Slept well. Got up; a light languor in the body. Today is Saturday — so reluctant to go on comm, a kind of lassitude, as after heavy, grueling work. And indeed, this week was exactly that — mentally and nervously exhausting. We were working out the methodology for the French equipment; it seems to have come together. I was sluggish all day. I like Viktor Blagov — he watches my back and I feel his support. In the evening they showed us on television a clip from the World Cup — Brazil versus Scotland, 4:1 for the Brazilians. Beautiful. Interestingly, for the first time I felt sorry I wasn’t on Earth. And then they showed views of France (?), mountains covered with forest, showed people, and I felt so wistful — life is going on right below, right there nearby. Never mind, Valyok, you’re a man, I know, with character. Forward! We’ve been through worse. The calendar pages do fall every day, and it’s getting thinner. I wanted to talk with Zhenya today, at least to unburden my soul with someone who feels and knows me. How I need this! — contact with someone who knows me. Strange how a person is built. All week we were under pressure, trying to do the work and organize the upcoming French experiments. Hard as it is, you’re tired, but it’s great, the soul feels light. But as soon as the tension drops, petty concerns creep in and tire you more. And relationships become pettier too.

2:05 AM. I’m watching the Sun set below the horizon. I finally saw the bands — steps on the horizon — as it sank into the atmosphere. A sandy-brown stripe appeared on the solar disk, and above it a dark one. As soon as the Sun had fully set, above the horizon appeared a white layer, like milk, with a silvery tint.