Hottest day of the year so far, waiting for Israel to respond to Iranian attack, flowers in bloom, fun at the park with our grandchildren, dinner at McDonalds (of all places), World Press photo of the year comes from Gaza and other stories of the week.

Madrid, Sunday, 21st April, 2024.

By one of the wonderful mock orange blossom bushes in our garden with Pippa

Good morning everyone, this warm Sunday in April. 

 

Last Sunday was the warmest day of the year so far in Spain where temperatures soared and I mean soared,  not 20ºc but 30ºc which is utterly abnormal for April. This can only be a harbinger for an even warmer summer to come. I nearly used the word "augur" from the Spanish "augurar" (herald) then looked up synonyms and came across this very fashionable word "harbinger". This was not part of my vocabulary when I left England in 1981 or at least it wasn't used in my family.  For any Spaniards reading this and unfamiliar with the word, it is pronounced "haa.buhn.juh".  There are many more relatively new words and expressions that have crept into modern speech in the UK since I came to live in Spain that I only hear in films or read in books but I take notice, I do. 

The heatwave followed a long period or rain which has helped the water shortage situation in Spain and our garden is a testament to it. I was pleased as punch to see some of our beautiful roses blooming this week like these.

 

Beautiful roses in our garden. 

 

As I admired them, I noticed that the mock orange blossom bushes were in bloom too which thrilled me as it smells divine. I had to have another photo to share with you.

 

Our beautiful fragrant mock orange blossom which began to bloom this week

It comes by various names such as celindo and its botanical name is Philadelphus coronarius. New guests this week would have this lovely blossom for flowers in their rooms. 

 

Later in the week, Eladio took one of Pippa and I next to the celindo bush which I have chosen as this week's feature photo. It was a happy moment.

We also admired all the wild flowers on our walk that day. The flora has grown so much and at times it feels we are walking through a veritable jungle of bluebells, giant daisies and now poppies. Oh, how I love poppies.

I came home to make roast lamb for both of us. Before I put it in the oven I took a look at the label and saw the words "sacrificed in Spain". That made me feel guilty as it's true. Although I adore animals, I am not becoming a vegetarian, so in fashion these days too. 

The news of course that day was the aftermath of the mostly failed drone and missile attack on Israel at the hands of the government of Tehran. All this week, the world has watched to see how Israel would retaliate. A lot of pressure was put upon Netanyahu to be measured in his response. David Cameron, now head of Foreign affairs along with his German counterpart paid a visit but whatever they or Biden the US President may have said, fell on deaf ears. The Israeli PM said Israel would make its own decision. Come Thursday, the IDF did launch a very minor attack but on a strategic area of Iran in Isfahan, a military and nuclear power centre. Israel did not claim ownership of the attack and Iran played it down (amazing). The BBC said of the move: "So a limited operation seems to have carried a powerful warning  - that Israel has the intelligence and assets to strike at will at Iran's beating heart". That could be so  but I'm not sure that means  it's game over. I doubt it.

The other hot topic this week has been the so-called hush money trial of former President (and a dangerous clown) Donald Trump. It has taken more than a week to find  12 just men and women, i.e. a non biased jury.  That could not have  been easy as who is not biased in favour or against Trump?  Time will tell but I predict he will be let off scot-free and will probably become the next POTUS. God save the world.

As to Ukraine, where another war is waging and less interest is being shown after 2 years of stalemate, I was pleased to read this morning's news: "US House approves crucial 61 billion dollar war aid for Ukraine". 

Monday saw us take the Mini to the garage to be repaired after a man bumped into the back of it at a zebra crossing 2 months ago. Once it's ready, we shall be able to take off on our road trip, whoopee. 

Eladio had been suffering with lumbago or sciatica for over a month now and neither of the osteopaths he had seen had helped the pain recede. So there was nothing for it but to drag him to A&E where he saw a traumatologist more or less immediately. He came out with a big smile on his face as the doctor had given him a steroid injection, 5 minutes after which the pain disappeared, like magic. I read it could last up to months; so great. He was prescribed the strongest of drugs including Diazapam 5mg - used to be called Valium. He only took one of them "diclofenac" (Voltaren in Spain). He was also given an appointment for an MRI this very week and a follow up appointment on 3rd May. That was very efficient and above all he is now out of pain and back in business. Hurray

I spent the afternoon watching the film Golda  - about Golda Meir during the 1973 Yom Kippur war between Israel, Egypt and Syria - the latter invaded Israel. I was about 15 at the time and remember it quite clearly. Golda Meir was a big figure in politics in my youth so I was eager to see Helen Mirren play her. Golda Meir, born in Ukraine, btw, was plain ugly and Dame Helen Mirren is quite the opposite. This is what Meir looks like in the film and what she looked like in real life in the 70's.

Helen Mirren as Gold Meir in the photo on the left 

You wouldn't have known it was Mirren not just because of the heavy make up and prosthetics but the accent as Meir's English was learned in America. As to the content of the film it was rather too focused on one short period but it did make me wonder what Mrs. Meir would have done today in Netanyahu's shoes. Who knows?

I then began rather hesitatingly to watch the new version of Patricia Highsmith's the Talented Mr. Ripley, called simply "Ripley". I had not seen the 1999 film and was a bit averse to seeing a film made so recently in black and white but it had me captivated.  The script and plot are amazing as are the settings - Italy in 1961. There is a lot of dialogue in Italian which I love as I understand quite a lot. Spanish of course helps but I did once do a year of Italian in 1980 - a long time ago I know but I loved it. It's very Hitchcock too; just full of suspense and delicious detail which has you on the edge of your seat during all 8 episodes. In a nutshell, Tom Ripley Ripley, a total conman and psychopath,  is hired by a millionaire to travel to Italy to convince his son, Richard Greenleaf, to come home. Thereby begins a tale of deception, identity fraud and murder. It had me riveted all week and Eladio too. It is set in the small town of Atrani on the Amalfi coast near Naples, then moves to San Remo, Rome, Palermo and Venice - divine. I have heard that Atrani is now on the tourist map thanks just to this film - thus we shall avoid Atrani (also has far too many steps). As a foretaste, here is the official trailer. If you haven't seen it and want to, it's available on Netflix. 

Tuesday was productive. It started well for me when Suzy called me. That's news because she never does. She actually made a video call and we spoke and she was calm and in a good mood. That made me happy. We shall be visiting her next week on the occasion of her 40th birthday on 28th April (gosh). That's next Sunday. 

That day, my dear school friend, Geraldine, sent me photos of my parent's grave at Charlestown  Cemetery in Baildon, West Yorkshire. Very sweetly and once again, she had placed flowers on them while visiting her own parent's graves at the same cemetery. It is nice to think they are together. 

Yellow roses on my parent's grave.  Thank you Geraldine.

It's quite a coincidence too that Geraldine chose yellow roses, a bit like the ones in our garden which bloomed this week. Thank you my friend. As I commented to her, I haven't been back to Yorkshire for nearly 2 years now and it's about time I went back. When I do, I will be taking flowers myself to Mummy and Daddy's grave. Bless them. 

