Family reunion, remembering my mother on her birthday, our first bathe of the year, visiting Elliot, dinner in the city with Julio, precious time with Suzy, just 3 women at the G7 summit in Cornwall and other stories.

 Sunday 13th June, 2021

Family, happiness, sister reunion - last Sunday

Good morning everyone.

How is life? Still sitting out the pandemic? Of course you are but it will be different for different people all over the world. In Spain we have some of our freedom back but not all. In other countries people are in lockdown or coming out of it. In the UK they are due to return to life as normal on 21st June but that may be put on hold because of the rise in cases thanks to the now called "Delta" variant. Last Sunday the global figures for infections and death were 173.729.468 and 3.736.514. Today these figures stand at 176.422.387and 3.810.952. I say we are sitting out the pandemic but I should not complain because I am just a side witness as Covid has not affected the health of this family. So far, none of us has been touched and for that I am very grateful. 

I was very grateful too to have Suzy back sound and safe. It's wonderful to have her home after 8 months and I am much relieved she is doing well despite her Nicaraguan adventure which ended in an operation to remove her appendix. Not many people from the West will have had that experience. She will have a scar on her "tummy" forever but I see that as a "war scar", an experience she will never forget and will probably tell her grandchildren and nephews and nieces.

She was to see her nephew Elliot for the first time since late October and of course he has progressed enormously since then. She was also to see her sister Oli, now 6 months pregnant with Juliet. I was witness to that reunion as we went to have coffee last Sunday at their very nearby new flat which was a first for Suzy. We spent some lovely quality family time together at Oli's house and we all really like it. Elliot was overjoyed to see us and got very, very excited. He flapped his arms, rolled on the floor and made excited noises. It was so lovely to know that he knew who Suzy was; his "Aunty Bonny" even though he hadn't seen her for such a long time. That has to be thanks to video calls. He immediately accepted her as family which made me overjoyed. When he calmed down a bit and Suzy had seen the new flat, it was reading time. He loves me reading to him and this week I read him some of the Spot books, introduced to us by my friend Joanna. I also read him some old Peter and Jane books which belonged to the girls. I was in for a surprise. I could not believe just how old fashioned they were and sexist I should say. Peter fights with his friends and buys toy guns while his sister plays with dolls. None of that would be acceptable today hahahaha.

Reading to Elliot with Suzy last Sunday

But soon he was tired and wanted some comfort breast milk. I am wondering whether he will still want to suckle at his mother's breast when Juliet is born. Oli is trying to wean him off; no easy task. He soon fell asleep at her breast and unfortunately we had to go as we had 11 guests arriving at midday to use the pool.

Raquel and her friends came just after we got back. They were delighted with the pool and terrace which had been impeccably cleaned especially for them as had the pool. Everything looked perfect and I think they had a great day. I later mused as I sat on the kitchen patio that swimming pool guests are just as lucrative as Airbnb guests but far less invasive. 

I then had to deal with lunch and when I had everything on the go, out of the blue, I rang my dear cousin Katty who lives in New Zealand. She is the granddaughter of my mother's youngest brother, Nicholas, known to me as "Dyadya Kolya". What a delight to catch up. Love you Katty and family. We must talk more often.

We had our lunch in the dining room and the afternoon was spent chilling out. Suzy went off for a reunion with her great friend, Elenita and wasn't back until dinner time. Dinner for the three of us was on the kitchen patio where at 9 pm it was still light and warm (25ºc). 

Meanwhile on Sunday, the big news in the UK, at least, was the birth of Prince Harry and Meghan's new daughter. They surprised us all by calling her Lilibet, the nickname of the Queen. They didn't surprise us with her second name, "Diana", after Harry's mother the beloved Princess Diana. Her full name is Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. So much for feminism and the Sussex's criticism of the Royal Family. Then they go and call their baby girl Lili for Lilibet. I wondered whether the Queen knew of approved. Well there is a fight now about that. According to the BBC, the Palace informed that the Queen hadn't been asked so now there is a real Royal fight as Lili's parents accused the BBC of libel. Not a good start to the baby's life nor the already estranged relations with Buckingham Palace. 

Lilibet, or Lili, was born in California and I wonder when the Queen will be able to see her 11th great grandchild. Perhaps when Harry goes over to the UK for the unveiling of a statue of his mother at Kensington Palace. He really needs to make amends with his family. 

Monday came and it was a busy morning for us. My thoughts, however, were about my mother as 7th June would have been her birthday. There are two dates when I remember her especially, her birthday and the day she left us, 1st October. If you know me well you will know about my mother and her very exotic roots. She was born Her Serene Highness Princess Elena von Lieven to Russian born parents in Rome on 7th June 1920 shortly after the family escaped the Russian Revolution. My mother was the most charismatic, cultured and fun person I every knew but she had a very hard early life.  After Rome the family moved to live in Bulgaria where my grandfather became an Orthodox priest. Hers was a very strict upbringing. When WW2 broke out, my mother and her brothers had to flee the country and went to Germany where my mother and younger brother Nicholas were imprisoned by the Gestapo. They were not able to return to Bulgaria after the war as it was now a Russian satellite. Eventually my mother found stability in England where she married my father in Cambridge in the early 50's. The photo below is perhaps the best picture I have of her as a young woman. I think it was taken in Sofia shortly before she fled the country. My mother must have been about 24 when the photo was taken. I never thought my mother was particularly good looking but when she was young she obviously was. Many people pointed out to me that both Suzy and I look like her when I posted it on social media. What a life eh!

My mother as a young woman

RIP Mummy. You are always in my heart.

As I said Monday was a busy day. Suzy spent the first part of it preparing an email to send to the health insurance company with all the details of her "repatriation" expenses. I helped her a bit and then we were off on our walk. It was very warm by then and we decided that from now on we will go earlier. Once home we were soon off again, this time to the local and public health centre to register Suzy there and get a doctor's appointment.  I had work to do before lunch, work I always try to get out of the way in the morning so as to leave my afternoons free. My main job is really our little hospitality business. I spent part of the morning doing the "book keeping" of all upcoming reservations. This sounds easy but I have multiple ads to manage as well as the pool bookings. I was happy to get a new booking for our house in Asturias that day  - a direct one too (i.e. no commission from the likes of Booking or Airbnb) and one for our house from a Danish lady and her son at the end of August. Ditte sounds lovely. I am so lucky with our guests. They are nearly always a delight to host.

Suzy had lunch with us but went to spend the rest of the day and the night with her friends Monica and Chati. That left Eladio and I alone in the afternoon, alone with no guests except for Felipe who was out. It was the perfect opportunity to take our first bathe of the year and we did so - skinny dipping btw (haha). 

Perhaps the highlight of our bathe was using our new solar shower for the first time which holds up to 20 litres of warm water. Top marks to Eladio for choosing it when our old shower was destroyed by the January snow storm.  It definitely took the edge off the feeling of cold as we took  our first dip. I was in first  - Eladio takes longer to decide hahaha and I had to have  a photo to record the moment. Here I am in our pool which we had all to ourselves. What a luxury.

My first bathe of the year

Soon Eladio was in too and I caught him on camera. Here he is enjoying the moment.

Eladio's first bathe

Part of Monday afternoon was spent skyping with my dear friend Amanda. It's always lovely to catch up with her. Like me she was happy as she had had the pleasure of the company of her daughter Cordelia for 5 days and whom she hadn't seen since last summer because of Covid. Thus we were two more than contented mothers that day hahahaha.

That night Eladio and I finished Season 5 of Line of Duty. Wow what a series. I can't wait for the final season, 6, to be available on Netflix. I later read this week that The Queen is a great fan too. Good for her.

