I am in Bratislava and the sun has warmed the air after a chilly morning. I sense my illness passing and am energised. At the same time, Mr Bridge is also feeling positive as he is through his treatment and ready for challenges anew.

Helen and I are having coffee in the sedate old town of Bratislava – quite a contrast to Budapest.

Here is a picture from yesterday morning in the Hungarian parliament building. We did a tour inside. This shows the cigar holders from earlier times. The rungs are numbered so that politicians could locate their cigars later on after long (or short) meetings.