Back to my largely humdrum but peaceful life. We followed our normal routine of the morning - walk and coffee and in the afternoon we were on grandparent duty. We were to go to the park and then feed the children their dinner while Olivia attended her Tuesday afternoon French lessons. We had fun with them as evidenced by this picture for instance.

Fun at the park

It's the park they always go to after school, very near to it and where all their classmates seem to go as well which makes it such fun for them. Then I had the bright idea, inspired by my friend, Kathy, to take them to McDonalds for dinner. Now, I hate McDonalds - maybe not hate, but hardly ever go there - not my thing. But kids love it and it would be something special for them. It also meant I didn't have to worry about Oli's far too sophisticated kitchen equipment. There is a special McDonalds park right by it which Elliot made a beeline for. Great, I thought, the more time out in the open the better and less chance of them fighting, poor mites. As I expected, they loved the experience of eating out with their grandparents. I had now idea how to order - all so sophisticated these days. But thankfully I could order face to face and didn't have to confront a machine.  I got them a "Happy meal" for just 4 euros each that included 4 nuggets  which they ate, chips they hardly touched and ice cream they adored. It was washed down with orange juice, not coca cola. There will be a time and place for that when they are older. Here they are enjoying the moment with their grandfather.

Dinner at McDonalds

I took photos and a video to record the moment which I published on my YouTube channel and which you can see here. 

A very important thing happened while at McDonalds which I think I should share here. When Eladio had his fall a while back, a doctor at A&E said she thought she saw something fishy in his brain scan; in her words "the beginnings of dementia". God that scared me. But the radiologist's report was fine, no sign of anything sinister. However, to get another opinion we got an appointment with a neurologist and we gave him the report with the CT scan on a CD. He couldn't read it but said he would see it at home and ring Eladio. His phone call came when we were at McDonalds. He agreed with the radiologist, Eladio's brain is fine. Damn the Argentinian doctor who put the fear of God in us. 

Time passed quickly and soon Oli was there to pick them up. She took a  photo which is not great, but it's of the 4 of us having fun this week. 

At McDonalds with our grandchildren, Juliet and Elliot on Tuesday (we went again on Thursday too)

We  told our daughter about the outcome of the phone call and she was delighted and said it was a cause for celebration. It is. I should mention we did not eat any of this greasy American fare, but went home to have a more healthy dinner. 

Wednesday saw as at the DIY centre called LM (French Leroy Merlin), a place my husband loves and which I hate. He wanted more piping for his irrigation system - mainly for the roses, and I wanted to get some wood planks to replace the old ones on my parents porch chairs which I so love as we brought them from Heaton Grove. 

The afternoon saw me reading on the terrace by the swimming pool. What a lovely reading corner it is too. This is the view from the wicker sofa.

My reading corner this week. Spot Pippa.

That day I was reading the very addictive book, "The Housemaid" by Freida McFadden. It's a domestic thriller with some great characters and part of a trilogy. I was so hooked I am now on book two, The Housemaid's Secret. 

We were probably watching the Ripley series that night as Real Madrid played their return game against Manchester City - the Champions League QF.  I had no hopes for RM who drew with Pep Guardiola's squad at the Bernabeu 3-3. But oh my God, they did it again and got through to Semi Finals. I read on Thursday morning that they had won on a penalty shoot out. They now meet Bayern Munich, their arch rival.

At breakfast that morning,  Oli warned me in advance that she would be doing a live report at 8.20. So of course, there I was watching her live. She had a hot topic to cover. The play director, Ramón Paso, had been accused of sexual abuse and one of his plays was suspended when some of the main actors refused to take part. All these horrible men in the theatre and cinema world now being shown up for who they are. Hate these stories but love watching my daughter live on TV. Here is a shot I took from my iPad.

Olivia reporting live this week

The World Press photo awards were announced on Thursday and I was keen to see the winner. It had to be from Gaza didn't it? This is it and it says a thousand words, it really does.

The winning photo by Palestinian photographer for Reuters, Mohammed Salem. 

In the picture a Palestinian woman, Inas Abu Maamar, is  hugging the dead body of her five-year-old nephew Saly who was killed by an Israeli bomb on October 17th 2023.  Salem came across the two at a hospital and is quoted by WPP as saying "it was a powerful and a sad moment and I felt the picture sums up the broader sense of what was happening in the Gaza Strip".  I totally agree. Also with both their bodies and faces covered, they appear anonymous and could represent any of the victims of this terrible war.  Since the Hamas attacks, more than 34.000 Palestinians have died.  Saly was just one of them but for me he represents them all What a powerful photo!

That afternoon while we looked after our grandchildren in the park again, I thought how fortunate Elliot and Juliet and all their friends are compared to children like Saly killed by a bomb. 

As we watched them play we recalled the times when we would take our own children to a park, over 30 years ago. In 30 years time or so, Olivia will be the grandmother taking our place in accordance with how the cycle of life works. I hope that both Juliet and Elliot in 30  or 60 years  time will remember too their fun times with their grandparents at the park and at McDonalds. 

We took them there again on Thursday and a grand time was had at the theme park. Here are some photos from there.

Fun at the McDonalds park on Thursday

The kids enjoyed their meal again and Olivia picked them up after her class. She has told us she won't need our services anymore until the autumn.  We came home starving. I had resisted a burger or chips; Eladio too. I didn't sleep very well that night as I haven't most nights this week. 

On Friday I work up feeling tired. The house was full of guests again but all were very discreet and I only bumped into Leticia and Jorge, both very pleasant people. Jorge is Argentinian but his parents are Italian and his mother from Liguria so he was full of tips for our trip. Grazie. 

At 11.45 I had my second appointment with the psychologist. She wanted to work on my "guilt"complex. However, that had me thinking this week. I don't really feel guilty at all. What I really needed from Caterina were tools to manage the volatile situation we are having to live with vs a vs our older daughter. Thus we talked about how to manage it. It all boils down to acceptance and recognising we are already doing as much as we can and cannot control the situation.  She says I have to live my life and I will, although she is always in my thoughts. I showed the psychologist some of her videos which disturb me so much and Carina recommended I don't focus too much on them. She also told me to go off on our road trip, disconnect and enjoy it without feeling worried or guilty. I certainly am taking her advice on that. So I came back more or less with a diagnosis I had already guessed myself but it was good to get a  professional  opinion. Carina told me she thought I was a very strong woman which I suppose is true. Thank you Carina for these two sessions although  I will not be going back as I can't learn much more.

That night we finished Ripley and I am missing it. Thus I have turned to the 1999 adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's wonderful book, The Talented Mr. Ripley. It stars Mat Daemon as Tom Ripley and the gorgeous Jude Law as Richard (Dickie) Greenleaf. I wondered how the two would compare. 

Saturday dawned and I got a message from Oliva to meet her and the kids for coffee. We did so after our lovely walk.  We met at Alverán where they devoured the "vigilantes" (a type of croissant) while I just had my cappuccino. I can't wait to have the real thing in Italy.

