Feeling like a stalker I once again laid in wait for the post lady at Rue Pasteur hoping she would deliver our long awaited planning permission (it was being delivered there as that was our address when we submitted the planning) but as yesterday, nothing arrived. So after lunch (the Maire's office only opens in the afternoon),I turn up asking to speak with Pascal the planning officer. I am shown thru (walking past the great man, the Maire, at his desk!) to Pascal who assures me he posted the approved planning consent on Monday. So where is it I ask? He directs me to the Post Office to see if they have it. On entering (I was hoping it would be empty) I wish everyone 'bonjour', which is normal here and when I get my turn ask if they have a letter for me from the Maire. I am not sure whether I should be pleased or not but they already now who I am and my name - thats another story!
Anyway the answer is no but the very helpful lady offers to call Pascal at the Maire's office. It goes with out saying that two of her colleagues also became involved leaving other customers queueing curiously! Despite Pascal's assurance of posting it, it gradually became apparent that it had not been posted and then to his surprise he found it under his desk - there it was - no wonder the post woman never brought it!! So we have it, planning to build a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom & 3 reception room house where we will live with 2 attached 1 bedroom ' gites', which will share our pool.




This house will be on the land pictured and slightly lower down we will build a second 3 bedroom detached house with it's own pool - reservations for 2008 now being taken!

Last week we continued to enjoy the tropical winter, so got out in the garden and did some much needed work. It is a bit like the Forth Bridge!I am sure the bit we did had been done before!As the weather changed mid week we moved inside to re-acquaint ourselves with decorating, I even managed to do some wall papering something I have not done for almost 20 years!
Our House hunting work continues with us stumbling across a gem of a house for one of our clients, half built and over 270m² it is a great project, we hope they will visit next week. Our translations have come up with some more great descriptions:

'its ceilings with the Frenchwoman, her old doors used by time.'
'No harmful effect of neighbors, road, etc.'
'Do not seek any more.! Its scarcity makes an exception of it'
'The inn receives 25 forks and spoons - Why on sale?? So that the current Master of this magic place, can during his retirement, enjoy happy and peaceful days.!!!

On Friday, Ian & Kath came to stay for the weekend.


They like us used to live in Weybridge and left the UK in August 2004 for Australia ( it was their first visit). Although they have 3 children we have a huge amount in common and miss their frienship a great deal. The weekend flew by and we enjoyed flowing conversation, food & wine. As they left us Monday we knew it will be a few years before we see each other again. After they had gone we had one of those rare moments where you realise how much you miss good friends. We have met lots of people here and made many friends & acquaintences but it takes time to get to know people really well and there is nothing better than being with people who you feel really comfortable with, to have a good debate and put the world to right!

Like the UK it has turned bitterly cold here. Only Saturday we sat outside having lunch.Today we had light snow and the high was minus 1 wth minus 10 forecast tonight.Still the fire is alight and we are warm.
We are still awaiting our planning for the main house. I went to the Maire today but the planning guy was not in so I will return Thursday. It is so frustrating as we cannot move forward and there is so much to do.Still thats life in Provence.Enjoy!

Well the postman finally called! and the man from Delmonte - he say Yes! After 14 months we have our planning permission - well actually half - to build one house but we can't build that with out the second ( our main house with gites) so we await the second planning application which we are told is on its way this week! It was all too much for me! I just had to chill !

A number of people have asked of our new family member Ginger the cat! So I thought I would introduce you to our family!

'My name is Matisse. I was named after a famous French artist so its only right I live in France.I am 8 years old. I am the eldest of my litter and am the boss of the house. When not sleeping with my Mum (Karen), I spend my time checking that every thing in the house is done properly, especially with any workman that are here.I also enjoy walking around our garden and keeping an eye on my brother Splodge and the new member Ginger who is a bit of a french tart!'




'I am Splodge. When I was a kitten I was dropped on my head.I often forget things for example I walk across the garden and when I get there wonder why I came! I love climbing trees but most of all I love chasing the new cat that has arrived called Ginger. She thinks she is smart but I catch her all the time. She speaks a funny language too.'


'Bonjour, Mon nom est Ginger. Je suis Française et mes parents maintenant habiter en Australie. Je habite à St Saturnin Les Apt maintenant avec le grand chat noir et blanc,il est anglais, il est un despote!. J'adore Matisse'

We have managed to get back into routine this week with our French class Tuesday morning and one to one lessons also resuming.After 3 weeks with English people French suddenly seems so hard again!
Yesterday we walked 9 Kilometres to Villars a neighbouring village, the walk takes in great views, vineyards and Cherry Orchards.Lovely!


