I’m at a loss to describe, let alone understand, the senselessness of the bombings in Bali on Saturday. These pictures show the place where two of the bombs exploded. Jimbaran beach is a simple place, a fishing village now crowded with fish cafés on the beach; a great place to idle away a peaceful evening with some good food, a few beers, and a view of the sunset, often to the entertainment of skilful buskers. These are not my pictures – I took them from the web (with apologies) – but they could have been mine, as James and I enjoyed an evening there just a few years ago.

Yes, more people die in Iraq almost weekly and thousands more have died in the war of terror. But why do the bombers kill and injure local people by the score (and only a few tourists) at a pleasant beachside eating place that should not offend anyone? Is it because the Balinese are mainly non-Muslim and, to a fundamentalist, more pagan than the tourists they entertain?”