Suzy at some time today and in the evening Oli will be coming with Elliot as Miguel has to go back to Valencia where he will working this week. It will be full house again tonight but not for long. We shall be on grandparent duty tomorrow and Tuesday. On Wednesday of course, Covid permitting, we shall be off to Portugal. Ah, and like our friends Kathy and Phil in France, if restrictions are imposed and we have to self quarantine we shall do that. The worst would be if we have to self quarantine in Portugal. If that is so, then we won't go. 

Now my friends, I have come to the end of the tales of this week and it is time to sign off, publish this post and give a hard copy to my father. You will be pleased to hear he is very well, after the great shock he gave us this week. 

Next week, "inshala", I will be writing from Nazaré, that lovely old fishing town in Portugal. Cheers till then,

Masha. 

Goodbye Montrondo, home again and reunited with the family, contracts exchanged on the house, grandparent duty, former King Juan Carlos 1 of Spain flees the country amid financial scandal, Casa del Cueto now available on Airbnb, 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atom bomb attacks, a celebration dinner and other stories.

Madrid, 9th August, 2020.

Eladio and I - celebration dinner on Friday night

Good morning everyone.

How was your week? Let me tell you about mine.

This time last Sunday we were still in Montrondo with plans to leave at around midday. We went on our walk, the "secret walk" up the "Camino Valle" to avoid wearing our masks - oh how we hate them. 

On our walk in Montrondo last Sunday shortly before we left

We were back at about 11 and it took an hour or so to get ready to leave. The house was left in perfect condition for our next stay. We had been there for 9 nights and were sorry to leave but know we would meet again. We had lunch on the way at a run of the mill roadside restaurant where we had a not too bad "menu of the day", half of which we brought home as a doggy bag. As our journey progressed it got hotter and hotter. If we left Montrondo with a temperature of 23ºc we arrived in Madrid to 36ºc and it was boiling. 

The kitchen was a bit of a mess, the French family had totally invaded the house with friends and they had brought the grandmother to stay for two weeks which I was not really aware of. As I unpacked the food, all their stuff was in all three fridges and I had no idea what was ours or theirs. I calmed down after unpacking everything and went down to the pool to take a dip and of course greeted the family and their friends. Suzy was home too but in the garden with her friend Juli. Not long afterwards, Oli arrived with Elliot after taking Miguel to the train station as he had to be back to work this week in Valencia. The house was very full. Before hitting the pool, I printed my last two blog posts for my father and went to greet him. I got the warmest welcome ever from him. His words amazed me and warmed my heart. He said "It's you, my beloved daughter. I've missed you. It's great to have you back" and then added an amazing "I love you". It's one of the very few times he has said that to me and I was overwhelmed with love for him. Usually he is not at all demonstrative so these words were very special to me. I gave him the printed blog posts and tried to tell him we had bought a house in Asturias, known as part of "Green Spain", that lush green area on the coast in the north that goes from the Portuguese border all the way to the French border near San Sebastián. If you don't know the Green Coast I recommend it highly. Forget the costas in the south; the north is much more beautiful and so unspoiled in comparison. Ah, but don't tell too many people as we don't want to see it see it overcrowded too. 

We had a makeshift dinner that night out of what I could find that I thought was ours in the fridge. It was great to have Elliot with us again and after some initial shyness he was soon in his element, laughing, clapping his hands, crawling all over the place as well as cruising. He was the centre of attention and he loved it. Here he is playing with the fridge magnet in the kitchen - photo courtesy of Juli.

Elliot standing and playing with the fridge magnets he loves so much.

The house was so full - I counted 12 people including Elliot - poor Suzy had no bedroom for herself and had to sleep on the inflatable mattress in our gallery. We slept with the windows open and the fan on and it was just about bearable. I slept quite well and was awake at 6.30 in the morning. I woke up to find another reservation for our apartment in Santa Pola, my 6th this summer. That lifted my spirits. 

