Here is an extract from an email received. Can you, from the language or content, guess the nationality of the writer?

'It was good for me to have a word during the daytime (I am sorry that you had to ring me twice early morning). I am completely drunk and I could not speak to you properly. Speak to you soon again.'

I'm back in  Germany (that's not a clue) and my colleagues in the 'Controlling Department' have agreed to guest for me.

Einfahrt verboten!

At the moment Stuttgart is all about colored stickers. Motor vehicles need a sticker to entry the so-called 'environmental zone'.

The color scheme reflects the emission stage to which the vehicle was originally certified. Vehicles without a sticker are to be denied entry in such zones. On days with particularly poor quality air local authorities are supposed to permit entry only to vehicles with selected sticker colors.

That's the new law in Stuttgart and it seems that I will not get a sticker at all! Which means, in future I will run to work...

Congratulations to Jackie Kay on her triumph at the Nibbies last night. I was in Germany and therefore had the perfect excuse not to be there. More on Jackie later...