L'Hôtel de la cité
At dawn, the sun rises on the far side of the medieval fortress. By lunchtime, the sun has climbed high enough for its warmth to bathe the hotel gardens on the western side; dappled light under the trees, bright glare around the exposed terrace of the shining blue swimming pool.
As the sun sinks, instead of becoming weaker it seems to concentrate its energy in hot orange beams, baking the rooms. The red blinds on the outside of the windows of the Hôtel de la cité are motorised. The head porter activates the switches in the centrale. Shade is re-established in the expensive suites. The air conditioning purrs ...
Darkness has not yet fallen. Not even dusk.
It is not an evil place, but money - and, especially, the desire for money - can be dangerous.
