Oh dear, the driving, but this time it was traffic lights! I wanted to turn left at junction before the Embassy but am not allowed to by policeman on point duty. When I ask how I'm supposed to get to the Embassy he helpfully jumps in and directs me. Turn left at next junction - what could be easier - then he leaves me at the Embassy. Visa all prepared, but only 14-day transit visa. Never mind if we want to go into Afghanistan after that will have to get it updated nearer the time.

On the way back I got so irate with idiots pouring out of a side road that I just stopped in the middle of the road, turned off the engine and let everyone hoot until I felt a little calmer. Next I foiled a large American car's ambition to leap into my lane and forced it to wait for the car in front to move. I stopped in a no-parking area near the top of Ferdowsi to search for the British Council. After quick walk up and down find it right opposite the car! Also found "Paris" bookshop and bookstall selling used English books.

Return to hotel. What now? Lunch, but let's go and buy a melon. Go for a walk and buy apples. Go to end of Amir Kabir and turn left. Further up we bought a paper - the vendor was asleep lying on his news stand.

Next day it rained for most of the morning. In the afternoon Brian went off to find out where the American Express offices are in Lahore and Delhi. He came back to say there was no Poste Restante service in Lahore, so I sent him away again to find out a bit more. Finally, about 6pm, when he hadn't returned I went and found him in the lounge where he was talking to various people, one of whom had been nearly raped by the combined efforts of two Persians and an American. Brian's a good talker and sometimes this is handy because he comes back with a great jumble of facts, some of which are useful. And he can usually remember who he's been talking to (though 60% of the time he gets the names wrong).

We went out to dine on ragout and rice and then we walked up to the British Council to watch three films on architecture made for ATV called "The Art of Architecture", "Architecture in the Space Age" (two years after the Brussels fair, and before any men were launched into space circa 1960) and something along the lines of "British Architecture in Relation to that of Other Countries". They were done by Reyner Banham with an epilogue by Sir Kenneth Clark. Reyner Banham (1922-1988) was an architectural critic and writer best known for his 1971 book "Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies". They were quite well done and provided food for thought by increasing one's awareness of the purpose of architecture. Afterwards we went for a "pint" at Ferdowsi Square (it works out at just under 2/6 a pint) and returned to the hotel about 10pm. Walking there at 7:30 was probably quicker and certainly less frustrating than going by car.

Once again I was first awake, about 9:30 and actually got up, about 10:30. After breakfast I rang Babaian to enquire after Norah's health. She is no better, but Babaian will ring tomorrow and at the same time arrange for us to go and have a chat with Mr Chook about selling the car in Afghanistan. I also mentioned that we were thinking of eating at Nayeb this evening, but he said it was closed in the evening and commanded us to go at lunch time. Concluded mammoth parental letter then we went off for lunch about 1:30. It was great! Just the same as before and equally delicious - and we didn't have to pay! More correspondence, I wrote and posted letters to Reynolds and Aperghis in Bombay about selling the car in India, then embarked on one to Keith to put in the parental envelope.

About 8:45 I went out and bought more bread, and we discovered that "The Love Bug" was in Farsi - English last performance on Sunday only. Nevertheless, we took Adrian and Geoff to see it, it cost them 50R. It was probably just as good/bad in Farsi. Brian now wants to go and see it in English. Good luck!