2013 there we go!

2012 was really hard, so I´m really glad it´s finally over!

And I love the feeling of a New year, with every minute ready to be good memory!

So, yes, 2012 was hard, but it also had good things:

-Spent 3 months in London and got to work with some of the best Haematology Doctors there. And met lots of new people, including Maria. And, I love that city!

-Finished my Haematology Residency Trainning.

-Move to a new flat with one of my best friends

-Discovered I have some really good friends

-Started working on my PhD

-Went to the EBMT Meeting

-Cooked and baked a lot

-Hosted losts of  Dinner parties

-Started painting again

-Learnt how to make my own DIY pinhole camera and to take pictures with it

-Started crocheting again

-Read some really good books

And, now, let´s be positive, 2013 will be a great year!

Here some pics from the New year´s Brunch we had at home.

Happy New year to you all!

DIY paper flower cone bouquets fron Oh Happy Day Blog

Mince Pies

Brioche and scones

Gift!

María sent me the cutest gift!

Receiving something on the mail box nowadays (except from bills...) is something full of magic. And Maria sent me this little present that made my day.

The pins are perfect and so funny, and the little horse tin is great for my collection.
Thanks!

Farewell dinner!

Now it´s officially the end...

Residency program has come to the end!

For the farewell dinner we gathered 40 persons!, colleagues, nurses, but most important, our friends.
I was really sad, and happy, and proud, and...

Pilar had prepared a wonderful video with photos, messages from everybody at the Department, jokes, and I´ve got to say some tears ran down my cheek...
It was like I remembered all that I went trough these past years..., and we finally made it!

For farewell present we received an Ipad and a beatiful bracelet.

I´m so glad and thankful for everybody that have helped me to get to the end of this stage...!
And for my friends and colleagues!

Thanks to everybody!
I´m already missing you all!

Farewell outfit

My friends

Last day on call!

Last day on call in La Paz..., as a Registrar!
Oh my God!, Am I that old?

And it´s kind of confusing, because I´m gonna miss everything!, patients, nurses, friends, the hospital, the creepy room, even A&E!!!
But on the other hand, I´m so happy to lose all these sleepless nights, all these worries, A&E!!!, and finish this phase of my life.

The nurses prepare a little farewell afternoon, with a delicious triple chocolate cake for the 3 of us (thanks Laura!). Thanks a lot!

(I´m so going to miss everything!!!!!!!!!!!)

Cooking for friends: pink cupcakes and baby Sunday

This Sunday I´m going to visit Patricia and her baby, Vera. I made some pink cupcakes to share with them.
(vanilla cupcake with cream-cheese frosting)

Dinner with friends

After a few useless attemps, finally we got together. We´ve just missed  Angela and Clara. But maybe next time we´ll be all together.
It´s nice to meet your friends after so long, specially when we´re all so busy to meet!

With Marta

My favorite team!

Pre-weekend in Barcelona

Last week I was on holidays. I´ve been all over Madrid scattering my curriculums in different hospitals. And then on Thursday I went to Barcelona to the  Baxter Coagulopathies Workshop. The course is really good, besides that, I went with friends, which makes it even better. And it was near Barcelona in the Sant Llorent National Park. A very modern and eco-friendly hotel ind a great landscape.

On Friday afternoon we went to a mountain bike ride. I´ve only biked for 5 minutes, it was really uphill, so I decided to back off for my own health (I know, I´m not very fit, I´m not proud of it).

The view from my hotel room

With Karem preparing for the ride

Before dinner

Cooking for friends: Strawberry Summer Cake

The other day I cooked the perfect Strawberry summer cake (from Smitten Kitchen). The best recipe ever! So simple, but so tasty!
I tried it with strawberry, cherry, peach, banana and caramel...the possibilities are endless. the trick of it it´s to bake it for an hour in a 150º C oven. And the fruit turns to marmalade!
It´s always a great hit. Thanks Smitten Kitchen! (http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/05/strawberry-summer-cake/)

Back Home

Back home now.
Today´s Marta is on call, so the house is very lonely.

I have to tide all my clothes.
I´m a little nervous to be back at work, and see everybody. Except for my friends!

And on Saturday I´m going to the EBMT, in Geneva. So I have to prepare luggage again!

(I miss London!)

DAY 82: It´s not goodbye, it´s "see you soon"...

