I admit it feels strange to not have to go to work!

I have lots of household stuff to do, and I am packing a small valise to take home with me. I fly to Lisbon on Wednesday. My friend is collecting my cats tonight. She's looking after them for a few weeks while I'm home in Portugal for the holidays. Hanukkah starts on Thursday, I wanted to fly tomorrow but the flights were booked. I shall need to have a ritual bath on my arrival in Lisbon.

My sister will collect me from the airport, and it's home. I have missed home. England can be so cold, and that's not just the weather! The demonstrations in support of Hamas were incredibly scary! You wouldn't think such an apparently placid post-imperial country could be underlying so militant. I suppose with such a large Muslim population it is to be expected!