After breakfast I got down to writing the document for the exchange of contracts for the house in which we commit to giving a deposit. It's the first time I have ever drawn up a document like this. As there is no estate agency involved, we are responsible for all the paperwork before the signing of the deeds. Mari Paz had sent me all the details I needed and that's when I saw her website for the 3 houses she rents in Asturias. They are amazing. One of them is ours, the most modest, but still lovely. She and her husband, José Manuel, started their hospitality business 22 years ago after having been farmers tending a herd of cows. They have gone from strength to strength and I can only admire them for what they have done. This is their website which is quite impressive. Shortly afterwards I sent her the contract which she approved with one change. Instead of moving in on 1st October, we can now move in on 15th September. We plan to go together as a family although Oli will only be able to join us at the weekend. Once the contracts were signed and exchanged we sent the deposit. There is no going back now and we are delighted.

Feeling happy, Eladio and I went to do the shopping as our cupboards were nearly bare. My husband only accompanied me to Mercadona as one of us had to be home to look after Elliot once his mother had gone to work. These days she leaves at 12 and returns at 9 at night. I continued the shopping at two other supermarkets I got to; Carrefour Market and BM but also did a couple of errands going to the chemist and the bank. I sneaked in a coffee too at my favourite café, Alverán. I came back to help Lucy put everything away. We now have the large fridge to ourselves (sigh of relief). It was nearly lunch time by then and we had to feed Elliot who ate well. My father enjoyed his great grandson's company or rather watching him crawl on the floor around the dining room hahahhaha. 

After lunch Suzy took charge of Elliot and amazingly he slept a one hour siesta. Later the three of us convened and kept him  entertained as he needs to be watched all the time as he is so active. Eladio came down, Suzy played some songs on her ukelele and I quietly watched the scene thinking what a lovely family moment it was. I recorded it on my phone and you can see it here. 

Family moments with Elliot

I was relieved of grandmother duty for half an hour while I had my weekly Skype call with Amanda. She was delighted to hear about the house in Asturias and I invited her and Andy and their dog, Tess, to come whenever they want. At the moment they only go out for walks for fear of Covid and my friend told me they avoid the beaches where people are going in their droves. Elliot interrupted our call a few times so I had to cut it short until next week. 

Elliot needed more entertaining so Suzy and I took him to the pool for a swim. I was very careful as it was the first time in the water with him on his own and used his special float which I never let go of in case it capsised. He loved it and we spent quite a while in the water where he enjoys splashing. 

Elliot had a great time in the pool with us on Monday

These days there are water proof nappies for babies which would have been very handy for when our girls were small. It's amazing how much new stuff there is for babies. Miguel, his father, buys all the latest baby gear and anything to protect him from getting into harm's way.  When Oli brought Elliot on Sunday night he was wearing some leather shoes. I commented why did he need them if he can't walk yet. The answer was they are special shoes for beginning to walk! As if babies need shoes to learn to walk. Think about all the barefoot kids in the world. Suzy and I were shocked to learn they cost 40 euros! My elder daughter remarked that that was the equivalent of one month's rent in Bali!!!! I thought they looked cumbersome and immediately took them off him. But, of course I am British born and going  barefoot is often a form of life in the UK or it was when I was a child. 

We later watched his mother on TV although I am not sure he realised it was her. He didn't seem to miss her during the day but she got the warmest of welcomes when she came home at 9 pm. We were in the middle of giving him his dinner and as soon as Oli arrived all he wanted was her breast milk hahahaha. We had another lovely family dinner and had two things to celebrate. One was the new house of course and the other was news I can't yet reveal but it made us very happy. We were up late, Suzy singing for us again to which Elliot bobbed up and down as if he were dancing, then it was time for bed. 

