SEX, BOMBS & BURGERS

Last week was a bit of a whirlwind, travelling to London and then to Wales. I spent the week visiting friends in London and seeing the sites that I hadn't yet taken in.

I've had a bit of a weird fascination with Jack the Ripper ever since I read From Hell a few years back, so I went on another walking tour that visits the sites of the murders. Jack walks are apparently quite popular as there were at least three other tours going on at the same time. I wouldn't recommend ours though - the guide was dry and humourless.

I spent the weekend in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. It was a cool time to be in town as Wales was taking on the Wallabies, Australia's national rugby team, in World Cup qualifying action. UK countries are of course mental for rugby, so Saturday was akin to a national holiday. Wales lost - not that they ever stood a chance - but that didn't stop the mega party that followed.

My friend and I managed to avoid the worst idiocy by heading to a heavy metal bar, where we rocked out to the likes of Slayer, Megadeth and Pantera. (Tip: to avoid drunken sports morons, go to a bar that charges cover… that's anathema to them.) It was good fun, given that the only place in Canada where you can hear such music publicly is Montreal.

This week, it's down to business. I've got the Bristol Festival of Ideas tonight, where I'll be doing a Q&A on Sex, Bombs and Burgers. If you're nearby, come on down and check it out - it should be fun. On Tuesday, I'm back in London where I'll be chatting with some journalists and doing some radio interviews, before packing it up to head home on Thursday.

I'm actually looking forward to getting back, to get rolling on my new life of leisure!