Tuesday dawned and it would be another scorcher with the temperature reaching 34ºc. We only left the house for our walk. We had an interesting encounter on our way back when we bumped into a group of children on a school field trip. They all wanted to pet little Pippa but she is very wary of strangers.Thus I gave the children a little lesson on how to approach animals. I spoke in English to some of them as the teachers told me English was high on the syllabus.  One of the girls, Alejandra, aged 11 told me she was bilingual so I tried out her English too. She was bowled over to realise I am of English origin. 

While all this was happening, Oli was doing her job at Prado del Rey, the TVE studios for the national broadcasters programmes. I always love to watch and her and Juliet now as her bump is very visible at six months pregnant.

Oli doing her job on Tuesday morning

Her TV cameraman partner, Miguel, was working with her at the same programme that day. He works for different programmes but that day they were together. They often are. Oli posted a photo of them both. He was beaming. She was too. She later posted this photo on social media (quite rare for her) pronouncing her love for him at home and at work. They met 12 years ago at work too and their love has grown from strength to strength. I couldn't wish for a better son-in-law.

Oli and Miguel at work together this week

It's amazing to think they will soon be a family of 4. Welcome Juliet. She is due, by the way, on 1st September.  Even Elliot joins them at work  as his day care centre is on the premises of the TV installations at Prado del Rey in nearby Pozuelo. Here he is that morning just after he had woken up. He looks so sweet. Eladio said that all he needed was wings to look like an angel. He is not an angel in real life though. He is high spirited and has been in trouble for biting his little companions at the day centre. Apparently he then hugs and kisses them. Hahaha.

Our little angel, Elliot

Suzy was away that day spending time with Mónica and Chati, friends she lived with during her time in London. We wouldn't see her until later that night.

Thus our day was very quiet. It only livened up when she joined us for dinner. I had some quiet time with her after dinner, with a heart to heart mother and daughter talk. Her well being is my top priority.

For some reason, or for no reason, I didn't sleep well that night. I was awake at 7.30 on Wednesday morning after having fallen asleep in the small hours.

I had work to do that morning, updating my register and book keeping with more reservations for our various houses. I had a Danish lady and her son coming at the end of August at this house, a family of 5 from Madrid staying at our beach apartment, as well as 2 young couples from Albacete who also chose that apartment. My book keeping is looking good and the summer is very promising.

Wednesday was quiet. Our walk was hot as we are having a heat wave at the moment. Suzy and I spent most of the morning working quietly by the pool. I was mostly involved in my little hospitality business which at the moment is busy as it is the high season. I have also noticed now that international guests are on the rise. We spent the afternoon by the pool too but I didn't go in. I did go in though at midnight. There was a problem with the water in the area and it had been switched off. Thus I crept downstairs to have a midnight skinny dipping swim. It was luxury. Thankfully the water issue was cleared up and shortly afterwards the supply was back.

Thursday was to be the highlight of the week; both the afternoon and the evening. Oli had asked us round to her new flat to help with Elliot while Miguel was working an afternoon shift. We stepped outside the house at about 5.30 and it felt like being in an outside sauna with the temperature near 40ºc. Thank God Oli's new flat has air conditioning. Elliot was delighted to see his "Aunty Bonny" and his grandparents and we were delighted to see him. We spent quality playing time with him. The amount of toys and games he has could fill a toy shop! He has a new table come drawing board and Suzy and I did our best to draw. We are both hopeless. I can only draw a flower, a cat and stick men. Suzy is a bit better and drew a dog and a tree. I loved seeing her getting acquainted with her little nephew.

Aunty Bonny and Elliot

When we opened the door to go outside, he insisted in riding up and down the lift, wanting to press all the buttons, including the alarm. That alarmed me hahahha. He also wanted to go up the steps which he is learning to do but also outside. It was still hot but we took him to the playground where there were other children on their bikes or playing in the sand. I did my best to introduce him to a little boy who looked just a bit older than him but he wasn't interested hahahaha. He seemed to prefer the swings.

Elliot on the swings on Thursday afternoon

Soon it was time for Eladio and I to leave. Believe it or not we had a dinner date in the centre of Madrid. Julio, my dear friend and ex Nokia colleague, had invited us to dinner at a very swish restaurant; La Máquina in Jorge Juan, a swish street too in the heart of one of the richest areas in the city. Elliot didn't like to see us go and got into my car, a Mini, which he loves. He cried when we left but thankfully was later entertained by his mother and aunt. The girls had quality time together and enjoyed dinner with little Elliot. We were a bit late for our dinner date and I couldn't get over the amount of people out having dinner in the area of our restaurant. Julio was patiently waiting for us. I think Thursday night was our first time in the city in many many months and it has also been many months since we last saw my friend. He is a dear friend, an ex Nokia colleague. He hired my best "buddy", Fátima and we became firm friends. We called each other The Three Musketeers. Sadly Fátima is no longer with us but is always part of the conversation.

Julio being very wary of Covid - even more than us - had booked a table on the street terrace. In my mind there were too many people inside. It was so great to be together again. I had forgotten why Julio had invited us out and as we made a toast, I asked what we were celebrating. Julio's reply was "life". I second that. We have got through the Pandemic, so far, unscathed and consider ourselves lucky. So, yes we celebrated life that night and all our blessings. I got the waiter to take a photo to record the evening and for once I got a decent picture out of a waiter. Most waiters take dreadful photos but this was fine. Here we are with our glasses of Arzuaga wine from the Ribera del Duero region, about to make a toast.

Celebrating life - dinner in the city with Julio on Thursday evening. 

Julio chose Arzuaga wine as once at Nokia I organised a team building event at the bodega of the same name and what a wonderful event it was. We still speak about it today.

Our conversation was varied. We tried to steer away from any sad subjects in our lives and concentrate on the positive things we had to discuss. At one stage Eladio and Julio were reciting poetry. What memories they have. My husband has 3 degrees but Julio who has also has 2 is now embarking on his 3rd. He will study History of Art. My dear friend has a degree in telecoms engineering, economics and now he will turn to art. My husband has his Theology degree from the church as well as a degree in Educational Studies and Philosophy. What cultured company I was in that night. I love both men. All this happened over a delicious dinner as La Máquina which  is famed for fabulous food. We had mini scallops, mini clams, artichokes and then each of chose a second course. Eladio had oxtail, Julio fish and I went for my favourite, "entrecot" steak. Thus there was little room for "pudding". The dinner came to an end just after 11 pm. We agreed to see each other this summer, either in Santa Pola near where Julio has a beach flat or maybe in Asturias if we can coincide. All in all it was  fabulous dinner in the city and a great end to the day. 

We were home by 11.30 or so and found Suzy up with the dogs. We sat for a while drinking copious amounts of cold water and I was in bed by past midnight. 

While we had had a great day, the leaders of the UK and US, Johnson and Biden and their wives, met up in Cornwall ahead of this weekend's G7 summit at Carbis Bay near St. Ives. The hotel they are staying at looks like to die for so I shall add it to my bucket list. It was reported that Biden had warned Johnson not to jeopardise the Good Friday Northern Ireland agreement. His warnings come while the UK are arguing with the EU over the post Brexit agreement. Things don't look too good. I hoped Biden can put some sense into his UK ally. I'm not sure he was able as the now called "sausage war" came to a heat this weekend with neither side bowing.  It's all about inspections on meat from the UK into Ireland. Now isn't that ridiculous?

That night also brought terrible news. At the end of April  two little girls, Olivia aged 6 and her baby sister, Ana, aged 1, were kidnapped by their father and went missing in the Canary Islands.  The news has been headlines for weeks now. It was on Thursday night we heard that Olivia had been found dead in a bag at the bottom of the sea. They are still looking for the father and Olivia's little sister, probably at the bottom of the sea too. How could a father do that? I just cannot begin to imagine the mother's pain, her worst nightmare. There is a name for killing your own children to spite your wife or partner and it is vicarious killing. Chilling isn't it?

