Palacio Guendulain, Pamplona

Having spent last night staying with friends in a French village outside Geneva (hence no hotel blip for the evening, but rather for the morning when I left my railway sleeping compartment...)

This hotel was chosen to deal with the Porto debacle from last year. There was nothing wrong, as such with the Hotel Tiara Park. But its location was awful. It was supposed to be located in such a way as to be convenient for the university where the meeting was being held. In practice, it meant that it was in an adjacent suburb, implying long, boring and rainy walks through featureless suburban streets of Porto to get from the hotel to the conference and back again. I had to resort to blipping my wet glasses and Porto airport, because I managed to see so little of the city.

This time I'm staying in the city centre in what appears - at first sight - to be a lovely hotel. We shall see!