August, European style
Or why I'm taking a little break
If you are plugged into the Substack universe, I don’t think I will be the first voice in your inbox saying they’re about to take a short break.
It’s about to be August. Here in Europe, things are slowing down. Shops, bars and restaurants are shuttering for anything from a week to a month. The café I’m sat in right this minute is normally packed with workers on their laptops. Today, I’m the only one.
Every creative endeavour takes time and effort which is impossible to keep up with day after day, week after week. My brain is getting foggy, and not just because of a wine trip I took to Galicia in Northern Spain last weekend.
So here’s what August is going to look like at The Sauce.
First, you’ll still hear from me. I have several food / wine essays ready to go which will be scheduled throughout the month. Some of them will be free for everyone but more of them will be for paid subscribers (I want y’all to feel you get value from your $5 a month, even when I’m taking time off).
New recipes will stop in August. I need some time in the kitchen to think and find my creative mojo again. They’ll restart in September.
I’ll also return with some new travel guides to accompany the ones I’ve already written for Porto and Logroño.
And I want to spend August thinking about making The Sauce the best it can possibly be. How to give value to all my subscribers, whether you pay or not.
If you’re looking for something to read whilst I’m away, you can always delve into The Sauce’s archive and recommendation list (bottom right).
Some of my favourites recent articles include:
I’ll see you all bright and early in September. Take it easy whenever you can, folks.
Charlie
You push out great work all year round. You've earned yourself a well-deserved break!