To Stockholm and back, off to Montrondo, Eladio’s birthday and other stories.

In Stockholm last week

Hi everyone,

I’m a bit late with my blog post this week but if you read last week’s entry you will forgive me because you will know I have been travelling yet again.  

Today is Tuesday and finally I am at home and here to stay for a while.  So let me tell you about last week.  I left off on Monday 16^thSeptember when I wrote my blog on the plane on my way to Stockholm.

I arrived in the early evening and went straight to my hotel, the Stureplan, right next door to the company HQ.  I was disappointed with my room as it had a tiny window in the roof which could not be opened.  I knew I couldn’t sleep there as I would have felt totally claustrophobic, so after some haranguing with the desk staff, I was finally given a junior suite, for a small extra charge.  It turned out to be lovely with its own balcony, the only negative point being that it was miles from the lift; but that’s always my luck.  It was too late to go out as it was already dark and uninviting because of the rain.  I decided thus to publish my blog, order room service and have an early night on quite a comfortable bed.  Unfortunately this time I hadn’t brought my feather pillow which wouldn’t fit in my cabin luggage and I had relied on the Swedish hotel having one which it didn’t. Thus I got three nights of fitful sleep and came back with a sore neck. On the plus side, I ordered my favourite Swedish food for dinner – an open prawn sandwich which is called “Räksmörgås” as I learned from my Swedish friend Gunilla and Mexican but Swedish bred friend Ilyana when I posted the picture below on Facebook.

Room service in Stockholm - my favourite Swedish food open prawn sandwich (“Räksmörgås")

Afterwards I watched the end of Mr. Selfridge on my PC.  I am now waiting anxiously for series 2 of the latter, series 4 of Downton Abbey and series 2 of The Paradise.  I have pre ordered the last two but I don’t think they will be available until November or December. My next series will be Broadchurch which was recommended to me by Amanda and owing to my faulting memory I had forgotten I had already bought it in a spate of Amazon purchases of British TV films and series.

Looking forward to watching Broadchurch

I was up early for our communications team meeting starting at 08.30 and was disappointed with the breakfast as there was nothing sweet on hand – if you know me I’m not one for savoury breakfasts.

 

Our meetings were to be held on the 7^th floor of the TeliaSonera HQ which is surrounded by an open air terrace with great views of the square in front with all the lovely spires on top of the buildings.

Stureplan in Stockholm

The day was good.  We had a day of training in “leadership communication skills” imparted by a wonderful Brit called Dominic who turned out to be from Bristol.  He was a professional trainer who comes from the communications world but what I liked about him most was his witty way of addressing us.  I learned all sorts of new tricks and tools, one I particularly liked is called “the elevator speech” – i.e. getting across your message in less than 45 seconds.  The company he represents is Synopsis Communications Consultingand their mission is apparently to turn strategy into action; not a bad thing.

In the evening our team leader Anna, invited us all to dinner.  When I say all, I mean my colleagues from the communications team she heads up and who are from the Nordic and Baltic countries.  The meal was just up the road at a great steak house called Vassa Eggen.  The food was out of this world but I paid for it later as I tossed and turned all night on a very full stomach.

Wednesday’s meetings were more hands on and about topics we are all in the throes of.  As usual we had an early lunch and this time we went offsite, but round the corner again and to the Scandic Anglais restaurant.  The meeting was over earlier than planned and I realised afterwards that if I had known I would have caught a flight home that afternoon.  So there I was with time on my hands on Wednesday afternoon in Stockholm.  For once it wasn’t raining and the sun had come out, although the temperature was only 14ºc.  So guess what I did?  Yeah you guessed right, I went shopping and had a whale of a time.  I wanted to go to Jackpot the Danish designer I liked but the boutique in Bibliotekasgatan had closed down.  A Swedish colleague warned me but said there was an outlet at Ahlens, a well known department store.  But first I thought I’d go to the Galerian shopping centre nearby to visit Lindex, Kappahl and Vero Moda.  I never got to the latter two because I saw and bought so many things at Lindex.  Lindex is a sort of Scandinavian Zara but as the pretty Hungarian Italian Swedish born shop assistant who charged me for the clothes said, is not as “snooty”.  I had never thought of Zara as snooty but maybe some people do.  I walked out of Lindex with a huge bag of emerald green jeans, various coloured jumpers and cardigans and a white blouse.  The lovely shop assistant thanked me for adding colour to her day.  I thought that was a nice compliment.  I took a photo of my bag outside the shop and immediately sent it to Olivia via whatsapp to tell her I had bought lovely clothes for her and me as it was my intention to share the clothes with her.

Shopping at Lindex

Since I came home I have found out that Lindex has an online store and you can order clothes from Spain and that the transport cost is just 7 euros.  That makes me happy as I love their clothes; the Scandinavian style and up till now I could only shop there on my trips to Sweden.

Conscious of the small capacity of my suitcase and the difficulty of packing my new clothes I skipped on Kappahl and Vero Moda and made my way to Ahlens to see what Jackpot had to offer.  Well they didn’t have anything that appealed to me. But I did spy a nice boutique called In Wear and here I invested in a fashionable bright red lightweight down jacket which everyone in Stockholm seemed to be wearing in different colours.  Of course I won’t be wearing it for a while as we are still experiencing summer weather here.

