Tuesday 7^th August, 2018 1600

I give up with trying to print the hotel confirmations, short of splashing out 500 yuan on a printer I can find no way to do it. Copy and paste into Open Office simply crashes it. It's possible I can copy and paste in an email to the computer shop but instead I have asked my sister if she can do it – she will be meeting us on Saturday in Paris before going back on Monday night. I asked if she could bring sausage rolls, a Melton Mowbray and some part baked baguettes!

I shan't pretend I have been hard at it today. Done my final laundry and packed almost everything I need and I seem to still have acres of room in my big suitcase (which still complies with any luggage regulation size for any airline for checked baggage, that's why I bought it) and thankfully I don't need to concern myself with the weight just yet because I have 30kg going to Beijing. Hopefully I shall lighten the load enough by disposing of liquids in my hotel room on Thursday so I won't need to worry about it en route to Paris either!

One thing about getting older and heeding sensible advice to take all your medication as hand luggage however sees me with a shoulder bag devoted entirely to my mobile pharmacy! Well, I get through a fair amount in three weeks!

One day left here tomorrow, either out for sweet pork for dinner or one of my ready frozen lasagna, either way no dishes to go mouldy while I am away. I detest washing dishes after dinner.

Alice is now panicking because whilst her phone works in Europe, unless something has changed in the past five years, mine won't. As long as I am there to meet her it shouldn't be a problem, she seems to be arriving at the smallest terminal in Charles De Gaulle. Havig said that, 24hours after emailing a British meet and greet firm regarding a quote for four trips airport-hotel I still await a response that wasn't automated – hardly inspires confidence does it??