I came yesterday by the flight that leaves Tallinn at 1pm and gets me here about 5:30pm, via Copenhagen. This is quite stress-free, as these flights are never very full, and I have also discovered a place in Copenhagen airport where there are armchairs and powerpoints, very conducive to doing a bit of work en route.

I was up very early this morning, answering email at 5am - yes, mad, I know, but I woke up and just had to look at it. Then I went back to sleep until 8:30am, then went out to La Defense to the pharmacy and the epilation, and then to Brentanos, where I bought some books and I also on the way bought four French embroidery magazines, all full of pink for spring! I've done some work this afternoon, even though it is my RTT day (first this year, and we are supposed to take ten a year), and I will do more this weekend, even though it is a public holiday and the weekend - I have to prepare for Tuesday, it could be quite a week.

Kadriorg is a beautiful park just outside the city centre of Tallinn - in this park, there is an old Russian palace, which is a museum now, and a modern art museum. Here is a view of trees from the modern museum:

And a little pond in the park:

I'm sitting here in my pyjamas, finishing my coffee, with the balcony door open, as the temperature outside is 12 degrees, and it is bright, fine and sunny! Spring has really come to Tallinn, yesterday was very nice as well, although I spent a lot of it asleep. In the morning we delivered our report, the Estonian version, so we all went home at lunchtime. Most of us to sleep, actually, after the efforts of the last few weeks.

I'm about to go jump in the shower, then get out my guidebooks, so that I can work out where to go today.......... either the park with the museums or the beach with the museums, I think.

Why do strange things always happen to me at airports? Yesterday, when I got off the plane at CDG, and walked through the airbridge to the terminal, the door into the terminal was locked! We stood there for a while, pounding on the door - which is glass, and through which we could see, and be seen by, the people waiting to get on the plane we had just got off. Did any of them point us out to a staff member? Oh no, so one guy goes back to the plane and gets the purser to get a guy on the ground to come with keys.... Really CDG is badly run.

I've just also realised I made by return booking for tomorrow and not Sunday, so I guess I shall be travelling tomorrow! Yikes! Fortunately I did go out today and do a few things, like buy square pillowcases and Nespresso capsules to take back with me, but I should have got medication as well - so I guess I'll be seeing an Estonian doctor soon, to get a prescription. There is a medical centre across the road from my place and a little way along, and it is recommended in the Swissotel leaflet, so it must be OK.

I finished my report, and have had back comments on decision sheets, mostly quite straightforward, and mostly where they couldn't really understand what I was saying - so I have to enlarge a bit in some places. The big report is being translated into Estonian, so that will be easier for them. It's always hard with a new client, especially in a different country, to know how far to go in explanations. On one hand, the system is new to them and English is not their first language (actually for most of these ones it is their third language), but on the other, they are clever people who know their business inside out.

I'm going off to have a diet Coke and read a book! Haven't done anything so frivolous for a while!

Or actually of the view from my balcony.............. first towards the harbour:

And now towards the Old Town:

It is a holiday here - I am in Tallinn - so I have been working at home, that is, my flat above the shopping centre. I've been down there once day, to get supplies, also took a bus to a shopping centre by the airport, where they have a Jysk (Danish bedclothes shop), as I desperately needed a square pillow. Sleeping on rectangular pillows is not doing much for my neck. I was quite right in thinking that a Danish shop would have what I wanted, so I expect to have a nice sleep tonight.

I thought about going home for the week, everyone else has, except the guy from South East Asia. But we have the first draft of our big report due on Tuesday, and I didn't want to take a day to travel, especially with the Easter crowds. And in some ways it is easier to work here, away from the distractions of home as well.

This week I have written quite a lot, so has Fiona, but I have been tired, as I have been out to dinner every night. Last night I distinguished myself at the Villa Thai by asking what sort of white wine they had by the glass. Evidently the waitress said "South African Chenin blanc", but I only heard the last bit and asked her where it was from! Of course she said "South Africa" while trying not to put on her what an idiot this woman is face, and my colleagues did not shut up about it all night. The main conclusion I have drawn from this is that I need a rest and I am getting more deaf.

Back to work!

Finally I got here on Monday night, quite late, after a restful and totally empty flight, where they handed us cognac after dinner.