One of my acquisitions in my shopping spree in Stockholm

Ah I nearly forgot to tell you that the whole purpose of my shopping expedition was to buy a birthday present for Eladio.  And I did.  I bought him a yellow Gant shirt to add to his collection of this lovely Swedish menswear.

That evening I had another early night in and watched the only film I had on my pc, The King’s speech and which I adored in English as the first time round I saw it in Spanish.  Unsurprisingly I had the same prawn sandwich for my dinner that night.

On Thursday I was going home and had no idea what an ordeal the journey back would be.  There were no direct flights that day so the company had booked me a flight via London, arriving and leaving from Terminal 5.  I can tell you now that I will never do that again as it is chaos at T5.  The worst thing about returning via London is that you have to go through security again – and the queues are endless, as well as passport control.  Thus I had no time whatsoever for shopping at the airport, the only reason I agreed to travel back through London.  So there you have it, I left the hotel at 09.30 and didn’t get home till about 9 in the evening, 12 hours of travelling for a 3.50h direct flight time.

It was good to be home; but again it wasn’t for long.  Yeah we were going to hit the road again the next day, this time to Montrondo to spend the weekend with Eladio’s 5 brothers and sisters and their wives/partners and their Mother.  Luckily I had the morning to get organized and more importantly to go out and get cakes for Eladio’s birthday to be celebrated in Montrondo and at home the following Monday.  I also had to buy a present from my Father.  I had no idea what to get him so decided on something safe; more Gant clothing.  I got a lovely bottle green and white checked shirt and bottle green cardigan to go with it.

We left after lunch loaded down with food to share with the family; namely Fátima’s Moroccan chicken tagine and her wonderful rice, as well as lots of other food for dinner that night and our breakfasts.  We got there at around 19h and were greeted by the other first arrivals; José Antonio and Dolores.  Dolores and I immediately agreed on a brisk walk to Murias and back with Nuba their mongrel.  We wanted to go the old way across the fields and on the old path but hadn’t bargained for a group of horses or is it a herd? That would have been fine if they hadn’t been so interested in us and started trotting and then galloping towards us.  We weren’t sure whether it was threatening or not.  I love horses but am wary of their size and as I had no sugar or salt to offer them we opted for crossing the fence in the field where they couldn’t reach us.

The horses in Montrondo who chased after us

In the picture above they look very peaceful but later they worried us when they started coming after us.  I do think it was Nuba who put the cat among the pigeons here.  Thus on our way back we came along the path and away from the fields.

Just as we were walking back, Adela, the elder of Eladio’s two sisters, were arriving by car with her husband Primo and my Mother-in-law Ernestina who is in her early 90’s but looks a lot younger.

The next day Adela, Dolores and I went on an early morning walk to Murias and back again, as Adela and I would do on Sunday morning too.

Adela and I in Murias on our early morning walk.  I especially like the old fashioned blue shutters so typical in the area

Later that morning the rest of Eladio’s brothers and sisters arrived; Alejandro and his Paraguayan wife Carolina, Pili and her husband Andrés and Isidro and his wife Yoli.  It was to be a relaxing weekend with just the older generation and the finest weather we have ever experienced at that time of year in Montrondo.

Soon we were enjoying lunch around the big kitchen tables and celebrating Eladio’s birthday with his family.  I loved the sweet garland they had made for him.

Eladio celebrating his birthday in Montrondo.  Just look at the lovely candy garland his family made for him

Afterwards most of the family went off for a siesta.  The men would need it to produce the energy necessary to stack literally tons of logs from a field that belongs to them outside the village which would be brought by a tractor in various journeys to the old house to again be stacked neatly for the winter.  The photo below is of the wood arriving.

The first tractor load of wood to arrive

Meanwhile we women looked on, enjoying the afternoon sunshine and also listening to the radio.  You are probably wondering why we would be listening to the radio.  Well it was to follow a match: Pili and Andres’ son Mario’s was making his debut in the León Handball first team playing in León on Saturday against the Huesca team.  In the end they drew.

One of the main reasons for gathering together this weekend in Montrondo, apart from the business of transporting and stacking the wood logs for the winter,  was to make plans to reform the old house which we have inherited. But before we reform ours, Pili and Andrés will be rebuilding the old house next to it and which is now a ruin.  It was where Eladio was born so has a lot of sentimental value.  On Sunday morning their builders came to look around and finalise the initial steps that will be taken to start.  They had good references from Eladio’s brother Alejandro, so he took them around the old house we will be reforming too, to get a quote from them.  Both young builders gave us the right “vibes” and right now Eladio and I and, of course, Pili and Andrés are really excited about our projects.

The houses to be soon reformed in Montrondo

We left Montrondo on Sunday in the late afternoon and were home by about 10pm.  We were greeted by Fátima, our living in home help and my Father.  Of course we were greeted by our enthusiastic dogs too.  Poor Norah didn’t get a look in as Elsa overshadows her when it comes to greeting us on our arrival home.  We only saw Olivia to say goodnight as she was out with her old school friends; Paula, Sonia, Elena and co.  

