Asturias “Patria Querida” beloved Asturias, a natural paradise. Along the coast from east to west, from Cuerres to Puerto de Vega

In the port of the picturesque fishing village of Cudillero.

Hello everyone,

I have been very erratic about my blog posts recently and for the last two weeks I have not written on a Sunday as I usually do. That’s because of my travels, first to Sweden and Finland and now nearer home to the north of Spain to Asturias. Well I’m back now from Asturias and from the Balearic Islands too (a separate blog post will be coming on that later) and this is my first day at home for quite a while. It is Good Friday, one of the quietest days of the year in Spain where “Semana Santa” or Easter is still taken very seriously with its famous religious processions. I’m afraid they have been much affected by the torrential rain which has hit the peninsula as it so often does at Easter.

A map of Asturias  

Asturias is often called Asturias Patria Querida (beloved Asturias) from the kingdom’s well known anthem which apparently comes from its mining origins and I have come back absolutely enamoured with the region. The slogan for attracting tourists to this region in central northern Spain is “paraíso natural” which means a natural paradise and I couldn’t agree more heartily.

Beautiful Asturian countryside as seem from Somao

Asturias has certainly got its act together and for me is one of the most beautiful areas of Spain to visit. There is hardly any visual contamination with hated billboards, the towns are clean and pretty with few exceptions, the countryside is breathtaking with its natural beaches, stunning cliffs and views and capes, green fields, characteristic “hórreos” or graneries and pretty houses.

This is a typical Asturian "hórreo" or granery as seen in Somao

The houses I like best are the “Indiana” ones, built in the colonial style of the beginning of the last century. The “indianos” were Spaniards who emigrated to Latin America, mostly Cuba and came back rich. With their riches they built these beautiful houses many of which have been turned into small country hotels. We would buy one to retire there but however much I love the area, this is just not possible as Asturias is the wettest area in Spain. We were however very lucky as for the four days we were there we had glorious sunshine throughout.

One of the many "indiana" colonial houses in the small inland village of Somao

The gastronomy on offer is out of this world too. If you haven’t tried their famous “fabada”, seafood, steak or the characteristic cider that is poured from over the head, then I suggest you don’t leave it as many years as I before you visit Asturias. Also beware the portions are enormous. Often when we saw the first course it was so big we would end up cancelling the second. It is very normal in Asturias for a huge pot to be put on the table for the guests to serve themselves.

Fabada is Asturias' most typical dish and I love it. We had this at Eutimio in Lastres

Pouring cider at Casa Lim in Avilés

Our trip to Asturias was our Easter holiday which we always take a few days before to avoid the crowds. We chose Asturias for two reasons; one I didn’t know it very well and Eladio hadn’t been for many years and also because we wanted to use up our Parador hotel points and make use too of a free night with an NH hotel. Thus we planned our trip to stay one night in the Parador in Gijón, the second night in Avilés and the last two nights at a place that my friend and TV news presenter, Ramón, had highly recommended, La Casona de la Paca in the picturesque fishing village of Cudillero. I had wanted to visit Cudillero ever since some friends commented on pictures of mine of Robin Hood’s Bay on Facebook saying that it reminded them of Cudillero. They were right as it turned out.

The clustered houses around the port in Cudillero, very much like Robin Hood's Bay

We left on Thursday 14th April and drove via León where Eladio’s family are from. True to custom we stopped for lunch at the Parador in Benavente. In the mid afternoon we checked into the best room the Parador in Gijón had to offer with views of the lovely Isabel La Católica park which is just a few minute’s walk from the sea front. As soon as we had unpacked and taken possession of our lovely room we set off to explore the area.

Our room at the Parador in Gijón, the best the hotel had to offer, thanks to an upgrade

We walked through  the lovely Isabel la Católica park and were impressed to see so many ducks, peacocks, geese and swans, both black and white. We tried to take photos of the peacocks which amazingly for me had their feathers on display, something I have never seen but they made it difficult for us as if they knew we wanted to take a photo of their magnificent feathers.

Eladio in the enchanting Isabel la Católica Park in Gijón. 

From the park we walked towards the seafront. There are two other major towns in Spain, San Sebastian and Santander which are on the sea with superb beaches and Gijón is a rival to them both. However Gijón is not quite as beautiful probably because the houses in front of the sea are not as well kept or as pretty. Even so we loved the Playa de San Lorenzo.

By the Playa de Lorenzo in Gijon

We explored the Cerro de Santa Catalina (fortress) with its amazing views out to sea and then walked down towards the port which was vibrant with life and people enjoying a walk or a drink by the sea. From there we walked to the Plaza Mayor (every town in Spain has one and it means “main or major square”). Enticed by a sign in a small restaurant offering octopus, we went in to dinner. The sign said “hay pulpín con patatines” (there is small octopus with potatoes). The Asturians add “in” at the end of many words which is a diminutive and is rather charming. However I did not like the pulpín con patatines and the restaurant turned out not to be a very good choice. It was our only bad choice throughout our stay so it didn’t really matter in the end.

Octopus and potatoes served here.  I love the "in" at the end of the words, so typical in Asturias

The next day after a scrumptious Parador breakfast (they really are the best) we set off east of our route before heading to Avilés in the west later on in the day. Thanks to Miguel at reception, the same man who had given us the best room in the hotel, we left the Parador map in hand with a great schedule ahead for our first day.

Eladio enjoying breakfast at the Parador in Gijón.