Ah, Italy. It is very much in our thoughts this week. Our initial itinerary, leaving on 4th May is Madrid, Huesca, Carcassonne, Albi, Aix-en-Provence, Portofino, La Spezzia and Cinque Terre, then on to La Toscana to see Florence, Siena, Pisa, San Giminiano, etc. From there we drive to Naples via Umbria - maybe Perugia. In the Naples area, Eladio is keen to see Pompey and Ercolano. Me too but I also want to see Sorento and Salerno, possibly Capri and even part of the Amalfi coast. From Naples we shall make our way to Puglia where we plan to stay at least 5 nights. We were going to take the ferry from Bari to Greece but have now decided we shall take it to Durres on the Albanian coast. On Monday we shall go to the DGT HQ to get our international driving licences which we shall definitely need in Albania and maybe other countries too.  We were not once asked for it on our road trip to Armenia last year but I'm not taking any chances.

We came home to make a quasi barbecue using an electric grill to cook some delicious lamb chops I got for lunch. We had them with gazpacho and more of my coconut yoghurts hahahahha. The rest of the day was very quiet. For entertainment that night, we finished watching  Held for Ransom It is the story of the kidnapping of Danish photo journalist, Daniel Rye, in Syria. He later became a cell mate and friend of James Foley. Neither the US or Danish governments would pay for their ransom - unlike their French, Spanish and Polish counterparts. However, Rye's family, somehow come up with the 2 million euros needed to free their son who spent over a year in the hands of fanatical ISIS members. Well worth watching I have to say but very harrowing.

And today is Sunday and it is one year ago today that we left for our first road trip - all the way to Armenia. This is us setting off, a photo to remember. 

We set off on our road trip to Armenia one year ago today. What an adventure

Today we are not going anywhere but will be at home to receive Oli and the kids for lunch. Apart from that, nothing else is planned.

I have come to the end of the tales of this week and shall sign off now to get on with the day.

Cheers to you all,

Masha

Direct attack by Iran on Israel, a warm and quiet week, finally got on the scales, the total eclipse, too many yoghurts, planning the Italian part of our road trip, Oli live on TV, Olé Juliet, visit to a psychologist and other tales of the week.

 Madrid, Sunday, 14th April, 2024

Bit of self pampering at my nail bar this week

Good morning everyone. 

It has been a warm and quiet week but not without its ups and downs. Most importantly I finally got on the scales - the first time in over a year - and I visited a psychologist for myself. That's not something most people would tell the world but I think it's an important milestone in my life so I'm sharing it. 

On the world scene, Ramadan finished this week and the after fasting festival, Eid began. For those Palestinians returning to the South of Gaza where the IDF has pulled out, it was a return to devastation on the same level as Aleppo in Syria. Soon Israel will invade Rafeh and the war continues. 

There was  talk all week of an attack on Israel by Iran after the former bombed the Iranian Embassy in Damascus. I honestly never thought Iran would dare, just as I thought Russia would never invade Ukraine. How naive I am. It happened last night. Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles on Israeli territory; something it has never done before.  They were nearly all thwarted by the IDF with a lot of help from the US, the UK and other countries including Jordan with all that that means for the Hashemite Kingdom. Israel largely came away unscathed. But it was pretty frightening. I just wonder how Israel will respond. Will Israel now directly bomb Iran? I honestly hope not. I just hope that Iran has learned it can't beat Israel with "ironclad" support from the US and other allies including my own country.  

The war drums are also sounding in Europe while the Russia Ukraine war continues and seems to be at stalemate. If Ukraine does not win, other countries could also be a target for Putin. Not a good state of affairs but while the Israeli war continues, people tend to forget about Ukraine. 

I am so lucky to live where I do. It's like being in a bubble, a haven of peace, in comparison. That doesn't mean to say my life is perfect. Is any life or any family perfect, I ask myself? Probably not. 

Life in our bubble last Sunday was slightly interrupted when Olivia arrived unexpectedly with the children who were playing up. She was not feeling well and went to A&E while we looked after and fed them. Here is a lovely picture of the two of them kissing.

Elliot kissing his sister

But peace did not last long. Soon they were fighting.  We had to separate them on various occasions and in the end Eladio had to smack Elliot. That's not the done thing these days but I'll tell you what, it stopped the fighting there and then. Thankfully their parents arrived soon after. It was Miguel's birthday, one year short of 50. They left us to go and get his cake from Alverán and we retreated to our quarters for some quiet time. 

It was on Monday that I finally got on the scales since I started my semi diet on 8th January. It was the first time since February last year. I was pleased to see that my weight, although still high, was reasonable - i.e around 10 stone and under 70kg. It spurred me on to continue with my healthy eating. 

During our walk on Sunday, Eladio asked me about "my book", the one about our road trip to Armenia. Truth to tell, I had left it unfinished. That too spurred me on, but to do the back cover. All I have to do now is edit one of the annexes (accommodation) and then take it to print. As to uploading it to Amazon.es, I will need help and must contact the publisher who did my father's book. 

Right after that I went for an appointment at my nail bar - De Uñas in Boadilla, run by some lovely and beautiful Colombian women. They do a great job. I don't like the hairdressers but love having a manicure. My hands may look old with more wrinkles and age spots, but my nails look perfect. I got Tatiana to take pictures, one of which I have chosen for this week's feature photo. Here is one of my nails, for those interested.

A bit of self pampering - had my nails done on Monday

Of course I chose red - again. Red nails and red lips are my trademark, even if I am wearing pink as I was in the picture. I just don't see myself with grey or yellow nails, colours Oli often chooses. Red is my colour and always has been. 

In the afternoon I skyped with Amanda and we got up to speed after Easter. It's always so therapeutic talking to her. We have been friends for 56 years and are very close. Bless her. I always look forward to our calls which started during lock down in the pandemic. To think that was 4 years ago and now we don't even think about Covid, or hardly at all. But what a big thing in our lives that was. 

A very big thing that day or night was the total eclipse seen in Mexico and North America. There is always a sort of craziness that surrounds an eclipse. Personally, I don't find them particularly interesting although they must be for scientists. Suzy is very much into eclipses and their dangers. She urged us to stock up with provisions which, of course, we didn't.  I grabbed these photos from The Times to add to this post and to have a graphic souvenir of the total eclipse, so talked about this week.

The total eclipse this week, somewhere in America

I read that over a million people headed to the Niagara Falls where they were supposed to get a good view. I would have paid not to go as I hate crowds. In Spain it could only be seen partially from Galicia in the north and in the Canary Islands, clouds permitting. 

Tuesday saw us at a garden centre called Verdecora to get some new geraniums to replace those did not survive the winter. Later Eladio planted them and I took a picture from inside.

Newly planted geraniums

They surround the pool partially and always make it look so much more attractive.

