Sitting in my hotel bedroom in Paris after several unsuccessful forays into café wi-fi – I got an internet connection, but although I could receive emails, I could not send any, and the laptop is so slow that it took the free half hour just to get outlook to register that fact. Lots of frustration. I’m not sure if it’s the new host, or that café wi-fi has something that prevents outgoing emails. One solution perhaps would be to set up a hotmail address. Perfectly possible, given time, but I don’t have that much time.

Previously it was just so easy to connect to some wifi out the window of the maid’s room, I can’t believe the trouble I am having this time. All the connections around the hotel are locked, of course.

So blogs are going to have to wait, but of course there’s no reason why I shouldn’t write some anyway, and upload them when I get back.

the new camera is working very well, it has a very good mode for low light and details, and high quality photos - definitely recommended - these are from Philippe’s house.

I just had dinner in a very busy bistro near the hotel, which is in the Marais district of paris, the old Jewish quarter, which was a marsh – very kind of the Parisians to let the Jews have the marsh to live in, I am sure. It’s along the north bank of the Seine, to the east of the Louvre and the Hotel de Ville. Much of it consists of very old buildings, and it’s a pleasantly informal area of tiny streets, with interesting shops and cafés. I eat in this particular restaurant a lot when I am here, as its good value, nice food, with a set menu changed daily, depending on what they can buy. This time I am on my own, so I can people watch without being told off by my companion for staring. It’s fascinating. Such a mixture – mostly French; a couple in their forties, a little dried up looking, until suddenly they are holding hands and saying what seems to be very serious; a pair of middle-aged couples together, enjoying good conversation and food, rather less dried up and more rounded and worldly, certainly having a good time as they are continuing to drink long after they have finished lingering over a big plate of cheese and a couple of puddings. An exotic looking threesome – the younger woman very beautiful, black, very tall and slim, the older very much in a style of her own, silver embroidered leather waistcoat, and a plethora of beautiful leather bags – perhaps since it is fashion week she is a designer of Morroccan style leather accessories – and the man … sort of Pablo Picasso in late middle age but with hair – small, round, genial, expressive – and with these two lovelies in tow rather pleased with himself. An assortment of young couples; an aging rock chick with a younger man ….. certainly plenty of people to watch – I didn’t need a book to keep me occupied.

news - the blog works - so anyone in the world out there who is trying to email me - sorry, I can get your emails, but I can’t reply!