We went for a walk this morning around Hoan Kiem Lake - got about half-way and diverted into the Women's Museum, where I was unsettled by how much I have forgotten about the Vietnam War, and how much I never knew. Along the way there was a group of friends in their late thirties or early forties, relaxing by the lake - they included a couple, and the others persuaded N to take a photo of the couple, who were draped over each other on a park bench, cuddling, peacefully in love, her in thick pink socks with high heels kicked off....

40% of the armed forces in the South were women....

Bun cha for lunch - broth with add-your-own noodles, beef rissoles and wonderful mixed fresh herbs and lettuce - then back through the traffic for a nap. Reading Joseph Massey. Wondering how to pull myself together to get anything done.