Yesterday, Monday, was Eladio’s official birthday and it was celebrated in style as we like to do so at home.  It started off with a birthday breakfast with “porras” and “churros” (Spanish fritters) dipped in thick chocolate.

Oli and her Father Eladio yesterday at his birthday breakfast

We gave him his presents and card and read with interest what we had written. We also laughed at what Olivia had written – she apologized for being stubborn and tiresome when she was a child!  She couldn’t be with us for lunch when we lit the candles on his cake (chocolate of course and from the marvelous patisserie “Mallorca”).

Eladio was 69 yesterday and looking great.

But she joined us for dinner that night when we went out to La Vaca Argentina to celebrate.  The three of us had a great meal but were keenly aware that Suzy was missing.  All in all I think Eladio had a great 69^thbirthday.  I can hardly believe that next year he will be 70.  He looks so good for his age and I’m sure you all agree; it’s not just flattery on my part.

And today is Tuesday, the last day to be recorded in this week’s blogpost.  Today I am fasting (yes I stick to the “fast diet” but only when I am at home), but lots of things are cooking and happening too.  To start with Oli is off to London to see Suzy this Saturday (until next Wednesday) and amazingly she has managed to get the BBC presenter she met in Galicia to show her round the BBC while she is there.  Also her day is now completely topsy turvy.  She went to work but rang me shortly afterwards.  She was coming home as the editors of the programme are sending her to Galicia again today.  She will be covering the terrible case of a 12 year old girl who is adopted and of Chinese origin and who was found dead yesterday.  The story is national news.  I am happy for Olivia though that she will be out in the field again and doing what she likes best, investigative journalism.  

The other thing that got “cooked” today, was another journey to London.  Whilst on our walk to Murias, Adela and I agreed to go together with my other sisters-in-law.  In the end the rest of them decided not to come but Adela is keen to go and for various reasons.  She has never flown before, nor visited London but is very happy for me to be her guide.  Of course I want to go with her too, but I have a vested interest as it means visiting Suzy again.  So I went and booked our flights for the December bank holiday and we will fly out on Thursday 5^th in the evening and return on Sunday 8^th.  It’s going to be fun. Watch this space.  

And now my friends I have reached the end of the story of my life since I last wrote. You can see the full selection of the photos  of our weekend in Montrondo here.

Meanwhile everyone, I wish you all the best, until next time,

Masha

A disappointing Apple launch, remembering Beryl Ranwell, Suzy got the job, a weekend in Campello, off to Stockholm and other things.

Monday 16^th September 2013

Eladio and I in El Campelo this weekend

Hi everyone,

It’s Monday and I’m on the plane to Stockholm for a communications meeting with my counterparts from the Mobility Division of TeliaSonera, Yoigo’s parent company.  So I have just under 4 spare hours  to write this week’s blog and tell you all about last week, my pc battery permitting of course.

On Monday last Olivia started her new time table at the programme she works for at TVE, La Mañana de la 1.  She starts at midday and ends at 21.30.  She is not too happy with the change but on the bright side she can sleep more in the morning and I get to have breakfast with her.

That evening Rafa Nadal was playing Novak Djokovic in the US Open Final but we weren’t to see the result until the next morning at breakfast.  Olivia and I were delighted to hear that Spain’s best tennis player in history had won in 4 sets (6-2,3-6, 6-4, 6-1).  That was his second win at Flushing Meadows and his 13^th grand slam title.  He has a little way to go to Roger Federer’s 17, but now that he is over his knee injury and back to even better form, he may well make it.

Rafa Nadal won his second US Open this week

On Tuesday we had the pleasure of the company of Dolores and José Antonio who had returned from China the day before and were coming to get their beloved mongrel dog, Nuba.  Of course it was a great chance to hear about their travels and to enjoy a day together.  

Tuesday was a big day for Apple which I think turned out a bit sour.  They launched 2 new products that day, the 5S, an improved version of their iPhone 5 and the expected “cheap” 5C.  The 5S salient feature is that it includes unlocking with your finger print.  What’s so great about that?.  However the market criticism has been aimed at the 5C which turned out not to be so cheap and thus caused a lot of disappointment.  As a journalist friend of mine wrote, the “C” is for colour – it comes in various colours and a plastic case – and not for “cheap”.  I replied to him that I thought Apple has a communication problem.  The firm from Cupertino relies on reams of positive coverage from the press but totally lacks any kind of transparency.  I think they should have informed the market not to expect a low tier new iPhone if they were never going to launch it.  Thus they would have avoided the disappointment and to a large extent the negative press.  If only they could  learn a lesson in humility vs arrogance then maybe they would be more popular and last longer at the top of the ladder – I suggest they cast an eye at what happened to similar arrogant firms like Motorola or Nokia but I doubt they will. I for one am not excited by their new products this time round at least. What I am looking forward to is their new software the IOS7, available soon I think.

The iPhone 5C coloured phones are anything but cheap

Tuesday though will go down in my memory as the day I got the sad news that Beryl Ranwell died.  It was via an email from Andy D who sent me the link to her obituary published in The Guardian at the beginning of July and which you can read here.