On our way home we stopped for coffee at Manacor where we bumped into our friends, George and Amanda, ex guests of ours from China. It's always lovely to see them  thriving in Spain after leaving China to give their daughter a better education. They are not golden visa residents, as many of their countrymen are. I mention this as our socialist President Pedro Sánchez, .announced that day, that he was going to do away with them. In exchange for buying property over half a million euros, non EU citizens are entitled to three years residency. The main beneficiaries of this are from China, Russia and Latin America, as well as the UK. This golden visa has been criticised as being a visa for rich people and also for making it difficult for locals to buy a house in what they call "tensioned" areas - mostly Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Alicante. Recently both Portugal and Ireland did away with their golden visas. 15% of the housing market is owned by golden visa holders which doesn't seem much to me but that could go grow. I wonder what the percentage of foreigners own property in London which has been sometimes referred to as Londongrad! 

Anyway, back to my mundane life. Before going home we went to pick up my flared white jeans which I had had taken in. I couldn't believe they were still too big for me when I tried them on at home.

Just as we were entering the drive, a lorry was removing the broken ping pong table which had been such a hit with our guests, mostly those from China. 

Good bye ping pong table

We once had a Chinese table tennis champion come to stay and I remember him playing rather marvelously. Well, it's gone now. 

Once home, Eladio went to plant the geraniums and fill patches in the grass with seeds and fertiliser as well as apply weed killer to some of the cracks on the paving around the house.  I went upstairs to try on the trousers. While at it, I tried on lots of old summer clothes which I am happy to announce now nearly all fit. That gave me a high which I needed as I don't get many highs these days.

I had a quiet afternoon but Eladio's siesta was cut short as he had an appointment with a recommended osteopath as his sciatica still hasn't gone away. I think it helped but I also think it is a question of time. Poor Eladio, never knew what pain was till he got sciatica. I, on the other hand, am used to it with all my headaches, etc. 

Wednesday started with a walk - we have been on many this week. It was interrupted though, constantly with beeps from messages from Alcampo (Auchan). I had ordered some Alvalle gazpacho and Nestle Yaos coconut Greek Yoghurts as I couldn't find either item in any supermarket. I thought I had bought 4 packets of yoghurts for the price of 3 but had no idea that each packet contained 12 yoghurts and not 4. Thus when I got home I found the fridge chock a block with 48 yoghurts which expire on 28th of this month. Just look

A fridge too full of yoghurts

One of these a day has been my evening treat as I adore coconut in any form and especially these ones. But what am I going to do with them all? I have given some to my guests but coconut flavoured yoghurts are not to everyone's taste are they? Someone told me you can eat yoghurts up to 3 weeks pasty their expiry date, so now Eladio will be having one every day too and Tana. Silly me is all I can conclude. 

Of course I offered some to Mohammad, my Iraqi guest. At the same time I mentioned it was the end of Ramadan - it was on Tuesday. I knew there was something I should say that is related to the Eid feast after the fasting. He told me it was and it is "Eid Mubarak"- Mubarak meaning blessed. I only knew the name from the former President of Egypt. Now I know what to say to Muslims when Ramadan ends and you do too, if you didn't already. 

Something sad happened on Wednesday. Chispi, my dear friend Fátima's dog died. I heard the news from her sister Gloria who looked after her when Fátima died or probably when her daughter no longer could because of her studies and travels. I knew I had a photo somewhere of the two of us with our darling dogs, Pippa and Chispi and here it is. 

With Fátima and Chispi - in our garden in the summer of 2018 about. 

RIP both of you. That was sad to hear and I don't like sad news. 

Thursday dawned and it was another brilliant, warm and sunny day which we took advantage of with a morning walk once again. We walked to the churros cafe in El Bosque where we discussed our road trip. Both of us want to go but worry that the situation with Suzy may not permit it. On the other hand, we have to live. 

Thus that afternoon saw me with my PC, Google Maps and a printed map of Europe plotting our route from Madrid to Italy and then by ferry from Brindisi to Greece. I asked my dear friend Sandra who is half Italian for tips, etc and we ended up having a lovely video call with useful information and places to stay and visit gleaned from her. Thank you my friend. I even booked our first night at a lovely looking place near Fuenterrabia not far from San Sebastian. I had hoped to stay in Biarritz but couldn't find anywhere. Our first destination in France will be Carcassonne and Albi in France. In Italy our main destinations will be Cinque Terre near La Spezia which we didn't get to see last time and Tuscany including Florence, Pisa and other beauty spots in the area. From there we want to go to Naples, more than anything to see Pompey. We had thought of driving to Sicily after that but it seems a bit much, so will probably head from Naples to Puglia where we can get a ferry to Greece but also visit this delightful area. What part of Italy is not delightful I ask myself. We both love Italy and I really hope this trip comes true. 

We spoke about the itinerary over dinner during which I was delighted to hear from Eladio that he loves the coconut yoghurt (hahaha). We then spent nearly an hour calibrating our Samsung watches so we can measure our blood pressure. You have to do it every three months and it's one big bore. I kept getting a message saying "weak signal". I looked it up on Google of course and most people's replies were to switch off and on the watches which we did. Finally we got them working. Technology can be a challenge. The good news is that we both have a normal blood pressure. It's not that I am particularly worried about it, it's just that I want all the smart watch features to work properly, if you get my meaning. 

That night I watched a very pleasant film called The Boys in the Boat - it's a true story about the US rowing team at the 1936 Olympics  in Berlin and how they got to be classified. I thought it was  a tremendous story. Eladio thought it was too "American" (hahaha).

On Friday I was quietly having my breakfast when I got a message from Oli that she would be live on TVE1 shortly. She hardly ever warns me in advance so I grabbed my chance. She was reporting on the former Queen of Spain's health. Queen Sofia was in hospital with a urine infection - not the most riveting story but it always give me a high when I see Olivia live on TV, even after all these years. I took a photo to share with you and also a video which you can see here. 

Olivia live on TV this week

Because Olivia has to be at work before 6 am, she didn't see her daughter dressed up in her Flamenco outfit for school that day. But Miguel sent pictures. 

Juliet in her flamenco outfit on Friday

She is wearing the flamenco dress and shoes to match (with a heel) that I bought at a market in Santa Pola in October. It gave me a thrill to see her I have to say. I was later told she wore those "high heeled" shoes all day, bless her. I wondered what the occasion was. It appears her school was celebrating the 4th April Seville fair, of all things. Olé Juliet then. You look gorgeous.

Soon I had to turn to figures when my new accountant rang. She is working on our 2023 tax returns. Thankfully she seems to know what she is doing. 

At 11.45 I had an appointment with a psychologist in Boadilla that Olivia had recommended. That was quite a big deal for me. I had thought I could cope, I am  a strong woman but I just don't sleep and seem sad most of the time although I try to enjoy life as much as possible. It all boils down to my worry about my older daughter. My expectations were not that high as I don't come from a generation that has much faith in psychologists. However, I thought that at least getting it off my chest would help. It did. As I expected I did all the talking with Carina asking the questions. I came away with some conclusions from her. 1) I feel a lot of blame, 2) I feel sad 3) I am grieving, 4) I must look after myself (in order to be able to look after her) and 5) - a difficult one, I am not wholly responsible for another person even if she is my daughter and 6) I am already doing as much as I can. It was overall  a successful session even if it doesn't solve our huge problem. The idea is to get help on how to manage it. So, it was a good experience on the whole and I will be going again next Friday. I came back feeling good, or better although the grief and sadness are still there. But, I know now, we have to live. 

