2025 was a year of contrasts, from the vibrant chaos of my India coach tour to the quiet routines, challenges and small victories of life in Los Alcázares. These journals capture it all: the long walks for coffee, the website projects, the genealogy breakthroughs, the hospital stay that turned life upside down for a while, and the slow, determined recovery that followed. Alongside the everyday moments with friends, football, food and Spanish sunshine, you’ll also find the colour, culture and unforgettable experiences of travelling through Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Agra, Lucknow, Varanasi, and Amritsar. If you enjoy honest snapshots of real life, the good, the frustrating, the funny and the unexpected, this collection offers a week‑by‑week look at a year that never stood still.
I stopped writing my journals for 2025 after week 49 but hoped to go back to writing them in 2026 when I got back from my trip to Australia & New Zealand.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A cold week with meals out, hospital visits, the start of my new kitchen installation, the arrival of December, long scooter rides, sad news from home, and plenty of Whiskerwood and football.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of cold weather, hospital visits, the long awaited arrival of my new disability scooter, lift problems, shopping trips, good food, long rides, and plenty of football and Whiskerwood.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of hospital visits, leg treatment, early mornings, cold weather, shopping trips, new gadgets, long walks, films, football and a very memorable North London Derby.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of hospital visits, dental work, website updates, long walks, new server setup, family news, films, and football, all while managing my leg treatment and settling into cooler weather.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of hospital and dental appointments, website work, coffee experiments, and plenty of Arsenal drama.
Location: Los Alcázares, Región de Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of recovery, new routines with the coffee machine, social meals, Wordle victories, website work, leg treatment concerns, hospital appointments, and a mix of good company, bad lifts, and improving health. Plenty of walking, chatting, and adjusting to life after dental surgery.
Location: Los Alcázares, Región de Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A busy week with visitors, long walks, dental pain, antibiotics, water shortages, website work, football, and the arrival of Markus after Peter’s visit. I dealt with DHL confusion, tank cleaning, mouth ulcers, and a lot of socialising, all while trying to rest and recover from the root canal.
Location: Los Alcázares, Región de Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of long walks, heavy rain, cancelled celebrations, dental pain, antibiotics, new furniture, new appliances, water shortages, and steady progress with my leg. I spent time with friends, worked on my website, dealt with sleepless nights, and prepared for upcoming visitors and my long-haul trip next year.
Location: Los Alcázares, Región de Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of strong winds, heavy rain, cancelled celebrations, long walks, website work, films, shopping trips, and steady progress with my leg. I spent time with friends, dealt with lift problems again, stocked up for the coming weeks, and continued improving my health routines while keeping up with football and my daily habits.
Location: Los Alcázares, Región de Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of health appointments, long walks, website updates, new clothes, gardening, lift breakdowns, and plenty of football. I continued improving my fitness, dealt with annoying neighbours and rubbish dumping, enjoyed meals with friends, and kept up with my daily routines while managing knee aches and the heat.
Location: Los Alcázares, Región de Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of health appointments, long walks, gardening, website work, lift breakdowns, new plants, new gadgets, and plenty of football. I spent time improving my fitness, tending to my balcony garden, dealing with frustrating lift issues, enjoying TV shows, and keeping up with Arsenal’s matches.
Location: Los Alcázares, Región de Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A hot and busy week with nurse visits, long walks, website work, new health gadgets, family meals, Amazon deliveries, and football. I spent time improving my fitness, adjusting my routines, enjoying visits from Karen and Brett, and dealing with the heat while keeping up with my website and daily habits.
Location: Los Alcázares, Región de Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A busy and social week with nurse visits, family time, meals out, Amazon deliveries, PostCrossing postcards, website work, and a few sleepless nights. I spent time with Karen and Brett during their visit, enjoyed good food, sorted out visas, dealt with pharmacies and parcels, and tried to manage stomach aches and the heat while keeping up with football and my website.
