In Jersey.

Good things:

• Showers
• A big bed
• Bacon, eggs, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, toast, COFFEE, pastries, grapefruit, FRESH orange juice, more toast, more coffee
• Indigestion pills
• Newspapers (although the world seems to have fallen apart recently)
• The "I've Made It (nearly)" feeling
• Family and friends just a spit away across a wee bit of water. (Now I know why the French call it "La Manche" - "ditch" - I could jump over it.)

Bad Things:

• Terrible race
• The "Oh, bugger, I'm back" feeling
• The typical British High Street containing Boots, Top Shop, M&S, a Yates' Wine Lodge and, worst of all, Barclays Bank - various divisions of which will be engaging me in full and frank discussions all too soon.

Should be an easy couple of days though. The boat is clean - we did the cleaning and maintenance on our oh-so-exciting motor in yesterday. I have to victual the boat on Tuesday morning, but I don't expect that to be onerous: just getting fresh goods for a three day trip up the Irish sea.

St Helier dies on Sundays. Which is fine. I have a fat Sunday newspaper and about 50 magazines to get through. The only other plan today is the prize-giving tonight. Sadly our only role will be to clap politely, utter congratulations through tightly gritted teeth, and explain to everyone else why we should win the "Artistic Merit" prize.

Now, more of that very fine coffee, I think.