Simplify the following text for a Grade 5 native English-speaking person.
Original: Victor Hugo was traveling with his mistress at the time in the south of France , and learned about LÃ opoldine 's death from a newspaper as he sat in a cafe .
Simplified: At the time ; Victor Hugo was traveling with his mistress in the south of France . He learned about LÃ opoldine 's death from a newspaper when he was sitting in a cafe .