I was desperate to visit the cliffs from the Spanish TVE series called La Señora. They are where Victoria, the rich daughter of a mine owner would meet her forbidden love, Angel, the village priest and the backdrop of these cliffs is paramount to the series. They are called Castro Arenes and are a kilometre or so away from the small village of Cuerres to the right of Ribadasella in my map above in the eastern part of Asturias. When we found the cliffs I was ecstatic. We had them almost to ourselves and were able to explore and photograph them to our hearts content. I loved them and will carry their image forever in my heart.

Eladio and I on the Castro Arenes cliffs near Cuerres  made famous by the TV Series La Señora which we so love

From Cuerres we drove west towards Lastres, recommended to us by Miguel. Lastres is a pretty fishing village made famous in Spain through another TV series called Doctor Mateo which I have never watched but will be doing from now on.

Eladio in the port of Lastres, another pretty little fishing village we visited in Asturias

We parked by the port and took photos of the houses clustered around it and then made our way up to the centre of the village where we spied Eutimio, a restaurant recommended to us by Miguel. Here we tasted the typical Asturian bean stew called Fabada which is posted at the beginning of this entry. Eutimio and Lastres were a great find during our visit to Asturias.

The Eutimio restaurant in Lastres, a great little find

Our next port of call was to Luanco via the pretty village of Ribadasella and Candas where Andrés and Pili have often been on holiday. Luanco, a small sea side town is where Eladio used to go as a priest in the summer to fill in for his friend the village priest, Luis, when he went on holiday. The church is very beautiful with stunning views of the sea. Here we enjoyed a coffee and a cup of tea whilst contemplating this peaceful sleepy but very pretty little town.

Luanco

From Luanco we drove to our next destination which was Cabo Peñas (Cape Peñas), the most northerly point in Asturias. It was windy and the air was cold but the views were stunning. I just love capes and cliffs and this cape was well worth visiting.

Me at Cabo Peñas (Cape Peñas) the most northerly point in Asturias

From Cabo Peñas we drove to Avilés where we were going to be staying the night at the very promising sounding hotel NH Palacio de Ferrera. Avilés, also on the sea and to the west of Cabo Peñas is an industrial town in Asturias and not very famous for its beauty. However it surprised me pleasantly. We were staying in the centre of the town, in the Plaza Mayor and I must say the historic centre of Avilés is really very beautiful. The hotel was fine as hotels go but I was disappointed when I went in because the outside is a wonderful old palace but the inside is nearly all modern and very characterless. We paid for an upgrade and got an enormous room but it was completely soulless.

We walked along timeless streets with lovely names like “la cámara”, “galiana”, “la fruta” and had a great if noisy dinner at Casa Lin, an old cider house, so typical in Asturias.

Calle La Cámara in Avilés, a pleasantly surprising old town

The next day we were up early and eager to get to our next destination, some 20km away to Cudillero, the picturesque fishing village I mentioned earlier. Here we were bowled over by our hotel, the charming “Indiana” style house called “La Casona de la Paca”.

The splendid Casona de la Paca where we stayed in Cudillero.

It was much more our style, a rustic charming country house with exquisite decor, wooden floors, thick white linen on the beds, wonderful old furniture, and lots of light thanks to the glass in the walls on the ground floor and flowers, lovely flowers everywhere.

The ground floor at Casona de la Paca, elegant and lots of light coming from the glassed walls

The garden was equally delightful. La Casona de la Paca has just 19 rooms and I had booked ours on internet. It turned out that the two best rooms can only be booked direct so the owner, Montse, offered to change our room on our second night to try out the “special” room overlooking the front lawn. Both rooms turned out to be absolutely delightful.

The gardens at the Casona de la Paca hotel were very pleasing too

The hotel is not actually in Cudillero but in nearby El Pito and is a steep 15 minute walk down the hill before you reach the clustered houses of this curious little fishing village. We didn’t mind though as we are great walkers. As I walked down I wondered how we would ever get up again!

Eladio in Cudillero after our walk down through the clustered houses to the port

The houses are in need of repair if you look closely but from a distance they are very unique. Later I heard only the oldest inhabitants live in them.  Noone would want  to now explained Montse  as what would you do if you suddenly realised you had run out of bread?   Walk all the way down and up again?   I suppose she is right. We walked around the steep streets and came to the square by the port, the heart of Cudillero which is full of seafood restaurants. It was too early to eat so we walked to the port and all around it which was a good hour’s walk with wonderful views just everywhere. The picture illustrating this blog is of me by the port and in front of the village houses, a very typical picture to take in Cudillero.

Resting at the end of the very long pier in the port of Cudillero

Such a long and hearty walk deserved a good lunch and there was a host of places to choose from in the square by the port. It was difficult to decide but lured by a menu of “mariscada” (seafood platter) at 60 euros for two, we decided upon a pretty little place called Isabel. We couldn’t have made a better choice. It was funny to see later during our meal that Isabel was completely full whilst the two restaurants next to us were practically empty.

It's thumbs up for the Isabel restaurant in Cudillero where we had a great seafood platter (mariscada)

The walk back up through the village and to La Casona de la Paca did a great trick of working off some of the seafood platter but even so we decided on a well deserved siesta in our delightful little room afterwards.

Our first room at La Casona de la Paca in Cudillero

Our day did not end there though as there was more to see in the afternoon. Montse had recommended we visit the nearby Cabo Vidio, another cape which of course we were keen to visit. We loved Cabo Vidio with its stunning views

Eladio and I at Cabo Vidio (Cape Vidio) near Cudillero

Here Eladio uprooted some beautiful pink rock flowers we had seen growing everywhere and now they are planted in our garden. I do hope they survive. They are a wonderful souvenir of our memorable trip to Asturias Patria Querida.