Beryl was very much a part of my teens and early 20s. She was the administrator or when I knew her, the secretary at the Russian Department at the University of East Anglia.  Here she helped run the famous Norwich Russian courses (NRC) where both my parents and Aunty Masha taught, the latter being a language instructor at the department too.  Beryl was flamboyant, glamorous, extrovert and an absolute darling. When I read the news I dug out a photo of her together with my Mother in 1974 during one of the very early Russian courses in the summer.  Later she would buy a house in Bolulla, inspired by Aunty Masha and as families we became quite close.  I remember how her deceased husband, Derek who was an expert in botany used to enjoy the fauna around Bolulla in the hills of Alicante.  Both of them would put on  wonderful dinner parties for some of us privileged participants at the NRC at their delightful little English country cottage in a pretty village, the name of which I don’t remember, near Norwich. Beryl I was so sorry to hear of your passing away.  I remember you very fondly; you were part of a lot of fun we all had at Norwich in the 70s and 80’s. 

Beryl Ranwell on the right with my Mother at the Norwich Russian courses in 1974

On a more positive note, on Tuesday I started watching the Mr. Selfridge ITV series I had bought some time ago, after loving The  Paradise.  This is just as good and had me rivetted most of the week. I am looking forward to watching the end tonight in my hotel room in Stockholm.

I am in love with this series

Wednesday 11^th was of course the anniversary of the 11^th September which needs no explanation here.  It was also my dear friend Grainne’s official 60^th birthday – you remember we went to her birthday party in Badalona last week. Her son Marcel had a wonderful surprise for her; a puppy which he gave to her that day and which we all knew about beforehand.  Grainne has always wanted a dog – this one is nameless so far – and on Wednesday her dream came true. 

Grainne and her birthday present

I can certainly understand her need for a dog – I always wanted one as a child and only realized my dream after we got married. Today we enjoy Norah, our 5 year old Beagle, and Elsa our two year old Labrador and couldn’t envisage life without them.

Here is a photo of Norah enjoying our company at lunch on Wednesday – in the dining room for once as it rained out of the blue that day. She wasn’t only enjoying our company, she was on the watch for crumbs from the table, something she is expert at hahah

My darling Norah

Elsa was given to us by Manolo, my friend Fátima’s brother and it so happened he came to visit us on Wednesday, or rather my Father, with his partner, Susana, a lovely young woman from Ecuador.  Manolo is learning Russian and loves to practice with my Father. 

That afternoon, miles and miles away in London, Suzy was meeting up with my niece, Sara (the daughter of José Antonio – Eladio’s brother – and his wife Dolores).  Sara was returning from her year in the Far East and had travelled from Vietnam to London where she will be staying until today, after which she will be coming back to Spain.  I loved the photo Suzy posted of her with Sara in Covent Garden, one of my favourite corners of London.

Suzy with her cousin Sara in London this week

Thursday, my second fasting day of the week, was busy.  I went into the office in the afternoon for an interview by the financial newspaper, Expansión, with my boss.  It was a more personal type interview for a section about top executives’ different types of offices and ways of working.  I hope the journalist was suitably impressed with Yoigo and I look forward to seeing the article when it is published.

As always on Thursday afternoon I went shopping with Fátima.  Afterwards, or rather after my “fasting diet” dinner, we went on our daily power walk with the dogs.  It was just as we were getting home that I got the most important whatsapp message of the year.  It was from Susana to say “I got the job”. An extraordinarily helpful friend of mine from my Motorola years, Antonio, who is based in London, helped her get an interview with a leading London catering and events company.  The interview had taken place the week before and on Thursday she got the thumbs up.  So far all she knows is that she will be working from an iconic London building overseeing events and catering there.  I don’t’ want to say any names or places as she still has to agree on the conditions of the job.  But meanwhile, we are delighted for her.  As for Suzy, she must be over the moon.  Thanks Antonio for putting her on the job ladder and on a decent rung too.  It’s up to her now to make a success of it and I have no doubts that she will.  Go for it Suzy, well done, love you.

So it was with a light heart that we set off on Friday to Campello with our friends Julio and Fátima to stay at the former’s flat in this quiet beach town near Alicante.  It is the third September in a row that the four of us have gone there for the last bathe of the summer.  On the way I rang my dear friend Amanda to wish her a happy birthday and to catch up on her news.  It’s been a long time Amanda, I would love to see you again soon.

We got to El Campello in the  early evening and as soon as we had settled in, we went off for a walk on the promenade.  The photo illustrating this week’s blog is of Eladio and I at the seafront.  The one below of Julio, Fátima and I was taken a few minutes later.

With my friends Fátima and Julio in El Campello this weekend.

We had dinner that night at Seis Perlas where we always seem to go each year, after which we walked back across the bridge to Julio’s apartment.  The next morning, I took care of breakfast for everyone, as I was to do the next day.

Saturday was spent entirely on the beach and despite the warnings of cloud, the weather forecast people had got it wrong and the sun shone all day as it did on Sunday too.  Being the creatures of habit we are, lunch was at Cavia as it is every year.  Here we devoured the most delicious fideua (paella made of thin noodles) washed down by “tinto de verano” – summer wine in English but meaning a sort of sangria made of red wine and lemonade.