Friday came and I was up at 6.50. While on our walk I got a message from the Madrid health authorities for my second vaccine appointment. It's been put forward to 15th June. My first jab of AstraZeneca was on 2nd April and I wasn't expecting my second one until 2nd July. That was good news. The authorities are now putting forward the second jab as people in my age bracket, the only ones to get the PR disastrous vaccine, were or are the must  vulnerable because of the Indian vairiant (Delta) as a 1st dose only gives 30% efficacy. That is why the dates have been put forward. I am happy to get my second jab earlier but I am a bit wary of being injected  with the Oxford vaccine again.

Confirmation for my second vaccine appointment came earlier than expected

That morning was shopping day and Suzy came with us. The highlight was coffee at Alverán, a local bakery we tend to favour. It was sunny and pleasant and precious time with our oldest daughter who needs so much support at this time. Here she is with her father and below with me. I was feeling good as you can imagine.

Coffee time on Friday. Precious time with Suzy

We were to spend more precious time with her that day as we were having dinner at Oli's place, at their new flat which is so near us. I ordered Moroccan food from El Tuareg and Lucy made us some tortillas. It was not only precious time with Suzy, we were visiting Elliot again and he loves our visits as we love going. As usual he was watching Peppa Pig. What a clever series. Our dinner was splendid. I have a not very good photo of the occasion but at least I have one to remember it.

Dinner at Oli's on Friday night

We left early, for us, at around 10.30. Elliot came with us to the car and, as usual, did not want us to go. But no worries we would see him the next day.

While we were at dinner, Nadal and Djokovic were playing in the Roland Garros semi final. I was routing for Nadal as I wanted him to win his 14th French Open cup and become the male tennis player to have won most grand slams. But it was not to be. In an apparently thrilling match, the Serb won. Today he plays the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. Who do you think will win?

While we were at dinner, too, our new guests arrived at our apartment in Santa Pola. Lucy, our neighbour who takes care of the flat and the guests, told me they were delighted with the accommodation. We are so lucky to have her.

That night though there was a much fancier dinner going on in my home country, in Cornwall, a most beautiful part of England. The G7 were beginning their annual meeting which is now being dominated by the Northern Ireland Protocol post Brexit, world wide vaccination and climate change. Another big topic discussed was beating China in "making a better world". Joe Biden got support from the other leaders for his Build Back Better World plan to financially support lower and middle income countries vs China's Belt and Road Initiative to finance infrastructure in poor countries. In the picture of the world's richest countries leaders, there was only one woman, Angela Merkel. Ursula von der Leyen was there too in her capacity as President of the Commission but she is not a country President or Prime Minister. Thankfully the Queen stepped in to add a third woman to the official picture. It was wonderful to see her there taking her rightful place. If I were in charge of the agenda I would add gender equality. Wouldn't you?

The Queen in the centre, increasing the number of women to three. 

I suppose the Queen noticed the absence of women too. Then again, she is much acquainted with events where men's presence dominates everything. Only when we have real gender equality will this world be a better place. 

Those were my thoughts when I went to bed, falling asleep after watching part of a German TV series called Deutschland. It will be familiar to Angela Merkel as it is about an East German man turned spy in the early 80s. It will be familiar to her as she was brought up in Communist East Germany. Not a nice place to grow up.

Saturday came and life was normal. I was particularly struck by the news that the Spanish photographer, Emilio Morenatti who works for the AP had won this year's Pulitzer Prize in the feature photo category. I was happy the photographer was Spanish but I was especially intrigued by the winning photo and his set of photos. Entitled "Loneliness" they include shots that of lockdown in Spain during the pandemic last year, especially the effect on old people. This is his winning shot.

The winning shot for this year's Pulitzer Prize in the feature photo category

You can see the rest of the photos Emilio Morenatti submitted here. They couldn't represent better what lockdown and death meant for so many people

We went on our walk and just as we got back, Oli and Elliot had come. It was a surprise visit and we were delighted to have more time with Elliot. We took him to the swings where Eladio pushed him. He just didn't want to come off.

Elliot loving the swings

Oli and Elliot had come as Miguel was busy with his brother putting up a new bed for Elliot and other furniture they had bought. Thus my youngest daughter and our grandson stayed for lunch. There was pool time too but Elliot didn't want to go in. He did though like to throw his socks into the water hahaha and splash around. 

Oli and Elliot by the pool yesterday

For once we had no new guests at our place nor swimming pool renters. We will have a group though here this afternoon. So yesterday the pool was all ours although I didn't go in. Lunch was a family affair and I arranged for fish and chips which everyone ate heartily. The afternoon was spent lazily. We had more quality time with Elliot. I cut up some water melon - a fruit he had never eaten. At the beginning he was reluctant to try it but when he saw us eat it, he tried it himself. He loved it. Thankfully it was a sweet water melon. 

Elliot eating water melon for the first time yesterday

They left just before 7 pm and shortly afterwards Suzy went to her sister's flat for dinner where they would be joined by Elenita. Thus Eladio and I  had a quiet dinner together before going to bed to watch the news and whatever was on. We were asleep by midnight.

Today is Sunday and it will be warm again. Thus I must hurry so as not to miss our early morning walk to avoid the sun.

I wish you all the best and will leave you now until next Sunday.

Cheers till then/Masha.

Entertaining Elliot, Oli and family move into their new house, Bolton Abby, getting out of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Suzy is home and other stories

 Sunday 6th June, 2021

Eladio reunited with our "prodigal daughter" yesterday at Madrid airport

Good morning everyone. How are you all? I am feeling happy, overjoyed in fact, since Suzy, the eldest of our 2 daughters, got back from her Central American adventure yesterday but above all relieved that she is home safe and sound.  Before I tell you all about that I must first rewind to last Sunday.

Covid still dominates the news as it has ever since we first heard of Coronavirus back in December 2019. We are still sitting out this pandemic which is not going away soon. Last Sunday the global numbers for infections and deaths was 170.638.059 and 3.548.839. Today they stand at 173.729.468 and 3.736.514. In the UK the Indian variant now called "Delta" is spreading and the number of infections is on the rise. Thankfully though the number of deaths is very low. In Spain 40% of people have been vaccinated and the number of people infected per 100.000 is down to 117. It needs to be below 50 to be considered out of danger and the virus in control. 

The other news this week of interest in my mind is the meeting of the G7, the world's richest countries, in St. Ives in Cornwall of all places. There Boris Johnson proposed that rich countries see to it that the rest of the world is vaccinated by the end of next year. Why on earth can't that start earlier? The other news is an agreement on taxing the tech giants such as Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, etc. Giant multinationals often register in tax havens and don't pay tax on goods and services sold in countries outside their registered country. The idea is for them to pay 15% everywhere they operate. If this comes off it would mean more income for benefits all over the world. In the sports world Spain and Portugal met for a friendly pre Euro Cup match and drew. That I found terribly boring. I am much more interested in Rafa Nadal's progress at the French Open. He has won it 13 times and this week turned 35. Can he really win it again? I sincerely hope so. 

News apart, last Sunday was the hottest day of the year so far in Madrid with mercury rising to 32ºc. We went for our walk at 10.30 in the morning and even then felt the heat which got more intense as the day progressed. Oli and Miguel were to be very busy again that day with preparations for their move so they brought us Elliot to look after. He arrived at about 13.30 just before lunch and was delighted to see us. We were too even though we knew we would have to forfeit our beloved siesta. As soon as he got here he was on his favourite "toto" (scooter) enjoying the freedom of movement and the vehicle. Have I told you he is mad about cars and motorbikes?

Elliot on his "toto"

He let us have our lunch in peace playing quietly on the floor with all the toys he has here. I think I need to get him some new ones as they are becoming very old hat.