We missed the news that night. The top subject was not about corona virus for once but was the story of the sudden exile of 82 year old former King Juan Carlos I of Spain. No one knows for sure where he is but it is rumoured he is staying with rich friends - of these he has many - either in Portugal or in the Dominican Republic. Since the elephant hunting scandal in Botswana, a few years ago which led to his abdication in June 2014,  his behaviour has gone from bad to worse. Once upon a time he was revered for his role in the transition to democracy after the death of Franco. In Spain, criticising the royal family was taboo but that has now changed. Yet we all knew about his womanising and it was vox populi that he and his wife, former Queen Sofia, led separate lives. It is rumoured he has had more than 1500 mistresses. Poor Queen Sofia I always think. How could she put up with him? The name of his latest mistress, now estranged, Princess Corinna Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, came to the public eye when he had the accident in Botswana. It came at a time when Spain was in a deep financial crisis. There was a public outcry and the King had to apologise on TV. They are no longer together but it is her revelations about his finances that have brought about this latest  scandal, the final straw that broke the camel's back.  He is alleged to have received millions of euros from shady deals for Spanish high speed train contracts with Saudi Arabia and other deals with countries like Brunei. Most of the stories have been reported in the international media but now the pressure is on him in Spain. Investigations are taking place even though he is immune to justice for the years when he was King but the question is whether he still is immune after his abdication; probably not. That night a letter addressed to his son King Felipe VI was published by the Spanish press informing him of his decision to leave the country.  The current king issued a response and at the end of the text thanks his father for leaving Spain. It must be a very sad moment for his son King Felipe.

Ex King Juan Carlos I and his son King Felipe VI together before the scandals that have estranged them. 

He had already left when the letter was published in which  he explains that he is leaving the country so as not to taint the royal institution. Well it is already tainted. Maybe instead of leaving the country he should own up to what he did and in my opinion he should have renounced his title of former King of Spain. His whereabouts are not clear although there are reports he is in Abu Dhabi.  He no longer deserves it. It is a very sad tale to the end of what could have been an amazing story of a wonderful reign but he spoiled it all by greed. He went from being feted for restoring democracy in Spain to this. I ask myself, why did he need all these millions of euros when he had everything he could possibly want? King Juan Carlos was born in exile, in Rome, like my mother, and he may now retire in exile too and all because of his greed for money. The Spanish monarchy was given a hefty blow this week and I wonder how it will emerge from this crisis. In Spain affairs of the heart are tolerated but affairs of the wallet are not and this time the ex King has gone too far and cannot be pardoned, however much he was admired before his downfall. 

That night we started watching a news Spanish series called "Inés del alma mía" loosely based on the story of Inés de Palencia in the time of the Spanish Empire and set in the "New World". I am loving it.

Tuesday came, our second day of grandparent duty. I got away with some of it as I had to cook our lunch and also made batches of food to freeze. I had a little helper in Eva, our 7 year old guest who lives in Paris. She follows me around like a little lamb and we have long conversations. My little guest told me yesterday she never wants to leave. I suggested she writes me letters and she proposed we  talk on skype. I didn't expect her to have skype but her mother told me that she does now after lockdown. So I look forward to calls with her after the family has left. At some moments this week I didn't know whether our home was a zoo with all the animals, a creche for children including Elliot or an old people's home including my father and Eva's elderly grandmother. For sure the house was full and the dogs are always under our feet in the kitchen. Eva helped me make a batch of "bitki" (Russian hamburgers), a batch of salmon and leek pies and also the fish we had for lunch that day. She loves her grandmother and asked me to keep a pie for her and one for her "abuelita" (granny). If I were her grandmother I would be a little upset that she is spending so much time with me. 

Eva missed me when I went to the hairdresser that afternoon - a welcome escape from grandparent duty (hahaha) but once home I had to be hands on. I took over from Eladio and kept Elliot entertained in the air conditioned dining room where I was joined by Eva, Suzy and Pippa. Suzy took a cute photo of us which is a nice memory of this summer. Here I am with Pippa, Elliot and little Eva. 

With Elliot, Pippa and Eva on Tuesday afternoon

Eva loves our dogs, especially Pippa. It took a while for Pippa to accept her and her younger brother, David but now they are the best of friends. I was feeding Elliot some fruit and asked Eva if she wanted to feed him. Her reply was no, adding that it was her job to feed the dogs and mine to feed the baby. She loves feeding the dogs and keeps on asking for permission to give them their treats. They are happy about it but I'm worried about Elsa the lab's weight hahahaha. 

