Oops...

I did my usually silent upstairs neighbour a great disservice in my last post: the noise actually came from the Copacabana Lounge downstairs and the dustbin was full to overflowing this morning with recyclables. Still, the most alarming thing is not the fact that our Brazilians, who have lived in France for the last twelve years, are incapable of disposing of a wine bottle properly; it's the fact that my normally trustworthy ears couldn't tell where the noise was coming from. These old houses were built with medieval Dolby Surround, it appears.

It's time to come clean: having started this blog as a means to just recording my own everyday thoughts I finally gave in to curiosity and decided to register it in a directory. It's part of Expat Blog (expat-blog.com); they provided what looked like a hyperlink to show me how to set up a direct connection between the two but the nice little blue word didn't do anything, so I'll just give it a plug right here.

So if anybody does end up reading this, then welcome! Don't expect photos, links to websites or any of that tacky tosh; the beauty of computers is that you can still communicate using nothing more modern than good, old-fashioned words and that's the way I intend to keep it.

Back to work, tomorrow. It's been four months, four countries and a few other engagements since I last darkened their doors contractually and I'm looking forward to it.

Other than that, it was one hell of a dull Sunday. Plus our only city centre park is about to be occupied for a month by a travelling fair. Yes, a whole month. It's called the Fête St. Michel and apparently has its roots in tradition when the eponymous district was awash with vagabonds, thieves, disgruntled waitresses and other assorted ne'er-do-wells. It still is, but it's a lot more expensive, now. This infernal fair isn't even in St. Michel: they've shoved it over the border into our main park which means we have nowhere to take our children after school until the middle of October. Sure, we'll go once to have a ride and a candy floss but we'll have to be creative for the rest of the time.

I also wonder how long it'll take to finish all the work in, on and around the law courts. The little square will be absolutely gorgeous once it's all done, and then maybe the other owners will then up the rent on their properties and get a bunch of tenants in who have some concept of communal living.