Never has this cat heard so many feline terms of endearment – pussy pudding, pussy latte, pussy willow…
There was a book exchange by the pool at the resort which consisted of various Dan Brown and Stieg Larsson oversized paperbacks in Dutch and German and the occasional Japanese fashion magazine. I checked-in every morning and sometimes again in the afternoon to see if an Anglo-(or even Franco-)phone guest with better literary taste had jettisoned a slim tome to keep me going after Robbins was gobbled up (fingers crossed for Madame Bovary!). Each time I left the poolside bookshelf disappointed and a few times wondering if I knew enough German to read Inferno. The towel attendant told me if he found anything he would keep it behind the desk for me.
Finally, someone (a compatriot, I’m guessing by the Angus & Robertson price tag) dispensed of Paul Torday’s Salmon Fishing in Yemen. It’s okay. But in my (non-literary) appraisal, it’s not as good as Robbins. And so, against the spirit of the hotel book exchange, I kept my Robbins and simply pilfered the Torday for the flight home. I’m sure everyone has e-books anyway. That or Facebook. God knows what most people do glued to tablets and mobile phones all day by the pool… maybe learning Dutch.