I got down to bathing Pippa and brushing her teeth (her mouth stank😀) and Eva enjoyed the show as it was a sort of show. Dog bathing always is. 

Later we convened to the pool where Elliot had a bit of a splash. We had a fun moment when we took his nappy off to let him go "skinny dip" only to find it soiled. We dealt with the situation and then he enjoyed splashing in the water. We later watched his mother live on TV and I'm not sure he knew it was her that day. He certainly knew who she was when she came home that night at around 9pm. We were finishing feeding him when she arrived and I loved the huge grin of joy on his face when he was reunited with his mother. We had a long leisurely dinner consisting of the pies I had baked and some home made coleslaw (yummy). So it was another late night.

On Wednesday I was up at 6.30 and had a busy but pleasant day. It was day 3 of grandparent duty and between Eladio, Suzy and I we managed well. I have to say that he has behaved very well with us this week and was a little angel. Oli says he is a little devil at night! 

I spent part of the morning working on my Airbnb listing for our new house, "La Casa del Cueto" which we are estimating we can begin to receive guests from 24th September. I spoke to the the owner that morning to arrange for the signing of the deeds and lots of other details needed for it to be made ours. This is the listing by the way where I have included wifi that it doesn't have yet but will as soon as we move in on 15th September. The area has a great mobile signal but as friends pointed out people want wifi. Wifi is as essential as water these days and I have to agree. We would love to welcome you as our new guests and by the way the first 3 sets of guests get a 20% discount. So, if you are interested please reach out via a comment on this post. Of course, you can also book via Airbnb using the link above. 

Our new house, Casa del Cueto, which will be ours from 15th September. Already on Airbnb!

I also had to make the lunch while Eladio entertained little Elliot. We should have been  taking him for walks in the mornings but it was just too hot. Suzy took him off our hands at siesta time something we much appreciated. 

We haven't followed the news so much this week as we have been busy with Elliot. The biggest news that day was the explosion at a port side warehouse in Beirut. It caused the death of 137 people and injured about 5000. The head of Doctors without Borders compared the damage of the blast to the destruction of the Lebanon in the civil war which lasted from 1975 to 1990. Some compared it to the Hiroshima nuclear bomb. The only similarity though is the shape of the smoke caused by the explosion.  At first I was sure the explosion was caused by terrorism but it seems not. 

The blast from the Beirut explosion

Later in the afternoon we convened to the garden by the pool where we were joined by Eva and all three dogs. The dogs were there as Suzy was feeding Elliot some fruit. I had to capture the image on camera as it was another lovely moment.

Suzy, the children and the dogs. 

As my friend Sandra pointed out, Suzy is a natural with kids. She later entertained us all singing and playing her ukelele which we all love. I had to have her on camera too.

Suzy singing and playing for us on Wednesday

I had to have her on camera again when she took little Elliot into the pool. I joined him too taking care not to get my hair wet; after all I had been to the hairdresser the day before and didn't want to spoil it hahahaa.

Suzy and Elliot having fun in the water on Wednesday

I sent the photos to Oli and Miguel to show them that Elliot was doing well in our hands for which they were extremely grateful. Meanwhile Oli was getting ready to appear in the studio and sent us a photo of the look of that day. She was wearing red and looked spectacular.

Oli ready to go live in the studio on Wednesday

Eladio joined us later after doing some gardening or I think it was repairing a leak in the irrigation system. Elliot always goes ecstatic when he sees his grandfather suddenly and the admiration is mutual as you can see in this photo. 

Grandfather and grandson, mutual admiration

He was all smiles too when his mother returned that day as he is every time she comes back from work and I had to have them on camera as well. I took lots of photos on Wednesday, perhaps realising that this week has been a very special one in that the 4 of us have been together every day. I should say 5 to add Elliot of course. 

Elliot ecstatic to be reunited with his mother at the end of the day on Wednesday and every day this week.