The fideua we had at Cavia in El Campello on Saturday

I spent both days on the beach reading “A long way home” by Judith Tebbutt an English woman who was kidnapped by Somali pirates in Africa and the story of her imprisonment and rescue which is quite an incredible read. Afterwards I found myself looking suspiciously at black Africans trying to sell their wares on the sea front! 

We had  to say goodbye to the beach yesterday Sunday after another lunch at Cavia where this time we had great paella or rather “arroz a banda” and “arroz señoret” and returned to Julio’s flat for the necessary shower and cleaning  and packing.  We were ready to go at around 18h. Eladio was our driver back as he had been on the way out and he patiently drove the four hour journey home to Madrid yesterday.  We encountered some heavy traffic entering the capital city and weren’t home until after 10.  We had all caught the sun which I can only imagine to be the last time we will this year.  A good time was had by all and the four of us vowed we would repeat the trip next year again in September.  You can see the full collection of photos of our weekend in Campello here.

This morning, Monday, I enjoyed breakfast with Olivia and luckily I had some time to get ready and pack for my next journey which as you know since you’ve read the beginning of this blog, has already started and I’m on my way to beautiful Stockholm.  I don’t expect much sun there and have been warned to bring a “brolly” which I have, along with a coat, tights and sensible shoes – the only downside of Sweden being its weather!

I look forward to a productive time with my colleagues from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania and Estonia and to some good times together.  I will be retuning on Thursday, this time not on the direct flight which I am on today, but via London – oh well that will give me some time at Boots and Smiths, etc hahaha. I won’t be at home for long either as on Friday we’re going to Montrondo for the weekend to be with Eladio’s brothers and sisters.  So you see I’m still feeling like Phileas Fogg like I told you last week.  

And now I’m at the end of this week’s tale.  I wish you all the best.  Until next time,

Masha

Feeling like Phileas Fogg, Santander again, Microsoft bought Nokia my old company, home again, a birthday weekend with the Maher sisters in Badalona and other stories.

With three of the Maher sisters at Grainne's birthday party this weekend in Badalona

Hi everyone,

Well this week I felt like Phileas Fogg, the character in Jules Vernes “Around the World in 80 days”, as I have been travelling nonstop since the beginning of the summer.  My trip started in Santander at the beginning of August.  It continued to Montrondo and then home again before we went off again this time to Santa Pola in Alicante.  It was home again from Santa Pola and a few days later we were off to Peñacaballera in Salamanca. Our next destination was London where we had a blast celebrating our 30^thwedding anniversary and visiting Suzy.  We came home at the end of August and then last Tuesday I was off again this time to Santander for the annual telecoms conference which I will tell you about later.  I came home last Thursday and believe it or not the next day Eladio and I went to Barcelona for a 60^thbirthday party.  We were home yesterday but it won’t be for long because this next weekend we will be going to the beach again, this time to Campello (Alicante) with our friends Julio and Fátima.  It will be home again for one night and then the following day, next Monday, I will be off to Stockholm for a communications meeting with my TeliaSonera colleagues.  So now you know why I feel like Phileas Fogg.  Having never read the book I don’t know how Jules Verne’s character travelled, but my voyages have been by car, by airplane and by train. To tell you the truth I’m a bit tired of travelling and could do with a long stint at home.  But it’s not to be. As Olivia said to me this morning when I told her I felt like Phileas Fogg, “good for you” and “enjoy”.  Well I always do “enjoy” so I shall heed my younger daughter’s advice of course.

The last time I was home since I last wrote was on Sunday, the first day of September.  Olivia came back from Menorca, where, for the record, she had coincided with her cousin Juan – the world is truly a small place.  We had the privilege of her company and Dave’s that day when I made my famous Chicken Korma curry.  Oli played tennis with Dave that day and the following – she is truly sporty I have to say.  Meanwhile we spent a quiet day with the dogs.  You might know that Toño and Dolores’ mongrel dog Nuba is staying with us whilst they are in China.  So the house has been full of dogs.  The best photo I got on camera of the three of them playing together is this.

Nuba, Elsa and Norah playing together

I should expand on Toño and Dolores’ trip to China – a ten day tour which includes time with their daughter, my niece Sara.  We have been following their travels via whatsapp and this is a photo Toño posted which I wanted to share with you here.  After all, my travels pale in comparison to theirs, this year at least.  I think they have had a great time but we all laugh as Toño would never have gone there if Dolores hadn’t dragged him, far preferring to spend as much time as he can at their home in the family village, Montrondo.

Toño and Dolores with Sara in China

That Sunday I swam in the pool as I have done most days this summer but this time I tried to get Elsa, our golden Labrador, to join us.  I have only ever seen her in the pool from pictures sent to me by Juli, the girls’ friend, so this time I tried to get her to join me.  I was only partially successful as you can see from the photo.

Coaxing Elsa unsuccessfully into the pool with me

Sunday 1^stSeptember will go down in British television history as the day David Frost, that quintessential English journalist, died.  I well remember him on the BBC and have always thought Spanish journalists could take a leaf out of his book when it comes to nailing politicians or putting them in a corner.  The latter are far too lenient when it comes to interviewing public personalities.  

