I don't always go into my library to read; some days I just sit there to feel surrounded by dozens and dozens of old friends: Julian Barnes, J.M. Coetzee, W. Somerset Maugham, Hermann Hesse, Graham Greene, John Pilger, Barbara Tuchman, Aldous Huxley, Anthony Burgess, Joseph Conrad, Alain de Botton, Stephen Fry, D'Arcy Niland, Paul Theroux, Morris West etc. etc. etc. (which stands for 'end of thinking capacity') ... and that's without any of my books on linguistics and geography and travel which are housed separately inside "Canberra".
Some days I just sit there, not turning over any pages but just thoughts of gratitude for living in such wonderful comfort in such wonderful place.
