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And so as the year winds down, so does my time here in Sitges. Some wandering around today, dinner with Chris tonight, perhaps wandering around to see what festivities are happening for New Year's Eve in this beach town; then tomorrow at midday a taxi comes, I go to the airport, and come home. I…

The gentle elderly painter from Sunday's party, the one I talked to for a while about strokes (and who called me a 'boy'), was standing in front of a shop window in the street in Sitges yesterday. He looked tired, hesitant and sad, his hair uncombed – though he was wearing a shiny new jacket,…

On Sunday, before Susan and Rob left, we all went to a party in a nearby hamlet (not big enough to be a small town). Expatriate Brits, lots of art and artists, two dogs and only one child. We had expected (dreaded) something possibly pretty deadly – this party was given by friends of Chris,…

After Christmas, before New Year's, and even more importantly before Epiphany, which is really the big gift-giving holiday here in Catalonia. I'm afraid I'm a bit exhausted by the food, the wine, the sheer goose fat (that's not a metaphor, I mean that literally) of the past four days; it's been seriously impressive and well-done,…

A truly fun Christmas day dinner: a very large goose managed by Susan and Rob, Chris' special slightly-roasted saffron rice, an unexpected slightly spicy yellow pepper soup from Dennis, plus a mushy but tasty pecan pie. I'd bought small gifts for all, just because I thought they should have something to open, and was lucky…

In a café (it seems that the same word, with the same accent, works in French, Spanish and Catalan, for the beverage as well as for the business), with wifi. Rain: which is actually very nice – my room has been so dry from the heaters, I'll leave the windows open a bit later to…