Spanish Practices

Day forty nine, Gin and Toksvig, Life behind the police lines in Lockdown Spain for a British couple and their three good legs cat.   Find out more at: https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 49 Gin and Toksvig It is day 49 of our Spanish Lockdown, the start of phase zero and limited outings for exercise both for children and adults.  The day is going to be hot so an early start to build some shelves for a cupboard and to finish plastering over the cables I had put in for the wifi.  All done by 10am before the sun starts to make things uncomfortable.   10 am is usually second breakfast time for the Spanish, so we had a coffee and a biscuit.   The sudden hot weather has brought with it many, many flies, they get it in the moment you open a door or a window. You can spend a great deal of time chasing them around the place.  We have mosquiteros or what the Americans call ‘screens’ and this time of year they are a godsend, that and have persianas or shutters that you can lower to darken a room and finally Toldos – awn

Day forty eight, On yer bike! Life behind the police lines in Lockdown Spain for a British couple and their three good legs cat.   Find out more at: https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 48 On yer bike! It is day 48 of our Spanish Lockdown, slowly we are unpicking that lock, last week, the children could go out for a bit of exercise, today we can join them. I went for a walk, I planned to take a gentle ramble into the countryside, maybe accompanied by my trust tape recorder, giving you a walk with nature, maybe accompanied by three good legs cat, who I take, or rather he takes me on his lead.  He is a bit of a cat dog, in respect that he will tolerate a lead and loves to sniff and explore every nook and cranny along the way.   Instead we headed for Petri and Justin’s big house on the corner.  Petri called from the UK.. “Justin is worried about the tall palm, can you take a look.”    So we both took a walk to the house, took some pictures of the palm, it is growing the fruit tendrils, which Justin would like cut

Day forty seven, Bank Robbers and other Bees. Life behind the police lines in Lockdown Spain for a British couple and their three good legs cat.   Find out more at: https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 47 Bank robbers and other bees It is day 47 of our Spanish Lockdown and the wind has dropped, the sun has come out and the world looks a better place. And you find me outside. Tomorrow we are allowed out to exercise, of course there is an awful lot of complex times and where and when you can go, how old you are as to when you go and there many tables to pour over to make sure you don’t end up with a fine from the Guardia. Municipalities under thousand can go out when they want.  Poor old La Herradura, a small holiday resort that was under 5 thousand on the electoral role has found it number increase this year thanks to the thing that must never be named, so they now have 5,134 residents, in theory – living there. So they have to abide by the times set out by the government. Our niece Facetimed this afternoon, she

Day forty six, Blue Peter and Alcoholics. Life behind the police lines in Lockdown Spain for a British couple and their three good legs cat.   Find out more at: https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 46 Blue Peter and Alcoholics   It is day 46 of our Spanish lockdown, Chris is busy watching a webinar for managing your gym back into business, it is going to be a long complex journey to open gyms up again.  They are a major place where contagion could occur.    Until there is a vaccine the new normal is going to be anything but normal.  This morning I recorded more of my children’s scripts, that kind of takes your mind of things as there is a lot of concentration pronouncing words correctly, enjoying what you are saying without going to Blue Petery.   Blue Peter is a children’s television show famous for sounding very enthusiastic about everything.  I mentioned once before when I accidently burned a dinner guest with my Advent Candle from an old coat hanger.   I worked for a couple years with Blue Peter Lesley Judd

Day forty five, Flies and Poolside Cocktails. Life behind the police lines in Lockdown Spain for a British couple and their three good legs cat.   Find out more at: https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 45 flies and poolside cocktails Day 45 of our Spanish Lockdown.  When will it ever end?  Uncle Pedro, the Spanish Prime Minister has issued a very complicated phasing of return to halfway normal life. No dates, as it will be based on how many deaths have occurred as each day goes by. It is progress but it does look like international air travel will not return this summer.  The best that can be hoped for is that you can travel within your local region.   This is also the miserable day that Chris has to go shopping, he has to go to two supermarkets as neither are now stocked well. It is turning into an arduous task to find enough food and cleaning materials.   I guess that more than a month of Spanish manufacturing stopped has had an impact on supplies.  Today no bread, but we have potatoes, pasta and rice for car