The typial pink rock flowers we saw everywhere and which Eladio brought back for our garden

From the top of the cliff we spotted a windy path down to a small cove and decided to venture down. For the record it took about 20 minutes down and another 20 minutes to walk up again. It was well worth the effort as the beach called Playa de Peña Doria was small and charming and we had it to ourselves at sunset. We shall carry Playa de Peña Doria in our hearts now as well.

Eladio walking down from Cabo Vidio to the Playa de Peña Doria

Dinner that night was at the much recommended El Pescador restaurant some 500m from the hotel, ideal to walk back from after a copious meal. And copious it turned out to be too. The place is also a restaurant but the decor is just too over the top for me; too chintzy and precious. However the food is literally amazing. It was here we had to cancel our second courses as the first courses were just so enormous. For the record too we only managed half of a first course. I had a wonderful seafood salad and Eladio tried the “pote asturiano” (Asturian stew).

The seafood salad I had at El Pescador in Cudillero.  I could only eat half of it and had to cancel the second course!

Sunday, Palm Sunday, was our last day in Asturias and we meant to pack in as much as we could. After a magnificent breakfast at La Casona de la Paca, we drove to the nearby Playa de Aguilar, a natural beach a bit off the beaten track. We were there early enough to have it nearly to ourselves and to take in the wonderful air and views.

We loved the Playa de Aguilar near Cudillero and Navas de Muro

Our next stop was a small village inland called Somao recommended to me by my friend Ramón because of its famous “Indiana” houses. They were indeed splendid. We enjoyed our stop here taking in these marvellous houses and wondering why houses like these are no longer built, instead of the modern atrocities you see so often everywhere today.

The most spectacular "indiana" or colonial house in Somao

From Somao we drove back to the coast to a small fishing village called Puerto de Vega recommended to us by Montse. Puerto de Vega was the furthest west we went on this trip. It was very pretty but a bit sleepy. Here we took a walk around the port and ventured out to the very long pier from where we were to see the now familiar sights of waves hitting the characteristic rocks of this area.

At Puerto de Vega, the furthest west we went

Our main destination on our last day was to Luarca just a few kilometres away from Puerto de Vega.  Luarca is one of the most famous holiday spots in Asturias. All Spaniards know that the Nobel laureate for medicine in 1959, Severo Ochoa was born here.  I didn't but I do now. 

At the pretty seaside town of Luarca

It’s a very pretty town and was full of life on Palm Sunday as the locals went to have their aperitif in the port after church. We decided on an attractive place called El Mesón de la Mar and were not disappointed. Here we were to try our last fabada in Asturias. Of course, afterwards we went back to our hotel for a lovely siesta. Montse had moved our luggage into the “special” room and we were delighted. It was much bigger with a little lounge and a balcony all the way which overlooked the front of the house.

The special room we changed to at La Casona de la Paca

Our last expedition turned out to be the most lasting experience of our stay in Asturias. Montse had recommended we visit the Playa del Silencio (beach of silence) and see it at sunset when it is apparently at its best. We drove some 15km towards Castañeras and soon found this jewel of a place. We were overawed with its beauty, with the views from the cliff and with the lovely little beach itself. Again it took some 15 minutes or so to walk down and another 15 minutes to walk up again.

The Playa del Silencio (silence beach), probably what we will remember most

When we walked back up again to the top it still wasn’t sunset. We spied a path up the hills over the cliffs and decided to explore. That was when our adventure began. We walked up the steep path and down into a field. To carry on we had to cross a small river, an adventure in itself! From there we walked up another path which took us to the top of an unexpected cliff with a hidden beach below which we called “la playa de nadie” (noone’s beach) as it was inaccessible on foot. There was life there though as we found a herd of goats on the hillside above this little beach.

Only goats could get to the beach below, inaccessible by foot

We carried on up and up and I suddenly understood what makes mountaineers tick. I just had to see what was coming next and didn’t mind going up and up and faster and faster. I was hungry for more and more beautiful views. And I got them and they were spectacular and I felt on top of the world. Asturias is a true natural paradise.

One of the spectacular views on our adventurous walk near the Playa del Silencio

Sunset was coming and we had to get back on time to see it at the Playa de Silencio. So we hurried back and were just in time to capture the moment; another moment I am taking back with me from our trip to beloved Asturias.

Sunset at the Playa del Silencio. There are no words to describe it!

Fully satiated with the beauty of the Playa del Silencio and with our wonderful walk, we drove back to our hotel. On the way we stopped to wash the car and unfortunately left the sun roof slightly open. Luckily not much water leaked. That night, our last night in Asturias, we had our last great meal in dinner at the Arbichera restaurant across the road from our hotel in Cudillero. There is no mention of this place on internet but I can tell you the food is out of this world and the owners very friendly and helpful. I think I must have had the best piece of steak I have ever eaten!

We were supposed to enjoy our last night at La Casona de la Paca and our great new room. However misfortune was to strike. After we had packed and gone to bed I got up in the dark to go to the bathroom. The floor was tiled and I didn’t realise there was a step and thus fell flat on my face, hitting my head, my knee and my foot. It was so painful I cried and could hardly get up. Eladio was distraught and we didn’t really know what to do as we were so far from any hospital. I was cold and trembling and Eladio was worried. I then remembered that on the back of our health insurance card there was a special number to call and we did and we spoke to a very efficient doctor who asked all the right questions. I didn’t seem to have broken anything and hadn’t lost consciousness nor was I feeling sick. He thus prescribed an ibuprofen and said to be on the lookout for any unusual symptoms. Luckily it was nothing more than a nasty fall and although I hurt all over I was able to sleep and the next morning felt quite ok if a bit sore.

