2021 was one of those years where life didn’t exactly explode with excitement, it just quietly wandered along, tripping over the occasional surprise. These journals follow me week by week as I fixed things around the house, watched far too much football, enjoyed slow mornings in Los Alcázares, and tried to remember what I walked into the kitchen for. Again.
It wasn’t a year of grand adventures; it was a year of real life, the ordinary days that slip past unless you write them down. So I did. Sometimes planned, often not. Sometimes joyful, sometimes frustrating, occasionally emotional, and always honest.
This page brings together all my 2021 journal entries, organised by week, so you can follow the rhythm of the year as it unfolded, a mix of routine, reflection, small victories, a few lows, and the usual chaos that seems determined to follow me around.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of genealogy research, new routines, neighbourly catch‑ups, and settling into the new year with a mix of healthy intentions, football, and familiar comforts.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of genealogy deep‑cleaning, printer frustrations, soup‑making marathons, unexpected purchases, and the usual mix of football, errands, and small domestic victories.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of genealogy deep‑dives, unexpected doorstep kindness, long walks cut short, tea‑related mysteries, bureaucratic surprises, football joy, and the comforting rhythm of familiar routines.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week marked by my 54th birthday, quiet routines, genealogy deep‑dives, bureaucratic battles, neighbourly moments, and plenty of football to keep me company.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of genealogy research, early mornings, new lights and fans, neighbourly help, football frustrations, and small domestic victories.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of new furniture, long walks, genealogy breakthroughs, juicing experiments, football frustrations, and the welcome return of real human company.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of sunshine, genealogy, good food, friendly faces, fresh juice, and the unforgettable moment of watching Perseverance land on Mars.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of Photoshop tutorials, digital art experiments, reorganising photos, long walks, good food, and a steady rhythm of football, sunshine, and small domestic victories.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of digital art inspiration, genealogy updates, good food, long chats with friends, and a few well‑earned beers along the way.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of cold weather, chest pains, antibiotics, breakfasts with friends, genealogy breakthroughs, and the usual rollercoaster of Arsenal‑induced stress.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of new shelves and flower containers, Amazon deliveries, football stress, doughnut diplomacy, and a long‑awaited cardiologist appointment in Cartagena that finally brought some peace of mind.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of homemade sausages, heavy rain, rugby drama, long chats with friends, sunburnt heads, and more than a few beers shared with Russ.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of leg cramps, rugby drama, digital art inspiration, supermarket adventures, emotional news, and the excitement of seeing my face on an Arsenal banner.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of fresh fruit juice, curry experiments, e‑bike research, sunburn, films, breakfasts with friends, and plenty of afternoons spent bar‑hopping with Russ.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of rain, golf, breakfasts with friends, sunburn, errands, and a brilliant Arsenal performance to finish things off.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week filled with sunshine, friends, bar‑hopping, football frustration, and the big decision to order an electric bike, finally.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of grey skies, long walks, bar‑hopping, neighbourly chaos, and, most importantly, collecting and riding my brand‑new electric bike for the first time.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of long walks, kayaking, bike rides, breakfasts with friends, gardening projects, and the usual mix of football frustration, sunshine, and neighbourly chaos.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of chocolate pancakes, long chats with friends, bike rides, gardening, sunburn, football marathons, and a wonderful return to eating out after more than a year.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A gentle, sun filled week with football, friends, balcony gardening, a long awaited COVID jab, and lazy afternoons by the Mar Menor.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week marked by sunshine, swimming, football, small daily routines, and the heartbreaking loss of my friend and neighbour, Russ Morgan. A kind man, a loyal friend, and someone whose favourite saying, “It’s nice to be nice,” summed him up perfectly. RIP Russ, you will be missed.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of broken sleep, coffees with friends, Photoshop tutorials, Spanish lessons, bike rides, quizzes, and the usual mix of sunshine, storms and small daily adventures.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of broken sleep, coffees with friends, Photoshop tutorials, Spanish lessons, bike rides, quizzes, and the usual mix of sunshine, storms and small daily adventures.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of early morning swims, sunshine, football, unexpected visitors, long walks, good food, and the steady rhythm of life by the Mar Menor.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of long walks, daily swims, football marathons, Amazon deliveries, cocktails with friends, and the ongoing saga of balcony plants and Sharky Mobile adventures.
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week that began with sunshine, swims and simple routines, then turned sharply when I was mugged outside my apartment. What followed was fear, shock, frustration, and then the steady, reassuring support of friends, neighbours and strangers who helped me put things right.
