2008… Bound to be great!

OK, it’s true 2007 was very unkind to me personally. And professionally it was different. I hooked up with my friend Bruce Clay, we’d been talking about getting together for a while. But soon after we did, I had to pull out.

For the record, that was my personal decision and Bruce and I remain closest of friends. Bruce is a great guy and more power to him for 2008.

Anyway, my wife had this great idea about starting the new year on a high… For me. So instead of heading to the snow bound cities of Russia we love so much at this time of the year, we ended up in sunny Gran Canaria.

And here I sit, on a beach where the forcast temperature has been exceeded every single day.

That’s the bonus… Down side? The extremely bad service is only worsened by the tragic quality of the food which seems to have to die twice. Once in the usual fashion that livestock is killed. And then in such a tremendously horrific grease ritual before being slapped on a plate and thrown at you. I have never come across such bad service, lazy staff… And don’t even get me started on the hygiene of the toilets in the seafront bars and restaurants.

Still, it has a nice promenade (very nice, actually).

And a Christmas tree among the palm trees.

And on new year’s eve, I managed to climb inside it!

I don’t quite remember what it was that caught my attention on this picture of the promenade?

We did find a great little seafront restaurant for new year’s eve. Las Palmas has a pretty spectacular fireworks display. So, Tatiana and I did the full thing. It was fantastic!

The best I could manage was to be outrageous and put a bag on my head. Never looked better, some people might think. Just needs pulling down a bit.

There was live music on the promenade…

I went back to our hotel and picked up a bottle of Dom Perignon, my iPod and dock and then headed back to the beach. There, Tatiana and I (having stolen two shampoo glasses from the hotel) turned the music up, poured drinks and danced together on the beach for an hour. Just the two of us in a very secluded part of the bay… Our kids would simply die of embarrassment if I published any of those pictures. But it was magic. Just magic!

On new year’s day the party continued on the beach.

And I took a dip to try and sober up!

Las Canteras beach in Las Palmas has this beautiful sand carving of the nativity which draws thousands of people. It really is very impressive.

We took a quick trip down to Maspalomas. This is a much more touristy area of the island. Not my kind of place, I have to say (unless you like chips with everything, cheesy Irish bars, pizzas and very greasy fast food – and even in the south they have no idea how to clean a lavatory!)

But they do have a lighthouse…

So anyway, I expect 2008 to be great.

Why?

Well wait for some big announcements. First about SES, London. And then… Well…

But for now, Cheers!

And T, thank you for being so thoughtful with this wonderful Christmas present. Just what I needed to kick-start the year!