This will hurt me...

Ushuaia, Argentina Ushuaia is the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego, and has claim to the title of the world's southernmost city. Ushuaia is the gateway to the Tierra del Fuego National Park, and features the delightfully named Tren del Fin del Mundo (the “End of the World Train”) from Ushuaia. It also has penguins, many many penguins. I love penguins. I want a penguin. I’m not sure whether they let you take one home with you, but it may be worth a try. Apparently you stand a decent chance at spotting a killer whale in the harbour too. I reckon that I’d love to take a kayak out into the harbour and have a good look around. There is also a bit of skiing, a glacier, and if you’re really keen, you can nip down to Antarctica!

Interesting article forwarded onto me by a friend about an angry Russian who beheaded two friends with an axe after returning home to find them cutting up and preparing to eat his favourite dog. In style that would make a fine episode of CSI, Chita prosecutors said in a statement: "Flying into a rage, the dog's owner picked up an axe from the floor and cut off the heads of the uninvited guests." The man then called the police and confessed to the killing. To be honest, my favourite part of the story was the final line: “It was unclear why his acquaintances wanted to eat the dog.” Quite.

Tallinn, Estonia Tallinn’s old town easily is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and seems to be the place to be if you’re into ‘old towns’ like me. I read that Tallinn is also a good ‘walking’ city, which suits me to the ground, as I like to get about on foot. Now that Henry is up and walking, perhaps we can go walking through the town together! It also serves as a useful ferry point to a few other places that I'd like to visit.

Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis Rum, beach, sleep. What's not to like?

Suresh Menon on Cricinfo . Calm, considered and forthright. Well said that man!

Oulu, Finland Oulu is the largest and most important city in Northern Finland, and the sixth largest city in the country. The first time that I heard of Oulu was around the time of the first Air Guitar World Championships, in 1996. Now, I have no interest in Air Guitar, but for some reason Oulu has stayed on my mind ever since. Apparently, Oulu has gone from being a town known for wood tar and salmon, into a major centre in high technology, particularly IT and “wellness” [which I’m told is another word for healthcare] technology. Other prominent industries include wood refining, paper and steel. This tells me that it would make a fine sister city to Burnie ! I can’t properly explain why, but Finland has always attracted me. They have an incredibly interesting history, and the Finns ability to adapt and excel globally is to be admired. I would love to go there one day. And if I’m going to Finland, there is no way that I’m not going to Oulu.

One website well worth a visit is the Museum of Bad Art , which apparently is the world's only museum dedicated “to the collection, preservation, exhibition and celebration of bad art in all its forms.” A particular favourite of mine is “Think Again”, an acrylic on canvas by an unknown artist. The gallery appropriately describes the “understated violence implicit in the scene [that] speaks volumes on our own desensitisation, our society's reflexive use of force, and the artist's inability to deal with the hindquarters of the animal.” I also happen to think that it looks a little like Michael Jackson, which amuses me to no end.