Tuesday 24^th July, 2018 1415

Water.

That element has dominated the past two days, yesterday because it rained the entire day and put me off shopping and then last night the water supply went off and remains so. Until I shower I won't shop. It is most troublesome, particularly as my wine stock is exhausted and it will mean buying an overpriced and unverified bottle from Mr Jing Jo and having a chicken salad instead of what I wanted – home made sausage rolls – for dinner today.

The trotters continue to strengthen, with stamina being the main concern now after a month of basically sitting on my derriere but the ribs still inflict spasms on occasion. Barring further calamity though I should be fighting fit for a fortnight's time.

I need to be. I've only just realised that I've saddled myself with 8 hotels, 8 flights and 2 ferry trips over the course of 18 days – I am not a pop star on tour, I'm supposed to be relaxing! I reckon it will be the same as last year, good to go back to work for a rest...

Mind you, the pound isn't doing me any favours at the moment, whilst it is on the up against the yuan it continues its slow descent against the euro, which for the first time since the euro was born, will affect me.

Wednesday 1645

Hopefully the camcorder delivery problem is now solved, Royal Mail's email to GLS was read and it is now on the van with the correct address to be delivered hopefully today.

And finally today, after five weeks, I have been to BHG! I'm not sure whether to cry or celebrate though, after this long with only buying essentials the bill was 500 yuan! And by the time I got back I certainly felt it. I had ideas of going to town tomorrow to see if there were any of my cigars in stock again but I will have to wait and see how I feel.

It's a nice warm day today at 31C but unlike the UK there are no heat warnings, amber, red or otherwise. It was good to go further than the square again though.

I have been watching the fires in Athens with interest, praying it will still be there in three weeks and also wondering if something cataclysmic will happen in Paris. Why? Well, regular readers already know mayhem either follows or precedes me when I plan a trip.........

I am not making light of a situation in which people have perished by any means – I have a friend who lives there and I await some sign he is ok – and I am not superstitious, I walk under ladders, yet it seems I cannot move anywhere without something befalling me or where I am going. Maybe it's because I walk under ladders........