2022 didn’t start with the usual weekly rhythm. After a break from writing, life carried on quietly until May, when a trip to Córdoba finally nudged me back into keeping track of things again. From there, the year unfolded in its steady way, swims, walks, heatwaves, website tinkering, concerts, coach trips, family visits, and the usual mix of small frustrations and small wins that make up life here in Los Alcázares.
These entries pick up from the moment I started writing again and follow the year as it happened, week by week, without drama or embellishment. Just an honest record of the days, the routines, the travels, and the moments worth remembering.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: The final week of 2022 began with a Boxing Day swim in the Mar Menor and ended with a relaxed New Year’s Day. In between, I dealt with stomach issues, adjusted my diet, booked travel for my February cruise, enjoyed plenty of football, and treated myself to a new beard trimmer.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: The week leading up to Christmas felt slow and lonely. I kept myself busy with website work, errands, cooking, and meeting friends, but the lack of festive spirit and a Christmas Day stomach ache made it a difficult week.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week focused on replacing my disability scooter batteries, dealing with tinnitus, keeping warm with a new heated gilet, and watching the World Cup, including one of the greatest finals ever played.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A mostly quiet week spent working at home, resting my knees, and updating my website, before being led astray at the weekend by Stuart and Graham who encouraged me to have one shandy too many.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A quiet week that began with a Doctor’s visit for swollen knees and ended with the Los Alcázares Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Most days were spent resting, working on my website, and watching the World Cup.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A very quiet week spent mostly with my feet up watching the World Cup, resting my legs as instructed by the Doctor, and enjoying a lively show outside my apartment at Playa de Espejo.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A quiet week spent resting my legs on the Doctor’s orders, starting new circulation tablets, wearing compression stockings, upgrading my television and sound system, and settling into a routine of feet up recovery, website work, and World Cup football.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A quiet recovery week spent resting my aching leg, editing hundreds of cruise photos and videos, updating my website and YouTube channel, and watching plenty of football, with Arsenal giving me two reasons to smile.
Location: Rome → Naples → Palma → Valencia → Los Alcázares
Summary: A week spent travelling across the Mediterranean, from Rome to Naples, then Palma, before returning to Valencia and finally home to Los Alcázares. A mix of sightseeing, exhaustion, unpacking and recovering from a cold.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain → Costa Toscana, Mediterranean Sea
Summary: A slow, restless start to the week as I counted down the days to my Mediterranean cruise. By Friday the excitement had fully kicked in, and by the weekend I was waking up in France and Italy aboard the Costa Toscana.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A strange but eventful week with doctor visits, a dying scooter battery, cruise preparations, karaoke, live music and plenty of football. A mix of frustrations, laughs and small victories.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A wet start turned into a bright, productive week spent organising genealogy records, enjoying Caldero Day, testing a new smart oven, catching up with friends and watching Arsenal grind out another important win.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A quieter, wetter week spent learning Adobe Lightroom, sorting out Amazon returns, catching up with friends and ending on a high as Arsenal beat Liverpool to return to the top of the Premier League.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A stormy start to the week turned into meals out, surprise lifts, a beautifully organised wedding, evenings with friends and a brilliant North London Derby win as Arsenal beat Spurs 3–1.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A wonderful week spent with my sister Karen and her partner Brett, with morning swims, fish feeding, meals out, family time and a few technical adventures. A warm, memorable visit after nearly four years apart.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A quiet start to the week with poor sleep, website work and errands, followed by a visit from my sister and a brilliant Arsenal win that put a grin on my face and the team back on top of the Premier League.
Location: Albacete & Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week that began in Albacete after seeing Texas live, followed by balcony gardening, a new solar fountain, fish feeding, jellyfish encounters, football, and the historic news of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A slow start to the week with website work and balcony gardening, followed by knee trouble, fish feeding, a website crash, football, and finally a weekend trip to Albacete to see Texas live in concert.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A quiet week of website work, morning swims, fish feeding, films, football and the sad news of losing a kind friend. Arsenal continued their strong start to the season and returned to the top of the Premier League.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of intense heat, early swims, website work, karaoke, reading on the balcony and plenty of football, ending with Arsenal sitting proudly at the top of the Premier League.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A hot, humid week with lunch out with friends, long hours working on my website, a few swims, a frustrating parcel delivery and the sad news of Olivia Newton‑John’s passing.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A stiflingly hot and humid week spent mostly indoors, with early swims, bike repairs, family tree research, noisy beach events and the start of the new Premier League season.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of scorching heat, a return to kayaking on the Mar Menor, a coach trip to a Bodega, long afternoons working on my website and a dramatic England victory in the European Championship final.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of early swims, scorching heat, a new circulation machine, a painful jellyfish sting and a busy weekend catching up with friends around Los Alcázares.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A strong week of swimming, more than 7 km in total, with hot afternoons, meals with friends, a trip to the Algar Waterfalls and plenty of relaxing time at home.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A strong week of swimming, over 5.2 km in total, mixed with family tree research, lost keys, new routines, Flamenco music outside the apartment and a painful foot that needed rest.
