Monday, September 29

Irma left first. Naa and I got up, had breakfast, and left at about 9:00. Sunshine had gone out, come home, and was now asleep in Naa’s room.

I spent the morning catching up on mail, dealing with student enquiries, and holding two tutorials. Then I had my Jamie Oliver salad, bought from Boots at Manchester airport and carried home uneaten, followed by the turkey and emmental sandwich we were given on the plane and put in our bags. I acompanied this with a mug of hot Bovril.

The afternoon was taken up with an open-ended meeting about curriculum issues, and a third tutorial.

I got home to find Irma busy unpacking and sorting out her own things, and wishing to do this undisturbed. I went for a walk. In fact I went for a long walk that will take almost two and a half hours to complete. I have been through the woods, past the gas station, down to the allotments, along the shore past the ducks and swans down to Puotila Beach. Now I am walking from the beach towards Itäkeskus, and the sun is going down in a red fire.

Soon I will turn right by the crazy golf course and walk along Rusthollarintie, up the hill through Vartioharju, and down to Alepa.

Naa will arrive home from her journalism course five minutes after me, and we will have eggs and baked beans: one of the three-tins-for-a-pound that we bought from Poundsaver in Birkenhead.

Showers and bed will follow.