I told you there would be more tulips!

Our friend S popped over this morning for a chinwag (and blueberry muffins). She is Palestinian, but her parents came to the UK before she was born, so she has never lived there, but has extended family there. Which must be terribly worrying and indeed heartbreaking. She's very knowledgable about the ins and outs of the conflict and the main players. How on earth is it going to end?

However, we had a good catch up. Well, she had a good catch up on our holiday plans. We all walked home with her, then I jumped on a bus to come back, but JR and Archie walked home again.

We spent the whole afternoon trying to navigate the cruise app, and book the trips. I think we got all the ones we wanted (especially Ha Long Bay on a junk). Some of the trips cost, so we didn't bother with them, there was plenty of choice. 

Still bingeing on Mr Ripley. Loving it. The arty farty black and white scenes, with dark shadows, rain soaked cobbles, vast hotel rooms and lots of marble staircases to stomp up and down on. All very atmospheric. The scenes are very long, but so well done. The tension is palpable. He's so good at lying his way out of awkward situations, eg when the inscrutable police inspector interviews him. In fact, last night he spent just about the whole episode stomping around on the wooden/tiled floors in his spacious rental apartment (doing stuff) - I certainly wouldn't want to live in the flat below him.

Archie has had his cone off ALL DAY! He's really not interested in his wound any more. It's almost gone, just a wee pink blob. AND he's been sleeping well at night. Now that he's recovered, I may need to get the clippers out, though I love his hirsute look.

While awaiting our visitor, I took this view of the tulips, which are just beginning to drop their leaves, sadly.