12.30 AM
Due to quite heavy snow, our concert here in Istanbul was not well attended. But the small audience was very friendly and positive.

After the concert, food and drink near the hotel. At the restaurant, a stranger at the next table buys us a Turkish national drink: Raki, I think it's called -- it's an aniseed drink like Ouzo. I have the impression of great hospitality and generosity here.

8.55 AM
At breakfast. I've given myself quite a headache with this Turkish drink!

We're being collected at 9.30 -- they want to allow extra time to get to the airport because of the snow. I hope flights are running -- I'm supposed to be teaching in London at 6.00.

18.15 London time
We took off four or five hours late in the end -- but we were lucky: nothing was flying in or out of Istanbul most of today, due to snow, and there was a large backlog to clear. As for teaching tonight, it turns out there was nobody scheduled for me tonight at the back clinic in Wimbledon where I (sometimes) work on a Monday.

I'm so looking forward to seeing my family in a few hours! What a long day it's been!