Castelnau-le-Lez Mayor Quite by coincidence, the mayor of Castelnau-le-Lez, Frédéric Lafforgue, scheduled the grand opening of a city park less than two blocks from where I live on November 5. My birthday! Not one to be shy about co-opting others’ efforts, I declared his city-sponsored picnic to be my personal birthday party. The people I know here are used to my co-opting French events for my own purposes. For instance, I left the United States on July 14, 2021, to move to France. Those who know French history are aware that July 14 is Bastille Day, an occasion marked by