Elliot quietly playing on his own in the dining room while we had lunch on Sunday

Watching the news and taking a nap in our room with him was a challenge. He loves my bedside table and all the contents, taking out my sleeping tablets, scissors, nail clipper, creams and all sorts of stuff he shouldn't go near. While exploring my things he broke a beloved money box in the shape of a beautiful and colourful hen. But how could I get cross with him? I couldn't. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon keeping him entertained and occupied. We didn't want him anywhere near the pool on his own as last week he fell in and had to be rescued by his father. When we go to his toy box the first thing he gets out is his favourite book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a present from our friends Kathy and Phil. I have no idea how many times I have read it to him but it must be over a hundred. It was then that I got an electric shock; the second crisis of the day. Elliot dropped a set of candle like electric lights I had bought at a market in Sweden. One of the bulbs came apart and I tried to put it back together. I didn't realise Elliot had turned the lights on so I got a tremendous electric shock which had me scream out loud. Thanks Elliot. Luckily I was no worse for the wear.

My friends Adele and Sandra rang me on Skype while we were babysitting. He was fine for a while but soon got tired so I had to curtail the call. Sorry girls. He was more interested when we rang Suzy in Nicaragua, recognising her as his "Aunty Bonny" which is amazing as he hasn't see her for real since the end of October. "Aunty Bonny" is Suzy of course. As a child, Oli used to call her "Bonny". Don't ask me why but it has stuck. 

We were running out of things to do with our grandson, so resorted to what always works, watching Peppa Pip on my now rather old iPad. 

Elliot loves Peppa Pig

Of all the children's programmes on Netflix, Peppa Pig is his absolute favourite. I love it too. It's so well done.  When he tired of it though we had to find something else to entertain him before his parents came for him. So we took him down to the old swings, swings that Eladio bought for the girls when they were 3 and 4. Elliot loves them and so do I. I usually join him on them.

Elliot on the old swings being pushed by Eladio

By that time Elliot began to ask for his father and mother and thankfully they arrived at about 7 pm to pick him up. He was delighted to see them and we were too as it meant the end of our babysitting responsibilities. I think we have forgotten just how tiring it is to look after a toddler and we are no longer young parents with small kids; a period we also went through of course. 

When Elliot left we had some alone time and of course I carried on with Grey's Anatomy which is coming to an end for me. What will I watch next? Not to worry I think there are a few more hospital series on Netflix or Prime Video that are new to me. 

We had a quiet dinner together on the kitchen patio. It was still hot at 8.30 pm and and hour or so later the temperature was 27ºc. I found that too hot in bed and searched for a cooler "nightie". I didn't sleep too well but good enough.  I was awake at about 7 am on Monday, the day of Oli and family's move to their new house just down the road. It will be great to have them so near.

That morning saw us off to El Corte Inglés, Spain's flagship department store, to buy a new printer. Printers don't last more than a few years and our trusted HP all in one type printer just wasn't working. We bought another HP, a "Smart Think Tank Plus" which didn't turn out to be that smart. My conclusion is that you have to be pretty smart yourself or quite IT savvy to set up one of these. The main advantage when I eventually got it to connect to both my PC and my mobile, is that it comes with a new ink system - literally little bottles of ink you pour into little tanks. The advertising says the printer comes with 3 years worth of printing or up to 12000 pages. That certainly is an improvement on ink cartridges which cost a fortune. 

The afternoon saw me desperately trying to help Suzy to start her journey back to Spain. She was leaving deep dark Nicaragua for Costa Rica on Tuesday morning and needed help from me: money to be sent via Western Union, reserving a date for her PCR test in San José for Wednesday and finally buying 3 days Covid insurance which is obligatory Costa Rica. The damned Western Union app wouldn't let me finish the process online and sent me to the post office 5 km away. Shortly afterwards I was relieved to see she had picked up the money. I wasn't so lucky with the PCR test as my bank wouldn't let me pay using my credit or debit card. Thus she would have to sort out her test by paying cash in San José. I did manage to get her the 3 days insurance but by the time all that ended I was stressed out. The logistics to get her back proved very difficult. She went to have her stitches out at the local hospital where her appendix had been removed 10 days previously but decided not to as the hospital wouldn't give her a medical report, one she needs to claim money back from her the insurance company here.  I just hoped and prayed  once again she would manage to get her flight leaving San José on Friday afternoon local time. Thankfully she did but it was not plain sailing nor a walk in the park. 

Meanwhile, Oli was at their new flat receiving the furniture from the removal van and Miguel at the old flat bringing the last boxes of their endless amount of stuff and giving back the keys to the landlord. They had a very busy day. We got a photo of the lounge when the furniture arrived as well as one of their first lunch at their new place. It's funny but the street is called Victims of Terrorism. Oli and Miguel refer to their new home as "víctimas". What an awful name!

Their lounge on the first day of moving in

Their first lunch at their new flat

Oli invited us to join her and little Elliot who was back from day care and we went over at around 18h, after all the angst with Suzy's logistics. It was great to see the new flat with their things. But my goodness there was a lot of work to do unpacking the boxes, putting things away and clearing the decks. While Eladio entertained Elliot, I helped Oli and by about 8.30 we had all of Elliot's clothes in his drawers, the baby changing unit set up and the kitchen in order. Miguel arrived as we were finishing. We all decided that it was a much better idea to go out to dinner then to organise one at their new flat. Besides, the two of them were exhausted. So off we went. While we waited for them I went to see the communal swimming pool which is ready for opening. It's lovely.

The communal swimming pool at dusk on Monday

Elliot came with us and was sitting with Eladio waiting for his parents and me. I had to have a photo of him in his new environment. He is only 19 months old so had no idea that something so important was happening in his life, bless him. This new flat is double the size of their rented flat in Mirasierra so maybe he will enjoy more space for his toys, etc. 

Eladio and Elliot outside his new flat

We went to Ginos, a quasi Italian restaurant which is always a favourite of ours. Elliot was delighted to be there but had to be taken out when he got bored to see cars and motorbikes.

Elliot and Eladio at dinner on Monday night

My dinner was divine; a mushroom and ham pizza followed by you know what? A chocolate knickerbocker glory. I am ashamed to say I ate it all myself and it was very big. But then again I don't think I've had a knickerbocker glory (love the name) for years and years.

My chocolate knickerbocker glory

It was the perfect end to the day, a very important one in Oli and her family's lives. Believe it or not just as we were tucking into our desserts, the heavens opened and torrential rain poured down for about 15 minutes. Thank God we were eating inside. We had to wait to leave and rushed into our cars shouting our goodbyes.

I went to bed wondering how Oli and her family felt spending their first night at their first flat or house. I remember the sensation myself when we bought our first in 1983, the year we married. It's good to see them on the property ladder now. 

I was up late watching more of Grey's Anatomy but awake quite early at 6.50. After breakfast I think I spent a good 2 hours getting the printer to work on both our pcs and mobile phones. I managed it all and was quite chuffed with myself. But boy it was not easy. Not smart at all.

The rain brought cooler weather on Tuesday. In my home country, England, they are or were having a sort of heatwave and people flocked to the beaches and rivers. I was extremely happy to see that one of my favourite places on earth, Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire, had made it to the front page of The Times. What I didn't like was that it illustrated huge crowds which is not how I remember it.

