“THE OLDER I GET, THE MORE I APPRECIATE SOLITUDE

“ONE OF THE MOST enjoyable meals I’ve ever had was eaten entirely on my own. At the height of last year’s World Cup-induced soccer fever, I fled to Barcelona for a four-day solo trip, seeking refuge from London’s beer-soaked streets. Sitting down to dinner on my first night – at a restaurant I’d chosen without having to consult anyone – I could barely suppress the shimmy of excitement that threatened to up-end my mother’s childhood rule of “no dancing at the dinner