We've all been working so hard this week that it's a real treat to have a slightly later start with breakfast at 9am. Then I think the realisation that this is our last breakfast hits some of us and the sad realisation that I will no longer get to wake up to a feast of freshly made food, and drinks, weights down on us. In fact the food and drink has been so good I haven't got around to taking photos of it- it was too good to sit there waiting whilst I turned the camera on!

In Egypt making sure you drink enough is vitally important and because of this we're told that there is a wide variety of different drinks to stop you from getting bored- and the guys at the hotel have treated us to different ones each day. They have appeared in many different tastes, textures and colours and have included Karkade, Doum and an amazing lemon tasting drink. All of them have been whipped up fresh in the blender each morning and it's been a real treat.

After breakfast it's another boat ride, this time to an isolated island where we'll sit and talk about our experience and plans for final projects.

It was genuinely hard for me to not shed a few tears as I spoke about what an amazing experience the week had been and the privilege I felt at being able to share it with everyone else.

I also had to hold them back as one student talked about the role of beads in her life and how the week has changed that. She said that she has always beaded, but not seriously, and then a few years ago she discovered the organisation which helps local women sell their work and ever since she has been able to add other income by beading. She spoke of spending all her other money willingly, but treasuring all the money she earns through beading, as she feels she has worked so hard for it and really earned it. She said that until this week she hadn't seen that her beading could have a value above that which someone pays for it. She can now see what more she can do and how her beading can take another turn and change her life in other ways.

The conversation went on and around the group as everyone spoke about the week and for many of us the frustration that beading and beadwork is not taken seriously as a jewellery form nor valued financially. I wrote previously about the jewellery gallery at The Victoria and Albert Museum and my disappointment in the attitude, stated boldly, that 'no-one is interested in beads'. Such a shame that this still pervades.

But hopefully events such as people like Azza Fahmy choosing beadwork for one of the workshops and jewellery designers, such as those who came over from Central St Martins, working more in beads that attitude will change- we can but hope. You can see some work by the students who came from Lonon, Zelda Passini and Charlotte Cort Koppel here, here and here.

After we all talked it was time for 2 of us to have a swim in the Nile to cool us down, whilst the others viewed us with much hilarity. Then it was back to the hotel for lunch and a wander through town to buy souvenirs. There was a small bazaar right by the hotel where you could buy touristy items and also beautiful scarves made right there in the village. Perusing all of them made any shopping decisions very difficult but I managed to leave having just bought 3.

After shopping we managed to fit in a visit to the Aswan High Dam which shapes much of the geography and life of the area. I remember on my previous visit to Egypt being astounded by Abu Simbel, and the story of its relocation, so to finally see the dam which caused it was interesting. We also got to see the beautiful momument to Egyptian-Russian friendship.

Back at the hotel there was just time to say our final good-byes to those leaving tonight and eat our last wonderful dinner before heading off to bead with my fingers crossed that there would be some sun in London when I got home.