Monthly Archives: February 2026

Spanish retreat – Day 4

Posted on February 18, 2026 by JJS

🇬🇧 Spain, Day 4: Sunshine, Tapas, and the Heroic Quest for Wine Woke up late to a frankly illegal amount of sunshine. The sort that immediately forgives you for all past sins and makes you believe you are, at heart, … Continue reading →

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Spanish retreat – Day 3

Posted on February 17, 2026 by JJS

🇬🇧 Ham, hypermarkets and heroic beach strolling Today’s mission: supplies. Not just any supplies. Spanish supplies. The kind that make your fridge look like it’s about to host a tapas-themed TED Talk. We kicked things off at the local Mercadona, … Continue reading →

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Spanish retreat – Day 2

Posted on February 16, 2026 by JJS

🇬🇧 500km, one shoulder and the sacred Spanish lunch hour I woke up with my shoulder still auditioning for a tragic opera, but with slightly less commitment to the role than yesterday. Progress! After a lightning-round shower and a coffee … Continue reading →

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Spanish retreat – Day 1

Posted on February 15, 2026 by JJS

🇬🇧 The kind of sentence that smells faintly of sunscreen and irresponsibility. We left home with the precision of a German train timetable and arrived in Barcelona in 2 hours and 54 minutes. Not 3 hours. Not “about 3 hours.” … Continue reading →

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La France ne dĂ©cline pas

Posted on February 13, 2026 by JJS

🇫🇷 Elle avance, en râlant Le rĂ©cit du « dĂ©clin français » est devenu un rĂ©flexe mĂ©diatique. On l’entend du matin au soir, entre deux dĂ©bats enflammĂ©s. Mais quand on regarde les faits plutĂ´t que le bruit, l’image est bien … Continue reading →

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Thursday, my old friend

Posted on February 12, 2026 by JJS

🇬🇧 I have always liked Thursdays. Not in a loud, fireworks-and-confetti sort of way. More in the discreet, knowing nod of two accomplices who understand each other perfectly. Thursday sits there, calmly, right in the middle of the week. Precisely … Continue reading →

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Les Aiguilles Rouges

Posted on February 11, 2026 by JJS

🇬🇧 The birthday I spent trying not to plummet off the French Alps June 21st, 1976 🏔️They say your twenties are for finding yourself. On my 23rd birthday, I was less concerned with finding myself and more concerned with not … Continue reading →

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The Month That Was: January 2026

Posted on February 1, 2026 by JJS

🇬🇧 Or: How I Survived Technology, Weather, Whisky, and My Own Pancreas A month-long chronicle of medical adventures, technological betrayals, gastronomic triumphs, and the ongoing battle between diet intentions and French cuisine January 2026 will go down in personal history … Continue reading →

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