Alain de Botton, 56, welcomes EL PAIS in a home undergoing renovation. He gives meticulous instructions to the builders with a smile. He explains that his former partner lives four doors down. Both of their buildings stick out among the Victorian homes in their London neighborhood of Camden. He says he’s finishing work on another home in Mallorca. He fell in love with the Spanish island 15 years ago. “It will be strange to live there. I’ve never spent time by a tree,” he says. “But I’m getting ready for the journey.” In the foyer, there are vases of flowers. Also, a Seneca quote carved into stone: “What need is there to weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears.” He sees me reading it and offers an interpretation: “If your expectations are realistic, you won’t need to cry.”
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