2023 was a year that reminded me how quickly life can change, through travel, friendships, health scares, laughter, loss and the small routines that keep me grounded. These journals became my way of remembering the days I might otherwise forget: the walks along the beach, the coffees with friends, the long hours rebuilding my website, the trips that lifted my spirits and the quiet weeks when I wasn’t at my best. Looking back, this collection feels like a snapshot of who I was throughout the year, one week at a time.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A quiet Christmas week spent fighting off a cold, keeping warm, cooking simple meals, doing small jobs around the apartment, and ending the year with football, website work and an early night on New Year’s Eve.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A festive week of sunshine, Christmas carols, website work, a freezing Christmas swim, football, friends, and finally being knocked flat by a cold on Christmas Eve.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of blood tests, breakfasts out, website work, jabs, power cuts, football highs and lows, and catching up with friends as you slowly recovered from your post‑holiday cold.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of recovering from your Brazil trip, fighting off a cold, catching up with friends, working on your website photos, and watching Arsenal in two dramatic matches.
Location: Rio de Janeiro → Madrid → Los Alcázares
Summary: Your final days in Brazil, visits to iconic Rio landmarks, a smooth journey home, and a quiet return to Los Alcázares where a cold and exhaustion caught up with you after the long trip.
Location: Costa Favolosa → Recife → Olinda → Salvador → Ilhéus → Rio de Janeiro
Summary: A week of crossing the equator, arriving in Brazil, guided tours of historic cities, one terrible excursion, one brilliant one, and finally disembarking in Rio de Janeiro to begin a five day stay on Copacabana Beach.
Location: Costa Favolosa — Cádiz, Tenerife, Atlantic Crossing
Summary: A week of cruising, excursions, cancelled tours, new friendships, and the start of a six-day Atlantic crossing towards Brazil aboard the Costa Favolosa.
Location: Barcelona → Costa Favolosa → Cádiz (at sea)
Summary: A week of blood tests, website work, photo editing, breakfasts out, knee management, last‑minute holiday prep, and finally setting off for your long‑awaited cruise to Brazil aboard the Costa Favolosa.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of improving health, Amazon delivery chaos, meals with friends, website work, photo recovery, football highs and lows, and preparations for your upcoming cruise. Your knee slowly improved, and your website hosting finally stabilised.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A painful week dominated by knee trouble, website hosting battles, meals with friends, a few bright moments of socialising, and a slow but steady recovery. Arsenal delivered some joy, and your new hosting finally came through.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A difficult week with worsening knee pain, long walks, hosting friends, garden centre trips, Joomla hosting battles, and a weekend spent mostly resting. Despite the setbacks, there were moments of laughter, good company, and determination to keep your website running.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of long walks, heavy drinking surprises, garden centre trips, sad news about Uncle Paul, Caldero celebrations, new tech, photo album work, rugby and football, and a fantastic Sunday lunch at Lottie’s finca.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of bank appointments, long walks, new tech, website work, photo album rebuilding, kind gestures from strangers, football highs and lows, and a brilliant Arsenal win over Manchester City.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of long walks, new glasses, Keto meals, website work, football, deliveries, and preparing for visitors. You also upgraded your tech, reorganised your routines, and enjoyed some excellent sporting results.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of new glasses, long walks, Keto meals, genealogy work, football, sleep struggles, banana skin tea experiments, and steady progress on your website. You also explored property options, reorganised your routines, and enjoyed time with friends.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of new glasses, long walks, genealogy work, cooking, football, weight loss plans, and reorganising the apartment. I also dealt with optician frustrations, enjoyed breakfasts out, and watched Arsenal win again.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of knee trouble, town hall battles, genealogy breakthroughs, breakfasts out, long walks, noisy nights, storms, films, and a brilliant Arsenal win over Manchester United. I also collected my kayak trailer, reorganised my garage, and enjoyed time with friends.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of breakfasts out, swims, website work, business ideas, curry nights, helping friends with tech, noisy nights in the plaza, storms, football, and a great end to the week with Arsenal beating Manchester United.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A hot August week of swims, website work, genealogy discoveries, meals with friends, football, a pub crawl, and festival celebrations in Los Alcázares.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A hot August week of swims, genealogy research, ant warfare, meals with friends, parade watching, Amazon deliveries, and football. I tested my new underwater phone pouch, enjoyed time at the chiringuitos, and continued preparing for my Brazil cruise.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of late mornings, bus adventures, swims, meals with friends, genealogy work, Amazon deliveries, football, karaoke, and celebrating Arsenal’s Community Shield win. I also helped neighbours, sorted tech issues, and enjoyed the Mar Menor whenever the waves allowed.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain & Murcia City
Summary: A week of swims, website work, Amazon deliveries, financial advisor frustrations, meals with friends, concerts in Murcia, and celebrating Arsenal’s Community Shield win. I also continued my genealogy research and enjoyed evenings at La Playa bar.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of AGM stress, early swims, birthday celebrations, photo‑sorting marathons, football at strange hours, extreme heat, Amazon deliveries, and plenty of time in the Mar Menor. I also helped friends with laptops, enjoyed meals out, and kept cool indoors during the heatwave.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain; Murcia City
Summary: A week of early swims, heatwaves, peppers from Gina, long chats with friends, a trip to Murcia to see Rod Stewart, editing videos, Amazon deliveries, and keeping cool indoors. I also continued my family tree research and enjoyed plenty of time in the Mar Menor.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A hot July week of early swims, website work, Amazon deliveries, meals with friends, a broken garage lift, long walks, and the usual battles with acid reflux. I enjoyed time with Alan and Jacky, helped friends with laptops, and kept cool indoors during the heatwave.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A hot July week of swims, long walks, lift failures, helping friends, cruise planning, social evenings, and a few battles with acid reflux. I booked my dream Brazil cruise, spent time with friends, and tried to stay cool during the heatwave.
