This is La Paloma (said with ominous element of This is Anfield)

The machine has been letting me down recently - yesterday a new battery and wiper, today anti-freeze and praying. In fact it's been a tough 24 hours mechanically - the telly died yesterday after coughing for months. So I need to replace all of them - hope the Chinese pay up!

Barcelona - 1 week: New Year's Day

New Year's Day - sometimes I forget how much I miss Barcelona, the sea, the sun, the incredible cityscape - the mountain jogging route along Carretera de las Aigues (sp? Catalan), the seafood, the roof of the old market Santa Catarina (how many hours did I spend in quiet contemplation of that market last winter? Very soothing to think that the same skills that built the inside of the Ellis Island arrival terminal just at the time of Gaudi are still being used - albeit in a 21st century market built more by Pakistani than Catalan artisans). But what I most miss is the walk along the seafront at sunset in winter - whether in Port Vell past the fishing boats and Las Golondrinas, or along the beach by the famous Hopital del Mar, past the ghostly deserted chiringuitas and out to the fishing jetty near Port Olympic. 2003 was a poor year professionally but a very beautiful experience for the soul. Going back at New Year will be a very good, but also very sad, experience - the beauty of a year on the Med in the world's greatest mixture of North and South, East and West, with the best climate and food in Europe. Oxford is Bunburyful, but no Barna!

Intrepid explorers find travel a reflection of reality 

Mad Godchildren must get it from their mother...taken by Il Padrino:-) 

Korea - Marsden on the right desperately tries to stay awake through the jetlag 

A smiling Chris and Elena don't realise they're about to be killed by the Cutty Sark which hove into view behind them...