Every morning we stand in a queue for water at the pump...

The Romeo and Juliette style balcony just outside my front door.

Looking back, this photo was taken at the time I stepped in a huge dog turd.

This is a monument built by Americans to thank the French …

My friend Andy challenged me to solve the Langford Kebab puzzle. I'm not clever enough to work it out, so I wrote a computer program to work it out by brute force.

Bought a big bottle of cognac because that's what they always drink in Balzac. I'm in Balzac country now. I don't even like cognac.

Stopped off on the way back for a limonade. It's the same price as a pression. Talking of booze prices, the price of whisky is about …

I'm feeling sad. Can't concentrate to read a book. It's a passing thing, and I'll feel silly at writing it later on.

The awkward turtle has seen plenty of action. Knowing only a small amount of French seems to guarantee that I generate at least one profoundly awkward moment during …

I'm a fan of Murray Head's One Night In Bangkok. As an aside a cherished memory I have is of travelling in the back seat of the car with my uncle driving, aunt in the passenger seat and brother next to me. We were listening to this song on the …

Claire sent me this photo of a loo with a washbasin on top. I assume that the water from the basin fills the cistern. That's a brilliant idea.

The Hydrogen Sonata was one of the books I picked up from the library to read on holiday. I read bits now and again, but didn't find myself engaged with it for some reason. Then, in the last quarter of the book I began to feel excited about it. It …

Initially the dialogue was clever, but it became relentlessly clever, and I said wearily, okay Martin, you win, you've more than proved yourself, now leave me in peace.

It was okay because I found an antidote in the search for an explanation for prime numbers.

I went back to the …

The most gripping book I've read so far on my two week holiday is Marcus du Sautoy's Music of the Primes. These types of books are destined to be described as a 'fascinating journey'. It was, how shall I put it? A fascinating journey through the drama and personalities of …

Well I brought a whole lot of books to Charlestown. I've been haunting the cafés and restaurants carrying a copy of Anthony Trollope's Dr. Thorne. I always enjoy reading Trollope. I wonder if I can describe to you why?

The guy's a liberal, he has a liberal attitude. These days …