The bathroom where I fell on our last night at La Casona de la Paca in Cudillero

We were up at the crack of dawn the next day as we had a long drive back to Madrid but not only that we had a plane to catch to Ibiza and had to be at the airport at 16h. I’m glad to say we made it. We drove home in a bit of a rush but were back at about 13h, on time to change the contents of our suitcases and to have a lunch with our lovely family. For once we were all together, but not for long as just a few hours later we were off again. But that story will be told in the next chapter of this blog.

I hope at least to have shared with you some of the highlights of this great trip. Asturias has made a mark on me and I know we will be going back. You can see the whole set of photos of our stay here on Facebook.

And that folks is the end of my blog post on our trip to Asturias. The next one coming up will be all about our next trip to Ibiza and to Formentera, known as the Islands of Pitiusa.

Cheers for now

Masha



A trip to the north of Europe, to Stockholm, Helsinki and Salo and home again

It's still winter in Finland as you can see here.

Hello everyone.

I’m late with my blog, sorry my friends but that’s because I’ve been away. I have lots to tell you. I hope your week was good, mine was great but the ending wasn’t too good. More about that later.

But let me start from where I left off last to record the whole picture. It was Sunday 3rd April and very wet. We went for our usual walk but had to shelter from the rain as you can see in this picture of me in a raincoat and umbrella. Norah was also wearing her raincoat. 

It was a very wet walk with Norah last Sunday

Later that evening we went out to dinner with Roberto and Mari Carmen and we were joined by Juanjo, Eladio’s old boss, and his wife Justi whom we hadn’t seen for at least 4 years. We went to a place called Rias Galegas where the food was divine.

Monday was an extra pure protein day (thanks Dr. Dukan) to work off the excesses of the weekend but also to lose that extra kilo or so before I went off to Stockholm on Wednesday. My teeth were giving me trouble (an infection under a very big bridge) so I went to see my dentist who prescribed even stronger antibiotics to avoid any complications whilst I was away and to tide me over until my appointment yesterday. Thankfully they did.

Tuesday I went into Yoigo for the weekly management team meeting but also for an interview by Bloomberg News with our CEO. The journalist seemed pretty junior but his article was on the ball although it had a rather aggressive headline as you can see here. The article caused some buzz in Stockholm.

And Wednesday was the big day, the start of my trip to the North of Europe and an end to my “itchy feet”. Eladio was going away too, but nearer, to his native Montrondo together with his brother José Antonio and nephew Miguel. Miguel now lives there semi permanently and has even bought some chickens.

José Antonio with Miguel's chickens in Montrondo last week

So on Wednesday I was up at the crack of dawn to take the only direct flight to Stockholm that leaves at 10 in the morning. I was at Arlanda airport just after 2 and dragged my oversized bag (big for all the shopping I was going to do) to take a taxi which would take me to my hotel. It was sunny in Stockholm although fresh with about 8º when I arrived and it remained so until it was time to leave. Meanwhile in Madrid it was in the mid 20ºs; what a difference but then it is the other side of Europe.  The other difference which I was to notice in Finland even more is that spring has not arrived in this part of the world whilist in Madrid nature is in full bloom and green is the dominant colour in the sun.

This time I was trying a different hotel and got the tip from Lars. The Skeppsholmen Hotel turned out to be great. The island and Stockholm is made up of many, is one of the smaller ones and is delightfully in the heart of the city but away from it all. It’s a 5 minute walk from the Grand Hotel. I made sure I got a room with a sea view and highly recommend room 132. The rooms are very “designer” and Scandinavian with lots of wood and glass and white bed clothing making everything look clean and sparse but elegant at the same time.

The island of Skeppsholmen where my hotel was.  It's the small island in the centre of the photo

The Skeppsholmen hotel where I stayed in Stockholm on the island of the same name.

I was struck by the basin in the bathroom. I have never seen anything quite so modern. Just take a look here.

I thought this basin in my hotel bathroom was ultra modern.

I spent the afternoon working from my room until it was time to leave to meet my colleagues at the TeliaSonera head office in Stureplan from where we would walk to our dinner location, the Italian Cain restaurant. Dinner was at 7 pm, early for me of course but then when in Rome you have to do as the Romans right?

The next day our meeting started at 08.30 (early for me again). The team of communications managers from the Baltics, Nordics and Spain were to spend the day on the 7th floor of TeliaSonera mostly sharing best practices. It’s great to be able to exchange experiences and information with colleagues who have similar jobs in the group. We were just 11 people. The room we were in felt more like a lounge than a conference room. I remarked it looked like an Ikea showroom and it did. However that was a faux pas as the Swedes, unlike us, consider their flagship company Ikea rather down market!

The room or rather lounge we used for our communications meeting in Stockholm

The meeting finished at 5pm (early for me hahaha) and most people left for their respective countries. I decided to go back to my hotel and explore my island for some much needed exercise and also to get some pictures because it is truly beautiful. A storm was coming and I was nearly blown off my feet but even so got some great photos and enjoyed my surroundings. Afterwards I had dinner on my own. I have never liked dinner on my own but in the end was accompanied by Susana on whatsapp. The dining room was lovely with views of the Baltic Sea and my meal was perfect: my favourite prawn open sandwich washed down with 2 glasses of wine and followed by my favourite dessert; ice cream and meringue. I felt definitely woozy and was waiting for the headache afterwards but it never came.

The Vasa museum as seen from Skeppsholmen Island

You can see all the photos of my time in Stockholm here.

