I have always avoided Gymnasiums as they seemed a place of torture and for those that indulge in sadomasochism, but having reached ‘Middle age’ the body is showing signs of wear and tear. As it happens I find myself occasionally in the business jet set and have been spending a number of nights away mainly in Sydney.

It is hard to know where to start when writing about Israel. The one thing it is not what you expect. Let me highlight Israel with the words of my daughter’s 27 year old partner as they accompanied me there recently.