Oh my God! I have been majorly slack with the updates just recently. It´s the same old story, only more so: I´m having such a bloody brilliant time that sitting in an internet café just isn´t top of the priorities!

I just love Europe. I´m having a nice time everywhere of course, as other blogs I hope show, but there´s something amazingly fab about this continent of mine.

Perhaps it´s just familiarity - I mean, I´ve been all around it that many times and have friends in so many corners that it´s impossible for me to have a bad time really. But I think or I believe that there is a special magic here. Pity it´s so damn expensive that three quarters of the people of the world can´t ever afford to visit.

Anyway, in summary since I last did an update (and in my new sexy bullet-point style):

- I was at Siobhán & Rich´s wedding in Carlisle. What a party! For those who were there, there´s no need to say anything - except maybe 'bye to those who disappeared before I finally emerged the next morning when Reception called to tell me check-out time was a quarter of an hour ago! And to underline that I was in no way party to the 'sparklers affair'. Nope, not me.

- I popped in on Claire & Nigel in sunny fabulous Newcastle after the wedding. It´s a miracle I survived the drive along Military Road from Carlisle, given my blood alcohol level and general knackeredness, but it was definitely worth it. Hey folks, visit Newcastle! It rocks!

- I became a godfather to my gorgeous goddaughter Marie in Aarhus, Denmark. I am so honoured that Rasmus and Eva, proud parents not only of Marie but of her fantastic older brother Johan, asked me to do this. I just hope I can live up to the role. I was in Denmark for a week, and got to spend lots of time with the kids, the parents and the grandparents who are all special people. Aarhus has a great new modern art museum, and the countryside around Aarhus has got little pearls of the touristic and gastronomic kind tucked away!

- I spent a weekend in Edinburgh with Simon & Hester. It was great to catch up with them again, and to have the pleasure of helping them move flat again too! This time was easy - just upstairs from their rented flat to the identical one they have bought. But there was plenty of more traditional fun too: the barbecue at Davey & Maggie´s was a barrel of laughs. Ah, such fond memories! And bizarre event of the month: I ran into Siobhán´s brother Adrian in Edinburgh airport! So I got a lift into town with him & Susie and their lovely daughter Amy.

- I flew to Munich to have a bit of quality time with my nephews - oh and their parents too! Tim is off work at the moment after some eye surgery, which although negative in terms of a sore eye for Tim was positive in that it meant I got to spend more time with him than when he is at work. The boys are gorgeous as usual. Michaela´s birthday bash was fantastic. Hans, Martha & Eva came up from Austria for the weekend which was fab. They brought tasty Austrian food with them, including divine farmhouse bread and a tub of pork dripping which was out of this world!

- I am now in Aranjuez, just south of Madrid, spending time with Eduardo. In another twist of fate, he too is off work because his computer shop burnt down. But again, at least this means I get to spend time with him! We are busy doing very little, eating & drinking well, having beers with mates, and making good use of the swimming pool that lies at the heart of the housing complex where he lives. I hope to be as brown as I was in Malaysia by the time I go home...