And he delights in describing sensory details, particularly sex and food; there is a lot of both. Some critics have complained that there are too many sexual descriptions (HBO has, of course, ramped it up further still for television). Martin sighs when I bring up the subject. ‘Sex is an important part of life; it’s something that gives our lives meaning, for good or for ill, so I think it should be there and should be shown.’ Meanwhile his salivating descriptions of medieval-style feasts have spawned a fan blog, the Inn at the Crossroads, providing recipes for dishes featured in the book. It proved so popular, with more than three million hits, that it has now been published as a book of its own. ‘I love food,’ he says, patting his not-insubstantial belly. ‘But I’m not a foodie, I eat like a peasant. My favourite foods are barbecue and Mexican.’ Later that evening he takes me to Maria’s, a family-run restaurant in town with a 100-strong margarita menu and introduces me to his favourite dish, carne adovada, with lots of red and green chillies. He’s right – it is delicious.