It can't be 23 degrees - It never gets cold in England

There's a widely held belief here among the natives that it never gets hot or cold, hence there's no need for air conditioning in the summer nor any need for central heating in winter or heating on public transport. There's absolutely no shaking the locals from this belief, even as they slowly turn blue from the cold, shivering and frost forming on their noses.

So this morning I had the joy of commuting in to work, at 23F, on buses with no heating. Not just not turned on or broken, but non-existent. Two hours, three buses, no heat.

The joy.

If It's Friday, This Must Be Bruges

Today is my birthday. To celebrate, Asti took me on a day trip to Calais on Friday. At least that was the original plan. On the channel ferry from Dover to Calais, we decided to drive through to Belgium for cheaper cigarettes. Once in Belgium, the friendly cafe owner recommended Bruges' Christmas market as only a short 30 minute drive away ... so it was on to Bruges for the day! And what a lovely city it is. We shopped and strolled and looked and ate Chateaubriand with Bearnaise sauce and drank beautiful Bruges Blond beer. We bought gorgeous Christmas presents at really low prices and had an absolute ball.