VIVA ESPAÑA

I have been so caught up with stuff lately – at work and at home, so I really haven’t had much time or enthusiasm for writing anything – or reading for that matter.

I am still trying to sort out a re-mortgage on my home. Hopefully, when it all works out I should be free of some of my debts, the more interest heavy ones that is. I didn’t realise how time consuming and stress filled this would be – as for paperless applications – IT’S A LIE!! I have a mountain of paperwork from: The Broker, The Solicitor and The Building Society – it now fills nearly two manila folders with random stuff and I still have no money. Ah well, ‘patience is a virtue’ I have been told.

It was Mother’s Day last Sunday and my boys bought me a DVD of ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ and a lovely card. They were supposed to re-grout my bathroom tiles for me, but a heavy night the previous night, put paid to any manual work and they spent most of the day nursing their hangovers. Boys will be boys eh!!

My sister (Palmers Green) phoned to ask me if I would like to join her and take our Mother out for day on Sunday. She had seen an advert for a ‘Viva España’ Exhibition at Olympia in London - My Mum has been feeling really homesick for Spain recently, she has not been able to spend much time there since my Father became ill and she is really missing catching up on all the local gossip from family and friends. We have tried to convince her that she should go for a couple of weeks, but she is always so guilt ridden (that’s the Catholic part) that she won’t leave my Dad, even though we are all more than capable of keeping an eye on him. – Well anyway, my sister thought it would be really nice to take her there, if only to get her out of the house and spend a bit of time with three of her girls (my other sister Angie lives in Mallorca).

After a marathon journey, which took us five changes of trains (Sunday service on the London Underground is hellish) we arrived at Olympia. The exhibition was primarily for property sales, but in amongst the property sales, were free tastes of: Chilled Spanish Sherry, Soberano Brandy, a selection of wines from all over Spain; Olives, Nuts, Spanish cured ham (jamon Serrano), bread with olive oil and several other tasty titbits. I was feeling quite tipsy after only one taste of the sherry (well it was quite strong!) and my sisters from Palmers Green and Harrow and Wealdstone, were entering into the spirit of the whole event. There was Flamenco dancing and singing and we also stopped for some lunch in the makeshift Square (Plaza Mayor) and had a selection of Tapas . My Mum seemed to enjoy the event, but I am not sure if it only served to make her even more homesick – I must have a little chat with her tomorrow, when I pop in for a visit.

My boys were at it again on Monday night – Tottenham was playing against Chelsea in an FA Cup round (I think?) and they took the loss quite badly and so had to drown their sorrows. My eldest son told me that his brother had fallen asleep leaning against the bar and that he had left him asleep until it was closing time. I also ended up with a street sign in the middle of my living room, which I am not at all happy about. It is being returned this evening – definitely!!

I would just like to say, that my two boys don’t normally go together, out on the ‘lash’ as they call it, but I am quite pleased that they get on so well – it just shows how much they have grown up recently. Sorry did I say grown up – except for the street sign incident they are normally very polite and well behaved boys. Everyone is entitled to go mad a bit now and then.

Well got to go and get ready now – I am off out to meet a friend, we are going to the Cinema to watch ‘Premonition’ with Sandra Bullock. We are then going out for dinner to Chiquitos – better still she is paying!! I have such very good friends!! Ha, ha!!

Adios amigos, hasta pronto.


Jo xx

A BIT OF CULTURE IN MY LIFE

The morning did not start too well – I woke up with a crashing headache and a blocked nose – Bloody Hell!! I don’t believe it this blooming cold is haunting me. After spending two or three days relatively happy and sniffle free, full of the joys of Spring, the cold comes back to wreak havoc on me. I did not let it beat me and took a couple of Co-codamols, which within half an hour made me feel a bit more human.

Today, Wednesday, being my day off, I fancied a bit of culture and together with two of my very good friends Steve and Jill, I went trolling around Central London visiting a few places of interest on the way.

I met my friend Steve at Borders bookshop in Oxford Street at 11 am. We decided to take a stroll around the back streets of Soho, where a multitude of interesting little galleries, art shops and other oddities can be found. We went into a really nice ceramics shop (Broadwick Street – I think), with the kind of ceramics I have always wanted to be able to make, huge pots and platters and interesting sculptures – huge price tags though – far too expensive for my modest pocket.

We continued on through: Carnaby Street, Poland Street, Wardour Street, Berwick Street, Dean Street and countless other little mews, which criss cross that whole area. Our objective was to reach the Photographers Gallery in Great Newport Street for 12.30pm, where we would meet our friend Jill.

We arrived at the Gallery with time to spare and had a look around the exhibition of photographs, which is free to anyone. They had several documentary exhibitions, some of which were quite startling, others downright boring (pretentious), but all educational in their own way.

After the gallery visit, we thought it was just about time for Lunch – we found a nice Spanish restaurant called ‘La Tasca’ in Maiden Lane, Covent Garden. They served a huge selection of Tapas (small tastes of food) and at lunchtime the deal is £10 eat as much as you like per person.

I ate: Fried mixed fish, including Calamari, Prawns, Whitebait
Spinach and Advocado Salad (beautifully fresh)
Pork ribs in a wonderful thick gravy
Potatoes cooked with Onions and Peppers

Other things on the menu were: Patatas Bravas (Potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce)
Potato Omelette
Skewered spicy chicken pieces
Mushroom Croquettes
Oven roasted aubergines with tomatoes and cheese

And much, much more!!

After a long and leisurely lunch, we decided to go on to the National Portrait Gallery, near Trafalgar Square. We spent a couple of hours wandering through the rooms and looking at some good, not so good and downright awful pieces – not all art is good art!!

We finished off the day by walking around Covent Garden, which was packed with PSV Eindhoeven fans, waiting for the big match against Arsenal. They all seemed quite well behaved, but then it was before the match – lets see what happens later on this evening. A visit to Neal’s Yard (Vegetarian’s delight) and Cucumber Lane finished off a wonderful day out.

The journey home on the Bakerloo line and Jubilee Line was not so salubrious, but then we can’t have everything in life. I am absolutely shattered, so it’s an early night for me, after I’ve soaked my aching feet.

Happy but tired I bid you adieu.

Jo xx