I did try to resist going into yet another shop, but she breezed on ahead regardless anyway and so of course I had to follow her. And even though, once inside, she found nothing that absolutely insisted on being acquired, I myself, as it happened, saw a booklet of reprinted old photographs - they showed views of various more or less far-flung districts south of the river - which I liked enough to buy after the only very cursory inspection that was allowed me. (That's right, Son! Take the risk! All the proceeds here go to a charity anyway.)

Then we favoured the café next door with our unequalled custom and soon, when her sister had called her again on the mobile phone, I was able to look through the booklet more carefully. How odd it was - to see a few of those exotic locations so unexpectedly again! That odd square, for instance - actually, it's more like a triangle - with its single, strikingly narrow access road. Then that strange, sloping, complicatedly fronted street we walked down a couple of times, when we still had the use of a car and she was looking for a rentable flat in this broad general area. All part of a magnificent, visionary, hare-brained scheme for saving money, I seem to recall; implausible in the extreme, but utterly gripping while its brief, golden insanity lasted.

And what are they all doing - (Hmm. Surely the coffee in this place ...