One of the earliest pieces I wrote when I first started blogging three years ago was "Plates of Joy" (here), about my hobby of plate collecting - decorative plates, that is. Recently the ex and wife went on an Iberian holiday and thoughtfully brought home a ceramic plate of Madrid (pix above) for yours truly. Muchas gracias, Senor Ex! 
This one from Peru is a real stunner; it's made of wood and painted with motif depicting the Aztec culture. It's a gift from Irene, a fellow Royal Lake Club member, who went on a two-week jaunt of Latin America last year. A small wooden vase of similar design accompanied the plate. Much appreciated, Irene!
This is a gift from journalist Fuzz (colleague of my two kids in the Press), who went traipsing around Eastern Europe last year. Fuzz actually presented me with two; one from Croatia and the other from Warsaw. Both are equally beautiful. Dzienkuje, Fuzz! (Pronounced 'jenn-koo-yeh', that's "thank you" in Polish).
