Enjoy your time away 

the addict wrote:

---

I'm away in Spain this week so won't be making any updates to draws or scores after today. I'm posting what is available from qualifying draws and acceptance lists though, so perhaps someone can cover this week (as some of you are already doing !)

---

 Hope you had a lovely break, TA. Like you, my wife and I (and daughter came with us) are away until Tuesday night in a beautiful Spanish city for a 4 night break, in our case Palma. 

I was dwelling last night - Palma and cities like Valencia, Seville, Madrid, Barcelona and others, are so beautiful, peaceful, civilised - it makes me look at ours and really wonder what I think they have to offer. I live near Leeds but also think of Manchester, Birmingham and think the UK feels to me like it has so little to offer. We talk about being a rich nation, but the quality of living, restaurants, retail, lifestyle here is so much , much better. 

its not just Spain, Some of the lovely Italian cities, or French cities, Switzerland , most of Western Europe really, beats us hands down. 

as I sit here right, it is so tempting to not come back- if I look at UK cities, Edinburgh might tempt me, London to - the rest are largely unappealing. Sad really. 

And dont get me started on the USA - the strip malls and chain retail and restaurants make most of them so anonymous and anaemic, putting aside politics - which makes it even less appealing to go to. 

We will come home, obviously, but it is oh so tempting. Right, Im off for a coffee and breakfast - outside, in the sun, where it is a lovely 15 degrees C right now. Perfect. 

Oh, all the very best to your daughter, Jon.

Re New Zealand, I was there quite a number of years ago. Essentially in Auckland but took a bus return trip to Whangarei where I stayed for a few days. My memories of the bus journey was just how Scottish the rolling countrywide seemed. I've never been to South Island where I believe some of the landscapes are very much sharper and dramatic.