5 - Salzburg, Austria. Flying into the tiny airport at Salzburg in early June, I was treated to a breathtaking Alpine vista as we disembarked from the orange and white bird and trudged through the heat across the apron to the terminal building. The short taxi ride into Salzburg was full of superb views, and once through the town, and across the river I was soon in the tranquil St Virgil Christian retreat where my cell, sorry, room for four nights had been reserved for me. The conference was also held at St Virgil, and whichever way you looked out, there were majestic purple mountains, many of them snow capped. Salzburg itself is an urbane and classy city, with buildings that have seen centuries of culture. The birthplace of Mozart, Salzburg is classical music mad. Many people also visit the Mirabell Gardens, famous as one of the locations for the film musical Sound of Music. The gardens were amazing and there was plenty for the visitor to see. The only thing missing was a Julie Andrews shooting range. The old part of Salzburg is a wonderful place to simply stroll around in, and there are many small alleyways and tiny alcoves where you can sit down and enjoy sachertort and coffee. I went to a Beer Garden and enjoyed an enjoyable couple of hours (I think it was two hours but I lost track) sampling the local Austrian fayre in the shade of the trees. 
4 - One week later I flew into Lisbon, Portugal. What can I say about beautiful Lisbon? It is a wonderful place to have a conference, but you may not want to stay in the conference venue for long, no matter how interesting it is, because Lisbon beckons, and Lisbon is seductive and captivating. I was there in June this year, at the height of the season, where the weather was warm, the sea was glittering and the buildings were gleaming in the sunshine. I stayed in the Campo Piqueno (= 'small field' - but there wasn't a field anywhere in sight) area of town where there is a magnificent bull ring and undergound shopping mall. This was some distance from the Belem Cultural Centre where the EDEN conference was held. Each day I endured a hot and sweaty 30 minute bus ride to get to the centre, but (providing you held your nose) there was so much to see on the journey that it really wasn't that arduous. I managed to find some time to visit the Jeronimos Monastery, as well as several other churches and made a long, steep climb up to the Castle of St George, to find some oxygen and enjoy the views out over the sea and the Atlantic. We enjoyed several good evening meals and great views in the Biarro Alto area of Lisbon. On one occasion I was out with a group of German colleagues. A seedy looking man sidled up to me and asked solicitously 'cocaine?' 'I'm sorry', I replied airily, 'I don't have any I can sell you'. He glared at me in surprise and then stalked off back into the shadows. My German colleagues thought I was serious until I explained British irony to them. (Smart Alec - Editor)
Speaking of Germans .... 3 - Berlin, Germany. City of glittering lights and high technology, Berlin is simply urban alchemy. Another brief visit this year to speak at Online Educa saw me staying once again at the Hotel Am Zoo, in Ku-Dam. Kurfurstendamm Strasse is full of boutiques, trendy clothing stores, cafes and bars and of course during the winter, is home to some of the best Christmas markets. Although I have visited Berlin many times, it never ceases to enthrall me. When I first visited Berlin back in 1997, it was the largest construction site in Europe, with the entire Potsdamerplatz area being completely redeveloped following reunification and the fall of the Wall. Now it is more settled, and there are less cranes on the cityscape. There are many places to visit in Berlin, including Alexanderplatz, the excellent Berlin Zoo in Budapesterstrasse, the Reichstag building, The Brandenburg Gate, Unter-den-Linden and of course, the Checkpoint Charlie museum. 
My no. 2 is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Such a long way from home, in deepest Asia, Kuala Lumpur still maintains an immaculate air of Western collonialism amidst its truly Asian ambience (Flowery journalistic crap. Cut it out - Editor). It is truly alien yet familiar at the same time. The heady mix of ethnic groups, chinese, indian, malay, arabic and western makes KL a cosmopolitan city with plenty to offer for everyone. I was impressed by the massive building projects that have been completed over the last decade or so, and a visit to the central downtown area and a gaze up in awe at the incredibly high twin Petronas Towers was an experience I recommend to anyone. Malaysia was oppressively hot for much of the time I was there, but there is so much to see and do, and everywhere is air conditioned, it doesn't really matter that much. A guided tour through some of the jungle around the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur was an eye opener - the place is teeming with a vast diversity of wild life, some of which is very dangerous. The largest species of python in the world (and probably the only true 'man-eating snake' - the reticulated python, makes its home here). The people are friendly and the food is an eclectic fusion of indian, chinese, malay and thai, with a western influence too. It was truly worth the 17 hours of air travel to get there.
My Number 1 for 2008 - Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona is outrageous, astonishing, wild, colourful and filled with people who just want to have fun night and day. It is such a lively city, that just thinking about it makes me feel weary all over again. The first thing that stikes you about this Catalonian city is the scale of the built environment. The architecture is a heady mix of numerous influences, from the grim gothic through to the gaiety of Antonio Gaudi's magnificent masterpieces such as the soaring, iconic Sagrada Familia (it has been under construction since 1882 and is due to be completed in 2025!) and the fairy tale Casa Batilo. Some of the buildings are absolutely staggering to behold - the majestic splendour of the National Palace (Palau Nacionale) is only surpassed by the surprisingly complex colour, light and water combinations of the Magic Fountain (La Fonta Magica). Multicoloured Agbar Tower is another architectural marvel, and is probably twice the size of London's 'Pickle'. Every turn and corner brings you into proximity with another absorbing yet strangely improbable staue, sculpture or landmark. Las Ramblas is worth a long stroll, whether in daytime or at night, because there is always something to do and see down this thoroughfare. They were actually shooting a movie while I was there. The human statues and the buskers are amusing, and the walk eventually takes you downhill past the towering stature of the Navigator (Christopher Columbus) on toward the harbour and the wooden walkways across to the Maremagnum and a huge entertainment and shopping multiplex. Tapas, Paella and Sangria are ubiquitous (not a word you hear everywhere), and the music is live, varied and frentic - Barcelona is the place to go to be entertained. (Stop trying to be funny - it's not working - Editor) Although I spent a mere 3 nights and days there, I saw enough of the city to attract me back again in the not too distant future.
At joint No 1 (Just how many is that now? - Editor) I really must throw a word or two in about bella Venice - I was there in September as a part of the social event of the ICL Conference. I don't think there is any other social event I have attended that compares with it. A day trip to Venice? Arriving by boat? Me, with my reputation? Venice was splendid, ludicrous, frantic (geddit?) and marvellous, all at once. Although I didn't try out the gondolas, I succeeded in hacking off one of the gondoliers, who didn't appreciate having his picture taken I think. Talk about gondolier infelice! I would love to go back to Venice when I have more time, perhaps for a couple of days or so - I only got to see such a small part of one island, and stopped short of the Rialto Bridge because we simply ran out of time. Ah well, maybe next time...
I have several trips already planned for 2009, and some are to places I have never before visited. (....well you won't be getting any funding from me - Editor).
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