Spain in lockdown Phase 1 - Day 67

A prompt start to the day as we had to get to our garage in Pinaret to get a number of books and some other superfluous items from our rental apartment and then take them all to the charity shop which has just re-opened here.  All the volunteers in the shop are wearing face shields and there is a plastic screen at the till plus hand sanitiser at the door on entry.  They were very pleased to see us and we were pleased to clear the decks so to speak.  Well nearly......I bought another 1,000 piece puzzle and collected yet another from someone en route to the next stop which was Lidl, in order to get a few things for tomorrow's little soiree on our roof terrace.  So two big puzzles plus my little mistake purchase 300 piece one that I bought (thinking it was a big one) will keep me busy waaaaay into the next few weeks.  This is probably a good thing as the school where I work is now not opening until September 😞 so the long hot summer stretches ahead of me!  

It is noticeable now just how many people are wearing face masks 😷  maybe they had a 'heads up' because as of tomorrow we all (anyone aged 6 years and over) have to wear face masks in public areas (outdoors or indoors) if you can't keep 2m distance of other people eg. shops, and I believe Eroski are going to insist on it from tomorrow.  There are exceptions including if you are doing sport or have an underlying health condition or disability that precludes it.  We had a few masks from Ian's garage but they're not great and we nipped over to the farmacia and bought some nice cloth ones that can be washed and re-used.  

In any event, once home I realised I hand't got enough vanilla essence for the carrot cake so we went in search but it seems to be in short supply.  We stopped for a coffee in the square, it's market day and although a smaller market than usual for this time of year by some margin, there was a steady hum.  We were sitting at Bar Manolo's tables near the church which was looking idyllic; the photo of the market makes it look deserted but it was in fact quite busy!

And as luck would have it a passing friend was able to supply me with vanilla essence so it was karma!  

After lunch I got to work in the kitchen and pottered about mixing, chopping and grating for ages.  Carrot cake and also Coca de Trampo and here they are, Nigella eat your heart out:

A bit more to do tomorrow including making some cheese straws, it's like being on Great British Bake Off - my domestic goddessing credentials are sky high right now! 

I was as devastated as everyone else who has heard the news so far - RIP Muscovy Duck 😭  I wrote about MD in this blog on 4 May when he seemed to have got himself a girlfriend of a large white duck and was as happy as larry and here is the photo we took:

But the sad news is that he trotted out between two parked cars on the Formentor Road just behind Pascalinos so I believe, and a car hit him 😱  His girlfriend is reported as moping which is heartbreaking.  It really is very sad news as he was kind of iconic along Pine Walk between Pascalinos and Little Italy and we're all going to miss him.  RIP MD 😢

Stay safe and hasta luego!