#ExpatLife

This week started quickly with me going out for a few meals and finished with me having a cold, sniffing a lot, sneezing a lot, coughing and feeling terrible. I had caught a cold, and it was a proper man-size cold and made me feel terrible.

Week 1 of 2024, started very quietly and I stayed at home until going to see Cartagena vs Valencia in the Copa del Rey in Cartagena with my friends, Paul and Jim.

Week 1 of 2025 started cold and finished the same way. I went out a few times, ordered a new coffee maker and generally tried to keep warm.

This week saw my cruise come to an end, and I spent the rest of the week in pain, resting in front of the television.

In week 10 of 2024, I watched Arsenal win two games and go top of the Premier League. I had lots of deliveries, did lots of work and had some bad news about my flights for my cruise in April.

Week 10 of 2025 was mainly wet, and I spent a lot of time at home, keeping dry and warm. My coffee machine was returned, repaired and working again, and Arsenal surrendered any faint hopes they had of winning the Premier League.

I started feeling much better this week; the swelling in my legs had gone down, and I was no longer taking painkillers.

The 11th week of 2024 started with a busy day on Monday. My worry over my flight for my upcoming cruise was put at ease, and I saw my friend Martin for a drink on his birthday before hearing my friend DeeAna sing at a bar in Orihuela.

Week 11 of 2025 was mainly wet. I made three separate visits to the doctor's surgery, one for a regular visit and twice more after I sliced my finger on a mandolin while cutting potatoes.

I started this week off slowly, not doing much, but by the end of the week, I had started doing a little bit more walking, probably too much, as my legs got very swollen again. I ate out in four restaurants this week, two on one day.

During week 12 of 2024, I met Frouk and Reinder for dinner one day and George and Yvonne for drinks and tapas another day.

Week 12 of 2025 was a week in which I worked on my computer a lot. I sent my passport off to be renewed, and at the end of the week, I was in agony after turning my ankle.

I started the week, by meeting friends and getting my push bike running again. Midweek was time to see an old friend who came to stay for a couple of days, and the week ended waiting to hand over keys to a neighbour's flat.

During week 13 of 2024, I ate an excellent meal with friends at Thai Aroi. I met friends on Tuesday and mostly spent the rest of the week indoors.

Week 13 of 2025 began started at home with me in agony and ended in agony but in the hospital in the Virgen de la Caridad, Cartagena.

The week started slowly. I did a lot of work on my website while feeling under the weather. The weekend was a blur of late deliveries, great meals, great golf and crazy football.

During week 14 of 2024, apart from meeting Martin on Monday and getting my reading glasses repaired for nothing, the highlight of my week was watching the two Arsenal games.

Week 14 of 2025 began and ended in the Virgen de la Caridad Hospital in Cartagena. My leg was less swollen, but the ankle pain was only bearable because of the constant feed of pain killing drugs I was fed by drip.

The week started well when I had my TV mounted on the wall. I did a lot of work on my website and edited many photos. I went to Murcia to see the flower festival and went for dinner on Sunday.

Week 15 of 2024 started with my friend's daughter's birthday meal and finished with me stuck to the TV watching golf, football and travel programs in my pyjamas.