So live I will, I thought as we made our way to the park to see our grandchildren with their parents that afternoon. Except that they were not there but at home. So we went to visit them there. It was lovely to see them. Elliot is now doing judo and wore his kimono for us and showed us a few positions or whatever they are called. One of them looked like a plain somersault but good for him to be able to do one aged 4. Unfortunately Juliet who is going through the terrible twos had a big tantrum for no real reason. We had never seen her like that and were at our wits' end. Poor Oli, what she has to put with we both said as we drove home to our sanctity of peace and quiet at home. Being a parent of toddlers is the most challenging part of ones' life. Things will get much better as they grown older, of course and years later we hardly remember the early days which may seem to go past slowly but actually fly past. 

We were in bed early and started watching some French series on Netflix but I soon fell asleep. I couldn't believe what my watch told me on Saturday morning. I had slept for 7 hours and 45 minutes without consciously waking up. I can only attribute that to my session with the  psychologist unless it was a flash in the pan. Time will tell. In any case I felt so rested. I really needed that sleep.

As usual we went for our walk and then for a coffee after which we did the weekly shop at Mercadona. Just as we were unpacking it, Oli and family arrived. They had come to pick up something and ended up staying for lunch. There were no tantrums and we had quite a peaceful meal which I was able to conjure up quite quickly what with leftovers and new provisions. 

They left shortly after lunch to go and have a coffee while, hopefully, the kids would sleep. I didn't need any sleep and continued with our road trip itinerary, a few more episodes of Call the Midwife - my evasion tactic which always calms me down. I also wrote most of this post yesterday until it was time for dinner - outside again. We have had nearly all our meals outside this week owing to the fabulous weather. 

Dinner was "salmorejo" - that lovely variety of gazpacho that hails from Córdoba - and of course dessert was a coconut yoghurt hahahahhaha.

We watched a good Spanish thriller about the war in Iraq in 2004 on RTVE called "Invasor". We then turned to a documentary about arms dealers in wake of the Ukraine invasion which had us up till very late. 

Today is Sunday and ours for the taking. The sun is shining and I have to look on the bright side of life. I will, I promise. 

Cheers my friends until next week,

Masha

Home from Santa Pola, Easter is over, taking our grandchildren to school, World Central Kitchen aid workers killed in Gaza by Israeli forces, the pool is ready for summer, a full house, the stuff of dreams and other stories.

 Home, Sunday 7th April 2024

A happy moment this week  - coffee on Friday at Manacor. PS note I am wearing flowers, not stripes!

Good morning all this sunny day in April. How time flies. It's only a week since we celebrated Easter Day. We were alone probably for the first time in many years. Even so, I made an effort and we had roast lamb with all the trimmings. I then had a chocolate feast. I honestly don't know why Easter is related to chocolate eggs but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the binge, after 3 months on a semi diet. 

Easter Monday was 1st April and All Fools' Day but it's not celebrated here. The equivalent is 28th December, the day of the Holy Innocents, in memory of when King Herod ordered the killing of all male babies under two. 

There was nothing foolish or innocent about Monday. It was all very efficient. I finally found an accountant who will be doing our tax returns this month. If you follow this blog, you will know that my accountant, Pilar, from when I was freelance did the worst job possible. Thanks to her I am still paying the tax people. Another claim came this week for over 4000 euros! Damn the woman. I spent practically the whole day gathering together all the documents of income and expenditure; no easy feat. It was a huge job but I had it finished by Thursday when I sent her everything. No doubt the tax bill this year will be pretty steep too but hopefully it will be correct and I won't be owing anything more to the Inland Revenue people for years to come. Since I got that job finished I have slept a bit better.

On Monday afternoon I had my last and final appointment with the dentist after all the work he has done on my teeth. He proclaimed all was well. Nothing more was needed except for one more bleaching session which I had done straight after seeing him. I am finally regaining the pleasure of chewing with all my new bridges but it does take some getting used to. Finally, too, I no longer blush or close my mouth when I see people or have a photo taken. However, I am now obsessed with people's teeth and look at everyone's. It reminds me of when I was pregnant; I would look at all other pregnant women, hahahaha. 

That day Eladio spent the night at Oli's as we had to take the kids to school the next morning. Miguel and Oli are trying to find someone to replace us but the girl they found suddenly gave her notice. Thus I slept alone with Pippa. I think I managed about 6 hours which is ok for me.

On Tuesday I was up at 06.30 to be at their place by 07.30. They too had woken up that early and I felt sorry for my poor husband. Thus we had masses of time to get them ready for school which doesn't start until 9 am. Here are the little mites still with their pyjamas on. They were watching The Power Rangers, something my girls used to love and which I found a bit aggressive. 

Elliot and Juliet on Monday morning the day we took them to school

We left them there at 9 feeling a bit bushed. There are so many cars, nowhere to park and the police there too, that it was all a bit stressful. Maybe we should park further away and walk to the school.

We came home feeling bushed. I had guests coming and going all week; I could hardly keep up with who was who and where they were sleeping. It was full house this week with people from Colombia, Peru, Mexico and Spain as well as Mohammad and Sarang from Iraq and India; quite the United Nations. 

I did more paperwork but then went out for a coffee while Eladio went to have a much needed haircut. I also took my white Zara jeans to be taken in - just don't like the flares - and to get a prescription. Eladio came home looking very dashing. Isn't he just gorgeous. Nobody would believe his age; not even me.

Eladio's new hair cut - looking very dashing.

Notice, he is wearing stripes like I nearly always do. I was too. I dug out a Lindex jumper which I bought in Stockholm in about 2015 and it is still going strong. I love the end of the sleeves in yellow. I took  a photo in the mirror where I hope you can appreciate I have lost some weight. 

Wearing my trusty striped Lindex jumper  this week which I bought in Stockholm in about 2015

I used to love shopping at Lindex. It's so my style; rather Scandinavian as a Swedish colleague from Nokia once said to me when we were shopping at a lovely Danish store called Jackpot. If only Lindex, Kappahl and Jackpot had shops in Spain. 

I was not thinking about fashion at all when I heard shocking news that afternoon. 7 aid workers belonging to the Spanish Chef, José Andrés' NGO - World Central Kitchen - were killed while taking food into Gaza by the IDF. The world is shocked, even the US, finally. After nearly 6 months of war, Israel is looking pretty lonely. I understand they want revenge for the attacks in October at the hands of Hamas but they have over reacted  It seems that in order to topple Hamas they are annihilating  Gaza. Apart from being bombed, the people will soon be starved to death. It's a horrible comparison but reminds me of  some of the effects of the holocaust. Please Israel, stop. 

The horrific attack on WCK killing 7 aid workers in Gaza this week shocked the world.

