Castlenel April 10 till April 15th

 I had my first bath in the beautiful Castlenel bathroom last night. I lit some candles and played Chopin the whole house was quiet and the world outside too. Although our water tank is quite small and I can't have a very deep bath I still find it a very pleasurably experience.

I brought the Matt Collins stained glass window back to Castlenel it looks lovely at night with the candle lit. 

This space is for a mirror ,in the mean time it looks well. I think  a stained glass window would look good in that space but I realise it would be a very big and expensive job. 

I am seeing Pilar and Alberto for drinks tonight . I am always happy to see Pilar and I really like Alberto.

Sofia tells me that Peter , Brenda's husband, ( she left him and went back to UK a few years ago)  is in hospital and is dying, she says it is time for him to go but he is hanging on.

Although I did not like this man; I am sure he has his story to tell. May he go in peace. 

I listened to This Cultural Life with Don MaCullen today; most of his work is so hard to look at.  I saw some of it at either the Tate or the Walker in Liverpool. I was very disturbed by it. He photographs the worst of humanity. Poverty and Wars...he now at 90 is photographing nature around his home.

, he is a very open about his work and his life. 

This picture stayed with me for a long time after the exhibition 

 

I wonder what happened next?

 The  same day I saw a Linda McCartney exhibition. Thankfully much more joyful. This is my favourite photograph.

 A family relaxing together.

April 11

I had an enjoyable time with Pilar and Alberto sitting out side Peuhen  it was warm April evening.  

They rang my bell at 7.30 and we walked down together. I picked up a bag of rubbish to take with me to the bins and Pilar told me we can't do that now we have to take our bags down after 10.00 PM. I asked why? she said the people who live near the bins are complaining about the smells.

I can understand that it will be awful in the height of summer. The local people are objecting as it is unreasonable to expect the elderly to wait up till 10.00 PM to take the rubbish down the road especially on cold wet winter nights. People want the old way to come back when everyone put there rubbish outside their door after 10.00 PM 

I must say I thought that was quite amazing and unique...not as   glamorous  as  the Taiwan rubbish collection, but never the less I liked hearing the bin lorry going down the road late at night.

I wondered how I was supposed to know about this, there was nothing in the mail.

I now know  thanks to Pilar that anyone can go into the town hall and see all the regulations for bins and lots of other things. I am happy to know that. I will go in one day to have a look

Pilar and Alberto were just back from Holland  ;they showed me some beautiful pictures of a place about an hour from Amsterdam. Windmills by a river and pretty bridges.

Pilar is quite stressed at the moment and she has decided they are not going toYorkshire and Scotland over the summer, but instead they will tour around Northern Spain. It looks so lush and green up there. I would like to see it. John and I talked about going  there ,but in the end did not make it.

They were talking about how expensive staying in hotels etc were; I said if they want to visit Liverpool  ; they could go over for a few days any time I am here; as a gift not on Air BnB ; they were both really touched. It is nothing to me I would be delighted.

As we were saying goodnight at my door ,Alberto said to me, you have a house in Madrid now.

 Alberto lives in Madrid. His working world is politics. The rest of his life his loves are his two dogs, he has a tattoo of them, and food and wine. His new love is Pilar.

I went to the Saturday morning market today; I bought my first two plants one for LA balcony one to get me started on Sofia's Terrace.

                                   Still  to do

I hope by the time I leave in early May all these pots will be filled with colourful plants.

I did my first batch of cooking and preparing salads this afternoon while listening to a good few episodes of This Cultural Life....most of the folk I have not heard of ; and yet it was a wonderful ,fascinating ,

 educational afternoon.

I heard Rufus Wainwright,(singer songwriter)  Julian Barnes, Katie Mitchel.( reframes classic plays) Annie Leibovitz ( photographer famous for many photographs in particular the last picture taken of John Lennon a few hours before he was shot)  , Ricky Gervais.Jennifer Lawrence , Jonathan Pryce ...a real favourite was Guillermo del Toro such a fascinating man...I am sure I would not like his films yet I loved listening to his early life and his cultural influences. 

Monday 13th April 

Yesterday Sunday. I had a very quiet day. I did some cooking and pottering around ,essentially I am really tired ;that was day 5 and I am still recovering from the last few busy months and arriving and adjusting.

It was cold again yesterday grey skies and some rain too. 

I watched Local Hero last night. I still enjoy that film so much, it is like being among family and friends.

Tonight I will watch Soft Top Hard Shoulder another very old film about a young man ( Peter Capaldi) trying to get back to Glasgow from London for his dad's 60th birthday. A road trip film.

Today we have bright blue skies and sunshine still a bit chilly but I don't mind that at all. I started the day with Jane, I have not done that since I came.I will get back to that now as I always feel good when I have done my 20 minutes with Jane.

Just had a text from Matthew.....hip hip hooray he and Marie are coming this weekend 

always happy to see Matthew this is us at his 60th birthday

I had a zoom call with Sandra she is getting excited about her holiday in Croatia with Jackie I then moved the bed in RoR and made up the bed ready for M & M I think it looks great I love the new colour . I cleaned the balcony which was filthy.

I watched Soft Top hard shoulder ; it is very old now but still delightful and funny.

14.4.26

I did some laundry early this morning including A&L's dressing gowns to freshen them up for their

 trip in July. I then went to the market for some more plants , some veggies and eggs,

After that I went for my massage with Isha She is a wonderful masseur, the greatest compliment I can give her is that she is on a par with Beth.

I filled my pots  one for RoR balcony and two more for Sofia's terrace.

I had a client at 5.30  because of the wonderful massage I had to work hard to stay awake.I had a Gin and Tonic a light supper and an early night.I am getting to enjoy these G&T and cold wine on the balcony.

April 15th

Happy birthday my lovely pa....still loved and missed after 15 years.

Funnily enough yesterday during my massage I ( in my imagination)  spent time with pa in Inveraray) If only :)

I had an extra Mercadonna delivery this morning in preparation for M&M's visit. Then I had coffee with Sofia and Ember. She invited me to a picnic in the park with her and Frank and the three children and Nicole, Franks other daughter and her three children on Saturday 25th April....oh my it has to be done. 

On that day I am having coffee in the morning with Suzanna . In the evening at 6.00 PM zoom drinks with Johnny and Ellie. 

I contacted my cousin David and he has just arrived back in Alicante this week.He is going to come up here one Sunday before I leave...that makes me happy.

I had a lovely walk in the sunshine today to Mercadonna ; I forgot to put a few things on the delivery. It is such lovely spring weather here.

I then finished off preparations for M&Ms visit including cleaning the balcony chairs

I did a lots of cooking in advance of M&Ms visit but if I know them we will hardly eat the stuff, they will want to eat out...I chose things that can freeze and I will eat later; except the chicken  and ham which I will give to Sofia.

I just heard from Teresa today she is going to arrive the day Andrew and Lucy leave. Such a shame we won't all be here together. I understand it is much cheaper at that time she has picked to come. I do exactly the same. We can have a zoom  glass of wine with them while she is here.

I am publishing this now as I will have lots to share after M&M's visit 

"There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved"

 George Sand  ( french novelist) I agree.