Bolton Abbey made it to the front page of The Times on Tuesday morning

If you are from Yorkshire you will understand my fascination and love of the place. It brings back wonderful childhood memories. So I was piqued that The Times chose this place out of all the other possible busy beauty spots in England. You see I have visited Bolton Abbey and the 12th century ruined monastery by the River Wharfe countless times since I was a child and we went to live in Yorkshire. Bolton Abbey is located on the cusp of the Yorkshire Dales in North Yorkshire and is very near Ilkley and Skipton, 2 of my favourite towns in God's Own Country (aka Yorkshire).  I can also say it never used to be as crowded as it gets today. Possibly it wasn't as well known outside Yorkshire in the 60's and 70's when I used to go. I remember once swimming in the frozen water in the winter, something I wouldn't do today. Besides, the river Wharfe is rather dangerous and swimming  is now banned. The monks must have built the famous stepping stones across the river which I know so well and love. The photo in The Times is of many people crossing them. One of the last times I was there was 10 years ago on holiday in Gargrave and when Eladio and I visited. I have a photo of me at the entrance which I love because it gives you a whole view of the abbey, fields and river; such a beautiful sight.

At Bolton Abbey 10 years ago

In contrast to the Times' photo I was the only one there that day to cross the stones I so love.

Crossing the empty stones on a visit 10 years ago

Bolton Abbey is not just the abbey but a whole estate and includes amazing walks along the river which take you to a very narrow part of it called The Strid. Here it is very deep, has fast undercurrents and is riddled with pot holes where the water sucks you in. My mother was terrified of this dangerous part of the river which has claimed many lives. I remember my brother jumping across it over the slippery stones. The narrowest crossing is 2 metres making it a difficult and dangerous leap. If he had fallen in he would well have died as it is said that no one who falls in comes out alive. I have a fascination of The Strid but I am very aware of its dangers. 

When my husband to be, Eladio, first came to England I took him to Bolton Abbey. In fact I took him there every time we went to Yorkshire and he fell in love with the place too. He has a photo of me, now fading, by the River Wharfe at the Estate. I would have been in my early 20's at the time. This photo hangs on the wall next to his next in our study. That photo means a lot to us so let me share it with you. 

Me at the Bolton Abbey estate years ago - in my 20's.

It's a place I never tire of and I wonder when I will be able to visit Bolton Abbey again.

Tuesday was the day Suzy left deep and dark Nicaragua; not a pleasant country to live in. It is both very poor and very dangerous. It is run by the communist Daniel Ortega who formed the Sandinista National Liberation Front after overthrowing the Somoza autocratic pro US government in 1979. He has been in power ever since. Some say he has created his own dictatorship after ending the Samoza dictatorship. Right now he has imprisoned any threatening politicians from rival parties. It can't be easy to live in Nicaragua. He obviously hasn't done much for his people, although he has made himself rich. Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America and has widespread underemployment and poverty. Suzy says it's like life over a hundred years ago and that women are seen as they were so long ago in the West. 

 

I couldn't wait for her to get out of there. Thankfully she was accompanied by her partner Erick as she needed help with the luggage after her operation just under 2 weeks ago. Her health insurance company was supposed to organise her journey to San José in Costa Rica but left her in the lurch at the last minute. Thus they had to take a bus (full of animals and people) and stand up for 3 of the 5 hours it took to get to the border. They crossed the border safely and then had to journey on to San José, a 4 hour bus ride, find somewhere to stay and on Wednesday take her PCR test. All this was supposed to have been organised and covered by Ocaso/Europ Assistance but they let her down. I wrote them a scathing email the next day and finally they stepped up.  I was  relieved to know that they had made it past the border. I would know nothing else until Wednesday as of course Suzy is 8 hours behind us. Her journey back was to be something of an odyssey. To document her journey, I copied a photo of the bus they took from Muelle de los Bueyes from my daughter's Instagram. It really looks third world which of course it is. 

Suzy's Goodbye Nicaragua photo of the bus she took to the border of Costa Rica

On Tuesday while Suzy was travelling, I was on my weekly Skype call with my friend Amanda. She was very sympathetic about all the issues involving repatriating my daughter. I told her I felt like Suzy's secretary, personal assistant, medical advisor, travel agent and of course her bank. I couldn't wait for her to be back for it all to be over. 

In our Skype calls we always tell each other what we are watching on Netflix, etc (BBC iPlayer in the case of my friend) so I was delighted to tell her that Line of Duty Season 5 is now available in Spain. We watched episode 1 that night. I totally understand the British audience fixation with this series. It is so well done. 

I was up late, responding to all sorts of queries for our different houses and our pool. I got another reservation for our apartment in Santa Pola and I think I said 10 people are coming today via "Piscilovers" a new platform to rent out private pools. This is my new work, managing our little hospitality business (hahaha) and I was up late responding to endless enquiries . Some translate into confirmed reservations and some do not. That's the name of the game.

Wednesday came. That morning Caro, my Airbnb Belgian guest from Antwerp, left vowing to return as she had loved her stay so much. She later left me a  glowing 5 star review. These reviews are my motivation in this new hospitality business of ours if you can call it that. We did the normal things, our walk, lunch with my father but there was no rest for the wicked that afternoon. I spent a lot of it on more logistical activities related to Suzy's return to Spain.  If I look back I realise I am good at these things as once I was a secretary. It was my first job in Spain with a terrible arms exporter, Defex, but it taught me to be good at administration. I am organised too. That comes from my time working for multinationals. I owe my organisation skills to my first boss at Motorola. I had become the marketing and communications manager and in my first yearly assessment he accused me of being disorganised. That really hurt and I was determined to prove him wrong. He gave me a great lesson in life and ever since I have been a very organised, focused and efficient person when it comes to work. This has come in handy, helping Suzy get out of Nicaragua and Costa Rica and I think she knows it. 

I did get some relief though when Oli sent us a photo of little Elliot. In it it looks like he has having the time of his life with water. He loves water as he does cars, motorbikes and animals. This is the photo. I think it would cheer anyone up don't you?

The photo that cheered me up on Thursday

We needed cheering up; all of us in fact, as that morning we had really bad news. Oli's partner's father has been diagnosed with stomach cancer. My heart goes out to Miguel and his family. 

Thursday came and it was pretty similar to Wednesday. We only left the house for our walk with the dogs. I was happy to get two new Airbnb reservations, one for Santa Pola next week and one upcoming which is for this house (an Argentinian family).  I am also expecting a whole group of people today coming to use our swimming pool. Our pool is already listed on Swimmy, the French platform for renting private pools to guests. Their latest rival is "Piscilovers" and when I came across it, I immediately signed up. This is the ad if you live in the Madrid area and fancy a day out using our pool and gardens. 

That day I had a cheer me up video call with my dear friend Kathy. She and her husband are now on a road trip to Cornwall in their beloved camper van. They can't come here for the moment as Spain is on the UK's "Amber list". You may know the UK has a traffic light system for approved and non approved countries to travel to. That day, the government removed Portugal from the Green list. Spain remained on Amber which is a disaster for its tourism industry as the large majority of tourists coming to Spain are from the UK. I was stupefied when I saw Afghanistan added to the green list. I mean who goes to Afghanistan on holiday for God's sake? Isn't it less dangerous to travel to Spain or Portugal? Damn the UK Government and its Trump like Premiere, Boris Johnson. To add insult to injury many of the green countries ban entry to UK travelers. Doesn't make sense does it?

I thought my work to get Suzy out of Central America was over that day but it wasn't. I was firstly relieved to hear she had her PCR results back and that she is negative so was ready to fly. But it was up to me to check her in and send her boarding card. That's it, I thought. But it wasn't. Meanwhile, thankfully the health insurance company intervened and found a much better hotel for my daughter and her partner, Erick, for her last 2 nights in San José.  It was a Holiday Inn and I think the first time her partner had ever stayed at a semi luxury hotel. I'm so glad they enjoyed it. Their first night was spent at a dubious hostel full of drug addicts. God! I got a photo of the outside of their new hotel, a nice end to her Latin American adventure which turned into a nightmare for me, especially when she had to have her appendix out.

