Monday 2nd February 2026

It was my final morning in Norwood in the Hill Country. I had asked to be collected around 10:00, but in the end I was already packed and ready to go, so I was able to have a leisurely morning, writing a few thank you cards, then having a final breakfast of paratha and daal with a nice coffee at Chef King. Pushpa, who runs the restaurant, was there this morning, so I said a fond farewell to him. It hasn't been too bad a place to stay compared to some places I have stayed in.

Yohan arrived around 10:15, and once we had loaded up the car we drove back to Daya's so that I could drop off the few thank you cards that I had written to people. Yohan needed to use the rest room anyway, so we stopped for a very quick cup of tea and I said a few quick goodbyes before we headed off around 10:45 on the 3-and-a-half-hour journey to Kurunegala, which Yohan managed without a break, so we arrived at the Royal International School around 14:15.

Chandika let me into the apartment to drop off my luggage, and I then went straight up to Ravi's office to say hello. It was great to see him again and we chatted over a cup of tea about what was happening at the RIS currently and how I could make a difference. I then returned to the apartment, only to be rather disappointed with what a mess it was in and how unclean it was. I dealt with all the mess myself, but I will have to wait until tomorrow morning for the cleaners to come.

It's a lovely apartment, and I am lucky to have it, so I wasn't too phased by the mess and the dirt. It simply meant that I would have to wait until tomorrow to unpack my things. I had a cup of coffee at Mansour and Razeena's and I was going to have a swim, but Madam Sandra said that she was on her way to meet me. She didn't manage to arrive in the end, so I went round to Razeena's at 19:30 for a very tasty dinner, then returned to the apartment to grab an early night!

Today's photographs are just four of my final morning in Norwood - two lovely views from where I was staying, my lovely breakfast today, and a final one of me sitting in Chef King one last time.