Slip sliding to work today after slip sliding back to the hotel last night. I'm not very steady on my feet with just plain shoes and snow covered pedestrian street footpaths! This afternoon, though, a thaw has set in and the pathways are just wet now so that I can stride forth as usual! The oranges here are marvellous. I have been eating them since I got to Sarajevo and just bought a shed load more at a market near the office: delicious. The BANANA ISSUE (see the post on 5 Dec 02, too): this is a simple but vital issue. There are people staying at the hotel who seem to be both early risers AND banana lovers. Hence yesterday I had a near panic attack as I got down to breakfast at around 7:45 am and from the doorway I could see just one banana in the fruit bowl and other guests HOVERING! I acted calm and nonchalant so as not to alert anyone to my banana mission. I ambled up to my usual spot by the muesli dispenser and having served myself with the cereal I lurched forward, as discreetly as possible, and took that banana. I hadn't even poured my milk when I went for that banana. Today I got up, had my shower but didn't shave: I didn't want to go through yesterday's ordeal again. I just climbed into my jogging trousers, slung a pullover on over my thermal vest, put on a pair of black woollen socks and my slippers and headed straight down for breakfast ... 7:25 am. I made it! There were THREE bananas in the fruit bowl and no one menacingly near them. I relaxed but was still focused and felt happy that I had started the day without that needless edge that worrying over the last banana can bring. At the market, by the way, I bought myself six bananas and ate one almost immediately. Bananas are supposed to make us happy, don't you know: in my case it's true! DW