Tuesday June 4

    Joan has gone on to bed--tired after a rather strenuous day, her usual morning run, followed by walking 7 miles with me, mainly from Kingston-on-Thames to Richmond, along the Thames path---mostly with a view of the river, but with some stretches of woodland where the foliage cut us off from the view.

    We had our usual lunchtime beer and crisps at a pub in Richmond, where we sat outside and watched an unusually high tide bring the river up over its bank and over the sidewalk

    We got to Kingston by the Underground to Richmond and a bus to Kingston. Coming home we took two buses--one from Richmond to Hammersmith and one from Hammersmith to Kensington Church Street, where the 27 bus stopped almost opposite our apartment.

    So now, at 10.30pm, I am left to fill in my time before I go to bed, which will be at about 11.15pm. I often have trouble going to sleep, and it is quite likely that I may be still awake after half an hour lying in bed.

    I have my ear-buds in, and I am listening to Classic FM--at the moment the final movement of Elgar's Symphony Number 1--a piece I have never heard before. I am not greatly impressed.

    Last night we were thrilled by a great concert at the Festival Hall--Beethoven's violin concerto and a Brahms Symphony. Great soloist in the violin concerto, and the orchestra was terrific in the Brahms.

    Time for bed...