Summer Line-up

It hasn't stopped raining for three days now and I'm very bored of this very grey, cold, damp and miserable British weather. Can we please have some sunshine and light back.

My mood hasn't been helped by my inability to shake off this cold that has been hanging around for a couple of weeks now - still a bit blocked up and ears still a bit funny, although much improved from the weekend. I have been retreating to bed in a depressive state, which isn't good.

Of course, I am missing Debrah very much which doesn't help at all - but we need to make ends meet and I have clients here and she has work in London.

My Edinburgh guests departed this morning, so I have a couple of free days before the next guests arrive on Sunday. I need to re-write the website content to include weekly rentals as well as our current 3 night package and bed and breakfast stays, so will use this time to get that finished. The weekly rentals will allow me to be in London when Debrah can't be here so it is urgent for us both that it gets done.

I was interested to see that there were a couple of hits on the website that had connected from Twitter. I have recently signed up and have started tweeting away - I like the immediacy and the banality of the comments. I know what a couple of my best friends are doing and thinking back in London without me having to call or email. I'm not sure yet about how it can be used or it's effectiveness as a marketing tool but I'll keep experimenting and looking at what other people are doing - if it generates one booking or some publicity then it will be worth it.

With timing to perfection for the website re-write, the programme for the Summer Festival was announced today. I guess it's because I am a registered 'chambre d'hote' at the 'Mairie' that I received my invite to this evenings presentation at the theatre Jean Alary. The mayor rattled on for a bit, as mayor's do, about 'culture' and 'diversité' and 'accessibilité' and many other things ending in é. In fact I was rather pleased that I managed to understand the 'majorité' of what was said - well it is just English with different spelling and pronounciation.

Wouldn't that be a great opening line to throw in to a French dinner party - it's just English with different spelling , not the other way round - what a reaction that would get.

There were no massive surprises for the festival - not to me anyway - partly because Patrick's girlfriend, Rafaele, who works for the local radio station, Cherie FM, had leaked it all out to us beforehand - but there were audible intakes of breath from many in the audience who clearly were totally in the dark before tonight.

The international stars announced were Depeche Mode (slight murmuring), Lenny Kravitz (much murmuring), Status Quo (silence) and Seal (sharp intake of excitement). There was also much murmuring about many of the French acts of whom I know nothing so won't presume to comment. Some of the classical concerts look very good and the free festival of the bastide also has some interesting acts so all in all not a bad line-up for July.

There was much made about the fact that there had been long discussions with Bruce Springsteen - but it didn't happen and he's not coming - so why go on about it?

There was no announcement about the Spanish festival which was a shame because I would like to have the dates confirmed. We all know what the line up will be - Chico and the Gypsies, some other serious blokes playing acoustic guitars, hand clapping and foot stamping dance stuff and several million litres of cheap rosé. Ahh, Spain.

The more immediate Spanish invasion will be Easter weekend, which traditionally sees thousands of Spanish visitors in 'La Cité' and all the cafes running out of milk because they are taken by surprise, again, at the number of visitors asking for 'cafe con leche'.

I love this ridiculously frustrating and amusing country - if only it would stop raining it would be bearable.