Author Archives: JJS
A twinge too far
🇬🇧 “Ouch,” I said this morning — and not in my usual ah-my-back-is-just-warming-up sort of way. No, this was a new one. A sharp little reminder from somewhere deep in the kidney department, like a mischievous elf poking me with … Continue reading
Le mystère du pilulier
đź’Šđź’Šđź’Š 🇫🇷 Tous les quatre dimanches, Ă la mĂŞme heure, je m’installe devant la table de la cuisine pour accomplir un rite immuable. Pas de bougies, pas d’encens, juste moi, une tasse de cafĂ©, et mon pilulier. C’est mon petit … Continue reading
77 Days Till Christmas 🇬🇧
🇬🇧 or the art of good intentions This morning, my inbox greeted me with an email from my favourite Belgian comic book shop — the one that always seems to know exactly when to remind me of things I’m trying … Continue reading
French escapade – Day VIII & IX 🇬🇧🇫🇷
🇬🇧 The long goodbye (and a few oysters in between) All good things must come to an end — and apparently, so must good holidays. By 10 a.m., all twelve of us were packed, polished, and pointed in twelve different … Continue reading
French escapade – Day VII
🇬🇧 Of flowers, châteaux and a battle of wits (with whisky as fuel) Exploring the Loire one glass and one proverb at a time. Another cool and sunny day — perfect weather for exploration, or at least for pretending we’re … Continue reading
French escapade – Day VI
🇬🇧 Loches and loaded The art of sauntering with style and sore backs A good night’s sleep — I blame it entirely on the whisky. It seems to have excellent restorative powers, at least in moderation (or close enough). After … Continue reading
French escapade – Day V
🇬🇧 Of pasta, highways and lost rucksacks They say pasta dinners are comforting. Well, they didn’t tell me about the 3am hyperglycaemia wake-up call package deal. Despite a midnight insulin injection, my glucose levels seemed to think they were training … Continue reading
French escapade – Day IV
🇬🇧 Vierzon, why not? After three days of early starts, we finally allowed ourselves the luxury of breakfast at the decadent hour of 9am. No rushing, no alarms—just coffee and croissants without a stopwatch ticking in the background. The drive … Continue reading
French escapade – Day III
🇬🇧 Goats, caves & curious cuisine I must have slept reasonably well last night — only a faint brush with a nightmare, which I’ll generously classify as “training” for today’s winding roads. By 8:30, I was once again face-to-face with … Continue reading
French escapade – Day II
🇬🇧 Market, wine and multi-tasking conversations All six of us managed the impossible: sitting down at breakfast at the same time. 8:30 sharp, no stragglers, no excuses. Fueled by coffee and croissants, we then scattered like pigeons on a town … Continue reading
I do it my way 