A chance encounter leads to an appreciation of the spontaneous and passing friendship of strangers in this evocative short story from one of New Zealand's finest writers. David Wilson takes a trip around Europe after the death of his wife. With limited funds, he accepts the offer from a stranger to stay in his apartment in Arles. For David it is a chance to put himself on hold and live as someone else. Brilliantly tracking David's shifting sense of himself, this story captures time, place and mood with appealing subtlety and precision.