As I have very carefully taken pictures of my progress on QOTN, then left the lead that attaches the camera to the computer in a drawer in my hotel room - along with my headphones and my Ipod lead as well, all things that I will need today. If it weren't already close to 40 degrees, I would go back and get them, but it's just too hot.

I had a bit of a strange weekend, it is odd being here in Nicosia without Nicky and in a hotel. Nicosia is so quiet at the weekends, especially after the shops close at 2pm on Saturday. On Sunday some of the shops in the Old Town open, but that's it. Even the cafes are not so busy at this time of the year - in winter they are quite lively on Sundays.

I didn't do much, except on Saturday I went to the pharmacy down from the hotel, where the pharmacist listened to my tale of having to stay longer than expected and looked at my French medication, then produced the same thing in Greek. Then I took a taxi to the Hilton, which has a bookshop with the best range of English books in Nicosia (there is an English bookshop here, but it is fairly useless, being one of those places that is very self-consciously "literary" and having a huge stock of second-hand books from the 1950s). I bought three books and a pile of magazines, including the latest "Inspirations".

Actually I used to subscribe to "Inspirations", but gave up, as they kept vanishing in the post, and I was also getting a bit sick of the focus on projects for childrens things. There were a few issues where there was nothing adult at all. Now I get it if I see it and if I like enough of the things in it. This time there was a little booklet of needlework shops, supposedly the most beautiful in the world, although I don't know if I would call the Marche St Pierre beautiful - interesting and lively, yes, but beautiful, no. Also there was a design and a profile of Lizzi Damgaard in Denmark, whom I have met, she is also ex-Skals, but before me.

Apart from reading, I ate, slept and stitched - on QOTN, I finished the verse and everything on the back, except that wretched line of flowers below the Rhodes hearts. I've also done the bluebirds on the front of the case. It's all nicely photographed, and I can't show it!

I also talked to Nicky, he says this whole thing is disorganised, even for our management. I am talking to him quite a lot now, and actually I think David is beginning to get ideas - which is not good, because David is a happily married man who thinks everyone else should be as well, and is not above shameless matchmaking.

Did I mention that Derek has had to go back to Paris in order to be me? Sylvain promised the client there another French-speaking body, and Derek was the only one. This should be very interesting..........