Myriam's map of San Marino

I visited San Marino three years ago.

On my way there, I left my phone on the bus. Myriam, who worked at my hotel very kindly drove me to the bus garage to get my phone back. I spent some time talking to her, she was a very nice person.

During all this, for some reason, I didn't ask her to draw a map of San Marino. Maybe I just forgot, or felt a bit foolish.

I went back to San Marino this week, and found Myriam still working in the hotel.

She remembered me from three years ago, and then drew this wonderfully detailed map of San Marino.

Thanks Myriam!

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So now my collection of maps of European countries is nearly done - only Andorra, Bosnia, Cyprus, Moldova and Monaco are left. I'm determined to finish the collection this year - here's hoping.

What's in San Marino

I've long wondered exactly what is in San Marino. Just what keeps such a small state afloat and what goes on there?

In my recent trip around Italy, I decided to stop overnight in San Marino. Perched high on a mountain, San Marino city overlooks the rest of the tiny republic. The San Marino flag features three towers on three peaks, the symbol of San Marino.

There are also a variety of tacky-sounding museums (the Museum of Torture, and the like). Mainly, it seems tourism is the prime industry here with souvenir shop after souvenir shop.

Sadly, when the final bus leaves at half past six, San Marino empties. I walked around the town, seeing closed shops, empty bars, empty cafés and empty restaurants. It was all rather disheartening.

Happily next morning, everything was busy again and San Marino seemed a happy place. So happy, indeed, that the police wear delightful mustard yellow shirts. Lovely San Marino.

Are there any Sanmarinese in London?

I'm hoping that my next football with the foreign fans match will be San Marino playing Northern Ireland, on Sunday. But the question is - where are the Sanmarinese?

I know there's at least one - he or she has set up a greasy spoon in Brixton. But the man working there wasn't from San Marino, and didn't know where I'd find them.

Today, I went to the London address of the San Marino Consulate General - but it turned out to be the bloke's apartment. (In Chelsea too, which is fancy.)

My one remaining option is someone called Walter - the chaps on the World in One City blog found him running a cafe near Oxford Street, so I'm hoping he'll be supporting his nation.

EDIT: Walter's cafe was not there, and this match wasn't even on. I can't read a calendar, it seems.