For someone who would bang around on a piano twice, three times (6 times) daily, this part of france is a frustrating place to live. The university here does not have a music school or pianos to offer. The only ive found the entire stay here, an electric in a crowded university cafe (where i am pretty much obligated to play something inoffensive, and certainly anything contemporary is off limits) Is broken, and has been for weeks, leaving me even more frustrated with this place. There is an interesting phenomenon in france- the instruments are more expensive, the cds are more expensive, even the sheet music is more pricey... and it appears that many french families, as i understand it, go across the boarder to belgium or germany, or italy and spain to find cheaper instruments, cheaper violins and pianos. What causes the higher prices is beyond me.... but it appears that for a country that places composers on a pedestal... they dont really seem to have a fondness for making music. Its also worth noting that this blog business is currently compromised by the lack of reliable internet access...