f4f3 | f4f3 is away

I'm on holiday. Normally this would mean I'd be in an exciting big city, or pushing my bike uphill through Scottish rain, or even ticking off cultural sites while travelling between them by train. I'd be hitting the most interesting restaurants the area had to offer, and getting blitzed at least every other night.

This week, however, it's mostly meant sitting beside a swimming pool when the sun is up and in a massive jacuzzi when it isn't. Interspersed with meals which have been filling, if a bit bland. I've had, I think, two alcoholic drinks since I got here (three, now I come to think of it - I had a glass of absolutely vile wine while watching Celtic beat Spartak Moscow).

The sea is about 150 yards away, at the bottom of a vast and quiet beach. The hotel is small (40 rooms) but it has a good sized swimming pool and spa. The food, as I say, is indifferent, but there's plenty of it - the buffet breakfast goes on until 11, and I haven't had lunch before 3 so far.

The weather has been remarkably good. I was expecting what we seem to have today - breezy, and probably around 20 degrees. What we got was 5 straight days of cloudless skies and temperature in the 25-30 range. I suspect that's had a lot to do with me staying close by the hotel.

I've read quite a bit - about two books a day, and I'm partway through the new Culture novel (lots of fun so far). At some point on Monday morning, I lifted my head from a book, looked across the pool, took a sip of water and said to