I apologize for being a few days late with publishing this weekly edition but the delay is all my fault through catching a virus at the beginning of last week and then having to take to my bed to recover until this morning.

However, as they say, "better late than never" and I honestly wouldn't wish this type of germ that I had on anybody whomsoever because it really got the better of me for a five-day period.

Normally, by living alone here in the countryside, I always avoid getting an illness at this time of the year, but a friend arrived back on the island a week last Friday from a Caribbean holiday with his wife.

He came to my house the next day to watch a live football match on television against Manchester United and his beloved Blackburn Rovers on the Saturday afternoon.

This was when I caught the disease because by the Monday morning my friend was laid up in his bed at home with the same bug he brought which took me down a couple of days later on the Wednesday morning.

I should imagine that travelling on an aeroplane is probably one of the most common places to catch anything that's going around with the recycled air.

Nonetheless, as previously promised in last week's edition, I've managed to put together a selection of colour pictures to show the winter beauty and the spectectular light at this period of the year here of the island of Ibiza.

Gary Hardy

garyhardy@ibizahistoryculture.com