After a very long wait today is the day. I’m filled with mixed emotions, I’m naturally thrilled, but also worried that something is going to go wrong and he’ll be stranded in Amsterdam. Start the day as usual, my regular Friday catch up with the Professor Sir. Few emails and other bits and pieces before I can start on the other jobs.

Best have a bit of a tidy up as the place is looking rather messy. When you’re constantly working and doing stuff on the house till late at night, tidying up the mess you made that day doesn’t seem too important. After all, you’re only going to heap a load more wallpaper and other debris on the heap again tomorrow. I’ve also become quite accustomed to the assault course of moving round the kitchen, particularly in the dark on the way to bed.

Washing up done, 3 large bags of rubbish filled, quick sweep to get the worst of it up. Now, to the untrained eye, the place still looks like a tip. But believe me when I say that it was quite the marked difference, if you knew what you were looking for. I also bought Matt some nice roses while I was out yesterday. I’m not entirely sure however whether we packed a vase or not, I would have thought so. A short while later, I still haven’t found one. I have however found a stein mug so that will have to do.

I have also finally cleared a small space on the table, so guess I’ll have some lunch. Not sure what Matt will have eaten, so I’ll boil up some extra eggs to take to the airport later.

One last wall to get through. Pretty over stripping the kitchen by this stage. It’s somewhat reminiscent of the story of Sisyphus, although for me rather than pushing an immense boulder up a hill it is stripping wallpaper (and the previous log stacking of course). Finally got the first layer off, not much of the paper underneath. As the boulder rolls back down the hill to be dealt with another day, I light the fire and have some dinner – the leftovers from lunch.

Matt is currently in Amsterdam waiting on his second flight. It appears that it has been delayed by about 30 mins but no change to the arrival time, something about the winds.

I’ve got a little while before I have to go so settle in to finally complete my updates from the rest of the week. Almost finished and the internet craps out again. Up and down to switch it off and on again. First 1 min off, nothing, then 5, then 10. This simply isn’t working. Time’s up anyway. The weather is pretty miserable and the speed limit on the motorway drops by 20km/h in the rain. I pack some crisps, cans of coke, chocolate and the eggs into a bag and get ready to go, throwing a massive log on the fire to hopefully keep it running till I get back. As always, I am back in and out of the house 4 times before I can actually leave.

It’s a very slow drive up to Toulouse but I arrive a few minutes before 11pm safe and sound. Matt is through passport control and waiting for his bag. I circle back round out of the 10 min holding bay to find somewhere to wait a while. Nearly 11:30 and the carousel in arrivals has stopped, with no sign of Matt’s bag. The terminal is deserted. Deflated, tired and more than a little grumpy he comes out to find me.

It certainly wasn’t the movie reunion I had hoped for. No smiles, kisses or cuddles, just a miserable, damp boy, missing a bag. I do my best to cheer him up and go to have a look around the airport myself but there’s just a few people bedded down for the night and a policeman who, not unsurprisingly, had no way of helping with lost luggage. All we can do is drive home and contact the airport and KLM tomorrow. Wanting to get home as quick as possible Matt drives. That’s fine with me, I also packed a cheeky beer for whoever was passenger.

Finally, back at home. Who’d believe it, after all that time, there’s still an ember in the fireplace, it’s weak but I might be able to rescue it. Minutes later and we have a lovely roaring fire. Bow in my presence, I am Hephaestus!

Time for champagne and cuddles and to let Muma Camp know that her boy is back where he belongs.