Day forty four, Tea and Pee. Life behind the police lines in Lockdown Spain for a British couple and their three good legs cat.   Find out more at: https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 44 Tea and Pee   It is Day 44 of our Spanish Lockdown and we have cautiously put the cushions out on the garden furniture.. I know it is a bit rash, but looking at the weather, which of course was cloudy again today, it says there should be no more rain for a whole week.    The weather in Spain varies a great deal, it is a large country and the places with mountains and northern coastline can experience some pretty horrible weather.  We used to religiously watch the weather at ten o’clock on La Una, it came just after the sports news.   Monica Lopez is our favourite presenter, she always dressed as though she was off to a very good night out, sometimes she wore a cocktail frock, some nights a glitzy number for the town and there was one night when she was all in leather.. not sure where she was heading that evening?  Of course ne

Day forty three, Parker and Lady Penelope. Life behind the police lines in Lockdown Spain for a British couple and their three good legs cat.   Find out more at: https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 43   It is day 43 of our Spanish Lockdown and I was woken today by the noise of the traffic below us going to work.  Which I guess is a good sign.  So far only construction and manufacturing companies have been allowed back to work.   The kids can go out to exercise and yesterday we witnessed scenes similar to the British parks, with families chatting away and kids playing with each other.  It seems it is quite hard to explain social distancing to a three-year-old.   We should be allowed out from Saturday the 2nd of May for short exercise walks etc.  It will be interesting to see how that goes.  The local main town has already frozen rent on the pavement café’s all around Motril, the Mayor, Louisa, is planning to allow restaurants to open for pre-booked take-aways. This will stop crowding and hopefully give some muc

Day forty two, Killer Prawns and Jeremy Clarkson. Life behind the police lines in Lockdown Spain for a British couple and their three good legs cat.   Find out more at: https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 42 Killer Prawns and Jeremy Clarkson   It is day 42 of our Spanish Lockdown and Jen and Jack have sent us a picture from their balcony showing a little girl excitedly whizzing down the road on her tiny scooter.   For the children of Spain, today is a red-letter day.  They are now allowed out once a day for a short exercise period.  For many who live in the small flats that are dotted along this coastline, it must truly feel like freedom.   The news gets better, cautiously the curve seems to be flattening, so much so that Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will allow us all out for a short exercise period from Saturday May 2nd    Last night we watched Jeremy Clarkson with a YouTube live edition of Drive Tribe, the previous night I had a strange unrelated dream about Jeremy Clarkson, he was demanding all sorts of thi

Today Shampoo and Donkeys Day Forty one of the Spanish Lockdown, the sometimes amusing, diary of a Brit in southern Spain under the 'Alarma' - normal life has stopped.   To find out more:  https://www.thesecretspain.com The Miba Hotel and Restaurant mentioned: https://hotelmiba.com/ Day 41 Shampoo and Donkeys It is day 41 of our Spanish Lockdown and I should not have mentioned Noah as today it has poured with rain all day, everywhere is damp and miserable. The Mediterranean does not do wet days very well.  In a country like the UK when we are used to miserable wet weather, even in the height of summer, there is always some kind of inside activity to do, here it is all about the beach or walking, cycling, climbing, getting outdoors. True if you are in a big city like Granada or Malaga you can or rather could go to a museum but that is about your lot. There are some very odd perceptions of Spain, I remember a few years ago my mother came to visit with my stepfather and my sister Ann accompanied them on the visi

Today Monkees and Post Day Forty of the Spanish Lockdown, the sometimes amusing, diary of a Brit in southern Spain under the 'Alarma' - normal life has stopped.   To find out more:  https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 40 Monkees and Post   It is day 40 of our Spanish Lockdown and if I was Noah in the Bible the floods would have gone, and I would be getting off my Ark by now.   Today thin beardy boy, from the local courier delivered our spare microphone, as the other two have succumbed to the heat and humidity. At first, he gave me a large box full of wine, but that was for the house down the road, then he gave me the plastic package the microphone had arrived in.   I undid the plastic, threw it away and washed my hands.  The box the microphone was damaged at the side, if only the company I bought it from had packed it a bit better.  You suddenly get that sinking feeling that things are going to get complicated.  But plugging the thing in, it seems to work ok.    I have a love hate relationship with microphones