The reward for grandparent duty this week has been lovely family dinners where we have enjoyed good food and talked until late in the evening. I then helped Oli to bathe Elliot and was finally able to relax in bed and watch something on TV with Eladio before falling asleep feeling quite contented. I felt very happy that night with all things good or as good as they get. Of course we have the underlying fear of corona virus which is not going away and seems to be coming back. It has changed all our lives so much but on Wednesday it didn't feel like it as we spent the day at home in our little bubble without venturing out.

I was up later on Thursday morning and was soon joined by little Eva. The only way to get some privacy in this house is to go down to the garden and read under the trees or work at the picnic table on the patio outside our study but even there we still get found. 

Suzy working at the picnic table where we both try and find some privacy in the mornings

After Oli left for work at midday, mot of the day was taken up with grandparent duty. Thankfully, Suzy took him off our hands again at siesta time. 

Thursday 6th August marked the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima nuclear bomb attack.  The pilots of the first ever nuclear bomb were Paul Tibbets and Robert Lewis and the bomb was known as "Little Boy". It was no little boy though that let out a nuclear bomb that caused hell and damnation in the form of a mushroom like cloud. The fighter plane,  Enola Gay,  dropped the five ton bomb in a blast the equivalent of 15 thousand tons of TNT which reduced the city to ruins and immediately killed 80.000 people. It is estimated that that figure nearly doubled within a year. Even so, the devastation caused was not enough to convince the Japanese to surrender. Surrender came when two days later, 75 years ago today, a second bomb, named "Fat boy"  was dropped on Nagasaki causing similar death and destruction to Hiroshima. 

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

In quick research on the subject, I read somewhere that the co-pilot Robert Lewis was horrified when he saw the destruction the bomb caused and is claimed to have said "Oh God what have we done?" Indeed. I wonder how any of the crew members could have lived afterwards  with their role in such destruction on their conscience. If God had anything to do with this and I doubt it, thank Him there has never been a nuclear attack ever again. I sincerely hope there never will be. At lunch that day, my Father mentioned it was the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombs in Japan and I commented that he would have been 26 at the time and would remember very well that most terrible of attacks. He nodded sadly that indeed he did. 

That was not the main topic in the Spanish news that day. Spain, of course was not involved in WW2, so that's probably why. Again the main topic was corona virus and the ascent of newly infected; over 1700 that day. We are seeing similar figures in France and Germany and in countries still in the middle of the famous curve, the statistics are frightening. I refer to the US, Brazil, India, Russia,  South Africa, Mexico, Peru, Chile and Colombia, the countries at the top of the table. 

We continued life in our little bubble. We didn't go out much this week and don't see many people which is a good safety precaution. We didn't go for our walks either as it was just too hot. That day mercury rose to 38ºc and at 9.30 pm in the evening the temperature was 35ºc. Elliot didn't need any clothes, just his nappy or his waterproof nappy for going into the pool. We had to keep him occupied again while his Mother was at work and when Suzy couldn't. Again she took him off our hands after lunch so we could sleep a siesta but we were in charge in the afternoon. Eladio and I did our best to keep him occupied with his toys in the garden, on the swings or crawling around the air conditioned dining room when it got too hot. 

Elliot on the swings with Eva. Eladio in charge. 

The pool was the only place to be outside and I took many dips. I took Elliot in with me too but was very worried he would slip out of my arms as he moves so. His mother, meanwhile, was getting ready to go live on TV and we would watch her at around 8pm reporting on the ever increasing number of contagions from corona virus. Here she is all made up and looking spectacular. 

Oli ready to go live on Thursday evening

I kept wondering why we had so many little bottles of water at home. It turns out they come from her dressing room where she is provided with bottled water and fruit; perks that come with the job of being a presenter. We watched her with Elliot who gets agitated when he sees her on TV.  His mother was back at around 9 pm to a laid table in the dining room with the air conditioning on as it was too hot to eat outside. As usual he got ecstatic when he saw her and left what he was doing to be swept up into her arms and then breast feed. I love their reunion moments every evening. 

