Lara should have been arriving on Wednesday. We had been busy cleaning, washing and shopping in anticipation. Tuesday teatime John received a message from Ryan Air to the effect that her flight had been cancelled. French air traffic controllers are holding a strike. Coincidentally the French played their last game in the qualifiers of the world cup that evening. Anyway the news was followed by a frantic session on our newly active Internet trying to find her another flight. John battled his way through the adverts on the Ryan air website, which took him round in frustrating loops. Eventually he booked a flight with another airline, which arrives today (Friday). We are both excited and have bought pastries and girl beer.