Today Boobies and Zoom Day Thirty nine of the Spanish Lockdown, the sometimes amusing, diary of a Brit in southern Spain under the 'Alarma' - normal life has stopped.   To find out more:  https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 39 Boobies and Zoom It is day 39 of our Spanish Lockdown, last night brought more custard and more bad dreams.  I seem to keep getting those high anxiety dreams where I am not in control.   I have not really had them since I worked at the radio station.  And it was about the radio station last night, I had to engineer a radio show, but I managed to take the radio station off air as I did not recognise the buttons that sent the studio to the transmitters.   I imagine that we are all having similar dreams of not being in control, because I think this must be a bit like being in Prison, having decisions taken away from you about where you can go and what you can do.   The Spanish Government have back tracked on the decision only to allow children to accompany adults to supermarkets, pharmacies

Today Mary Poppins and Locusts Day Thirty eight of the Spanish Lockdown, the sometimes amusing, diary of a Brit in southern Spain under the 'Alarma' - normal life has stopped.   To find out more:  https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 38 Mary Poppins and Locusts It is day 38 of our Spanish Lockdown and yesterday evening I made perfect custard.  I usually just guestimate the ingredients but as Birds Custard is an expensive commodity here I actually followed the directions on the side.. and blow me you get great custard including the revolting skin which Chris likes and I hated so much at school.   I think lockdown has now made the most mundane of things a highlight of the day.  Whereas in a past time, maybe going to see the premiere of a west end play with a decent buffet press party with wine would be a good night, now it is custard.   It is shameful; but being members of the press we got to see a great many plays and musicals, and for the life of me I can only remember a handful, sometimes I can only remember t

Today Mozzies and Orgies  Day Thirty six of the Spanish Lockdown, the sometimes amusing, diary of a Brit in southern Spain under the 'Alarma' - normal life has stopped.   To find out more:  https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 37 Mozzies and Orgies It is day 37 of our Spanish lockdown and I have been bitten on the bum, it happened the other night.  I had thrown the duvet off as it had got to warm, half asleep and half aware of a mosquito in the room, he must have got me right between the cheeks.   As he flew passed my ear I grabbed our handy fly killing aerosol, and sprayed there was the usually angry strangled high pitched buzzing and then silence.  I don’t usually get effected by bites, usually just a bit of a red mark.   But I woke up in the morning and my inner left cheek is stinging like hell.  I found the culprit on the floor… a tiger Mosquito.  These are nasty little creatures that have come over from Asia and are making their home here.  They carry all sorts of exotic diseases with them.   Here in Spain

Today Scream and the Gas Board Day Thirty five of the Spanish Lockdown, the sometimes amusing, diary of a Brit in southern Spain under the 'Alarma' - normal life has stopped.   To find out more:  https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 36 Scream and the Gas Board   Day 36 of our Spanish lockdown and the wind is blowing across the sea and through the mountain. It can be very windy here, I believe before this coast was called the Costa Tropical it was called the Costa Wind.   It rattles everything, plays musical notes through the glass balustrade and generally gets you down.   Breakfast and then the three good legs cat walk on his lead, in which, yet again he fell down the mountain trying to get to next door.  I think the problem with male cats if they have a wanderlust and see each door or fence as a new opportunity to increase their territory. As you know we try and keep him away from feral cats, they sometimes have cat leukaemia, which can be passed on by a bite or scratch.   I returned and did an Audition for a

Today Biscuits and knickers Day Thirty five of the Spanish Lockdown, the sometimes amusing, diary of a Brit in southern Spain under the 'Alarma' - normal life has stopped.   To find out more:  https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 35   It is Sunday and day 35 of our Spanish Lockdown.  We got up and had breakfast, and I finished my work in the studio.  I needed to paint the bottom of the walls, I found some paint and it was still OK.   Normal life seems so long ago now, we are now into our second month and I think I have had enough, I can understand why all those Americans have come out into the street and demanded that they can reopen for business.   It does sound selfish, but there really is only so much lockdown that you can cope with. I really admire the Italians they have gone through hell and back.   Day 35 and I was thinking about school and had I had been better academically would my life have been different? It probably would, I do remember working at the BBC and the subject of which University did you g