After helping Oli to bathe him, Eladio and I, relieved of grandparent duty at the end of day 4, turned our attention to a special programme about the exiled former King of Spain and then to a documentary never seen before. The only new thing I learned was that his exile, a decision made by his son, the King, was punishment for his behaviour.  It is claimed he has said this is a temporary measure but in the programme we learned it was to be permanent. Again I thought, what a sad end for once a glorious King. 

I fell asleep before the documentary finished and was awake and up at 6.10 on Friday, our last day of grandparent duty (sigh of relief). It was a quiet day and again we didn't venture out. It was just too hot with the temperature reaching 39c again. In the UK too the weather was sweltering, all because of some Sahara wind apparently. Thankfully the mornings are slightly cooler. While I made our lunch, Eladio took care of Elliot. That morning saw him riding the red car that belongs to the French kids. I think he only sat in it but he loved every moment. No doubt, his father, will invest in a miniature car for him when he is a little older. Lucky boy.

Elliot in the French kid's miniature red car

I think Elliot has been well entertained during our grandparent duty. Our only problems were at siesta time as this kid just doesn't like sleeping. He was rather frisky as you can see in the photo below where he is playing with our pillows rather than lying down to go to sleep.

Frisky little Elliot not wanting his siesta on Friday

Thankfully, at 3.30 (after the news he wouldn't let us watch), Suzy took him off our hands and later he did sleep from 4 to 5. I was having my afternoon decaf cuppa of tea when they came down and then it was time to convene to the pool; the only place to be in such heat. I had to persuade my husband to put on his swimming trunks and take a bathe - he hardly ever does - but that day he went in the pool and I had to have a picture to remember the moment. I think it was the second time he's been in this summer. It was very clean thanks to the pool maintenance man who comes every Monday and Friday to clean it.

Eladio in the pool on Friday, an unusual sight

He was soon joined by Elliot who adores his grandfather so I had to get another picture, this time of the two of them together in the water.

Eladio and Elliot in the pool on Friday afternoon

Who were probably at the pool by our apartment in Santa Pola were my latest group of Airbnb guests there, two couples from Valencia. I'm so lucky to have someone to manage the apartment and guests. Lucy, our next door neighbour there, is doing a great job. 

We had a dinner date that night, a celebration family dinner and Olivia would join us coming straight from work. We just about managed to see her on TV in between showering and dressing Elliot as well as ourselves before setting off. We had booked a table at El Tinglado. It's probably the nearest restaurant to us and one of my favourites. The food is just divine and right up our street.

Elliot hadn't been out for a while and I think he likes restaurants as much as we do. We were in the middle of feeding him the pure I had made for him when his mother arrived; looking beautiful I must say as she had come straight from the studio without taking her make up off. She couldn't breast feed with the dress she had on, so both sisters went to exchange dresses; Suzy's being looser. I thought that was a lovely moment and, no, I don't have a photo of them changing into each other's dresses. But I do have a photo of them together with Elliot during the meal and I love it. I love it so much I printed it and is now in a frame on my desk.

My girls and Elliot at dinner on Friday

We had a great big round table far from other diners and again it was quality family time spent together. The only person missing was Elliot's father, Miguel, who won't be back until tonight or tomorrow morning. He will be relieving us of grandparent duty for which I am very grateful. Oli was very grateful to us for taking care of Elliot this week but we were three and it was not too difficult. If it had only been me, I would have found it very tiring. We all enjoyed the food and shared various dishes. My favourites are the artichokes, the croquettes and the foie. It was all washed down by delicious Albariño white wine. Eladio and I both remarked what a lovely dinner it was and just how lucky we are. We also spoke about the new house we are buying, thinking that, on the whole, we had made a good decision. Only time will tell if it was and I refer to getting reservations to help pay it back. In any case, it is an investment in bricks and mortar, something I far prefer to dubious financial products and it is a house where we will enjoy spending time. 

