Author Archives: JJS

Belfast to Bushmills

Posted on September 7, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 A Titanic start and a whiskeyed finish The alarm rang cruelly early, but when you’ve booked six people into the Titanic Experience for 9 a.m., you either rise with purpose or you sink without trace. Belfast’s pride and heartbreak, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Belfast bound

Posted on September 6, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 A day of breakfasts, queues & questionable digestifs The Breakfast That Ate Lunch Holidaymakers are not supposed to start early. It goes against the natural laws of lounging. Yet there we were, bleary-eyed at 8:15 in the lobby, proving … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Anniversary Adventures: Ryanair and the Return of Alcohol 🍀

Posted on September 5, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 DRAFT A Special Day in Dublin (and in Trousers) Today is kind of a special day, though the reasons come in no particular order. First, we’re heading off to Dublin early this afternoon. Second, it also happens to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel | Leave a comment

Packing panic in pararadise

Posted on September 3, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 A love letter to Ryanair’s luggage policy Ah, the final golden rays of Occitan sunshine are gracing my face like a farewell kiss from a lover who knows I’m about to cheat on them—with a raincloud. Yes, tomorrow I … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel | 2 Comments

Time to check in

Posted on September 2, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 (and buckle up for Guiness) ✈️ It’s official: the trip to Ireland has moved from the “Wouldn’t it be lovely?” stage to the “Print virtually your boarding pass before Ryanair charges you a kidney” stage. Yes, there’s no alternative … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel | 1 Comment

The month that was – August 2025

Posted on August 29, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 Ah, August. The month when most of the world seems to go on holiday… except at my place. No visitors this time, which made for a rather quieter stretch. The fridge was grateful, the wine rack untouched, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Beach Destinations, Food and Drink, Lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Breaking the silence

Posted on August 27, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 BBQs,bypasses and the brutal end of summer Sipping my morning coffee today, peacefully watching the world fall apart one international headline at a time, I had an alarming revelation—I haven’t posted anything in five days. Five. Days. That’s practically … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Time to mix

Posted on August 19, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 The Spicy Margarita Rosé test drive This morning, the final piece of the puzzle arrived: a handsome little bottle of Jalapeño liqueur, shipped with care and probably a little Gallic shrug, all the way from the Bar Spirit Shop … Continue reading →

Posted in Drinks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Autumn in August 🍁🍂

Posted on August 18, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 A couple of days ago, I was already grumbling about the plane trees shedding their leaves as if we were in late October. Fast forward to this morning: I open the international papers and what do I read? The … Continue reading →

Posted in Seasonal Changes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The week thas was – 33/2025

Posted on August 17, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 If I had to sum up this past week in two words, they would be: boring and down in the dumps. Maybe one caused the other. Or maybe it was just me. My better half certainly didn’t help by … Continue reading →

Posted in Journal, Memories and Nostalgia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment