Breakfast with flowers

How important I consider to entertain the people I love, treat them, give them gifts, listen to them and share experiences. That's what I decided last month to give my daughter for her birthday, a beautiful experience, something that she would remember fondly, that would be unforgettable and that would make her feel special and loved.

One day, scrolling through Instagram, I found the perfect gift: a breakfast with flowers. No diamonds, as Audry Hepburn dreams of in front of the Tiffany & Co jewelry store in the famous film, but something more natural, simpler and equally beautiful. A night and an awakening in a dream house, the one run by Federica Barbaranelli in Novales, a town in Cantabria located near the coast, between Comillas and Santillana del Mar.

I decided to surprise him. I asked him to give me an afternoon, the day before his birthday, a night and a morning and to sign an agreement, no motive except to take photos. I agree.

-And what is it, mom?

-Ah! Surprise! I'm not going to let go of anything.

The day arrived not without overcoming some difficulties. Lu had to reschedule an exam that had been given on the scheduled date, which was a weekday. “But it's no problem, mommy. The teacher is very cool.” In fact, he took the test a few days before and already traveled with the test passed with flying colors.

I went to look for her when she left school happily. In fact, I felt like I was the one being gifted; having my teenage daughter dedicate 24 hours to me was quite a gift. We ate on the way at a cider house that we both really like. Lu was talkative, talkative and starving. We gave each other a good tribute.

After the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, dry and hot, it had been raining heavily for two days. During the trip, the sky made an incision and gave us one of those northern afternoons where a bluish gray contrasts with the intense green of meadows and valleys. The sea, which we saw next to the road, past Llanes and before approaching the neighboring community, was shaking wildly. “How beautiful everything is,” we both noted. Lu, like always when we go in the car together, turned on the music. That afternoon, songs from the eighties, I suppose in deference to me, although she knows them all. We sing at the top of our voices, both of us equally bad.

Around five thirty in the afternoon, we arrived at our destination: Federica&Co. A beautiful Indian house from the beginning of the 20th century where Federica has set up her life project, the house is a hotel and a decoration store (almost everything in it is sold) and it is a cozy and very special kitchen where the owner teaches culinary workshops. From autumn cooking to thematic courses on preparing, setting the table and decorating for Christmas, for example. Needless to say, places are limited and there is so much demand that it is difficult to find a spot.

Lu was amazed. I think I got the gift right. It was Federica herself who received us. He walked around the house collecting things and preparing the entries and photos for his Instagram, where he has thousands of followers to whom he writes with dedication. He tells them his feelings, what he is doing, the music he listens to, what is cooking on his stove, memories of his childhood, what his dogs do or Darwin, a donkey who eats the garden at will and at will. that we could not find out because he was on another farm that day or what he had collected in his garden that morning. The host, who had recently worked in Oviedo making several reproductions of still lifes from the Prado Museum in the Weapons Factory for the Princess of Asturias Foundation, showed us around the house, opened the shop she has in a garden shed and showed us around. He gave instructions for that night. She would be there for a couple more hours but then she would leave and we would be alone in the house until the next day, between 9 and 10:30, a boy named Alfonso would serve us breakfast with products from the countryside and nearby farms. .

"What do we have for breakfast in the kitchen?" I asked.

-What are you saying?-, she responded surprised,-What's up! What use would I have if not my wedding trousseau?

I leave it there. Lu and I look at each other. We would find out the next day.

Alone, we settled. We had three rooms at our disposal and we could choose whichever one we wanted. We opted for Towanda, a wonderful bedroom located in the east corner of the house, with balconies to the east and south, “Peony” flower wallpaper by Laura Ashley Madrid, and a large four-poster bed that we fell in love with. Red and pink predominated in the room. The other rooms, also beautiful, had two beds and one was decorated in blue tones, called Merlin, in honor of the wizard; and the other in yellow, called Blixen, in honor of the author of Out of Africa, the continent where Federica apparently lived.