Israel has not made it easy for aid to enter Gaza and José Andrés' NGO was one of the first to get there by ship and then on land. José Andrés, an amazing man, whose NGO takes food to the most desperate places, is furious and heartbroken and wants an explanation. We all do. After all, his convoy was known to the IDF and should have been protected. There is no excuse here for these fortuitous deaths. My blog aims to put my life in context of world news, or news that has had an impact on me. Thus I want to quote José Andrés, so his words go down in history, if anyone read this in years to come when I am no longer here. "The 7 angels killed on a WCK mission in Gaza on Monday were the best of humanity, The Israeli government needs to open more land routes for food and medicine today. It needs to stop killing civilians and aid workers today. It needs to start the long journey to peace today" His final words are what really resonate what a lot of people are thinking; including me: "You cannot save the hostages by bombing every building in Gaza. You cannot win this war by starving an entire population".  If you want to know more, I encourage you to read an essay by José Andrés in the NYT, entitled "Let People Eat". How right he is. If only Netanyahu thought the same. My husband calls him a heretic. 

Shortly after I heard the news it was time for my weekly Skype call with Amanda. She was equally shocked at the events. Ever since I was a child, war in Israel and with Israel has been in the news. Will it ever stop? Lucky living in peaceful countries, our conversation soon turned to our own lives and our ups and downs. Talking to Amanda is my therapy and long may it last. We have been friends since we were 11 and started at St. Joseph's College, the Catholic grammar school in Bradford  in about 1968. Little did we know then that we would still be friends at the age of 67. God bless her. 

We usually talk from 5.30 to 7 which is her dinner time. Ours is one hour later and of course this week after the clocks went forward we now have another hour of light ; till around 9 pm. At about that time, my new guest, Alejandro, arrived. He is from Barcelona and works as a photographer for Google Maps. He is doing all the roads and paths (not streets) of the province of Madrid for them at the moment and will be coming again. Nice guy who gave me a great review. Airbnb are pleased with me too this week, as once again I am a super host, a status I have maintained since 2017 when I began this adventure. It always gives me a high when I receive an email or message to tell me I am super host again. 

Superhost again

My statistics are pretty impressive too. I got 4.9 out of 5. Reaching 5 is pretty difficult as you can't please everyone but keeping to 4.9 is a slog too and I always have to be on my toes. 

My super host statistics 

I might be retired but I am busy nearly every day and must be on the alert constantly for new enquiries, bookings, etc.  What I love best about my little rental business is the guest satisfaction and meeting people from all over the world. 

Wednesday dawned and I spent a lot of the morning on more gathering of paperwork for my new accountant but I was ready by about 12 to accompany Eladio to Móstoles. He was going to get his hearing aids which had been mended or adjusted. I took the time to find a  bank to pay the bloody 4000 euros to the Inland Revenue people. I then rewarded myself with a cup of coffee. Ah, and I wandered into a little Chinese run boutique which had the most gorgeous clothes for an absolute song. Móstoles, is  a god forsaken suburb of Madrid which I hate because this is where we had to go so often to the Courts during our trials and tribulations with Felipe Turover, the Russian spy who squatted in our house in 2021 and 2022 for over 6 months. However, the area is very cheap. I was astonished only to pay 1.5 euros for my coffee and very pleased to find a lovely pink t-shirt for around 9 euros (the one I am wearing in the feature photo) and a white summer jumper; both with flower motifs. I thought it was about time I swapped stripes for flowers. Later I took another photo in front of my bedroom mirror. Nice eh?

New jumper from a Chinese run boutique in Móstoles. 

I loved what I bought and am seriously thinking of going back for more. 

I was finished just as Eladio was and off we went to Decathlon. It was to look at ping pong tables after Elliot broke ours - he jumped on it and it collapsed. We desisted though as they were awfully expensive. I think that is the last of the ping pong table which I had to remove from 7 of my Airbnb listings - quite a job.

On Thursday morning we went to have coffee with the mother of a friend of Suzy's from long ago. She is English and I hadn't seen her for probably 20 odd years. We wanted to meet her to exchange experiences of our daughters' mental health. She battled for years with her elder daughter and gave us lots of advice. It was very informative but it was also lovely to see her. 

Meanwhile, Mohammad and Sarang decided summer had come and asked Eladio where all the outdoor pool furniture was stored. Thus they brought it out of the garage. They said they wanted to bring summer to the pool and they did just that. They even went in the water. I will not be going in until it is at least 35ºc.

The pool with the outdoor furniture 

We would have helped them but had to be off again, this time for a doctor's appointment for Eladio - routine stuff. We were home by about 5 and went up for a much needed siesta. I needed sleep and sleep I got but had the most terrible nightmare. 

I dreamed that there was a family "invited" by other guests who I told  to leave. They were all ready to go into the pool, carrying lilos, etc. When they finally agreed to go,  they couldn't get out because the garage was too full of ping pong tables! Meanwhile, outside there was a table with Orthodox Jews having some sort of elaborate celebration and the father of the family  joined in. I just looked on in amazement.  Next I found 3 mobile phones in my handbag which weren't mine but couldn't find my own to ring Airbnb and report the problem. Finally the whole family died and Eladio and I didn't know what to do. At the same time, Suzy was asking me to come and talk to her but I couldn't as I was overwhelmed by the circumstances. Thankfully, then I woke up. 

I woke up feeling in a daze and  groggy but also hungry and went downstairs for a cup of tea. There I found Sarang making a curry and told him about my nightmare which was surreal. The only conclusion is this is the stuff of my dreams, my worries; my work, the stupid ping pong table, the war in Israel and of course poor Suzy, who I can't help. Someone told me to have a drink. However, that doesn't really help as alcohol usually gives me a headache. Instead I had a medjool date and half a banana with my cup of tea and then I felt better. That night I slept better, had no nightmares and got 7.5h of shut eye!

On Friday, we finally went for a walk. It was another glorious day and I marvelled at the greenery and how so many wild flowers had bloomed after the rain last week  Later we had to do the shopping but stopped for coffee at Manacor. There we spoke about Suzy of course but also about our road trip with the first part being in Italy. Eladio wants to visit Pompei and I want to revisit Florence. We also want to get as far as Sicily. But then what, back up to the north of Italy and all through the Balkans to Greece and Turkey, or a ferry from Bari to Durres in Albania?  I  think that only once on the road will we know so watch this space. 

Just as we got back, a new guest, Melissa who is Mexican but lives in NYC, arrived. Coming up the drive behind her was Shirley from Peru whom I hadn't seen as she arrived in my absence the day before.  I soon settled Melissa in the green room and then came down to unload the shopping. That night we had 7 guests sleeping at our house, yet there is space for everyone They were nearly all solo student guests who are my favourite; much easier to deal with than families here to hog the pool and never leave the house hahahaha. 

Friday was a beautiful day with lovely weather and we had dinner on the table in the kitchen patio. 

Dear Mohammad who had seen my feature photo on Instagram, told me I was looking beautiful. That is indeed a real compliment coming from a young man to a woman of my age, bless him. 

Yesterday, Saturday, was also a beautiful day and ours for the taking.  We hadn't seen our grandchildren since Monday so met them and Olivia for a coffee at Alveran. We never got to interact with Elliot as he was asleep the whole time. They were going to have lunch with Suzy's old friend, Elena with whom, like with everyone else, she has broken off ties and we went home to have our own lunch.