Suzy's hotel in San José, a bit of luxury for her at the end of her trip

We were still in contact until 2 am that night, nearly Friday. She had heard the insurance people allowed her up to 200 euros a day for upkeep and needed my visa card to order food. I reluctantly gave it to her to allow her to order food from Uber Eats. Only then could I rest and finally fall asleep.

Friday dawned and it was another warm and sunny day. Yet, I still haven't been in our pool. It was a busy morning for Oli who was stepping for her colleague, Marina, who does the social media part of the programme. This time I could clearly see Oli's 6 month bump which means not only my daughter but my granddaughter to be, Juliet, was also on TV. Isn't that funny. Oli hates the photo but it's the significance of it that matters I thought. 

Oli (and Juliet) on TV on Friday

Friday was shopping day and off we went at around 10.30 to Mercadona, Carrefour and BM. We brought everything home and Lucy and I packed it all away. Making sure lunch was organised, we set off again as we had an appointment at the local town hall to get a certificate to prove Suzy lives here (empadronamiento). What would we need that for you are probably wondering. If you are Spanish you will understand. She needs this to register at the local and public health centre where without it she would not be able to get a medical appointment. I was in a rush to get her one to remove the stitches. I was stumped when I was told she had to do this in person and without her authorisation I was shooed out. How I hate bureaucracy here. We will be going tomorrow.

The rest of the day was calm and quiet with nothing much to report. We continued watching Line of Duty which is just as thrilling as reported by the reviewers. I was nearly asleep when it was time for Suzy to check in at San José airport. I was so happy to report that all went smoothly. By 12.20 after midnight, our time, her Iberia plane took off and landed yesterday at 10.50. The plane was not full and Suzy was given a seat on her own after I advised her to try for an upgrade due to her recent operation. I had hoped they might put her in Business class but that did not happen. I have been in touch with her since the middle of May organising her trip out of deep and dark Nicaragua and from Costa Rica an home, I almost felt as if I was with her on Friday night as her plane took off destination home. I should have felt relieved and been able to sleep but I couldn't. I was wide awake and after our last exchange of messages, I turned once again to Grey's Anatomy, the only thing that has kept me sane over the last few weeks.

I was up at 6.50 on Saturday morning. Only 4 hours to go until Suzy landed. I busily prepared for lunch, making things Suzy loves. She is a "flexitarian" who has dabbled in veganism and is now more of a vegetarian. Thus she would love my red lentil soup. I also had time to prune the roses and some of the geraniums to make everything look perfect for the "hoard" arriving today. I was in the middle of the job when I got a message from Suzy to say she had landed. Thus we rushed off, calculating it would take her 30 to 40 minutes to get out of the terminal. We were just on time. I was outside the airport for about 5 minutes before she came out. We melted into each other's arms, both so happy to see each other. She actually looked a lot better than I had expected after all her adventures and the appendix operation. She was looking beautiful too. She took a selfie of the two of us to mark the moment and then I took one of her melting into her father's arms who was equally happy and relieved to see her. Their photo made the cut for this week's feature photo. Selfies are never as good but here is ours to mark the day, 5th June. She had been away since 1st November. That's 8 months and I don't think we have ever been separated for as long.

So happy to be reunited with Suzy yesterday

She was soon bundled into the car and we were on our way home, the place she needs to be to heal, recover and move forward. It was so good to have her home. My father was delighted. There was time for a coffee together before lunch and it was fun hearing about some of her experiences in backward and deep and dark Nicaragua. Women have it difficult there and I think Suzy turned into a local hero for many of the women who are often seen, to quote Suzy, as a "piece of meat". I told her we were both lucky to have been born in the west. If it's that bad in Central America, my heart reaches out to women in the Middle East. 

We had a quiet and peaceful lunch together and then a sleep (I couldn't). Later in the afternoon I took Suzy to have her stitches out at the local A&E as they were 5 days overdue. The doctor told her that her body was already beginning to reject them and that the skin was growing over them. Thank God she is back to civilisation in all of its aspects, not just health. Tomorrow we shall get her a doctor's appointment to do a blood test and get a general check up. She needs it. Suzy made our dinner. She was dying for normal salad with lettuce and desperate for Spanish bread; things she has found scarce in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua. 

After dinner Suzy and I had a short heart to heart, one of many to come I am sure. She needs so much support right now and she is going to get it from me and from us. Now as I write, in the study next to her bedroom on the ground floor, she is sleeping peacefully. She needs peace, we all do and we shall take it step by step.

On that happy and relieved note, I shall leave you now to prepare for the arrival of my swimming pool guests and of course make our lunch. Suzy, hopefully, will join us on our walk today. It's going to be warm - up to 28ºc - so we must go early.

There you are my friends. I am at the end of this week's tales. I hope you have enjoyed the read.

Till next week, cheers,

Masha

A day to reflect, Sally's note, Belarus hijacks Ryanair flight to arrest journalist, "The Last Days", my eDreams nightmare is over, precious time with Elliot and other stories.

 Sunday, 30th May, 2021

So happy to be with Elliot yesterday

Dear all, 

How have you been? Like most people this week has had its ups and downs. .  

So has the virus. Numbers were down in my home country, the UK, but now they are on the rise because of the very infectious Indian variant. That may skew plans for the final lifting of restrictions planned for 21st June. Worldwide, the numbers are still increasing, especially in India and countries in Latin America. Last Sunday the numbers for infections and deaths were 167.058.099 and 3.338.966.  Today they have gone up to 170.638.059 and 3.548.839 respectively.  This week we have seen news on the increased suspicion that the source of the virus really came from the Lab in Wuhan after it was discovered that 3 employees there fell ill in late 2019. Vaccine programmes are ramping up but only really in so-called rich countries. In the UK more than 50% of the population has received a jab but worldwide only 5% of the population has been inoculated. That's not good. In Spain numbers are down and the number of infected per 100.000 people - the way the virus is measured here - is down to 126. In Madrid it is just under 190 or so. So, we are still a sort of hot spot. The "islands" are faring better and we are now seeing the arrival of international tourists, mostly from Germany but also the UK. Spain welcomes British citizens. But what happens if some of them bring the Indian variant here? 

Definitely last Sunday was a down day. It was a day to reflect and to remember my father's family who perished in an air crash 50 years ago. You may have read the tribute to them which I published last Sunday. When my father read it he remarked "so many tragedies". He is right. He has lost everyone except me and yet sill there is a twinkle in his eye and he wants to go on. I was uplifted a little bit when I listened to the online service at St. Giles Church in Ickenham where they are buried. The Rector, Felicity, had organised it and you can see it here. It was lovely but I was bit disappointed when she said that my father was the brother of Derek and not Gloria, my Aunt. It's the thought that counts though of course. One of the Ickenham neighbours, Jenny,  who I am often in touch with, sent me photos of the grave during the day  where more flowers were appearing.

Flowers and notes on my family's grave

They were from us, from the children's school, from  a close friend of Michael and  from these lovely nieghbours. It was Jenny who arranged for the school to send flowers. She also arranged for a mention in the school newsletter. Thank you Jenny.

From the school newsletter

Jenny also sent me photos of the stained glass window which was built after the family's death and paid for by donations from friends, villagers and family. It's a lovely memorial to them.

The stained glass memorial window at St. Giles Church in Ickenham

Never to be forgotten

Later in the day another bunch of flowers appeared. They were from Sally, my cousin Jacqueline's friend from school. They were both 12 when Jacqueline lost her life in that dreadful air crash and Sally has never forgotten. It was the note from her that brought a lump to my throat. I hope she doesn't mind my reproducing it here.

Sally's note

Sally has never forgotten her budding friendship with Jacqueline when they first met at school. The tragedy for her has never gone away either but I am comforted that my Aunt, Uncle and cousins are still remembered by so many people who have never forgotten them either. 

