Rumbling in La Rambla

A Saturday morning in Barcelona. Early spring sunshine has brought out the crowds in the Placa de Catalunya and there are long queues for the tourist buses. So we (Mrs Rumbling Nappa and I) decide to walk a bit. Up the Passeig de Gracia to Gaudi's extraordinary Casa Batllo and then through quiet commercial and residential streets, heading for the mind-blowing La Sagrada Familia (above).

Our perfect Gaudi-filled morning is briefly interrupted by an errant cup of milky coffee which appears to have been thrown absent-mindedly from a window above us. It has plastered our clothing and has stained the Rumbling Nappa's new pair of trousers in a way that might suggest rampant incontinence. Fortunately help is at hand. A kindly local steps out of a doorway and offers assistance. The gentleman ushers us into the foyer of the building and produces bottled water and paper napkins. He even helps with the removal of some of the stains on our backs and clothing before hurrying off, having asked us to ensure that the soiled napkins and empty water bottle are placed in the recycling bins outside the building.

Having cleaned ourselves up it is onward to La Sagrada where we rejoin the tourist hordes. Then we return by metro to our hotel on La Rambla, stopping briefly to inspect the extraodinary street theatre that is an essential part of that world-famous street.

Hair washed and trousers changed it is back on the tourist trail. Indeed it is mid-afternoon before the Rambling Nappa reaches for his wallet (securely chained to his belt as a precaution against pickpockets), only to find that his wad of euro notes (some two hundred pounds in value) has been carefully extracted.

It takes a while to figure out how the money had been removed from inside the wallet. The moral of the story is that if you visit Barcelona, just be on your guard if you are splashed by an errant cup of coffee. The kindly gentleman helping you to clear up the mess might just be working to a different agenda.

Enduropale 2011

Like P. G. Wodehouse, who was a resident after World War II, I very much like Le Touquet Paris Plage, the chic and slightly quirky French seaside resort south of Boulogne. Unlike their British counterparts the Le Touquet authorities do everything imaginable to try and keep the resort active throughout the year. Their Christmas lights and decorations are exceptionally good; fireworks on the seafront greet the New Year, and every week there are cultural and sporting events to keep residents and visitors occupied.

This weekend, the last in January, is both one of the coldest and one of the busiest of the entire year. Over 300,000 visitors are expected for the 6th "Enduro" motorcycle event. The concept for this huge gathering that uses the beach and extensive sand dunes as a race circuit was the brainchild of Thierry Sabine who in 1975 worked in Le Touquet's town hall. Sabine later co-founded the International Paris-Dakar Rally before being killed in a tragic helicopter accident in 1986.

For Enduropale 2011 over one hundred competitors will race for the "jeunesse" category (13-17 year-olds); seven hundred quadbikes have a separate contest; and one thousand motorbikes from all over Europe (the maximum allowed) vie for the "Enduro" championship. The main track is over seventeen kilometres long and stretches from Le Touquet to the neighbouring town of Merlimont. It is literally bulldozed out of the sand and incorporates jumps and steep hill-climbs alongside long straight sections.

Additionally there are major corporate exhibitors and product demonstrations, including major displays by Pirelli and Ducati; there is a funfair and giant TV screens in the centre of town show the action from the track. The bars, shops, hotels and restaurants expect huge business.

Sad that Walton-on-the Naze hasn't quite got the vision!