Maria has lived in the same small town in southern France for nearly twenty years. She was born in September 1985 and moved there at the age of six. The town is situated between two rivers, and the old market square lies at the very centre of it.

Every morning at seven o'clock, Maria walks to the bakery, which is on the corner of Rue Saint-Jean. The baker, Monsieur Dupont, arrives at work before dawn and the fresh baguettes are ready by six-thirty. Maria always buys bread on her way to the school where she teaches.

The school is next to a large park, and during the lunch break students sit on the benches under the chestnut trees. In winter, they stay inside, but from April to October the park is full of life.

On Saturdays, Maria visits her parents, who live across the river, in a house behind the old church. She usually arrives at their house around noon and stays until the evening. Since her parents moved there three years ago, she has never missed a single Saturday visit.