We are living above the Cafe du Fleuve, a site that provides for endless hours of entertainment, including observation of human behaviour, the comings and goings of tourists, and the eating and drinking habits of locals – French and English-speaking.

The guy who runs the place, Mike, is very friendly. Soon after we arrived in Quillan, he introduced himself and emphasised that if there was anything we needed, we shouldn’t hesitate to ask. He has also reiterated that if the music on weekends gets too loud from below, we should just let him know and he will turn it down.

Frankly, I’m more worried about the noise that he and his clientele may hear from his ceiling – table tennis, sibling warfare, baby screaming. When I said as much, Mike very kindly said that just ‘added to the atmosphere’. I fear this means he can, indeed, hear us. 😉