Back in the oven. I’m not kidding. Two weeks of sun shining on our extensive stone floor has left it emitting heat. If it was snowy outside, I’d be happy to arrive to underfloor heating, but when it’s 37C outside, it’s really not such a welcome feature.

I’ve been a bit shocked to see just how green the grass in the gardens around here is. It is exactly the same green as the grass in an area of France that had rain every day for about two months with not much sun outside the rainy spells. This is one of Egypt’s hottest summers for years. Someone come and make desert gardens fashionable. Please.