On Friday I was up early to get ready to go to Finland. Back in Madrid Suzy was getting ready to go to our apartment by the beach at Gran Alacant near Santa Pola with her two school friends, Rocío and Estafanía. They had a great time and worked on the beginnings of their summer tan. Here is a photo of Suzy on the beach. I like it. Don’t you?

Susana was enjoying the Mediterranean sun in Santa Pola whilst I was away

The temperatures I was going to were much lower. In Helsinki when I arrived it was about 2ºc but it was sunny. I could see that the Finns were still enduring their long winter. They talked about spring coming but I didn’t see much sign of it as there were no leaves on the trees yet and much snow on the ground. For them the first sign of spring is when the ice begins to melt in the rivers and lakes. This was big news this weekend. Apparently it can cause flooding and when the ice blocks the rivers, sometimes they have to break it with dynamite. People go out to the rivers, the sea and the lakes (and Finland has probably the most lakes in any country in Europe) to watch the phenomenon.

From Helsinki’s familiar Vantaa airport I made my way by taxi to the Central train station in the city centre where my dear friend and host for the weekend, Anne would be waiting for me. For me this girly weekend was going to be a big deal. I was returning to my beloved Helsinki after quite a few years away. When I worked with Nokia I used to go at least 5 or 6 times a year and grew to love it; the way of life, the people and of course nature. Finland is all about lakes, forests, rivers, snow in the long winter and then the midnight sun in the summer and I love it.

After leaving my extra size bag in a locker off we went for a bite to eat at Strindberg, a traditional Helsinki café on the famous Esplanadi. After that we hit the shops but didn’t make it to Stockman as it was their so called “crazy days” and there were too many people. Our next appointment was dinner at 6 pm (5pm for me as Finland is one hour ahead of Spain) at the legendary Russian restaurant Saslik where we were to be joined by Marianne. On our walk there we stopped for some photos of the frozen harbour of Helsinki which was quite spectacular for someone living the other side of Europe.

By the still frozen sea in Helsinki with Anne

I chose Saslik because of my Russian roots but felt a bit of a traitor taking two Finnish girls there but I think they didn’t mind. I ordered familiar dishes from the menu which my Mother often served such as borsch (beetroot soup) and perushki (pies) followed by blini, the latter being slightly less authentic. We had a memorable evening and talked a lot about the good old days at Nokia. The best thing about that company comes from its tagline, “connecting people”. It really did that and I remember my time with that company with nostalgia. The Russian in me reared its head and I could not resist drinking a shot of vodka to accompany the meal. Again I waited for a headache which never came.

Dinner with Anne and Marianne at the Russian restaurant Saslik in Helsinki was a highlight of my trip

All good things always come to an end and so my day in Helsinki also ended. Anne and I were to catch the 10pm bus to Salo her hometown some 1.5h away south of Helsinki and which is actually in Western Finland. Salo is a small and quiet but busy town of some 30.000 or more inhabitants. Not surprisingly Nokia, because of its factory here, is the biggest employer in town. I had been there many a time with Spanish journalists but even so it came as a surprise to walk past the actual factory when going on our walk the next day. All of Anne’s family has worked there and of course she has too and that is how we met, when she was the marketing manager in Spain and I was the communications manager. See how the Nokia tagline is so true.

Anne outside the Nokia factory in Salo, the town's biggest employer

I woke up in Anne’s delightful yellow painted wooden cottage, so typical of Finland, full of energy and looking forward to the day.

Anne outside her typical wooden house in Salo.  I love it.

After a very bracing walk through the Joensuun Kartano estate past birch trees and frozen lakes and the frozen Halikko river and some quite deep snow, we hit the shops again, big time this time. I was on the lookout for spring clothes in the typical Nordic style.

The frozen river Halikko in Salo was beginning to melt when I was there, a sure sign of Spring.

I found quite a few things but where I spent most was at KappaAhl. Shopping for clothes is a pleasure for me now that I have lost weight but it is also a therapy. And if you don’t believe me read this very suitable piece of news for me from the BBC which claims that shopping may improve health. In the article a leading expert said the findings made sense since shopping involves physical activity, social interaction and keeping mentally active. That made me feel good I must say.

Shopping also makes you hungry of course so Anne took me to her local café, the Salo Café, a sort of jazz bar which felt completely like home. Their iced homemade carrot cake is legendary and I certainly agree. Here we met a local hero or rather heroine, Virginie de la Carne, a Belgian girl and the star player of the local volleyball team LP Viesti which has won the Finnish championship three times in a row now.

I was to see her again and thanks to the team was to claim my own bit of fame that weekend in Salo as I actually hit the news for a very funny reason. We were at the Plaza shopping centre and the team were on stage being given some award. Anne wanted to watch although I wasn’t particularly interested although I took a photo or two for the record. Just as I had done so a funny looking journalist started talking to us and wanted to take a picture of me taking a picture of the team. I didn’t really know why but complied and then she asked me for my address and I gave her my card. Lo and behold on Sunday morning the next day Anne was reading the local paper, the Salon Seudun Sanomat and there was my photo in relation to the team event. She had written something about the Finnish containing themselves with their sports heroes and that in Spain we would have been cheering and making a lot more noise. She is probably quite right. I must say it was quite something to appear in the local newspaper on my first day in Salo!

I even got to be in the local newspaper when I was in Salo!

After shopping till we dropped we had one more stop before heading back to the cottage. I was to visit Prisma, Finland’s biggest supermarket chain and see what the Finns put in their trolleys at the weekend. I also took the opportunity to buy some dark bread, lingonberry jam and Fazer chocolates to take home.

