Point of note: the Heathrow Express from Paddington Station does not run 24/7. The first train departs at 5:10 a.m. and then stops a bit before midnight. Anyway, I now have some time to kill before catching that train.

My last night in Stratford with Yoli was punctuated by a thunderous crash of books. During a scene change in the RSC's production of The Winter's Tale, bookcases tip and empty their contents onto the stage. It's a spectacular sight and if anyone is planning to see it, then I've just completely ruined the moment for you. While knowing that the books will fall and actually seeing it happen are two very different things, the element of surprise cannot be denied. It was a thoroughly enjoyable production, full of choices that I questioned at times, but ultimately a lot of fun to watch.

We went out for afternoon tea, which was very filling. British dairy is on my good list right now. Clotted cream on the tea cake. Whipped cream in the Eton mess (broken up meringues mixed with cream and strawberries). Good yogurt.

In a few hours, I fly to Istanbul. This has yet to sink in. It is a city with incredible history, religious, imperial, commercial. It has come up in my education only obliquely, usually by another name. I know that there are mosques and palaces to see. There is a large body of water that seems to provide some kind of orientation. I know it's one of the largest, busiest, hyper cities in the world. I just don't know quite what to expect, except that I will be overwhelmed. I'm excited to get to the centre of things and just take a very deep breath. I'm waiting for the moment when I realize where I am.