We are also on the Home Hunts trail, viewing houses and meeting with agents plus of course translating and correcting some of the agents details before they appear on line. Here are one or two examples : 'OBSERVATIONS: A house, where one smells well. Ideal second home.'
To 2 km of the village, not insulated
'raised swimming pool 10 X 5 and cook of summer' ?
OBSERVATIONS: A sympathetic, ideal house - great family.

Today was the day we were supposed to get our planning consent by, the 11th Jan, We almost frightened the postman to death in our enthusisam to get our post but sadly nothing came, we are told tomorrow! guess we should have known better - watch this space.


Took this picture at sun rise this morning, the mist, caused by the heat, engulfed us until about 10am when it cleared to give yet another Sunny day. 20 degress is forecast for the weekend, its crazy! Strawberries are out as are Poppies!

A perfect Sunday! We walked today with friends for 10 Kilometres taking in stunning views after which we returned to theirs for soup, cheese, bread and of course wine! what more could one ask?

The 'holiday' season is over, it's back to work, well routine Monday.Our visitors have left, the Christmas tree is down and the tourists have departed. We went to the market in Apt today which was much quieter than last week when it was packed.


The weather continues to be outstanding with warm sunshine and clear skies. We await the sound of the postman each day, usually around 12 to see if our planning letter has arrived but so far he only brings more bills! Well you just have to keep laughing!




We met with the Dutch builder yesterday who is a hot contender for the job up against LCI, a local french company.Further negotiations are to follow after Karen and I visit the various local builders merchants where we need to source and negotiate on such items as Windows, doors and no less than 7000 re claimed provencal roof tiles.

Our final lunch 'outside' for 2006 on New Year's Eve. With Karen's Mum, Sister Janet and her husband Bob. It has been quite a year, our first full one in Provence.





2007 promises to be even more exciting with the long awaited planning permissions due in the first 10 days of the Year. Then we need to select a builder, complete the specification and agree a price in between which our work as House Hunters will step up a gear and so will our efforts to improve the French - the trouble is it will be in that order!!

Bonne Année

Karen's Mum having her aperitif Christmas day

The lounge leading through to the Dining Room

We have been back home a week today. Although you may not want to read this we have not seen a cloud for the entire 7 days! The weather has been simply stunning with cold clear nights, dropping to abt minus 4 or 5 with the most amazing sunny days allowing us to have lunch out in the garden every day.

On Christmas day morning I walked to the Boulangerie which was a hive of activity. I took in a walk around the village, the bars were bustling with customers having an early morning coffee & Brandy whilst the church bells rang out 'Joy to the world'. We had drinks before Christmas lunch on the terrace. On boxing day we walked to Villars, a small village about 4 Kilometres away. I think I will be staying here for every Christmas from now on - it is so good for the spirit!

This picture was taken at 8.45am from our terrace on Cristmas morning;

Happy Christmas!

Well we returned safely from a real whirlwind trip of the UK covering 850 miles! It was great to see so many friends and we really had a perfect week. Thank fully the Fog only delayed our return to Marseille by an hour - we were very lucky!

Our builders finished an hour or two before we returned and they had completed the tiling of the floors throughout the Villa working flat out for the last 7 days!

It is amazing how easy it is to return to the UK and be back with friends. But I have to say its lovely to come back to the peace and quiet of our village, the blue skies and our first Christmas here. England seems to get busier and busier, the roads are hell ( as is the driving which I really noticed), it is cloudy, damp and expensive!Having said that we did a fleeting few hours in London, seeing the Lights, London Eye etc and it was buzzing with atmosphere.

Well what more appropriate at Chrismas, Mistletoe outside our gate, love and kisses from us for Christmas xx

In the countdown to our departure it has been all hands on deck today - Karen has translated over 50 property details before up loading them to the Home Hunts website. I have been painting in the Shower room and working in the garden which culminated in a huge bonfire. Johann & Dominic completed the tiling of our bedroom floor and are back tomorrow to do the grouting.





Above all though it has been a real Provencal Winters day, cold over night, minus 3, a stunning sun rise and fabulous clear sunny day with the sun warm enough to allow us to sit out and have lunch.






And that is the forecast for the week ahead - that's one of the reasons we came to Provence.

On my daily walk to the Boulangerie ( well I confess sometimes I drive - usually on route somewhere)I was amused by the number of Baguettes people buy, wherever you go people always have a baguette under their arm!






It is so French, and then I started thinking of other important 'French ' things, hence the pictures.





Our builders have managed to stretch another week, even working Saturday, thank goodness there is the deadline of Christmas and there are only 128 working hours I could have to pay them for! having said that they are doing agreat job.