At Prisma in Salo, Finland's main supermarket chain

Once home Anne put the fire on for a sauna for me, something I was really looking forward to. A sauna is a very Finnish experience and is often described as even soulful. For me it was relaxing and I love the feel of the extreme heat on my body for half an hour or so after which I am in need of a cool shower. Our day did not end here as Anne had booked us a table at Salo’s very finest restaurant, the Ravintola Salon Seurahuone which is housed in yet another traditional wooden building that I love.

Anne outside Salo's finest restaurant, Salon Seudin Seurahuone

I indulged in blini again but suspect it was made with kasha (buckwheat), not how my Mother used to make it. The rest of the food was great though as were the surroundings as the whole place felt like a private dining room. It used to be the public hall for important events and has maintained an aura from the past.

That night I expected a headache again but it never came. After the dinner Anne introduced me to her latest favourite television series and Anne is a serious tv and film watcher. Her top floor is dedicated to watching the tv in the most comfortable manner possible with huge wide and luxurious sofas and piles of blankets if you need them. So I saw an episode of the British made Midsummer Murders, a bit in the style of Agatha Christy, which I really enjoyed. Anne of course has all the series on dvd, as she does of all her favourite series. I remember being introduced too by her to “Cold Feet”, another British TV series which went immediately to the top of my list after Fawlty Towers and Upstairs Downstairs.

Sunday was the last full day of my trip and I knew it was going to be good. There is nothing like a girly weekend with a close friend who has the same tastes in nearly everything and a similar sense of humour. Anne knew I wanted to visit a forest so she took me to the Teijo natural park some 20km away and on a very scenic Finnish road with more wooden houses, trees, lakes, rivers and snow.

Teijo or Meri-Teijo is probably Salo’s most important tourist spot and Anne knows all about that as she works in the marketing department of the local town hall. I was bowled over by the beauty of the place, with a huge frozen lake and thick pine trees and even thicker snow underneath. Our walk towards the other side of the lake was a bit like an obstacle course as there was much ice on the ground caused by the thawing of the snow and many a time I nearly fell. Anne had prepared a picnic to have by the frozen water and boy were the views out of this world. It was like being in a winter paradise; no outdoor advertising, no huge crowds, no litter, just pure and beautiful nature. I spent the whole time with my camera in my frozen hand and couldn’t stop snapping as if I wanted to capture everything my eyes saw so as never to forget. It was sunny but really cold and thankfully Anne had kitted me out in proper Finnish warm clothing because I had not brought anything suitable.

The beautiful frozen lake at the Teijo natural park near Salo

From Teijo Anne showed me the local Teijo Manor and a lovely old church, the only private church in Finland.  From here she took me to see another church, Salo's Uskela, a gem of a place.  Although it was Sunday it was closed.  The Finns are not very religious as only some five percent practice their mainly Lutheran religion.  From the church there was a great viewing point of the town of Salo which you can see in this picture here.

Salo's skyline as seen from the Uskela church

The afternoon was spent lounging on Anne’s TV sofas and partly watching Lorenzo’s Oil. Later in the afternoon we went to see Anne’s dogs Viltti (meaning blanket in Finnish ) and Mimi who were at her breeder’s Hanna Kaisa. Viltti had given birth the night before to 5 tiny puppies. I am not sure of the breed of Anne’s dogs but know they were the type the Italian royalty used to breed. Hanna Kaisa’s place in a forest outside Salo deserves a mention. This woman lives and breathes animals or rather dogs and cats. Many of them, including the cats which never go out, roam her tiny little house freely. The walls inside are covered in all the trophies the breeder has won at dog and cat shows. Vilta and Mimi will soon be on show too if they haven’t already.

Anne with Viltti her dog which had just given birth to 5 puppies.

I like animals but actually felt a little overwhelmed by the amount of dogs and cats in such a small space which was clean but of course had a strong “doggy” smell. It was great later on that evening to be able to wash it off in another hot sauna.

The rest of the evening was spent having a wonderful cold dinner of yet another prawn mayonnaise and tuna sandwiches after which we watched another Midsummer Murder episode before going to bed.

And suddenly it was Monday morning and Anne had to go to work and we had to say goodbye. I know I will see her again soon as Anne is addicted to Spain, her other country as she calls it. The weekend had been great but now I had to pack all my purchases into my oversized bag and be ready for the taxi which would come at 10 to take me to the Salo bus station. At the bus station I felt very tempted to take the bus next to mine which was going to not too far away St. Petersburg. That will have to remain for another time. I already have plans for coming back next summer with Eladio, staying with Anne, renting a cottage in some remote part of Finland and then travelling to Russia. I hope we will do it because I want to come back soon to my beloved Finland.

The bus to St. Petersburg from Salo, the bus I will take one day.

The journey back was long and tiring as I had to fly via Stockholm rather than direct. I had a good 2 hours at Helsinki airport where I bought more bread and smoked salmon plus a little outfit from Finland’s most lauded designer, Marimekko. It was a black and white striped top with a matching scarf. I did not find it funny when Eladio said it looked like prison clothing, hahaha. At Stockholm airport I had my last open prawn sandwich of the trip and decided there and then to buy a couple to bring home for dinner. Later they were much appreciated by Eladio and Olivia.

The open prawn sandwiches I love so much as seen and bought at Stockholm airport on the way back

The trip was great but the journey home ended with a bang. I was waiting for my luggage which I suspected may well have been left behind as often happens when you change airports. And I was right. I had to go to baggage enquiries and the next day I must have rung 4 times before finally hearing it had arrived in Madrid. I went for it last night not wanting to wait for Iberia to deliver it as they may have taken days and I needed my things as tomorrow we are travelling again.

