France:When President Nicolas Sarkozy bade farewell to the cabinet at the start of the government's summer holiday last week, news editors wondered how they'd replace their daily reports on the French leader's activities.
But it took only a day for photographers and cameramen to find the little town of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire (population 6,000), where Mr Sarkozy, his wife, Cecilia, and their 10 year-old son, Louis, are ensconced in a luxurious house on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee.
Within hours of the president's whereabouts becoming known, Wolfeboro's town website was so saturated with traffic from France that it shut down.
The French media and Mr Sarkozy share a mutual addiction to each other. Suntanned, in an open-necked white shirt and reflecting sunglasses, the president held a press conference in front of the Wolfeboro town hall for 30 French journalists.
In Paris, the socialist deputy René Dosière had raised an annoying question: who is paying for the Sarkozys' summer getaway?
The French president disposes of several official holiday homes, year-round.
A New Hampshire estate agent, Yankee Pedlar Realtors, confirmed to Le Monde that it let the house for the equivalent of €22,000 per week.
The 22,000sq ft, eight-bedroom house sits on 62 acres and has 2,685ft of waterfront, including a private beach and dock.
Built in the style of a traditional New England shingle house, it has two turrets, four staircases and a private cinema. There is a boat house with four slips. A two-storey hot tub room, decorated with Italian tiles, seats ten people.
Thousands of French people are clicking onto a video tour, guided by the house's owners, the former Microsoft vice president Mike Appe and his wife, Irene, on the Daily Motion website.
Mr Sarkozy evaded questions about who was paying for the house at his press conference. "I have friends who've been coming here on holiday for years. I have the right to have friends. They rented a house. They invited us. Full stop. It's not an issue," he said.
The house is being shared with two other families, he added, one French, the other Franco-American.
Mr Sarkozy further defended himself by saying that he and his family took commercial flights to Boston. "I'll leave on a commercial airline. If that's all the Socialist Party has to worry about . . ."
Air France confirmed the Sarkozys took one of its flights to Boston last Thursday, and that a Paris-Boston return ticket in first class costs €13,200.
Mr Dosière pointed out that the president's official salary is about €6,000 per month.
"If he's paying himself, his holiday is costing a year's salary! What French person can spend his entire annual salary on his holiday?" The French have the right to know who is paying for their president's vacation, he added.
Mr Sarkozy created a scandale by taking his wife and child on a cruise off Malta at the expense of the French billionaire Vincent Bolloré immediately after his election.
"I don't intend to hide. I don't intend to lie. I don't intend to apologise," Mr Sarkozy said when the opposition accused him of conflict of interest at the time. "I don't see what the issue is; it didn't cost taxpayers a cent," the president added.
The Sarkozys' expensive tastes are a recurring issue.Last month, the satirical newspaper Canard enchâiné revealed that Cécilia Sarkozy had been issued a credit card billed to the French treasury. She returned it, after charging only two lunches.
During his campaign, Mr Sarkozy was known as "Sarko l'Américain" for his pro-American policies.
He is expected to meet privately with President Bush during his holiday, possibly at Mr Bush's parents' home at Kennebunkport, about 50 km from Wolfeboro.