It was a quiet afternoon with all our guests out. Eladio did some of the weeding around the rose bushes - thank you my darling - and I chilled out writing this blog, updating new bookings and binge watching Call the Midwife.

Today is Sunday. We have no plans so I expect it will be another quiet day. 

I have now reached the end of the tales of this week. I wish you all the best until next time.

Cheers for now,

Masha

c

First barbecue of the season, off to Santa Pola to see Suzy, Elliot and Juliet experiencing snow (and a mice invasion) for the first time in Montrondo, home again, the clocks go forward and other tales of the week.

 Madrid, Easter Day, Sunday, 31st March, 2024

By the sea this week

Good morning friends and Happy Easter. Here we are home again after a few days in Santa Pola visiting our daughter Suzy.

Last Sunday the weather was marvelous so we made the most of it and inaugurated the barbecue season. As nearly always happens in Spain, the Easter holidays don't often get warm weather which was the case once again this year. Even so millions leave their homes for a holiday by the coast, in the mountains or, if they are lucky, in their "pueblo", or abroad. 

However, on Sunday last it reached 26ºc whereas in Montrondo this week it was often below zero, bringing snow,  and in Santa Pola it never hovered above 20c. My husband always makes the barbecue and here he is grilling various types of chorizos and gourmet hamburgers.

The first barbecue of the season

To partake of the meal Olivia had invited the girls' oldest friend, Copi, and her mother Celeste. The only person missing was Suzy which made me sad. But we would see her the next day.

Oli came bearing all sorts of desserts including home made "torrijas" - a sort of cold French toast which is very popular here at Easter. I am much more into Easter eggs - chocolate, you see. 

We made a French exit around 5 and were able to rest in our quarters. I carried on binge watching Call the Midwife on the BBC iPlayer (thanks to my Express VPN). I love that it is set in the UK in the 60's, so reminiscent of my childhood. Many of the characters are nuns or nurses which always appeal to me on screen for some reason, along with prisons, schools and institutions of most sorts. I wonder what a psychologist would  make of that?  As a little girl I said I wanted to be a nurse but of course that could never have happened as I am far too squeamish. Another reason I love CTM is because of the language in the script. It's wonderful to hear expressions like "tickety boo" or "all shipshape and Bristol fashion". I relate to words and expressions like this as I left England in the early 80's and my vocab is pretty old fashioned. Not for me words and expressions like "awesome", "the both of us" not to mention "cancel culture" and "woke" which make my blood boil. Cool too was before my time. I used to say "groovy". Do you remember?

Monday came and come what may we were driving to Santa Pola to see Suzy who had stalled 2 previous attempts to visit her recently. The bad weather hit us as soon as we left Madrid and it rained insistently until our arrival in Gran Alacant. We bought the flat in 1999 and I swear I have only ever experienced rain there about 3 or 4 times which made it  quite unusual to arrive to rain. 

Thankfully, Suzy was delighted to see us and we were happy to see her. She had been fasting for 3 days and looked very undernourished. She fainted after dinner which gave me the shock of my life. I was about to call the emergency services when she came round. Eladio had to drag her on the floor to her room and between us we got her on the bed. I was worried all night but happy to hear she had slept quite well and woke up feeling better on Tuesday. Just before she fell and fainted we had been telling her about Eladio's fall when he got concussion. Was it just a coincidence then that Suzy fell and fainted too just after telling her? She is very highly sensitive. Could this have been psychosomatic or because of her fasting.? é We shall never know. But what an enormous shock she gave us. When she lolled her head and her eyes rolled, I honestly thought she may be dying; a mother's worst fear. Thankfully she was better very soon. Oh dear Suzy, I love you and worry so much about you.  

Meanwhile, more than 800km away, Oli and family arrived that afternoon in  Montrondo and had the misfortune to find an invasion of mice and all their droppings. It has happened to us before and I know the feeling. No doubt Elliot would have found the whole thing exciting but Olivia hates mice. Me too and I felt for her.  Mice get in if you leave the door open during the day. We usually leave traps, just in case, but Oli and family were the last to visit and they didn't. They caught 4 mice and this time have left the traps. Oli is scared stiff of mice and it was most unpleasant. 

What was wonderful though for them was arriving to a warm house and to find some of their little cousins there; Luna, Camilo and later Jara, Gael and little Sara. They played together every day of their stay. Here they are wrapped up well just after they arrived.

Juliet and Elliot in Montrondo on Monday, the day they arrived and the day before the snow came. 

I woke up on Tuesday at 6.30 after a reasonable night's sleep. But then I went and hurt my back. I felt a crick and realised I had a muscle contraction right down the left side of my back. I was in agony. I desperately tried to find an ostoeopath and I did. Andrea from La Clau in Santa Pola received me at 10 am and worked her magic. She gave me the best massage I have ever had and nearly removed the contraction completely. Oh bless her. I came out feeling so much better and made my way to the main square where Eladio was waiting for me. In turn we were waiting for Suzy who I had treated to a pedicure and manicure at Angeles, a nail bar and beauty salon on the main street. She came out feeling on top of the world and I had to have a photo of her with her father which I entitled Father and daughter on social media.

Father and daughter in Santa Pola on Tuesday

As you can see in the photo, they are both wearing their coats. It was cold for this area on Tuesday but would get warmer on Wednesday. We then went food shopping to replenish Suzy's very empty shelves and fridge. I also went into Quicksave, the English supermarket across the way from our flat. I stocked up on Cadbury's creme eggs, the last Easter egg they had, some polos, hot cross buns - important for Good Friday and then crumpets, scones and muffins. These were to take home and freeze. But we would enjoy the hot cross buns on Friday of course, as tradition dictates or did so in my home as a child. 

While I was nursing my back pain in bed that afternoon with Charles Spencer's new book - A very private school - it had just begun to snow in Montrondo. It was a pretty light fall but enough for the children to enjoy and out they went to experience snow for the first time. How exciting. I do wish I had been there to witness the moment myself. Oli took a video which you can see here and sent us some pictures to remember the moment.

The kids with their cousins just as it began to snow on Tuesday

Oli later sent us a lovely photo of the back of our house in the snow at night, courtesy of my nephew Miguel who is now living permanently with his wife, Claudia, and their children in Montrondo. They are quite brave to have set up their home there. I loved the picture so much, I had to share it with you.

Our house in the snow this week - picture postcard like

There was a bigger snowfall on Wednesday and they were even able to make a snowman. Elliot later corrected me and told me they made 3!

More snow in Montrondo on Wednesday

These photos brought back memories of winter and early spring holidays with the girls in the village when they were small. I shall never forget Eladio, his father and brothers making a big igloo and my father-in-law sitting inside it. The girls, like Elliot and Juliet today, loved their holidays in Montrondo with all their cousins. It's like history repeating itself, but nice history. 