Well. What can I say, but: I´m going to miss everybody and everything!

Now, with my huge suitcase and an extra bag (mainly full of books, presents and M&S cookies) have to travel in low cost. I just get tired with the only idea of trevelling back!

But I know I´ll be back soon. And now, I have people to visit.
I´m really happy with my time here. Time went really fast!

Farewell Dinner

I had dinner with Maria, Nadia and Angela at The Freemasons Arm Pub. It´s such a beatiful place, and the dinner and desserts were really good. We had a very nice time speaking Spanish. Iá very sorry I forgot to take any pictures!

Maria gave a farewell present: Amelie and BBC´s Pride and Prejudice!
Best present ever! Thanks a lot, María!

Italian dinner

I had dinner with Maria and Rita at Jamie´s. I love Jamie Oliver. I watch all his programs when I was in Argentina, and cook some of his recipes as well.

Food was really tasty. We shared some Italian bread and Polenta chips (my favorites!). I had the pumkin culurzone, and the Italian ice-cream bombe.

Very nice place, food and company.

DAY 77: Friday night out

I had so many plans for tonight!
But then, I finished really late, and left the hospital after 6!

I was at home, struggling with myself to take nap or leave for David hockney exhibition.And Nadia called me to see what plans I had. Finally I conviced her to go to the exhibition.

When we got there, my fast-track tickets were sold our, and we had to queu for 2 hours to go in. We decided hunger was more important than Art, and went to have dinner at the Soho, at Leon. Nice place, and nice food. I liked the old pictures on the walls. And so we had time to catch up. Then we had a beer with some friends of Nadia, very nice people.

DAY 73: by the river

Today I had a day off, and we went for a walk by the river (From the Big ben to St, Katherine´s docks). And then came back to Hampstead to have lunch at Giraffe (hummus with pita bread and a Deli hamburguer). We had some strawberry-lime cider (remembering Stockholm), but we missed Karem.

Then, it was really late even to have dessert, and we had to literally run to Victoria Station. It was so late!
But finally Isa made it to flight.

It was a great weekend!

And going back next week to Madrid.
I will miss so much this city!

As we started to sing (The Ryan O´Reilly Band)

Ryan O´Reilly Band played tonight at The Toucan (Soho Sq).

Their music is great, the lyrics are so sweet, and listening to them is one of the better things to do!

I had ones of their EPs, Emily. But I bought Live in the studio, and their new CD (The blighted apple). A great band. They play almost every weekend in London, you can have a look in the web page to follow their gigs and buy the new CD. (http://www.theryanoreillyband.com/)

I coming back to Madrid next week, but I hope someday they go there to play.

DAY 72: Camden

We started the day at the Euphorium bakery in Hamsptead. And then walked to Camden Market.

We saw the market, buy some things and had lunch (Indian) in the Vespas seats by the canal. It was grey and rainy, but thanks to that there were very few people, and you could walked and see the shops and stands very relaxed.

Happy St. Patrick´s Day (SanPatriciocañas)

We´re off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz

I had bever been to a musical. And I never thought I would like it.
But, apart from the fact I love this story, the actors, the music and the staging were fantastic!

I´ve already decided, every morning from now on, I´ll get up with its music!

DAY 71: London revisited part 2

Today we went to have some English breakfast (bacon and eggs) with Nadia and Angela. And then left for Leicester Sq to buy tickets for a musical play (my choice!: The wizard of Oz).

Saw Covent Garden, and went to Portobello Market. Came back to Oxford Circus for the Theater.
It rained a lot, specially when we were in Portobello.
By the time we wanted to get some dinner, there was no Pub that wanted us. I was really mad!, haw can you say NO!, only because there were 6 of us!

Finally went to a little restaurant that served English breakfast all day long. I had the breakfast and a jacked potato (sharing with Isa).

Marta and Isa in Covent Garden

Peanut butter cupcake at Covent Garden

With Isa at the Albert Memorial

Bizzillion calories waffle in Portobello

My English breakfast dinner

Isa´s here!

After having dinner with Marta, Nadia and Angela, went to Victoria to pick Isa.

Then we left the luggage home and went to Candem Caipirinha Spiritual Bar to have a drink and talked a little.(Please note, this is a great bar, with paintings at the walls and great music, nice place to relax).

After that went to dance for a while. But everything here closes at 3! (I miss Madrid!)