France 1 England 0
Orcines, France Head waiter or no head waiter, self-service breakfasts now appear the rule wherever I stay. It is rare to have anyone take an order at the beginning of the day. Apart from the French, who invariably ask if I would like tea, coffee or chocolate the moment I arrive in the breakfast room, reluctantly deliver my chosen drink and then ignore me until the following morning. For them, our truly next door neighbours, and with whom we have argued for generations, I have to be on my best behaviour. I[...]
The head waiter had it right
London, United Kingdom If there was any time of my day when my brain is at its best, it is in the early morning. I am one of those antisocial creatures who jumps out of bed at a ludicrous 4.30 a.m., in keeping, I would guess, with farmers, postmen and the old-fashioned milkie, and I can keep busying like a bee until mid-day. Then, without suitable rest and sustenance, my inner systems begin to flag. By 2 p.m. you can forget me. However, what this odd physiology has created is me being[...]
Reflexes keep you from harm
Barcelona, Spain The point is they are short. Well not short but ever-so-slightly vertically challenged. I even have the evidence to prove it. The average Spanish male is now 175 centimetres tall, the average Dutchman at least seven centimetres taller. And if there was ever any doubt just try sharing a Barcelona theatre box with two Danes, an Italian, two Americans, a Canadian and me. Seven huge adults squashed in to an area designed for three. OK, we were listening to a guitar quartet that was possibly the best I have ever[...]
Do not think about having supper
Bath, United Kingdom When you first arrive in Bath it is difficult to decide whether it is beautiful or, frankly, whether it is about to fall down. The pavements have a higgledy-piggledy look that makes a roller coaster ride seem smooth and the cream-coloured stone buildings, so often stained, are crying out for a good polish. The place is so ancient that even the suggestion of a sandblaster would, I feel sure, reduce Bath to rubble. Yet somehow, and I cannot explain why, the city rapidly gets under your skin. I had[...]
I was an opera virgin
Glyndebourne, United Kingdom It was incredibly posh, amazingly well organised, and one hell of an introduction to a newcomer. You see, I am, or was, an opera virgin. At least I went to one opera years ago, I cannot remember its name, but do recall being squeezed into the tiny seats of Milan’s La Scala and falling instantly into a wonderfully deep sleep. I recollect waking up halfway through what I saw as an incomprehensible singsong, being desperate for a pee, but unable to move left or right for fear of disturbing[...]
Where did I leave my Vitamin D?
Dubai, UAE A major feature of working in Dubai is the opportunity to talk closely with colleagues. Strangely, the interaction I have in the sunny UAE is more regular and involved than I have ever experienced back home. There is a sense of being a team. Unexpectedly to a non-medic perhaps, it is simple in medicine for a doctor to feel lonely, despite being surrounded by colleagues every minute of every day in a hospital, a clinic, or elsewhere. And when there are no colleagues, there are patients. You are rarely alone. Try taking[...]