We were home by 10.30 or so and soon fell asleep watching some rubbish on Prime Video. I was awake at 6.50 on Saturday which would be another scorcher. I went shopping that morning with Oli and we were accompanied by Elliot. Midway we went to have a coffee at Alverán and the poor lamb fell asleep so we took him home, dropped off part of the shopping and continued to Carrefour Market for more provisions. Just as we were returning our French family's guests were arriving for the day. I don't normally allow guests to bring non booked guests but have had to make an exception a few times with our current guests who are here for 42 nights. That day we felt totally invaded and I vowed no future guests would be given the same permission. It was a blisteringly hot day and normally we would have spent the afternoon by the garden part of the pool but they had even invaded that. There is an unspoken rule that no one invades that part of the pool side so I was annoyed to see it occupied.  Eladio preferred to stay inside the bedroom watching a documentary with the air conditioning on  and was joined with Pippa. One of the reasons I don't like guests bringing other guests with children (this was a family of 4) is that Pippa takes a while to get used to kids and I have to lock her up. I spent the afternoon with the girls and Elliot at the end of the garden while we heard our guests splashing in the water which annoyed us. In any case we had a lovely time together. Suzy played and sang music and Oli had a go at playing the ukelele which she soon got the hang of. She said it was because she used to play the guitar but I marveled at that as she hasn't played a guitar for about 20 years. When Elliot got bored I showed him parts of the garden, pointing out the names of trees and flowers. I was amazed to find a huge grape vine with lots of grapes hanging; albeit not yet ripe. I have no idea if they will ever get sweet or even propser but loved the sight of them. I also discovered a large blackberry bush the other day I had no idea about either.

Grapes growing in the garden

It was getting late and it was so warm I decided to take Elliot up and give him a bathe in the pool, despite the guests. Thankfully they were no longer in it. When I returned to the garden the sprinklers were just starting so we had to leave. We then had the pleasurable task of making our dinner together, always the highlight of our days. The girls managed a quick dip before we sat down to eat. I wished we could skinny dip but of course that is out of the question when we have guests here. It was after dinner that an impromptu party started, all thanks to Suzy and her music making and to Elliot's enthusiasm. Here are the two girls together, Suzy singing and Oli playing the ukelele. 

My two girls making music

I took a short video which you can see here. 

It was little Elliot who turned the lovely musical family moment into a party with his enthusiasm and his clapping. He clapped each time Suzy finished a song and we clapped with him and I couldn't stop laughing he was so funny. Here is a little clip of the lovely time we had that night. 

Soon he turned to a new task. Lucy was loading the dishes from our dinner into the washing machine, a task the dogs always help her with as their favourite occupation is licking the dishes. Elliot being the same height as the dogs, joined them and I had to capture that on video too. He is so funny.

We were up till quite late and it was getting time to bathe Elliot and put him to bed. He goes to bed so late compared to the French kids who go at about 7.30 whereas his bedtime starts at 11 pm which is very Spanish and rather too late for a baby his age. On the other hand we love having him during our family dinner times. 

The day ended late for us too. Eladio and I watched some rubbish on TV - a silly Mexican soap opera which we shall not be continuing and then both being still awake talked until late into the night. Even so I was awake this morning at 5.50. I couldn't sleep any more so up I got to feed the dogs and enjoy my first cup of coffee of the day in peace. 

Today will be another scorcher but thankfully we will be able to reclaim our part of the pool and so cool off whenever we want. 

Next week will be a quiet week without Elliot and Oli who will be returning to their flat when Miguel comes back from Valencia tonight. Grandparent duty was a a responsibility but on the other hand we have had a lovely week with him and both our daughters; a time we will look back upon fondly. 

This week has seen a surge of new cases of coronavirus all over the world and in Spain the numbers are not good with hundreds of new outbreaks. I can only hope they get contained and the numbers don't go up next week. I am praying we won't have to go  back into lockdown. Worldwide there are now nearly 20 million cases and the death toll last night was 729.666 but these are only the cases and numbers that have been recorded. For sure there are many more. 

On that worrying note,  I shall leave you now to publish this post and print a copy for my most avid reader - my father - and then get on with the day. Wishing you all well, cheers until next Sunday,

Masha