As I hinted in my last update, I have ended up in Latvia for a project........ I thought it was probable, but almost no-one else did, for reasons to do with strange sales things that I don't actually understand. And of course the reason I though it was probable was that I met the customer and just got this feeling, from the questions that they were asking me, and no-one else understands that.

I've actually been here about six weeks, but have been frantically busy.  As usual my company has been administratively incompetent, and the other person who is supposed to be here is not, so I've been doing most of his work as well.  I also caught the most terrible cold, and found out that I have an allergy to a tree I've never seen before that drops large white things like cottom wool all over Riga.  When I go home next weekend for a few days, I am going to the pharmacy to stock up on all sorts of things for common ailments, because actually you cannot get them here.

It is a very beautiful city, you can see above the view that I have from my hotel room, straight across the river to the Old Town.  At weekends I have not done much, because of not feeling great and having to work a lot, but I can report that there are some nice shops in the Old Town with traditional costumes and crafts, also quite a few yarn shops.  Nothing for embroidery yet that I have seen, although linen is evidently a traditional product here, and there is good linen fabric available.  But I brought supplies with me anyway, as usual I travel with lots of stuff, because you never know - and in fact, with not being able to fly because of the cold, that was very sensible.