Several E-Mails asking me why I don't like Spain. Well, I do, in some ways - I love Seville, one of my favourite cities. I remember the World's Fair there (about 30 years ago) when they air conditioned the outside by fine sprays of cold water which brought the temperature down by about ten degrees - fascinating. I like some of the food but not a lot and I hate the lisping language.

Whereas I adore Italian (my favourite language), love both Italian and French food, and music, love a lot of Germany (especially Munich), like Germans (despite my father's World War Two experiences), and love both the Dutch and Holland including some food (smoked eel and horseradish).

Well, you can't deny your personal instincts, can you?

I don't like Spain. I've encountered a lot of racism (for being white british). Even the police and those thuggish 'Proseguria' are quite openly racist. At least they don't go round in their squad cars trying to run over white British people yet as they do the African immigrants.

Waiters and bar staff are often rude. The young people seem to be adopting a lot of the worst behaviour of British youth i.e. getting drunk, violence, gang mentality, proudly seeing everybody over 21 as a probable paedophile etc.

Sounds cruel, but I always got the feeling when in Spain that their economic miracle was always artificial and that when it pops they could quickly go back to living in the agricultural backwardness they had for the previous 300 years. And now it has popped. I wouldn't be surprised if they have a military coup there soon.

I find Germans can be in your face a little too much. As well as being blunt as hell.

Italy and the south of france are my favourite places. Going to try Croatia in a few months.