Location: Los Alcázares, Región de Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week filled with website work, nurse visits, Amazon deliveries, missing parcels, new furniture, football, and visa applications for next year’s Australia and New Zealand trip. I continued improving my website, dealt with frustrating delivery issues, enjoyed some meals out, and tried to stay cool while keeping busy with CIV VI, genealogy, and long walks.
Location: Los Alcázares, Región de Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of intense heat, nurse visits, website work, deliveries, PostCrossing postcards, meals with friends, and plenty of football. I continued improving my website, adjusted my routines, dealt with pharmacies and parcels, and tried to stay cool while keeping busy with genealogy, CIV VI, and long chats with friends.
Location: Los Alcázares, Región de Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of nurse visits, extreme heat, website work, genealogy research, PostCrossing postcards, medication adjustments, and football. I met friends for breakfasts and coffees, dealt with deliveries and repairs, and spent most afternoons escaping the heat in my air-conditioned apartment while continuing to improve my website.
Location: Los Alcázares, Región de Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of nurse visits, blood tests, extreme heat, website maintenance, genealogy research, PostCrossing postcards, supermarket frustrations, and adjusting my medication routine. I met friends for coffees, dealt with repairs and deliveries, and spent most afternoons escaping the heat in my air-conditioned apartment while watching football and working on my website.
Location: Los Alcázares, Región de Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A hot and noisy week with regular nurse visits, website updates, genealogy research, and dodging tourists. I met friends for coffees and breakfasts, battled overcrowded supermarkets, and spent most afternoons hiding in the air conditioning while watching TV, films, and keeping up with Arsenal news.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: I spent the week juggling clinic visits, booking my huge Australia and New Zealand adventure for next year, sorting out investments at the bank, researching insurance and travel plans, and continuing my genealogy work. The heat was relentless, the fiestas were loud, and my ankle continued its slow healing process. I stayed indoors more than usual, worked on my website, and made progress on my family tree.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: I spent the week juggling clinic visits, hosting my old friend Dave, recovering from acid reflux and gout, travelling to Murcia twice for concerts, sending my first PostCrossing postcards, and trying to stay cool in the Spanish heat. I made progress on my website, enjoyed some football, and finally started to feel more like myself again by the end of the week.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: I spent the week juggling clinic visits, battling the heat, sending my first PostCrossing postcards, dealing with gout, preparing for concerts, hosting my old friend Dave, and suffering one of the worst acid reflux attacks I have ever had. There were good moments, frustrating moments and a couple of worrying ones, but also plenty of laughs, nostalgia and progress on my website and genealogy research.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: I spent the week juggling clinic visits, preparing for concerts, battling the heat, meeting friends for coffees and meals, and doing a huge amount of genealogy and website work. I had a couple of worrying moments with the heat and my heart rate, but also enjoyed some great social moments, a concert trip to Murcia, and the excitement of Arsenal finally signing a proper striker.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: I spent the week battling the intense heat, juggling clinic visits, meeting friends for coffees and meals, helping people with documents, and doing a huge amount of genealogy and website work. I had a couple of worrying moments with my heart rate in the heat, but also some lovely social moments and productive research days. Summer is now fully here, and I felt every degree of it.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: I spent the week battling the heat, juggling clinic visits, helping friends, doing a huge amount of work on my website and genealogy pages, and trying to keep myself cool and functioning. I met friends for coffees and meals, had a couple of exhausting moments, and made good progress on my research. Summer has definitely arrived, and I felt every degree of it.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: I spent the week battling the heat, walking more, dealing with clinic visits, sorting out investments, helping friends, and doing a huge amount of work on my website and family tree. I also had some lovely meals, a couple of worrying moments with the heat, and some great news from my niece. My ankle continued to heal, and the summer weather truly arrived.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: I spent the week walking more, battling the heat, meeting friends, sorting errands, dealing with nurse appointments, and working heavily on my website. I had a couple of rough moments with dizziness, but also some lovely meals, good company and productive days. My ankle continued to heal, and I kept trying to improve my fitness and routines.
