After a fair bit of gallivanting around recently, I thought I should bring you all back to base and tell you how things are “chez les Barkers”. Quite a few of you have wondered how the kittens have been getting along, not just with the ruff-tuff doggie mob (Archie, Freddy and Maggie May) but with The Big Ones. Suffice to say that Boy Boy has not been a happy bunny and decamped to our next door neighbours for a while. Percy, Chou Chou, Little Fairy and Mrs Bradley have come to accept them though Mrs Bradley is not adverse to giving them a swipe now and then. But Percy has taken a special shine to Little Bro’. Yes, finally, after weeks of telling Nigel that “The Wee Yoda” was not really a kitty name, he has settled on Little Bro, though because of his colouring, also gets to be called Graham.

Autumn is finally here with cold frosty mornings. Wet and windy weather has made leaves fall like snow flurries across our lawn. Like a magnet they seem attracted to our pool which now appears to have a thick leafy blanket which, in turn, has now confused a bunch of young toads that have magically appeared and taken up residence.  

With this change of weather I’m trying to slowly sort out the garden, readying it for winter, and as I potter around so the three dogs and kittens do their utmost to help. Freddy seems to think that he should be in the wheel barrow at all times while Archie is intent on pinching my gardening tools. Maggie May just digs and then looks at me “Didn’t you want this hole here mum?”

While winter is slowly approaching we’ve also noticed that, bit by bit, the Christmas lights are going up. It will soon be time to think about presents, decorating the house and deciding upon our Christmas menu. And just like Christmas, one thing is for certain – we’ll be eating Christmas lunch outside and enjoying a few hours of warm sunshine - this is, after all, the French Riviera.

Yesterday found me in Aix-en-Provence to meet Laurence Anholt and Jim Coplestone who had driven down from the UK: a mammoth journey of 1,200 kms. Laurence is the well known author and illustrator of children’s books.  He has a marvellous series of books about artists aimed at children between the ages of 4 to 8. Jim is also an author and illustrator of childen’s books and completed an MA in Theatre Design. Laurence is presently researching material for a new book, this time all about Cézanne and he asked if I would drive over to meet him and act as interpreter during his meeting with Michel Fraisset, the Director of The Lauves Studio, Cézanne’s studio and museum.

During previous email correspondence (in the good old days this would have been a written letter - remember those?) with Laurence I’d told him how superb our autumn weather was; naturally since he and Jim arrived its been raining . . .

Thus it was somewhat overcast as we made our way to avenue Paul Cézanne and to the studio. From the outside, it appeared like any other pretty Provençal house adorned with slated wooden shutters, but the non-stop line of visitors gave the game away - this was no ordinary home. Compared to Renoir’s, Cézanne’s studio has much more space, but also contains a number of personal items that were important to him. And like Renoir’s, as you enter you have the strange impression that Cézanne will walk in any minute, pick up his paint brush and busy himself with his latest painting.

I’m delighted to say that the meeting between Monsieur Fraisset and Laurence was a great success and though there’s a bit more research to be carried out before Laurence can finally write and illustrate his children’s book, things look really positive. I shall keep you all updated to Laurence’s progress and how his new book develops.

Interestingly, while my focus recently has been on Nice, I’d forgotten how magnificent Aix-en-Provence is, so it was marvellous to reacquaint myself with this superb city so steeped in history. In many ways it reminds me of Oxford with its noble sandstone buildings, richly decorated frontages and townhouses. It is awash with museums, art galleries and important sites that would keep any sight-seer happy for hours, if not days! As I returned home the heavens opened and I drove back in torrential rain. Only as I arrived on the outskirts of Cannes did the inclement weather change and the heavy clouds lift. It felt good to be "back home" and on familiar ground again. While I truly enjoyed my day out and meeting Laurence and Jim, it was also great to be home and mobbed by the dogs, cats, and of course Nigel!

It’s starting to be that time of year again when thoughts turn to Christmas. And this year I’m making a bumper Christmas edition of the website with some extra special features. While I can’t let all the cats out of the bag just yet, I can say that there will be an interview with Peter Mayle. Peter presently lives just outside the charming village of Lourmarin and consented to an interview if I drove down there to meet with him. How could I refuse especially as the village is situated in the heart of the Luberon Regional Natural Park, a region listed by UNESCO as a “biosphere reserve” because of the great richness and important diversity in its fauna and flora?

There is a delightful story how in 1920, just when the castle was about to be sold to an entrepreneur and doomed to destruction for the recovery of its stone, it was purchased at the last minute by Robert Laurent-Vibert, an industrialist from Lyon.  As it turned out, Laurent-Vibert was also a scholar, college graduate and professor, as well as a member of the French school in Rome. Captivated by the magnificent remains of the dwelling and determined to acquire and restore it, he managed to gain ownership by a “vente à la chandelle” (an auction sale where candles are lit and bids are accepted until the last candle has burnt out).

Next week will see me return to Aix-en-Provence to meet Laurence Anholt who is presently working on a children’s book, all about Cézanne.  Laurence and his wife Catherine have produced more than 90 internationally bestselling children’s book including Chimp and Zee.  I’m acting as his interpreter when we meet with the Director of Cézanne’s Atelier and am greatly looking forward to helping him with his new project.