But Sunday 1^stSeptember family news was more important to us.  It was the day Mario, my very tall and good looking nephew debuted with Ademar, the León handball team which plays in the first division.  We were all very proud of him and I had to record this news in my blog. Well done Mario.

Mario in the Ademar handball team kit

On Monday I worked from home and was very busy finalizing Yoigo’s communication activities at the telecoms congress in Santander, the most important in the year’s agenda for our sector.  Later that day, as usual, Eladio and I went for our hour long “power walk”.  It was a bit of a challenge taking three dogs with us, as you can see in the photo Oli took of us when she spied us as she returned home in her car. She thought we looked very funny.  Do we?

Eladio and I on our walk with the three dogs - sort of challenging

And on Tuesday we all woke up to the news that Microsoft, the internet giant, had bought Nokiathe previous number one mobile phone manufacturer from my beloved Finland.  It shocked many people but for me and my ex Nokia colleagues, it was a very emotional piece of news.  What can I say? How do I feel? Well I worked for Nokia when it was at the top from 2000 to 2006 and in a way forged my career there.  I had good times and bad, so my feelings were mixed when I read the news.  The news was not unexpected really as both companies had entered a joint venture not so long ago.  To me it seems quite probable that the ex Microsoft employee Stephen Elop’s, mission when he was appointed CEO of Nokia was for the company to decline and make the purchasing price for Microsoft much lower than it was when he joined.  After all Microsoft paid a lot less for the Finnish company than it did for Skype.  Does that make sense?  Well in my analysis I think it does.  It also paid a lot less (5.5 billion euros aprox) than Google paid for Motorola a while ago.  For me it seems ironic that now both the companies I once worked for – Motorola and Nokia, in less than a lustrum have been bought up by their once arch enemies.  I felt sad for Nokia really but was not surprised.  They just lost the momentum and went from bad to worse and have been overtaken since by the likes of Apple, Samsung and the new and coming Chinese manufacturers.  The latter should learn from what happened to Nokia and not make the same mistakes.  In simple terms I think that the mistakes are basically a wrong technology direction but even more importantly a lack of listening to your customers and the arrogant behavior of a top player.  These three together are a disastrous recipe.

Much has been written this week about the news. There have been jokes too and I particularly found this picture a clever piece of work.  You might like it too.

A joke about Microsoft buying Nokia but it wasn't a joke

On a personal note, many of my ex colleagues posted all sorts of comments but the one I liked best came from my dear Finnish friend Anne. She was once my boss at Nokia and we had so much fun together.  I couldn’t have put it better. She wrote this: “ref to big N news today; it´s like when your family breaks up and then a few years after one of the parents re-marries. Break up is sad and takes time to process, maybe there is a little hope of things getting back to what it used to be. But no, that wedding invitation puts a stop to any silly ideas you might have had. Life´s gotta move on. So am joining the many ex´s in expressing my gratitude for the great ride back in the day and wishing good luck to all”. I couldn’t have put it better and want to join her in thanking Nokia too for the ride, it was great.  I travelled the world with Nokia: all over Europe, Chile, Mexico, South Africa, Shanghai, Morocco, you name it I was there with journalists on some very exotic trips.  I organised and went to some amazing events too.  I have just dug out a photo together with Anne when Nokia staged their incredible “Totally Board” snow event in blazing sunshine in Seville in 2004 I think.  Here it is, for you Anne.  Thanks Nokia for connecting people the company’s best trait.

With my dear friend Anne  - just one of the great moments with Nokia

That morning when I went to work for an early meeting before I left for Santander, I was hit with sad news.  One of the Yoigo family, José Luis, from the technical department, had died the night before from a sudden heart attack.  He was only 40 and leaves behind a very sad family. My own heart went out to his family and his colleagues at work who were devastated. It was truly a sad day for Yoigo. 

Life went on of course and it was with a heavy heart that I made my way to the airport to catch the small airplane to Santander in the north of Spain.  I was greeted with sunshine and soon made my way to the hotel, the one I always stay at, the Silken Río opposite the Sardinero beach.  This is the view from the hotel.

The view of the Sardinero beach from my hotel window in Santander

I had lunch with Julio after which I worked from my room. There was time though for a wonderful walk on the beach that afternoon.  The day was dedicated to Julio with whom I have been coming to Santander for at least 13 years now.  That night I walked into town with him and his friend Luis and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at one of our favourite restaurants, La Bombi.  Here is a photo of us there.

With Julio in Santander

Wednesday was busy and I spent most of it working from my room. That afternoon I sent out a press release to communicate our great new mobile tariffs – the “infinitas” where for our postpaid customers, voice is now totally for free and they just have to choose how much data they want.  We also launched the advertising campaign which you can see here.

That evening, before the traditional Yoigo party for all the participants at the conference, I hosted a dinner for our distributors at the nearby restaurant De Luz, which is a beautiful English style house and garden.  Here is the photo I took just as I entered the path to the restaurant.

Casa De Luz in Santander is a very special place

After dinner a vintage car came to pick us up – it was all part of our Great Gatsby themed party which was to take place nearby at Buenas Noches Santander, a great venue right on the beach and opposite our hotel.