Good news from one of the builders, they have generously reduced their profit margin and come up with a price in line with our expectations to build one of the houses - now we are getting somewhere. I paid 5800€, as deposit on having the water connected, representing half, to the land this week so now all we are awaiting is the Yes from the Maire.We should hear in the next few weeks.

We are decorating our bedroom over the weekend, then the floor will be retiled Monday & Tuesday, we then have to move our furniture back in, tidy up and leave for Blighty Thursday morning, leaving Johan working here ( and cat sitting) whilst we are away.

The house is gradually coming together although it is very frustrating having spent much of last weekend cleaning to see another thick layer of dust over everything, even our clothes in the wardrobe have not escaped. The kitchen is finished ( except for kick boards which follow the floor tiling).






I took advantage of yet another warm Autumn day to give the new shutters a top coat to check the colour - only 6 more sets to go!






The main bathroom is complete,




now work begins on the shower room with the rest of the villa to have all the floors re tiled before the 22nd December!

We went out on Friday with LCI a building company we are considering using to build the new houses ( if we ever get that far!), we met a French couple who are just having a house built. They invited us round to their house this afternoon where we met a Belguim couple. It was really nice to be immersed with a real French family, we played Boules ( and lost), have quite alot in common and suddenly another set of friends are made - I can see one or two evenings coming on !

We have an early start tomorrow as I have a meeting in Marseille with Home Hunts so we set off at 7.30 am, very early for us!

Well Summer has returned, lunch outside again today, no fire all week, 20 degrees yesterday. Bathroom is complete looks great. Now they start the shower room. Can't quite come to terms with the cost of building materials, 500€ at the builders merchants on incidentals, and that's with a 23 percent discount! Just like in the UK lots of bills in December, had the Electricity today, accountant yesterday, pension & medical contributions plus house taxes etc , oh well best open another bottle of wine! What is frustrating is that so many people here are not in the system, ie pay no tax, return UK tax returns rather than French, just does not seem quite right!

Well over the last 10 days winter has arrived with overnight temperatures dropping close to Freezing and daytime around 12 degrees. BUT the colours this year are truly amazing. We have been fortunate to take a long weekend off as friends have been visiting and to enjoy the incredible Autumn colours with the Cherry trees a splendid Orange and red blaze of colour against the Blue Provencal sky.





We went up Mont Ventoux Monday with Geoff & Wendy and took a bottle of Champagne as it was Wendy's birthday.The sky was so clear we could see the snow capped Alps to the East and sun glistening on the Mediterranean in the South West. Incredible!







On the house front our builders are working on Provencal time with slow progress n the bathroom front - when Johann said it would be finished by Friday I should have asked which one!

Global Warming!

What a day - I completed the Olive picking whilst Karen continued the decorating - unfortunately Johanns progress was hampered by the old plumbing so we now have a 'wet room', no water or power for most of the day either! When he said Friday he did not say this one coming!





We lunched out on the terrace again today; something we have done almost daily since we moved here in July, and the warm November is the 8th consecutive month. Today was incredible, 20 in the shade and 29 in the sun. Sadly after tomorow it could change, just in time for our guests who arrive Thursday, rain is forecast.

Good progress has been made over the last week, we have added French doors to the main bedroom opening to the terrace,




the bathroom is advancing with Johann optimistically hoping to finish it this week!!!






Today we picked 19 Kilos of Olives, which we take to the local Moulin for pressing Tuesday. We have 9 trees here of which only 3 produced Olives this year.
Apparently they produce Olives every other year, Sadly our trees have been neglected, they have not been cut for years or treated, so with a professional cut in February/March and feed we should get a bumper harvest next year, which added to the 20 trees on our plot might give us a single pressing - that is everybodys Christmas pressie sorted! Oh and by the way any help in picking would be welcome!

The advantage of builders being here is an early start! This is Sunrise! We now have 'french' doors from the bedroom to the terrace, the Blue bathroom is no more and Karen has been working hard decorating the living room. Unfortunately my arm is restricing me from some of these activities which is very frustrating. We went to the Cinema Tuesday to see 'the Queen', such a visit a sure sign winter is coming although this week has been warm dry and sunny. I spent a full day out wednesday seeing agents, quite different from my days in Walton, I drove 110 Miles, the scenary varying from vines to Cows and sheep (no I did not stop!) and the Luberon mountains and then the Alps!

Finally secumbed to doing most of my tax return which I think I have been putting off since May!

Its the 5th November - No fireworks here. Just a warm sunny day! Martin, known to many of you spent the last week here, we put him to work in the garden to earn his rent - and he did a sterling job as ever. On Friday we took a tour through the local villages Bonnieux, Lacoste & Goult.




