I did think that (though originally I said herbs but I looked at the jar to see what it said so at least I can blame someone else...

Mmmmm! It looks swimmable!

Paradise? It's just an open-air chillout room, isn't it?

I'm feeling particularly happy this evening. I've just returned from seeing the Romanian gypsy band Taraf de Haïdouks in concert - an exhilerating performance. I first heard of them on CDR this summer and they're super.



After a particularly difficult year, I've decided the time has come for a break and I'm heading off to the Malverns for a long weekend, armed with my new camera (thanks to Ron's recommendation). I've had a bit of a play with it and look forward to putting it to good use on the hills. Here's a quick snap I took in the garden:



I hope to post some pictures in the Photographs thread on my return!  

It was a very good evening, Andy - not the sort of thing I would normally go to, but after hearing Taraf de Haïdouks on CDR earlier in the year, I'd bought a couple of their CDs. First, there was a set by Forty Thieves Orkestar - a sort of Eastern European/Klezmer/Arabian style - who impressed (bought their CD in the interval). Then Taraf treated us to a 1hr 40 min set(!) largely based on their recent disc Maskarada, which takes classical 'folk' music and presents it back in its folk form, so Bartok's Romanian Dances, some Khachaturian, the Ritual Fire Dance, Albeniz's Asturias alongside some of their traditional Romanian gypsy repertoire, all performed with amazing vigour. The only negative, for me, was that the music was amplified too much (perhaps I'm just getting old!)

A Canon PowerShot S5 IS, which is a very significant advance on my last one! We had a Tudor Day at school on Monday and I took loads of photos during my Tudor Writing sessions and was amazed how I could snap away without having to wait an age for the flash to be ready. The picture quality is also miles better.

Interesting that the clichéd view of Ibiza should surface so soon: there's a lot more to it than being the ultimate destination for hedonistic halfwits and a haven for hippies. (Does the Dough strike you as a natural denizen of either department?) There are antiquities, great beaches, secluded places and excellent food to be had, decent walking, too: I'm not suggesting that I'd go there often (there's far too much of the world left to see), but it's certainly worth a visit.

This is from the S2 IS, Andy; 5MP, 12x Opt.

Ibiza again;