Having flown so much this year and been in so many different time zones, and climates, my poor brain and body have given up trying to work out what day, time, month or season it is and instead are wearily going with the flow.

Fortunately I adore the sun so waking up today to bright sunshine in Cairo is a real treat. I'm staying with Indiana Debacq who took care of us all when we visited Aswan, and was the International coordinator of the Nubre project, and whom I plan to follow around like a puppy the next few days. I visited Cairo many years ago on an organised trip and hated it so I'm hopeful that this time I will grow to love it and by staying with Indiana get to see another side of it.

First up is a trip to Zooba for breakfast and to meet Dahlia Abd El Shafy who was the project manager for Nubre (which means design in Nubian). Zooba is a glorious, colour-filled place and the food is delicious and already my heart is opening to Cairo that little bit more...

Then it's a trip to the Azza Fahmy shop and offices where I get to meet Azza and lots of her staff and also finally see some of her jewellery in person- wow. The jewellery is a perfect mix of tradition symbols integrated with bold, contemporary styles. There are a few pieces I would give my eye-teeth to own and if you ever get chance to see any of it in person then leap at the opportunity.

After a few hours in the office, where I begin a new pentagon bangle for Contemporary Geometric Beadwork, we head off to buy supplies the curator has asked us to get to help display the exhibition. First up is a bead shop which was nice to visit but, as I wrote about before, the beads were mainly mis-sized Czech beads or plastic. I have nothing against those beads, but judging by the emails and messages I have received recently from Egyptian beaders they are desperate for an affordable way to get hold of nicer beads.

After a vist to some stationery and electrical shops we head off to the British Council to see the exhibition being set up.

The display is going to be interesting, and colourful, and will use beads on wires, tables made with brooms, hundreds of sticky-notes and some boats brought from Aswan especially. Now we just need to get all the work done...