Sitting in my hotel room in Oviedo soaking up my last few hours of expensive hotel wireless, I can't help but feel like I haven't taken full advantage of my time here in Spain. Before I return for another visit, I definitely need to learn a smattering of Spanish—enough to order food at restaurants other than McDonalds, and to book a trip on the train that meanders through the surrounding mountains, at least! I did get to take lots of photos of Oviedo proper, however.

Fundamentos Web 2006 was a privilege to be a part of in so many ways. Sharing the stage (and then roaming the streets of Oviedo snapping photos) with the likes of Richard Ishida (W3C), Dave Shea (CSS Zen Garden), Chris Wilson (Microsoft), Bob Regan (Adobe), Ben Hammersley (The Guardian), not to mention my fellow travel victims Molly and Andy... talk about the stuff of dreams! I also owe a debt of gratitude to my hosts and guides, José Manuel Alonso, Rubén Prado and Luis Villa del Campo for their constant hospitality. For those left wondering, my luggage did finally turn up, but not before Rubén took me out shopping on Monday night so that I'd have some spiffy clothes to wear to the conference. Thankyou for a stress-free conference experience, guys!

A few memories and impressions of Oviedo, lest I forget: strong orange juice; umbrella wrapping machines; a window fashion show; a compliment from Molly; Dave asking nearly every question from Chris's FAQ slide after falling asleep during his talk; Bob: "Do you have any bones—with meat?"; blind people selling lottery tickets; Chris's amazing 10-22 lens; Bob's octogenarian admirer; holograms in the Cathedral; Richard and Dave's eating contest: "Are you going to finish that?"; the Macromedia personal massager; uniforms with swords; the taxi driver taking a speakerphone call from his mother.