This was for some stress releif after a visit to the bank who charged me 11 pounds for not paying my Tax Foncières Bill, ( like council tax)having rejected my Standing order instruction - Why? then being told that I have to pay 10 per cent extra on my annual bill to the the council for late payment! Letters will be issued after my French lesson tomorrow.

In between finding houses for clients, seeing Estate agents, sorting out this house & garden and preparing for the two new ones we have come up with two further initiatives to keep us occupied! translating Estate agents details - they fax them thru - we return them in English - how simple is that? and a local restaurant has agreed to display my photographs which I propose to also offer to the local 'tourist outlet' shop.

Well the week ahead sees the arrival of the European workforce, Eric our Portugaise gardener continues felling trees, Johann the Austrian builder starts felling the old bathroom and Thjis the Dutch builder will be felling our bedroom window and replacing it with French doors. The worst of it is the being European they start work at 8am!

Today, the 30th October it was so hot, a truly stunning day with a clear Provincal sky, I took these shots including the one of our village.

It is so nice walking to the vilage each day,people have time to chat, everybody acknowledges you with a good morning or afternoon, ( in French of course) and occasionally one is given a gift - this has been wine, a sauccisson and today mushrooms from the Hotel - not sure why but who's complaining!



Over the last few days I have been out house searching with two client's.I almost have to pinch myself to beleive that a I am working and b in such a beautiful area. Its a bit different driving from house to house thats for sure , these pictures I took yesterday between viewings. To add to the beauty we are experience a late summer spell with temperatures in the mid 80's - I think I have found paradise....

The last week has been hectic to say the least! Last weekend with Richard & Joan here we went to Cassis for Sunday Lunch. The Port was still busy, the water glistening in warm Autumn sunshine.There is something quite captivating about the Coast and I love the fact that we are within 2 hours drive and yet the same distance of being able to Ski.



I have been suffering with my right arm, not being used to manual labour, the Doctor described it as Tennis Elbow, and it has worsened over the last week so I went back to the Doctor on Monday who referred me to a specialist for treatment. The referral was done by phone and my appointment was made for Friday morning, the earliest I could make it!
This is the view from Bonneiux, where our Doctors surgery is - enough to make you feel better!

I spent all day Wednesday House hunting for clients, it was very satisfying conversing in my 'entertaining French'. The language is actually the least of my worries, the hardest part is persuading agents to work with me (sharing their commission)as all they worry about is that I might view one of their houses through another agent as virtually all properties are multi listed.
Ripe for modernisation..............!



Our friends Ian & Priscilia left on Friday to start a new life in Australia. We spent much of Thursday moving their belongings to our house as we had bought most of their furniture in readiness for our future houses, hopefully not tempting fate. In fact quite the contrary, we have re submitted our planning with a thumbs up from the Maire although the formal decision will not be forthcoming until around christmas and we have secured the signatures of the 4 people involved in gaining the required mains drainage so it has been quite a successful week apart from my cortosone injection on Friday morning!

Oh well lets see what this one brings - lots planned.......

Time has completely over taken me since my last blog. I am wondering how people fit it in on a daily basis. The kitchen is finished, well nearly , we have to tile the splash backs and floor but all in all it looks good. The lounge has been re plastered and looks much improved. After a week of building work we took off to Cassis for lunch with friends Claire & Mark who were staying on the coast.



On the Sunday we 'bunked off' again to join friends for Sunday lunch, starting at 12.30 we got up from the table at 6.30pm, my kind of lunch! lovely!

During the next week I really got into my new job as a house hunter including spending an entire day (9am to 7 pm) with my French colleague. I could not help but smile each time he introduced us as representatives of Home Hunts because the French do not sound their 'h's', so we are known as ome unts!!(and you have to becareful with that).It was especially satisfying trying to converse in French whilst he was also keen to learn from my UK agency experiece being particularly taken with phrases such as 'busy fool' and 'snooze and you loose'!

Sue & Tim came to visit and before their arrival it was like a scene from changing rooms getting cleaned up. Again it was a nice respite between work to get out and see places and be with friends. We returned to Vaison stopping on route for Degustation's in Gigondas and Vacqueyras, two of the Rhone Valley's finest wine growing regions.



With the weather still warm and sunny we took the opportunity to laze by the pool something we have actually rarely done and relax. It's a tough life but hey somebody's got to do it!

There was just 3 days between Sue & Tims departure and Karen's Mum Joan and Richard arriving. In between the 'changeover' we attended our French school, carried out some more property search work and returned the Mercedes for the fifth time , now for a complete new roof.