Today Dead Man's Coat Day Thirty four of the Spanish Lockdown, the sometimes amusing, diary of a Brit in southern Spain under the 'Alarma' - normal life has stopped.   To find out more:  https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 34 Dead man’s coat   It is day 34 of our Spanish lockdown and the day started fractious, we bickered about something or other, so I took the three good legs cat for his walk to get some space.   We are very, very lucky in that we have more than 150 square metres of terraces and even a narrow mountain garden that separates us from our neighbours.   I have a workshop down in the pool room and Chris has his gym area up behind the garage.  It allows us to stay home but enjoy some space.  My favourite space that I also share with the cat, is our little voice studio that sits behind the house, between the mountain and the back wall.   I have spent most of the day sticking back the acoustic tiles that were removed for the electrician when we had our building work done.  Again this is not an easy pr

Today Pigs and Puppies Day Thirty three of the Spanish Lockdown, the sometimes amusing, diary of a Brit in southern Spain under the 'Alarma' - normal life has stopped.   To find out more:  https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 33 Pigs and Puppies   It is day 33 of our Spanish Lockdown and the day dawned gloomy and it was again raining slightly.  This is unusual weather, many of the plants in the garden are looking a bit sad, not only are they recently planted but they are clearly not enjoying the rain.   Down below onto the mountain side where the cactus grow, the most amazing thing has happened we have sweet peas growing up and around the cactus.  I have never seen that here before and it brings a weird incongruous mixture of the Mediterranean and English country garden.   Three good legs cat has learnt how to balance himself at the end of the swimming pool and escape down to that garden on his own.  We have a child gate that normally prevents him from going AWOL. He has yet to fall in the pool and has chosen t

Today Quiz and Crazies Day Thirty two of the Spanish Lockdown, the sometimes amusing, diary of a Brit in southern Spain under the 'Alarma' - normal life has stopped.   To find out more:  https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 32 Quiz and crazies   It is day 32 of our Spanish lockdown, three good legs cat managed to have at least a couple of his fits before breakfast.  They have the look of an epileptic fit but are caused by him catching the painful part of his hip.   Last night we watched a great deal of television, we don’t usually binge watch anything. We caught a bit of Paul O’Grady looking after some poor sick dog that seemed to have a similar problem to three good legs cat.  The dog had an operation to remove the piece of hip that was causing him pain, and was much better.   Normally we would go to the vet and sort out an operation, but only emergency visits to the vet are allowed and our neighbour Lena was stopped by the Guardia taking her dog to the vet as she went to the vet in Almuñecar which isn’t our l

Today Custard and Daleks Day Thirty one of the Spanish Lockdown, the sometimes amusing, diary of a Brit in southern Spain under the 'Alarma' - normal life has stopped.   To find out more:  https://www.thesecretspain.com Day 31 – Custard and Daleks It is Day 31 of our Spanish Lockdown; I am starting to get quite blurry eyed.  All day peering into the new computer that arrived yesterday from China, has made me quite myopic.   The first thing we did when it arrived is to wipe the whole thing down with alcohol, starting with the box it came in.  I have to hand it to Apple their logistics are to be admired.  The machine started in China moved the Chinese Export Zone and then flew to South Korea where it went on to Germany, from Germany to Portugal and from Portugal to Spain, it took more than two weeks.   It does prove that many businesses are quite capable of operating within lockdown.  The delivery driver left the parcel on the step and sat in his cab; I received an email to confirm delivery.   Chris gets his co

Today Rulers and Prince Caspian Day Thirty of the Spanish Lockdown, the sometimes amusing, diary of a Brit in southern Spain under the 'Alarma' - normal life has stopped.   To find out more:  https://www.thesecretspain.com t is day 30 of our Spanish Lockdown and the sun has shone through the high cloud.  the weather though is unseasonably cool.  The traffic this morning is noticeably noisier, there has been a very slight lifting of the Lockdown to allow some industries and some construction return to work.   I have started recording my work for children's literacy, I am the computer voice for quizzes that tests whether a child has read a particular book.  If they pass they can move on to the next book.  I love books, I didn't always.  When I went to school in the swinging sixties, teachers wore caftans and one thigh length boots and an impossibly small mini skirt that showed her teaching credentials every time she bent over to pick the chalk up from the blackboard.   In the 1960s at school we were experimente