On Friday night I bought an iPod - the Apple dealer didn't have any, but FNAC (large French CD/DVD/electronics chain) did. The French retail process is weird. I told (or my translator told) the salesperson that I wanted it, they checked the stock level, then gave me a ticket. I took this ticket to another person at another desk where I paid, and they gave me another ticket. This ticket has another desk, with another person, who actually goes and gets the item. It was the same when I was buying furniture.

So, new iPod in hand, I did a lot of walking on the weekend, in particular Sunday evening. I walked to the Cimetiere, then to La Poterie, then from the there to Centre Culturel Triangle, and then home. In all, it was probably an hour or so's worth. In fact, it was the duration of Herbie Hancock's "Secrets", plus most of Offramp, by the Pat Metheny Group. The Metheny Group stuff is great for walking around, and the funk stuff is pretty good too. By contrast, the Brad Mehldau albums, and classical music like the Rach 3 recording I have, doesn't really work on the street, because there's too much background noise.

Indoors, I've been listening to classical stuff, Mehldau, Metheny's acoustic stuff, and some Antonio Forcione. There's another album with two acoustic guitars, spanish classical influence, but more fusion style, and I don't know who it's by. Paul, if he reads this, should email me and tell me.