Sunday was a sad day to reflect. I didn't have much energy for anything else. I just went through the motions. I went on my walk with Eladio and the dogs, I made our lunch and then had a long siesta. Meanwhile, Oli and family were holding a lunch party at our house for the girls' friends and sisters, Chati and Elena. It was good to see them again. Suzy, by the way, seemed better last Sunday after being discharged from the local hospital in Muelle de los Bueyes in remote Nicaragua. I think though she should have rested rather than be up on her feet. 

In the afternoon I had a long Skype call with my friends Kathy and Phil in Yorkshire. I can always pour out my heart to them and they will always listen. It's amazing how close we are. I can't wait to see them again.

The house was empty by the evening. Our last guest, Mo, had left and so had Oli and family. Then it was dinner time and I rustled something up and by 9.30 we were in bed. I was shocked at the news of a Ryan Air flight from Athens to Vilna that night. It was carrying the Belarus journalist, blogger and activist, Protasevich and was  deceitfully rerouted to land in Minsk where he was arrested. 26 year old Roman Protasevich works or worked for a Polish based online news service which broadcast images of protests against the  hard line leader Alexander Lukashenko. He was wanted for  extremism charges such as organising mass riots against last years protests. Now in Minsk he could face 15 years in prison or even a death sentence. Belarus is the only country in Europe to maintain this barbaric method of punishment. As the plane landed, Protasevich had his head in his hands and was shaking as he realised the flight had landed in Minsk. As he was led away he was heard saying "I will get the death penalty here". Europe was up in arms at this act of hijacking a European plane and the deceit the Belarus government had used to force it to land in Minsk. This cannot be happening in Europe. It is unprecedented and could have terrible repercussions for freedom of press. Worst of all I fear for this young man's life and that of his Russian girlfriend who was also arrested in a country headed by  Lukashenko,  Europe's last dictator. 

Roman Protasevich the journalist wanted by Belarus and the objective of the hijacking of the Ryan Air flight last Sunday night.

I think I was so exhausted emotionally that I slept relatively well on Sunday night.

Monday dawned, Kathy's birthday by the way. A very happy birthday to you my friend. They would be celebrating with a two night trip to Durham, a beautiful cathedral city in the North East of England. 

Monday was a quiet day after the calm. I was still sorting out Suzy's new return ticket from Nicaragua - no easy task. There are no direct flights from Managua. We went on our walk and I came back to make lunch; veg soup and meat balls for 6 as Oli and Miguel were coming for lunch. Monday was a very important day for them. At 13h that day they signed the deeds of their new and first flat which is very near us. They will be moving in tomorrow. They arrived just in time for a late lunch, radiant with the flat keys in their hands. They left soon afterwards as they have so much to do before moving in. We continued our day as usual. The highlight was my weekly Skype call with Amanda. We also pour out each other's hearts together. What would I do without my close friends?  If only they lived closer to me. I do miss them so.

Tuesday was a busy day. Eladio and I drove to the shopping centre where we had bought the 4G router and Yoigo sim card to use for Wifi at our house in El Cuetu. As you may have read in a recent blog, it didn't work so we had to cancel the contract for the Yoigo line and return the router to Fnac. We learned Fnac doesn't refund products bought unless they are faulty (good lesson never to shop there again). We also learned it is damned hard to cancel a Yoigo contract. It took at least 30 minutes on the phone while they offered me all sorts of services I was not interested in. From there we went to a garage (boring) to fix something minor in Eladio's old Volvo. It was actually my Nokia company car (an S60) which I got in about 2004. Wondering how much longer it will last I checked the mileage and it has clocked up about 170.000 kms, which is not very much for 17 years. While there we had a coffee in the street; always a joy. We were home by about 12.30 and I had the lunch to see to. I was making bean stew (fabada) with ingredients I had bought in Asturias. Oli would be joining us for lunch but she preferred my leftover curry. 

She didn't bring Elliot but we did get a good morning photo from her of our little grandson. He is seated in the front of the car where he loves to be as he is car and motorbike crazy but of course he has to ride in the back. 

A good morning photo of Elliot from Oli on Tuesday

With time on my hands I decided first to bathe Pippa (much in need) and then to prune both the roses and the geraniums which had bloomed so much in our absence  thanks to all the rain and sunshine. This week has been very warm and pleasant compared to the wet weather we had in Asturias. Pippa, as usual, joined me. When I am at home, she goes where I go.

Pippa on our drive

I also had to ring eDreams (online travel agency) for the umpteenth time to see what flights were available for Suzy's return from San José. She is actually in the middle of nowhere in Nicaragua so will have to make her way to Costa Rica to return as there are no decent flights from Managua. Then I had to confirm with Suzy what her wishes were but had to wait a few hours for her to wake up. I only got a reply from her in the middle of my siesta. She wanted a flight on 4th June. I immediately rang eDreams again and it took nearly 50 minutes on the phone to secure her new ticket which included a penalty of 150 euros (again) for the flight change. I needed an invoice to present to the health insurance company. Then I noticed the ticket said 0 pieces of luggage when it should have said 1 piece. Again, I had to wait for a rectification. Thus my business with them didn't end that day. It would continue. It ended well though, with them apologising and refunding the cost of one of the penalties for changing flights and for the luggage. Edreams turned out to be a nightmare but by Friday the nightmare ended. My worries though will only end when Suzy takes that flight and arrives here safely.

That nearly made me late for my emergency dental appointment at 18.10 in Majadahonda with my trusted dentist, Dr. Garralda. The two partial crowns his colleague had put in in March had both fallen out. Thankfully I had kept them and he was able to stick them back on. However, he says if they fall out again and I'm sure they will, I will need full crowns. I have a feeling I should have had full crowns in the first place and no doubt if my dentist had not been in hospital at the time, he would have recommended them too. Now, I have to be extremely careful not to eat anything too chewy or hard. Damn.

I was home on time for dinner which we had pleasantly outside on the kitchen patio. I made sure I ate something soft - scrambled eggs.

That night we watched the end of an amazing documentary about the end of WW2 in Hungary and how even though Hitler was losing the war, his main aim was to exterminate as many Jews as possible. This documentary, The Last Days,  by Steven Spielberg and others, was made in 1998 and includes interviews with 5 Hungarian Jews who survived the Holocaust. 

An absolute must to watch

They tell their story and some of the scenes are the most shocking I have ever seen. They are also filmed returning to the camps or to their home towns for the first time since liberation. They do so accompanied by their families. These people are now no longer alive and I am grateful to the film makers for documenting their testimony. Very few people who survived the Holocaust are alive today and soon past interviews will be all we have. As I watched this harrowing but must see documentary, I thought of my friend Sandra's mother, Magda now aged 95 or so. She survived the Nazi invasion in Budapest together with her mother when friends hid them. I keep urging Sandra to tape her mother too before it is too late. If you are interested it's on Netflix.

Wednesday was to be an agreeable day. I had a 10 am appointment with my new hairdresser, Caty, and walked there - takes about 20 mins - I was much in need of a cut and dying of the roots (so much white in my hair) and had to postpone my previous appointment when my father was ill a few weeks ago. I came out feeling younger. I wish I had taken a photo. I don't like going to the hairdresser. I consider it a necessary evil but I do love having coffee with friends. Thus I loved the next item on my agenda, coffee with Elena M, my neighbour, friend and ex telecoms Communications Director, like me. She always keeps up with me. I wish I could say the same. But I always enjoy a natter with her. I wish we had taken a photo then too but we were too engrossed in our conversation. 

She drove me home as it was late by then and I had another phone call to make to eDreams. I have clocked up several hours of conversations. I was on the phone until lunchtime, leftovers  and then the afternoon was mine for the taking. While I was watching more of Grey's Anatomy and Eladio was mowing the lawn, in the UK, something important was happening. It's no news now that Boris Johnson's former most important aide, the unlikeable  Dominic Cummings, was on stage that day to attack his former boss over the government's management of the Covid crisis. I hate the man but I am no fan of Boris Johson and actually agree with Cummings that he was not fit to be PM when Covid started. The only thing he has got right is the vaccination plan. Time will tell if Cumming's revenge makes any difference to Number 10. I sort of doubt it.

