Winter in Madrid

We have had the heaviest snow in decades with passengers stranded at the airport for two days.
It is quite normal to see snow-covered peaks in the sierras but downtown is normally spared. This afternoon I strolled around my pueblo and it was like a ghost town with the locals not big fans of the cold.
A great two weeks in Ireland over Christmas included trips to Kilkenny and Belfast where the weak sterling made everthing seem very good value. The locals were also very friendly so I would advise you all to take a trip up north. Visits to Ravenhill and the R.D.S. resulted in two victories for my beloved Leinster. It was with a mixture of sadness and happiness that I stepped on the plane for my return, happiness at the memories of my visit and sadness at the end of my holiday. I am now of Madrid and have been lucky enough to assemble a great bunch of friends.
On a more serious note, I took part in a protest last Saturday against the slaughter in Gaza and will rise earlt for tomorrow´s march in Madrid.
I did the poem Journey of the Magi with my students before Christmas in which the wise king wonders thy they bothered with their search as after two thousand years the hope has come to nothing.