With my team from the PR Agency Ketchum by the vintage car we hired for our Great Gatsby part in Santander

I think this year’s party was possibly the best we have ever hosted in Santander.  You can judge for yourselves from this set of pictures.  One I particularly like is with the group of journalists who report on all the news that comes from the telecoms conference we were all attending.

With some of the telecoms press at the Yoigo Great Gatsby party in Santander

People partied until past four in the morning but I made a discreet exit at around one in the morning as the next day I had to be up early and bright and fresh for our presentation at the conference.  It went off well but the conference was running late and I had to leave the mini press gathering with my boss afterwards in the hands of Carlos from my press agency Ketchum, if I was to catch my plane to Madrid.  Luck had it that Julio and Luis were on the same flight and we enjoyed a humble sandwich for lunch at the airport before we took off.

You can see the set of photos I took at the conference this year on this link.

 I was happy to see the papers the next morning when Eladio showed me El País, before I had even seen our daily clipping service.  There was a lot of expectation in Santander about Yoigo offering fixed services and that was what had been discussed after our presentation.  I am happy with the media coverage we achieved, especially this particular clipping.

I always get a kick out of good media coverage for Yoigo like this in El País last week

But my mind was soon on to other things as Eladio and I were off to Barcelona that morning and we had to rush to catch the AVE (high speed train) which was leaving the Atocha train station at 10.30.

It was Eladio’s first journey on the AVE and he was thrilled.  My job has taken me many times on this train and to Seville and Valencia and I no longer feel thrilled but always enjoy the trip.

It was Eladio's first trip on the AVE (high speed train) on Friday and he was impressed

The journey (621km track) takes just under 3 hours to Barcelona and the maximum speed is some 300km/h.  Spain, as you probably know, is one of the leading nations in the world in high speed railways.  You will probably remember the recent train accident in Santiago but let me tell you that that train was not technically a high speed train or rather the track wasn’t.  Eladio and I were happy to know that all the top safety measures of both were in place on our trip on Friday.

We were going to Barcelona to join my ex school friend Grainne for her 60^th birthday party in nearby Badalona, a dormitory town on the coast of some 200.000 inhabitants 15 minutes away from the capital and where she has lived since she came to Spain more than 30 years ago.  It was going to be a real school reunion as her sister Brenda (one of my best friends at St. Joseph’s college which we joined when we were aged 11) was coming too with her husband Ian and two of their three beautiful daughters, Laura and Beth.  Also coming were their two older sisters, Anne and Susan.  I hadn’t seen the four Maher sisters together since their mother’s funeral in 1972, more than 40 years ago. She died when she was 56 and the tragedy of her death made an enormous mark on all the girls. I was a living witness to how it affected Brenda mostly as we were very close and I used to go to her beautiful house in Redburn Drive in Bradford most nights to study with her. The Maher family was very much a part of my teens, so it was wonderful to be reunited, this time with all four sisters, as well as Brenda’s daughters and Anne’s husband Harry and Susan’s husband Oli (Oliver). Another school friend was coming too, Ellen and her husband John, so the weekend turned out to be not only a wonderful birthday but also a great school reunion.

Grainne had booked those of us she couldn’t fit into her flat, into a simple but very comfortable hotel right on the beach, one of two only in Badalona. I’m not quite sure why but for some reason Badalona has been kept away from the tourists and the beach seems to be used only by locals which we found quite refreshing.  We booked into the Hotel Miramar but as our room with a terrace and sea views wasn’t quite ready we decided to cross the railway line via the tunnel and go across to the only restaurant we could see on the beach.  It was the very unattractive looking “Doncella de la Costa” but boy was their “fideua” (like paella but made with thin noodles) delicious. This is what it looked like before we polished it off.

Fideua at Doncella de la Costa on Friday in Badalona.  It was fab.

We spent the afternoon, or what was left of it, on the beach sitting on our hotel towels and enjoying the sun until it decided to disappear.  We bathed too but not a lot as it got deep very quickly and the waves were quite strong – indicative probably of the storm coming the next day.  As you can see in the picture, the clouds were already gathering.

On the beach at Badalona on Friday afternoon

Later we went back to our simple but comfortable and big room to get ready to go to Grainne’s pad for dinner with her family.  Grainne is the most welcoming, warm and charismatic person I know and she had thrown a wonderful party ahead of the official birthday celebration taking place the next evening.  We spent a great evening on her terrace where I laughed until I cried together with her sisters and their friend Maggie.  All I can say is that it was one of the best nights I have had in years.  This photo of Grainne, Brenda and I cracking up with laughter says it all.

Laughter is always guaranteed with Grainne and Brenda

The quality is not great and that’s probably because we were all laughing so much. Here is another picture of that great evening, this time with more members of that wonderful impromptu party.

Fun and laughter with the Mahers and their friends and family on Friday night at Grainne's place

Saturday was a full day.  It started with a splendid breakfast with Grainne’s sisters at the hotel, after which I went shopping to the Calle de Mar. I was in search of something summery and comfortable to wear as my jeans were boiling.  I found a great pair of blue cotton trousers very soon and then visited Grainne and Brenda and co for a quick cup of coffee.  The rest of the morning was spent with Eladio by the swimming pool at the yachting club opposite our hotel where we relaxed on sun beds for a minimal entrance fee of 3 euros each thanks to an agreement with the hotel.  We were soon joined by Anne and her lovely husband Harry. 

