Blimey, I haven't posted in ages!

Robin at my desk
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

Really really sorry not to have posted in so long, it's been one of those super-busy times I get at work sometimes. So much so that I'm sitting here at 8.39pm still chained to my computer, 11 hours after I arrived. But hey, at least I've got Robin here with me - he's always happy to hang out with his pal Money Mark (that's him in the shades).

So, I really should get straight to the competition result - and it was won hands-down by Mary, who was not only the first person to enter, but also got the exact correct answer of 11 countries with all 11 listed. Impressive stuff Mary, drop me an email with your details and I'll get that tacky London souvenir in the post.

Hope you folks are all good. I'm going to try my very hardest to post more often over the next few days, so keep 'em peeled...!

More from Ibiza...

A Robin on water
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

Hey up

Here's another Robin in Ibiza shot - taken from a boat going from Es Canar to Ibiza Town.

It's a very beautiful island - more famous for its clubbing (P Diddy and Michael Stipe were both there enjoying that the weekend we were there), but there's lots of lovely scenery if you go looking for it.

Robin, in Ibiza

robinibizatown
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

Hello

Here's a more scenic shot of Robin in Ibiza - this was taken up at the top of the hill in old Ibiza Town. I was experimenting with the panoramic-stitch-together thing on my mobile phone - problem was I couldn't see the screen properly cos the sun was so bright, hence the blurry repeated bit.

Keep those competition entries coming (see below) - that tacky London souvenir could have your name on it!

Robin celebrates birthday! Competition!

Robin, chillin'
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

Hey up folks

In response to Andi W's comment last week - the answer is that yes, I probably do travel more than most British people (mainly through work), but I think we do tend to leave our country more than Americans anyway. Obviously you have to travel long distances to get to another country, whereas (particularly since the advent of budget airlines) we can get to a whole host of countries in under two hours for a cost of about $100 return.

So, yet again, I was abroad this weekend - on a work trip to the Spanish party island of Ibiza. On Saturday, it was exactly one year since Robin made his debut online, and he celebrated by lounging about in the pool.

COMPETITION! COMPETITION!

And now - to celebrate one year of Robin - it's time for our first competition since the Olympics.

Guess how many countries Robin has been photographed in since he made his debut last August. And as a tie-breaker, name them. To enter, just post your entry in the comments tab below. Whoever gets the right number of countries wins. If two people get the right number, the one who names most of them correctly takes the prize.

Closing date is a week from today. The winner gets a tacky London souvenir.

Good luck!

Robin in Ypres

robin in belgium
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

Hey up folks

This picture was taken on Sunday in Ypres, a lovely little town in the Flanders part of Belgium.

I was over there with my wife and my grandad, who we took away for the weekend. The mediaeval city of Ypres was very much in the thick of the action during World War One (it was called Wipers by British soldiers) and we went to a very thought-provoking trench that has been preserved since 1917.

It was quite moving to walk down the trench and imagine who'd been in there all those years ago and what they'd been feeling. Around a quarter of a million men from the Commonwealth lie in grave sites in Flanders - mind-blowing to imagine.

But it was also a very pretty town and we managed to have a lovely time exploring the fair that was going on and eating some great Belgian food.

Robin and an Arsenal stadium

Robin checks out Arsenal
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.

Hey up folks

Here's Robin checking out the brand new stadium of Arsenal Football Club at Ashburton Grove in North London. Arsenal are one of the best football (soccer to you American folks) teams in England and, probably, Europe.

It's not finished yet - the team have one more season at their old Highbury ground where they've been for about 80 years - but it's going up pretty quickly and looks like it will be quite a stunning ground.

They're moving because the old ground only holds 38,000, whereas this one will hold about 60,000 (which, of course, equals rather more money through the gates). Plus, they've already got a multi-million pound sponsorship deal with Emirates airline to call it the Emirates Stadium.

Me and Robin will certainly be going back to check it out when it's finished...