Having watched Real Madrid’s 5-0 drubbing of Xerez a week earlier, I didn’t have high hopes for Tenerife last Saturday. Yet despite an eight-year absence from the Primera División, Tenerife will have hoped to cause an upset, and not for the first time. In the mid-90s they denied Real the title, gifting it to bitter rivals Barcelona, by beating them on the last day of the season. Twice! But Real continued their 100% start to the season and, although they took longer to break the deadlock (they had scored within 90 seconds in their previous two matches, both goals thanks to individual efforts by Ronaldo), they comfortably saw off the visitors 3-0. The win moved them to the top of “La Liga” on goal difference.

La Noche en Blanco 2009

On Saturday Madrid held the fourth edition of its all-night arts festival, la Noche en Blanco. In keeping with the nuit blanche tradition that has evolved in Europe, the city's bars, museums and galleries stayed open until 0700, and around 170 acts - ranging from live music and performing arts to artistic installations - filled the streets. The picture shows one of Madrid's most iconic streets, Gran Viá, with its streetlights having been temporarily replaced in favour of an extravagant light show.

The Hotel Mediodía, opposite what is now the Museo Reina Sofía. Built in 1914, the French-influenced architecture is typical of Alfonso XIII’s attempts to embellish the city of Madrid, which had lagged behind other European capitals due to its lack of natural resources and frequent political disturbances.

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

Housed in what was originally a hospital, Spain's national museum of 20th century art is one of the three galleries that make up Madrid's golden triangle of art. Its collection includes some fantastic pieces by Dalí and Miró, a replica of one of whose paintings hangs in the upstairs living room of my host family's house (at least, I assume it's a replica...). The Reina Sofía is also home to many works by Picasso, whose breathtaking Guernica dominates an entire room of its own.

Last week I cycled further than is preferable in 30-degree sunshine (it was about 1km) to an area marked on my map as "Playa de Madrid". I eventually found the long roadway entrance, guarded by what looked a Spanish guerrilla. I don't know quite what I expected to find at my destination, but the guerrilla clearly regarded me as an utter fool when he barked something at me along the lines of: "Se llama la Playa de Madrid pero no hay playa, vale? Ir."

(I know Spain has lizards everywhere, but you wouldn't believe the difficulty I've had recounting this tale on account of people not being able to see how 'guerrilla' should be spelt.)

Essay of little or no significance #1: probability

I have just rolled a dice. What is that probability that I have rolled a 5? Is it one in six? No.

Before the roll the probability of rolling a 5 was one in six. That’s because a 5 is just one of six possible outcomes all of which are equally likely. But what about after the roll? If I have rolled a 3, is it equally likely that I have rolled a 5? Of course not: I have rolled a 3, I have rolled no other number.

The probability that I have rolled a 5 must therefore be one in one or zero in one, not one in six: either I definitely have or I definitely haven’t rolled a 5.

I'm not usually one to indulge in "possible worlds", but here they can be used to great effect. Imagine that I am about to roll a dice, but stop me; freeze the frame. Duplicate the scene in your mind five times and play all six possible worlds at once. It's feasible that in each possible world a different number is rolled. There was, after all, a one in six chance for each number.

Now rewind the tape. This time, allow me to roll and cover the dice before you freeze the frame and duplicate the scene. Play all the scenes at once. You will find that in every possible world I roll the same number. If I rolled a 5 in the real world, I will have rolled a 5 in every other possible world. The probability that I had rolled a 5 was not one in six but one in one; there was no chance that it could have been any other number. As they say, alea iacta est!

Common lizards run riot here, so I am determined to get a better shot of one than this.

[Imagine a photograph of a bustling C&A store here.]

C&A quit the UK market in 2000, closing its last stores in 2001. Nine years later, it continues to trade in 18 European countries. Who knew?

Does anyone know what this is?

Ferdinand III of Castile was King of Castile from 1217 and of Galicia and León from 1230. Castile & León is now one of seventeen autonomous communities of Spain while Galicia is another.

Ferdinand was canonized in 1671. The inscription on this statue reads "San Fernando III Rey".