The airport was not as bad as I had feared....I was able to check in straight away, although it looked like a two hour queue (I use the word "queue" very loosely indeed) for economy. Upstairs the Red Cross had set up camp next to the lounge, although they didn't seem to be in evidence. I saw a plane bound for Canada, which I've never seen at Larnaca before, and the collection of charter aircraft in the parking spots was even more motley than usual.

I had ordered a car and driver to meet me, which was good, because it is still hot here - after a heatwave, Paris takes ages to cool down, and, even though it is only supposed to be 26 today, it feels very hot and sticky. So he carried my cases upstairs, which I could not have done at all. I opened the mail, went to the supermarket and went to bed basically. Up again today to look through documents that I need to take on Monday to the Prefecture. I brought a whole lot of stuff to work and have it ranged on my desk, ready to be photocopied when I get the energy.

Leo called me earlier, it appears that he and David had to hitch-hike halfway to the airport last night, as the taxi broke down. I can just see two white-haired gents with computer bags with their thumbs out.

Nicky has been on Skype, sounding mildly panicked about Ireland, he leaves on Sunday. There are two guys here who are going to be working with him, I hope they will be nice to him. It's a whole new phase of the project, and one that the client should have initiated some time ago, if they want to meet their regulatory deadline, so they are putting all available bodies on to this.

I did get a lot of nice mail:

- four Loose Feathers leaflets from Blackbird Designs
- Couleurs des Fees Flower Quaker Accoudoir and Accessoires I leaflets
- linen and threads from Sew and Sew in the UK (best and fastest service of any ONS, I think)
- a stash enhancement package from Traditional Stitches
- 10th Anniversary Christmas Ornaments book
- first instalment of Leanne's House quilt (so gorgeous, lots of really nice fabrics, and beautifully arranged, so that I don't have to do too much cutting myself).

Also bought three stitching magazines at St Lazare this morning, and went to Loisirs and Creations and bought some linen, so-called Hardanger scissors (we'll see!) and 1/4" tape so I do my seams OK on the Leanne's House quilt.

Intend to go home at a reasonable hour and start tidying up, the apartment is a mess, and I am hoping that Nicky will turn up at some stage. He better give it a couple of weeks, as it will take me that long. I keep finding newspapers that I read when I was at home for two days in February!

So programme for the weekend includes tidying up, sorting out my stitching program and going to the gym to sign up, so that I can use the pool as of now! I used to belong to Waou, the cringingly named upmarket branch of Club Med Gym, there are about five Waous in Paris and most have a pool. The one with the really good pool is the one that is in the top of the Sofitel. There is a fantastic view from there, so I quite like that one, but there is also a good pool at Bercy. And they all have steam rooms as well.