We live here, in Villa Roquette, in the sunny heart of the Real south of France.

Summer is easy to recognise, hot shimmering days, flourishing vineyards and cafes festooned with garlands of people (blah… that is enough soppy copy).

Winter is a time vaguely between Autumn an Spring and the exact start is sort of forgotten, shoved aside as an irritating interruption with Christmas and (more importantly for the French) New Year as focal points of a wobbly ellipse of time.

I looked up the “official” start of Winter – not surprisingly there are several – the astronomical winter is from the winter equinox (around December 21 for France) – but this is later than the traditional date of November 1 (All Saints Day or Samhain in older ideas) – The Chinese fix it around November 7.

If winter is the coldest three months of the year, then for us this would start around the endish of November – for me it starts when we like to turn on the central heating for a couple of hours in the morning and evening and is confirmed when we light log fires in our living room to cheer up the darkening evenings.

So I can now state with certainty that officially winter started today – chimney is swept, boiler is cleaned and calibrated, logs have been gathered for the fire and the central heating was switched on this morning.

Now I can announce our winter special offers for Villa Roquette.

We still have our “Rose Apartment” available from the beginning of December and can offer B&B in our “Olive” and “Sunflower” suites.

Our prices are already very very competitive (low) and we are not raising them (well at least not until next year) – but, if you wish to escape for a short break, or stay for a few months and share some winter sunshine – then make me an offer and join us in  Villa Roquette – you will be made very welcome