That night we watched an interview with Spain's former Socialist PM, Felipe González who was in power for over 12 years shortly after democracy was restored in this country. He is by far the most charismatic PM Spain has had since I came to live here in 1981 and he is always fascinating to listen to. 

Spain's most famous politician of modern times, Felipe González  - young and old (as he appeared this week in a TV interview). Ageing is so cruel. 

He was in power when the likes of  Thatcher, George Bush, Mitterand and Willy Brandt were. The current big news in Spain is the pardoning of the the leaders of the illegal referendum in Catalonia who are in prison. The socialist PM, Pedro Sánchez wants to pardon them or is forced to pardon them if he is to continue to rely on the support of the Catalan secessionists for his fragile coalition government to rule. It was interesting to hear from Felipe González that under the current circumstances he wouldn't pardon them. The Supreme Court in Spain agrees with the latter saying it is an unacceptable solution given that the convicted do no show the slightest sign of repentance which is an essential part of any pardoning. No doubt Sánchez will go ahead despite the court's opinion but it may lead to his political downfall. He should take a leaf out of Gonzalez's book. Boris Johnson has his troubles but so does Spain's premiere, Pedro Sánchez. 

Thursday came and brought more sunshine. The lawn was looking great after my husband had mowed it the day before. I always appreciate his looking after the garden. 

The lawn looking great after Eladio mowed it on Wednesday

Guests in the summer enjoy both the garden and pool - the main attractions. That day I got two 5 star reviews from my recent guests, "Mo" who was here and from the South African family who stayed a week at our apartment in Santa Pola. Mo's review was wonderful. Reviews like that really lift me and make it all worth while.

Mo's wonderful review

Our walk was glorious and we hardly saw a soul and didn't have to wear masks - oh how I hate them. That morning saw us doing part of the weekly shopping at 3 of our 4 usual supermarkets. I do wish I could get everything we want at just one but that's not possible. I am not a fan of buying online either as I prefer to choose what I buy or maybe add things that aren't on my initial list.

I made lasagna for lunch, a popular dish in this house and soft for my father and me because of the newly stuck-on-again partial crowns. 

My quiet afternoon was interrupted with more calls to and from eDreams.  I had another incident to deal with which also spoiled my afternoon. My ex company, the mobile phone operator, Yoigo, now owned my Masmovil, the company that bought Yoigo and fired me along with all the management team, rang me with a whole range of offers I wasn't very interested in. However I took the bait for a phone for only 2 euros. Stupidly I went ahead and gave all my visa card details only to be charged 9 euros twice. It was then that I was told the supposedly free phone would cost 9 euros and then 2 euros per month for 24 months. I immediately said I didn't want the phone and would they please reimburse the money. I was flabbergasted when the commercial rep who had rung me, put the phone down. Then began my odyssey to cancel the order for the damned phone, a stupid Chinese one I have no use for, and that was where my kafkian journey began. I was disappointed in my previous employer and didn't recognise the Yoigo that I knew when I worked there. Unfortunately most of my former colleagues suffered the same treatment as me and no longer work there. It was a lesson not to take the bait when something is offered for free and a lesson never to give my visa card details on the phone. 

I cheered up at dinner time where Eladio and I enjoyed a meal of carrot and coriander soup followed by spring rolls and black cherries. The black cherry season is just beginning - my favourite fruit of all. 

Who had a good day was little Elliot. That afternoon he joined his parents at the RTVE studios in Prado del Rey where his father was working at the set where the programme "Saber Vivir" is filmed. Elliot was enthralled with the camera his father uses. He seems to love machines of all types, especially if there are lots of buttons hahaha. 

Miguel showing Elliot his camera. My grandson was engrossed. 

That night I slept really badly and only got a few hours slumber. I was up at 7.30 on Friday morning. It was raining. Where had the sun gone? At 8 am I was watching Oli on TV who was the second presenter that day for the programme she works for, La Hora de la 1 on RTVE, the state broadcaster. I love the fact that she is pregnant and appears on TV naturally. In my day women's bumps were frowned upon on TV. Thank God times have changed.

Oli and her bump on TV

We had to do more shopping that day, our weekly shop at Mercadona, Spain's omnipresent low cost supermarket where we get all our basics. I was surprised to hear from my friend Jacqueline, that Mercadona has opened up a buying centre in Harrogate (wonderful city in Yorkshire) to procure fish from the North Sea for its range of supermarkets in Spain. I wonder if they are thinking of opening up stores there and if they do I wonder if they will enjoy the success they do here. Again the highlight was a cup of coffee together at Alverán, our favourite cafe and bakery. Oli joined us unexpectedly for lunch and was delighted I had prepared fish and chips. But she was off again to their new flat where Zena, our weekend carer and her cleaner, was arriving to clean it after the painters had done their job. Oli could have told us she had taken the broom and dustpan. Thankfully she returned them the next day. 

I had a long video call with Suzy that afternoon. She is feeling a lot better. We talked about her travel plans to get here - complicated and about what she is going to do when she is home. She is my priority at the moment. I was happy to give her the news of the positive outcome with eDreams. I think I never want to speak to them again hahaha. 

The day ended with a lovely dinner al fresco. I made a dish called "almejas a la marinera" (clams in a seafood sauce) which I have only learned to make recently.

Friday's dinner - "almejas a la marinera"

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far in Madrid. That morning saw us prep the house for the arrival of our latest guest, a young girl called Caro who is from Antwerp, Belgium. Eladio mowed the front lawn as you can see in the picture below and I arranged the flowers and welcome pack for Caro.

Eladio mowing the front lawn yesterday morning

The swimming pool maintenance man, Javier, was here early to make sure the pool was in pristine condition. I am so happy Eladio no longer has to do that job. I had to make lunch and then improvise as Oli and family were coming. They were at their new flat taking things there and at about noon they left Elliot with us. We took care of him after our walk and until they were back for lunch. That was precious time with our grandson. It was wonderful to see him again and we enjoyed his company. We took him on his "motorbike" which he calls a "toto" and I even put him in my car, my little Mini, as he loves cars so. He was very funny when he said "no va" (it doesn't go or doesn't work), some of the few words he utters. Of course it didn't as the keys were safely somewhere else. 

Elliot in my car yesterday

We had time in our study too where he "played" on my PC. I was dreading him pressing keys that may change the configuration. He loves computers and phones too, in fact anything with keys or buttons. It was while we were in the study that Suzy made a video call. Elliot, who hasn't seen her since last October, except for some calls, seemed delighted to see her. He was all smiles and so was she. She can't wait to see him again.

Elliot and Eladio "talking" to Suzy yesterday

Lunch was chicken curry again  - always popular - then it was siesta time. Mine was interrupted by the arrival of Caro. I felt sorry for her when she arrived by taxi instead of in a hired car which was her idea. She had problems getting one at the airport as it had been booked with her father's credit card which she wasn't carrying with her. She is here for 4 nights and without a car it is going to be challenging. She seemed happy enough though and loved her room, the house, the garden and the pool. She spent the whole afternoon by the pool in the sun which I thought was a bit risky as it was so hot. Not good for the skin. We didn't see her again but later I heard she had walked to nearby Boadilla where she probably had her dinner.

Today is Sunday and will be another scorcher. Eladio asked me what I preferred, the rain in Asturias or the heat in Madrid. My answer was immediate; the latter of course. The day will no doubt be quiet but of course you will hear all about it next week.

Meanwhile, friends and readers, all the best until next Sunday.

Masha.