It was lovely to be home but yesterday, Tuesday, I had my dreaded visit to the dentist to remove the bridge in my mouth and have root treatment. The whole thing took over two hours. Thankfully I was able to walk out of the dentist with a provisional bridge as I was dreading opening my mouth and showing the big gap.

Home again but not for long. Tomorrow we are going to Asturias until Monday, but of course you will hear all about that in next week’s blog.

Cheers till then/Masha

PS You can see a bigger selection of the photos of my trip to Finland here.

A royal visit to Spain, well done India, shopping, cake making, sharing clothes with my daughters, Gretel’s story, Paula came for lunch and many other tales.

Making cakes with Suzy on Friday

Hello again, my friends.

I hope you had a great week. Mine hasn’t been bad at all, nothing to complain about but still not enough action for me. That will be soon remedied as this week I will be starting on the first of my up and coming trips, to Stockholm for work on Wednesday and to my adored Helsinki on Friday for a great girly weekend. I can’t wait. But meanwhile let me tell you the stories for this week and there have been many and they are varied.

The beginning of the week was quiet and pretty uneventful. I went into the office on Monday for an interview with a magazine called Capital and on Tuesday for what turned out to be a cancelled management team meeting. I also went in on later during the week for a surprise meeting with the Board. Of note I was the only woman present.

Of importance on Tuesday, in Spain at least, was the story of the Madrid Zoo’s miraculous baby twin pandas which were to be let out into the open air for the first time. The Queen of Spain was there for the occasion and here I really envied her role as I would also have loved to have the two delightful cubs on my lap as she has in this picture.

 

The Queen of Spain with the twin panda cubs at Madrid's Zoo which were let outside for the first time this week

And royalty is the next subject of this post because on Wednesday crown prince Felipe and his ex journalist wife Princess Leticia were to host the visit of the Prince Charles and Camilla to Spain. I have to admit that of all the news on the television that night, including the conflict in Libya and the aftermath of the Japan earthquake, this was the piece of news I was most interested in. I suppose it’s because I am afflicted with a mild dosage of fascination with the royal family as most British people are to a smaller or greater degree because we are brought up on it and all its marvellous pageantry. I haven’t followed their visit very closely but I did read that they declined to eat the wonderful Spanish “jamón” at the equally wonderful San Miguel market when on a “walkabout” on their first day in Madrid. Some curious bystanders were asked what they thought and one lady uttered what probably many of us think, that she far preferred the previous wife.  I certainly did and I wept buckets when the beautiful and unhappy  Lady Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997.   The British Embassy who organised the visit informed that around one million British nationals live in Spain all or part of the year. Now that’s a statistic that surprised me although I know Spain is popular with many of my countrymen.

A royal visit to Spain.  Prince Charles and Camilla were hosted by Prince Felipe and Letizia.

If I lived in England I would be following more closely the warm up to the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana's son, Prince William,and his commoner fiancée Kate Middleton. I hear they are trying to call her Katherine for her future role in the British monarchy but that the public prefer plain “Kate”. When I am in England in the Summer I shall be looking out for a commemorative mug of their wedding to add to my collection of Royal mugs which my Grandmother started and my Mother and I continued. The oldest one I have is of George V.  I shall certainly be watching the wedding next month too as I did that of Prince William's parents in 1981.

 

My royal mug collection will soon be joined by a mug commemorating the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton

Wednesday was not particularly important for me but wow was it important for India. Why you non Indian nationals may well ask? Well India beat Pakistan in the semi final of the Cricket World Cup with all the political nuances blended into the game and the victory of course. They talked about “cricket diplomacy” during the match for example. Now for most of us cricket isn’t important and we don’t understand it unless we were brought up to play and love it like most nationals of the commonwealth countries. So, sure football is more popular in the world but did you know that 1000 million people watched that match on TV on Wednesday? India went on to win the final yesterday in Mumbai (I will always say Bombay) against Sri Lanka and must be feeling as ecstatic as Spain when they (or should I say we?) won the Football World Cup last summer. The Indians are known as a “cricket mad nation” and this was their second world cup victory since 1983 and on home ground this time to add to the excitement. All that remains to say is well done India. Enjoy your glory which I am sure you well deserve, although I haven’t watched the matches nor do I understand the game, despite having being brought up in England and more recently having watched that superb Indian Bollywood film about cricket called Lagaan. Of course I am thinking of our Indian friends, Sandeep and Sumit who gave me the film and who will be as pleased as punch, especially Sumit who was an amateur player and now lives in Mumbai. Well done boys, I am glad for you too. Below is a picture of the winning team. What surprises me is to see the members in blue. In my time, at least, cricket was a sport played only in white but times must have changed.

The team that brought glory to India by winning the Cricket World Cup this week

Friday was probably my highlight of the week; a day accompanied by glorious sunshine and warm temperature. Funnily enough it was April Fools’ day which is not celebrated in Spain, or rather they have a similar day but on a different date (28th December). It was also a wonderful day to go shopping and here I have to admit it wasn’t the only day I went shopping this week because nowadays I seem to be doing it always to the terrible detriment of the limit on my credit card I’m afraid. Since I’ve lost weight and kept the loss up on the Dukan Diet my greatest pleasure is buying clothes. One of the consequences too is that I can now share clothes with my daughters. The other day I lent Oli a “posh” red dress she needed for an occasion. Later she told me a friend had complimented her on the dress (have to admit she looked spectacular) and that she said it was her Mother’s to which her friend replied how lucky she was to be able to share clothes with her Mother. That was nice to hear. Suzy and I have been sharing a particular black and white striped dress I got at Oysho this week which she is wearing in this picture. No doubt Oli will be wearing it too next week.