Meanwhile in Santa Pola, it was nearly 20 degrees more and out we went to enjoy the sun and the sea. We drove to the end of the coastal road and parked at the end. From there we walked along the promenade - our favourite walk in the area, after the lighthouse walk. Eladio took a picture of me which I have chosen as this week's feature photo as it was one of the highlights of this week. We then sat down in the sun at Ca Pacorro for a coffee and I got another photo. Pippa is with me in both photos, just as she is nearly always with us. Pippa adds so much to our life, bless her.

Enjoying coffee in the sun at Ca Pacorro on Wednesday

Once home and with plenty of time on my hands, I ambled down to the pool which is open all year round and faces the garden and the sea. I had it all to myself which was very pleasant.

The communal pool which I had all to myself on Wednesday

I continued reading Charles Spencer's book, "A very private school" the terrible story of his childhood which focuses on the cruelty and abuse he suffered at the Maidwell prep school where he was sent away at the age of 8. Lady Diana's brother is nearly 10 years younger than me, well 8. To think this cruelty was meted out in the 70's in England. I went to school in the 70's but it was a wonderful grammar school run by Irish nuns who were never cruel. 

A very sobering tale of cruelty and abuse at a top British boarding school

What is it about British upper class boarding schools that made generations of children unhappy and be cruelly treated? Why on earth did their parents send them away out of the bosom of their families at such a tender age? Why on earth where the adults running these institutions cruel and despotic many times? The ones described in the Earl's book were pedophiles, predators and sadists. There is no other description for them.  This type of so-called teachers or headmasters and matrons were prevalent at many boarding schools for years until society began to understand child care and nurturing. I think Charles Spencer was very brave to write this totally unabridged story of what a psychologist later told him was a "fucked up childhood".  Now  a bestseller, it makes for harrowing reading. I can only hope that in writing it the author somehow got therapy for what should never have happened to a small child in  England in the 70's or ever.

Maunday Thursday came and we were back at the osteopath Andrea from La Clau. This time it was to give Eladio a massage. There I was complaining about my back, while all the time he was suffering from sciatica which he got when he mowed the lawn the week before. While he was there I went for an amble with Pippa and explored the shops on the main street. I bought a light pink cotton jumper - not stripes this time, although I was tempted.

Suzy, meanwhile, was at the hairdresser for a much needed cut She looks lovely now with shorter hair and a fringe. 

Part of the afternoon was spent watching a new series on Netflix, the Testament of Moses. Both Eladio and I are suckers for sweeping drama films based on stories from the Bible or Roman Times (Quo Vadis, Benhur, etc).  We only watched the first of the three episodes and it' not bad but actually not a patch on the 1956 film, The Ten Commandments with Yul Brynner. Remember? Around Easter we always love watching these types of films. 

On Good Friday it was finally the day to have hot cross buns for breakfast. I had been dreaming about them for weeks, finally got some at Quicksave and this was the day. I have been having either porridge, Weetabix or muesli every day for breakfast as part of my semi diet now for months but what I really like for breakfast is toast or croissants. With my hot cross bun I also indulged in a crumpet, that most English of bakery products and which has a taste like none other. Liberally spread with Lurpak my breakfast was divine.

Suzy joined us on our walk that day which made it extra special. Once again we drove to the end of the old coastal road to park at the end and walk on the promenade towards our bar, Ca Pacorro. I couldn't believe just how crowded it was but of course it's Easter and figures. People will be heading home again today, back to the grindstone for many. That's why it's wonderful to be in early retirement. We managed to find a free table in the sun and ordered a coffee for me, beer for Suzy and a diet coke for Eladio. I managed a quick photo of Suzy with her new hairdo. Doesn't she look lovely? If only all was well.

Suzy on Friday morning joining us on our walk and coffee time by the sea
She has a lovely new hair cut which really suits her.

When I posted the photo on social media, two people wrote to say she looks just like me. My dear friend Adele even thought it was me - for a moment. I like that. 

These days she is heavily into reading the Bible so our talk was centred on that, the times of Jesus, the Romans and we even got as far back as Alexander the Great. We fear she is taking the Bible rather literally and her dear father who studied theology gave her much food for thought in his explanations. What a good teacher he is and how knowledgeable. If only she would take in some of his words of wisdom or be less radical in her beliefs. But, overall, we had a lovely time together. I am far less knowledgeable than my husband but I did do Religion A level and ´Theology "subsid" at University, which I think surprised my daughter who probably thought I didn't have a clue. I do and I did. 

We had a quiet afternoon and a simple dinner together - our last till next time. Then it was early to bed except I was woken by an upcoming guest who is in a different time zone. She was sending me messages for about an hour till late at night. 

But I got about 6.5h sleep - my average I think, and was up a little later on Saturday, the day of our departure. 

Departing too were Oli and family from Montrondo where the kids had had a grand time. Just as they were leaving, their favourite cousin arrived and whom they absolutely adore. Oli sent me this delightful photo of the three of them before they left.

Juliet and Elliot yesterday in Montrondo with their favourite cousin just before leaving

When they saw her they did not want to leave. I remember Suzy nearly always crying when we departed from  Montrondo. 

We left our apartment and Suzy in it at about 10.30. It had been good to spend time with her and I was happy that her shelves and fridge are now full. We shall see her next at the beginning of May to celebrate her 40th birthday, just before our next road trip.

We stopped for coffee and lunch and the nearer we got to Madrid, the colder it got. It rained too but that's good for the reservoirs; I know. We stopped for lunch at La Venta de San José in Zafra de Záncara about 1.5h from home. It is probably the best place to have a meal on the A3 road but I have never seen it so full. There was hardly a table to be had and of course no room in the dining area without a booking. We managed to get a small table and two stools by the bar. Here is Eladio about to tuck into his chickpea stew. 

Lunch at Venta de San José yesterday on our way home

We were home by 4pm to just 7ºc, 10 less than in Santa Pola. No wonder so many people retire to the Costa Blanca. Maybe we should?  Who knows?

Tana was waiting for us, eager to get off to Madrid for her short weekend off. All our guests were out and the house was warm, clean and tidy. How civilised. We retired to our quarters and after unpacking, just fell into bed. Later we had a video call with Oli and the kids and soon is was time for dinner, on our own in the kitchen. We had wine and chocolate with our dinner as a sort of pre Easter meal. We opened the wonderful new Terry's mint flavoured "chocolate orange". I hadn't had chocolate since Christmas and there is no better combination than chocolate with wine even if it gives me a headache.

Last night the clocks went forward. I had to remind Suzy and also tell Mohammad this morning who didn't have a clue. At 2 am it went forward to 3 am and thus we have lost an hour today. However we have gained an hour of light. Sunset today will be around 9pm which I love. When it gets warmer which should be quite soon, I look forward to dinners on the kitchen patio. 

We shall be alone for Easter Day. Oli is working and Miguel will take the kids to his mother's place. But we shall celebrate as I got out a leg and a shoulder of suckling lamb last night.  Then there are Easter eggs to look forward to. 

Having come to the end of the tales of this week, all that remains is to wish you all, once again, a very Happy Easter.

Cheers till next Sunday,

Masha