What kind of “romantic” hotel squeezes an extra bed into the room, then lets it to an additional guest? This one, apparently. It wasn’t until after breakfast that we met the small dark woman who had spent the night just three inches away from my side of the bed. I asked her how she had slept and was not in the least surprised to hear that she’d suffered a very disturbed night due to our snoring. I certainly wouldn’t choose to share a room with us, and suggested that she complain to the management.

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Puppies were everywhere! In my arms I cradled a tiny white toy poodle bitch, while I debated with a neighbour the breed of what looked like a large Yorkshire terrier at the other side of the room. The long-haired black and tan sweetie was eventually identified as a Lakeland breed. This was such a great photo opportunity, so I asked TPR for the camera. He handed over a compact SLR from the last century which I barely recognised – and had completely forgotten how to use. It took quite a while for me to get everything set up, but eventually I was ready. Then I heard someone mention the terms “vet”, “disease” and “amputation” and spotted my first photographic subject: a fully functioning healthy dog’s head with no body, perched happily on the shoulder of its owner.