I rode my bicycle to work this morning. It was the fist time I'd ridden it since cycling home from work on 14th December and I really wasn't looking forward to it. OK, so it wasn't cold or wet or windy but it was dark. But, the moment I set off I was stunned by how comfortable it was. How had I never noticed before? I realised the sad truth is that my legs are no longer particularly fond of load-bearing exercise despite all the walking I thought I was perfectly happy to undertake yesterday and all the jigging about the night before. Perhaps they're just a bit tired, but I suspect not.

This evening the wind was howling and a colleague kindly offered me a lift home. I gratefully accepted her offer and will take the bus in tomorrow morning. The morning bus is reliable but I've had one awful experience of trying to get the bus home and I don't wish to try that again in weather like today's.

And then when I arrived home there was a card waiting for me from Israel with news that the only family I know in that part of the world are all safe. It's been a long wait and I'm grateful for the news. These are good people who used to stay in my Greek guest cottage every summer. They found a different holiday home-from-home after I left.