The rest of the first floor, all for us, was made up of a small living room and a charming bathroom. We found it amusing that they hung price tags from lamps, vases, cushions or cabinets. We could buy any object we wanted. And we loved the flowers. There were flowers everywhere. In vases, fresh or dried, in baskets, on the wallpaper, in the bathroom, through the windows...

We left our suitcases, took a few photos and went to the shed to see the store. Lucía wanted everything. Me, too, why am I going to deceive you, but my credit card was not very willing. Kitchen towels, dishes, cups, jugs, tableware, salad bowls, glassware, linen tablecloths... It's a shame not to have three kitchens and bigger bank accounts! Everything there was exquisite in taste.

We had dinner in Cabezón de la Sal, in a charming restaurant that Federica recommended to us called La abacería de la Sal. A small and charming place where we chatted very comfortably and laughed for a while at the expense of the conversation of the diner at another table, clearly very indiscreet. We also talk about ourselves, our family, friends, our plans. Complicity, without more. So simple and wonderful.

We returned to Federica's house, alone. We put on our pajamas and went back to wandering through all the rooms at our leisure. Looking at every detail, enjoying all the beauty that surrounded us. We went to bed exhausted and immediately fell asleep, with the shutters open, to enjoy Towanda with all the shades of light. In fact, I remember opening my eyes, contemplating a starry night, with a moon, and enjoying a few seconds of that light until I closed my eyes again and fell asleep. A little later, the first rays of sun woke us both up. We lay there, together and smiling, enjoying the moment. What a magical place! There's nothing like waking up in the countryside.

Soon we heard noise and saw, in the garden, a boy picking oranges from a tree. “It will be Alfonso,” said Lucía.

Poco después, el olor a café subió desde la cocina. Saltamos de la cama y bajamos a desayunar tal cual, en pijama. Antes, obsequié a mi hija con un bonito libro ilustrado que me había enamorado hacía tiempo en una librería y había guardado para este momento. ¡»Felicidades, Lu!»

Alfonso introduced himself and led us to the living room where a table with exquisite delicacies and fresh flowers awaited us. Coffee, berries, freshly squeezed orange juice (with oranges from the farm), butter, yogurt, milk and fresh cheese from local producers, fruit, homemade cake, croissants, cereals... To Lu, who like almost all teenagers usually having a voracious appetite, made his eyes sparkle.

-Mother? Can I have breakfast twice?

-And three, darling! "It's your gift, a breakfast with flowers," I laughed.

Alfonso, a really charming guy who made us feel at home, congratulated Lu and offered to take a photo for us and immortalize the moment. It is the one that opens this post.

It was sunny, the light filtered through the windows and gave the room magical reflections. Lu was on her third piece of toast and asked me if she could have a second piece of cake. I couldn't be happier. My daughter was turning 17 and there we were, together, complicit, enjoying ourselves and in a dream place.

When finished, we went back up to the first floor. We took many more photos resting the phone on some object and with the self-timer programmed. “One, two, three, four… run!” Laughter, antics, dancing (again Lu as a DJ). The time to leave Federica & Co. was approaching. We showered in the wonderful bathroom where natural light poured in through two windows and we got ready to leave.

We chatted for a long time with Alfonso, who told us that he had studied Mines in Oviedo, before taking the car and leaving the beautiful Indian house behind. It was a great 24 hours. A gift for both of us, an experience, which at the end of the day is something that is not forgotten and that is very enriching because what you are giving is your time and your dedication and a finishing touch, a breakfast with flowers.

Happy birthday, Lu. You really are a gift.

I wanted to share this experience with you because I loved how Federica has combined her passion for receiving (which comes from her Italian family), for decoration, for cooking, for writing, for the countryside and for animals in a project unique and very special. If you want to know more about her, go to https://www.federicaando.com or to his instagram @federicaandco. But, above all, I wanted to encourage you to give experiences, time and dedication to the people you love. Life goes very fast and sometimes we don't stop to listen to and enjoy the people we love.