Eladio at the pool by the beach at the Yacht Club in Badalona on Saturday morning

Lunch was there too where this time we had a sea food paella and it was just as good as the fideua the day before. This was the creamy paella we enjoyed on Saturday and which we just couldn’t finish this time.

Paella just for Eladio and I on Saturday in Badalona at the Yacht Club

Just as we joined Anne and Harry again and who have different eating times, it began to rain so we all headed back to the hotel.  It rained and poured and we were worried Grainne’s party that night on the beach at the Paradis “chiringuito” would be washed out.  We spent the afternoon relaxing in our hotel room where we watched the televised Olympic Games candidacy competition for the 2020 Olympics between Madrid, Istanbul and Tokyo. The decision wouldn’t be made until the voting later that night.  It was only when we were at the party that we found out that Madrid was knocked out in the first round.  Tokyo was the winner in the end. We were disappointed but not surprised, suspicious that it was because of the economic crisis Spain is in the throes of.  This was the third disappointment for Madrid and I suspect that the “competition” is usually decided beforehand and would suggest the Olympic Committee do away with this ridiculous process and just decide for themselves which city is the next one to host the games. I am sure a lot of Spaniards agree with me. 

Anyway, back to Grainne’s birthday party.  Whilst we got ready to go out, thankfully the rain ceased and we were happy her birthday on the beach would be a dry event.  We left the hotel to find the rest of our friends at a bar opposite.  Soon the four Maher sisters were together in all their finery and this is the photo I took of them.  It’s great isn’t it? 

The 4 Maher sisters are just as colourful in life as they are in this  picture taken of them on Saturday just before Grainne's birthday party at Paradis in Badalona

From left to right they are standing in order of age downwards.  Far left is Susan who lives in Ireland and looks just like their Mother and who has jet black hair even though she is in her mid 60s, followed by Anne who lives in Manchester, then Grainne from Badalona and on the far right, my class mate Brenda who is a nurse and lives in Manchester too. 

The party was fabulous. All of Grainne’s important friends were there and the atmosphere she created was unique.  The food was superb too and we spent the night talking English and Spanish. Anne made a great speech all about the different men in Grainne’s life and I had the honour of translating for her non English speaking friends. The photo of me with Grainne, Brenda and Anne at the party is the one illustrating this week’s blog and I love it.  It was just great to be with the Maher sisters this weekend.  As I said to them all, I just hope we don’t have to wait another 40 years.  I suspect we won’t.

Eladio and I, being the early birds we are, left early and went to have an ice cream on the Rambla before we returned to our hotel room.  The news that Rafa Nadal had got through to the US Open final where he will meet Djokovic today, somewhat lessened the disappointment at Madrid not winning the Olympic candidacy for 2020.  The irony here is that if Spain had been judged for its sporting prowess Madrid would have won hands down. But that wasn’t to be so.
 

We were up early on Sunday too and enjoyed breakfast with Ellen and John.  Later we had to pack and get ready to go but before leaving we went to Grainne’s flat to say goodbye to everyone.  Grainne, if you read this, it was a fabulous weekend, thanks for inviting us and I hope to see you here in October as you promised.

Our train was leaving at 13h from the Sants train station in Barcelona and we bought our lunch at the station to enjoy on the journey.  Afterwards I napped for a while and very soon we were slowing down and entering Atocha station. Here we paid a hefty parking fee (over 80 euros) and drove back home in the warm sun.  It was great to be back again to be greeted by the dogs and to greet the people at home; my Father, Fátima, Olivia and her friend Dave.

And today is Monday 9^th September, the day most Spanish schoolchildren go back to school.  Friends of mine have been posting photos of their small children in uniform throughout the day which made me nostalgic for the days when Suzy and Olivia would pose for our camera on their first day back after the holidays.  I have a photo of them together every year but especially like the first one taken in 1988 when we had just moved into our previous house.  The school was then called Alonso Madrigal after which it turned into St. Michael’s and where the girls, I think, were very happy pupils.  This is them in autumn 1988 when they were 3 and 4 years old.  Weren’t they cute?

Suzy and Oli's first day at school in Boadilla in 1988 they were just 4 and 3 years old

In a way Olivia had her own particular first day at work today, in that she has a new timetable which I gather she is not very happy about.  Instead of working from 07.30 to 14.30 she now starts at 12.30 midday and works until 21.30. On the bright side she will be able to sleep longer in the morning.  Suzy doesn’t have a job at the moment since she left for London in May.  But last Friday she had an interview with a catering and party design company in London which I think went very well.  So maybe, cross your fingers, she will be experiencing her first day at work there too very soon.

And that my friends, is it for this week.  I look forward to a quiet few days at home until we go away again this weekend, this time to Campello near Alicante which you will read about in next week’s post.  Meanwhile I wish you all a great week,

All the best 

Masha 

PS You can see more photos of our stay in Badalona this weekend here.