Suzy wearing the dress I bought at Oysho this week.  I can now share clothes with my daughters.

Actually the shopping on Friday wasn’t all about clothes. It was about food, another topic of enormous fascination in my life and world as you all know. I took Suzy to the English shop and then to the American store, Taste of America, both in nearby Pozuelo.

Taste of America in Pozuelo where Suzy and I bought some cake making items on Friday

Suzy’s great area of interest these days is cake making, so she had a field day in both shops, stocking up with all sorts of baking tools and icing instruments. Of course she had to try everything out as soon as we got home with the excuse that it was her friend Estafanía’s birthday “bottle party” that evening but also that Paula was coming the next day. So an enormous cake baking exercise ensued in between Susana’s sunbathing in the glorious sunshine. Illustrating this week’s blog is a moment of the two of us enjoying cake baking. Below is just some of our output which is and was delicious.

Some of the cakes we made

Although I wrote above that Friday was my highlight of the week, I wasn’t really referring to the afternoon as at 17h that day Suzy and I had an appointment with the dreaded gynaecologist for a routine check up at the Quirón Hospital in Pozuelo. It ended up being a pretty painful experience as I finally had the coil removed because at this age sadly I no longer need it. I have mixed feelings about this stage of life and maybe shouldn’t be writing about such an intimate subject, but in the end, of course accept it. There is a very stupid saying in Spanish which says “la arruga es bella” - wrinkles are beautiful - and of course they aren’t but we have to accept them unless we want to undergo surgery; something I will never ever do to look younger or more beautiful. In any case right now at 54, with all my wrinkles and everything else that goes with late middle age, I do actually feel beautiful. It’s mostly because of weight less and new clothes. I seem to get a lot of compliments for both and they are a wonderful compensation for all the effort put into losing and maintaining my weight.

So yes I’m always buying new clothes. But I also love to shop online for books and pc and mobile phone accessories and there on Friday when Suzy and I returned from our food and clothing spree, was a package waiting for me from Amazon.co.uk. Inside was the much awaited pink leather case for my Samsung Galaxy S phone.

The new pink leather case for my Samsung Galaxy S phone which arrived from Amazon.co.uk on Friday

In the same package was my new book. It’s called “A different sort of courage, Gretel’s story” which I can’t wait to start this afternoon after publishing this blog post. It will come as no surprise to you that this is yet another Second World War story, another subject of fascination for me and inherited from my Father. This time though the story is not of Jewish survival of the holocaust but of a young German resistance fighter, a subject that interests me enormously as I have often wondered how the normal German population lived the horrors of possibly the worst dictator in world history. No doubt Gretel’s story will be my book of next week and I look forward to stolen moments probably flying to Stockholm and to Helsinki for a chance to read it.

Gretel's Story, another Second World War biography for me which I ordered on Amazon.co.uk

 

Friday came to an end with a superb meal with Eladio at La Vaca Argentina, one of our favourite local restaurants. Yesterday, Saturday, was full of action. Eladio, spurred on by the good weather, got out his painting gear and started on the somewhat rusty railings by the swimming pool. Here he is clad in old clothes with the paint brush in his hand.

Eladio painting some of the garden railings this weekend, in readiness for summer

Whilst Eladio was painting the railings, a decisive moment in Spanish politics was taking place. The Spanish premiere, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero who is from León, just as my husband is, was announcing to his fellow party members of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) that he would not be a candidate for the 2012 general elections. There has been much talk about whether he would run for a possible third term and now we know he won’t. This news opens up huge debate as to who will be his successor. The two names most branded are Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, the current “Home Secretary” and Carmen Chacón, the current (lady) Minister of Defence. I would of course love to see a woman prime minister in Spain. Which woman wouldn’t?

Spain's premiere, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero announced on Saturday that he won't be running for a third term of office.

Whilst Olivia and I were watching the announcement on the PC in the kitchen, our eyes were drawn to a good piece of sports news on the screen. Rafa Nadal had beaten Roger Federer in the Miami Masters semi finals. He fact he crushed him with a score of 6-3 6-2. Today Rafa plays Djocovic in the final and to quote my Father, this will be no “pushover”.

Spain's number one player, Rafa Nadal, beat Roger Federer in the Miami Masters semi final on Saturday

On Saturday too we were to receive the visit of our niece Paula for lunch. Paula is Eladio’s sister Pili’s daughter who was particularly interested in this visit as our niece was coming with her new boyfriend, Pedro, from Málaga whom Pili has yet to meet. In fact we were to be the first members of the family to have that privilege. Paula is finishing her studies in audiovisual communication at Salamanca University and Pedro is a recent graduate in journalism who has just started working at a PR agency in Madrid. I went to pick up the lovely young couple from the nearest metro station to join us for lunch. Olga had made a great lasagne and of course there was the cake Suzy had made and I had decorated. Here is a moment of us all at the table on Saturday, except for Suzy who arrived a bit late after going to watch Gaby race as a co-pilot in a car rally. It was great to have them and we look forward to seeing them again soon, who knows, when the weather is better and we can use the pool with the gleaming white railings which Eladio is lovingly preparing for the summer.

Paula and her beau Pedro came for lunch on Saturday.

And that my friends, was my week. I hope you had a good one too. More from me next week.

Cheers till then

Masha