The Spoons That Are My Ears!

My 40th year is now over. To celebrate my 41st birthday I went rowing on the El Retiro lake. Row row row my boat / gently on the lake / merrily merrily merrily merrily / life is but a cake... Not sure what kind of cake. Probably a mantecado.

This birthday was particularly good. I went to a party in the house of my new friend Bea with great music, delicious food and interesting people. Also to an exhibition of artworks from ancient Pompeii. And last night I went to a party held to launch a new national newspaper, Público, in a stadium in the Casa de Campo. Free beer, wine and food! There was free music too -- to my astonishment Bryan Ferry played a gig. I love the early Roxy Music, especially when Brian Eno was a member. Not so keen on Roxy's later work, and as for Ferry's solo career... but he did perform a decent version of 'Virginia Plain' so I can't complain too much!

I might go walking in the mountains again soon, perhaps the Sierra de Guadarrama, which are quite close to Madrid. I have to do cheap things because my money is very low at the moment. In fact I'm down to my last €80. I'm hoping to receive a payment fairly soon and that's when I plan to buy a bicycle and do my cycling trip... Time is running short for that, as I have to be in Lisbon in less than a month from now for the launch of Sereia, and I don't think I'm capable of cycling all the way there from Madrid in just 3 weeks!