In general, there are two groups of people: those with whom we can simply be, and those with whom we necessarily have to do something. If you don't believe me, take a quick look at your friends and family (or even partners). The people with whom we always have to do something are those with whom—intentionally or not—we make plans, those with whom we always have something to do, making them feel somewhat incomplete. I have nothing against a friend who goes for a run, a friend who goes to the movies, or a parent who finds a shared hobby with their children to spend time together. But allow me to doubt that these are the people who truly know us.

Ever since enjoying routine became a privilege, they've made us hate it. "Back to routine": always negative, laden with regret. They've commercialized routine in favor of various gurus who promise to "say goodbye to it," as if solving a problem we didn't even know we had. Against routine, they've glorified the life of the digital nomad, the expat, working from the beach, weekend getaways. And, little by little, they've stripped it of its sacredness, its customary rituals, its everyday life, what happens to us all, the only things that unite us and make us equal: the coffee at the bar, the public transport card, the shopping cart. Routine is what makes us human, it's what makes us good people for a while. There's a touch of classism in the hatred of routine, in the resistance to being like a character from Tell me how it happenedThat is, a person who could be any one of us, interchangeable. There's a sense of superiority, of believing oneself less mortal than the rest, oblivious to the forces of nature.

Storm Leonardo will bring Atlantic weather to the entire Peninsula, except for the northeast quadrant, from this Wednesday until at least this Saturday, according to the latest special warning issued this Tuesday by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).

On this straight, arrow-shaped line that is life, any invitation to stop and look back becomes a disturbing experience. We rush so fast toward the future that we forget it's with that same speed that we move away from the present and leave the past behind. And I no longer know if it's deliberate: to avoid having time to consider whether we've made a mistake, because we don't know exactly who we are or what we want, for fear of having taken the wrong shortcut at some point and not knowing how to retrace our steps. Or perhaps this is the only pace to get there. The fact is, at least for me, my relationship with time is becoming increasingly dysfunctional.

Every year around this time, a crowd gathers in Palma's Plaça de Cort to celebrate New Year's Eve. They do so to the sound of the chimes of the Figuera clock, located on the façade of the City Hall. Its history stretches back more than six centuries, to when this time machine began its journey. According to legend, the first clock in Figuera—there have been successive clockwork mechanisms—was much older: it was supposedly brought with them by the Jews who emigrated to Mallorca when Jerusalem was captured by the Roman Emperor Vespasian. As for the bell, it was said to have been in the synagogue in that same city where Jesus was condemned to death. It was the chronicler Joan Dameto who determined that this was impossible. Indeed, clockwork mechanisms date from the late Middle Ages. Figuera was one of the pioneers: at that time, Mallorca traded with much of Europe; it was not some remote place. It is believed to have been the first public clock in the entire country.

The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) forecasts a week marked by a drop in temperature, strong gusts of wind, and a maritime storm that could bring waves of up to four meters in Menorca and northern Mallorca. According to Miquel Gili, Aemet's deputy spokesperson in the Balearic Islands, there is still a possibility of showers, thunderstorms, and even light rain in northern Mallorca this Tuesday, while the rest of the island will experience mostly clear skies. Northerly winds have blown strongly in recent hours, with gusts of 70 km/h recorded in Cabrera, 50 km/h in Ibiza, and up to 80 km/h in the Alfàbia mountain range. A yellow alert for coastal phenomena has been activated in the coastal areas of all the islands, with waves that could reach three or four meters. This alert will be gradually deactivated throughout the day, except in Menorca where it will remain in effect due to the persistence of the storm. Wednesday will see a significant drop in temperature. While this morning the minimum temperatures were around 15°C in many parts of the Balearic Islands, they are expected to fall to 2-8°C on Wednesday night into Thursday. Maximum temperatures, on the other hand, will remain between 12 and 16°C. Coastal warnings also remain in place, with waves that could exceed four meters in Menorca and northern Mallorca. Thursday will continue to be variable, with intervals of cloudiness and the possibility of some showers. The Tramontana wind will continue to blow strongly in Menorca, with gusts between 50 and 70 km/h, and the minimum temperature could reach 0 or even -1 °C in southern Mallorca, with a risk of nighttime frost. Maximum temperatures will remain unchanged, and maritime warnings will continue to be in effect. On Friday, overcast skies will persist in Menorca and northern Mallorca, with a chance of occasional showers, which will tend to clear as the day progresses. In the rest of the archipelago, skies will be partly cloudy. The wind will shift to the west, allowing the maximum temperature to rise to 15-19 °C and eliminating the risk of frost. The weekend will begin with milder temperatures and high clouds with no precipitation. However, a new cold front is expected to arrive on Sunday, which could bring some isolated showers to all the islands.

Menorca's reputation as the island of scholars is nothing new. As early as the late 18th century, when the new ideas of the Enlightenment were barely taking root in the rest of Spain, the people of Menorca experienced a true golden age of culture; and moreover, in Catalan, circumventing Bourbon uniformity, thanks to British rule. On November 11, 1985, forty years ago, this entire tradition took the form of the Menorcan Institute of Studies (IME).