Rabat

All my travelling friends and family seem to do it so I thought I'd join the internet cafe bloggers co-operative. This machine has the world's stiffest shift key. Have sent Lizzie off round a department store (one of two here but this one has a shoe department - bound to be purchases) while I have a go at distance-blogging.

Our fifth visit to the island of Gozo in seven years and this time we are investigating purchasing property here. May have to become Roman Catholic as even our marital bed in a rented farmhouse is overlooked by a colourfully-painted crucifix. The blood drips as we read novels in bed.

England's victory over Ecuador was enjoyed in St Lawrence church hall overlooked by two unidentified saints - if one was St Lawro himself perhaps the other was St Hanson.

Most Gozitans are either England or Italy fans. Judging by the noise which greeted the Italians late winner yesterday I think our corner of Gozo is markedly Latin. I watched it on Rai-uno which means I had the advantage of an Italian commentator. Positione illegare.

We are enjoying some serious heat here but have a nice pool to cool off in. Good job because the locals say it is the worst year for jellyfish in living memory so we will be avoiding the sea. The sparrows drink pool water and then kill their chicks with it. We know this because the nest is in the roof of our house and the dead chicks are dropped outside our back door. Four so far. Dragonflies (fantastic red ones here) by day and small bats at dusk feed over the pool.

Festa season is getting going and St Peter and St Paul at Nadur on Thursday should be good. Last time we were there they borrowed St Paul's wrist-bone (yeah right) from a church in Sicily and paraded it, stopping only for a Euro 2000 penalty shoot out.

So greetings from this sun-washed island where all the drivers are crazy (surviving a Maltese taxi journey gives you a tremendous appreciation of the smaller luxuries in life such as standing on the pavement), all the scaffolders die young, the fish jump straight on to your plate to cut out the middle man and tomatoes taste of tomato.

This was fun. May do it again.