go to the cinema – the local one in Nyons is reasonably priced and comfortable – you can challenge your language skills by going to a French film or cop out and watch a VO (version originale).

visit the beautiful chateau at Grignan or the Palais des papes at Avignon – you’ll be under cover from the rain

go wine tasting – if you visit enough places you won’t notice the rain (but please get someone else to drive!)

go shopping at the Centre Commercial at Le Pontet (just off the A6 at Avignon Nord) – there are loads of interesting megastores including Auchan where you could spend many happy hours browsing for bargains (and our friend, Brian, does – even going so far as to invent a new slogan for them – Auchan c’est la solution!!!) and a huge shoe emporium to name just two.

visit one of the local museums such as the Olive Museum at Nyons and while you’re there pop into the Cooperative to buy some oil and lots of other interesting goodies

visit La Scourtinerie on the outskirts of Nyons where they still make vibrantly coloured provencal mats originally used for the tradition method of olive oil extraction

and after all this activity treat yourself to a Shiatsu massage with Jo at les Pilles!

Fortunately, the garden and the house seem to have survived the wintry weather. Soon spring will mean that I’ve got to be out gardening, not sitting around.

There was a wonderful sunset over Nyons yesterday evening (en route to see the Coen Brothers A Serious Man) – and trusted iphone in hand, here’s a view of the witchy fingers of the pollarded plane trees.

Is this the difference in the cultural expectations / differences between France and the US; US conspiracy theory is all about the action chase, where the outsider is the hero; France is around the judiciary taking on the corruption of the public sector? …

It’s also of course the difference between the Extraverted action-based movie; and the Introverted reflective film

A couple of films for you to track down. Golden Door is about a group of Sicilians making the move to the US and going through the immigration procedures at Ellis Island, New York. Ellis Island really moved me when I was there 6 years ago … good to see the whole process shown in such a film.

And then it was to modern Scandinivia, and the comedy The Managing Director, by Lars von Thiers (also directed Dancer in the Dark with Bjork in it). I found it highly amusing, but got into quite an animated debate with Olivier – a film critic – who while appreciating the technical side of the film, felt that it was overly manipulative of the audience… I didn’t feel that at all.. Obviously I quite like games!

So I took myself off to the cinema this afternoon to transport myself to Mongolia and China.

Mongolian Ping-Pong (director Ning Hao) is charming and funny. I’m always amazed at the creativity of film directors and writers – who would have thought of a film about a ping pong ball in the depths of the Mongolian steppes …

Quick cup of coffee and ready for the next trip to China. This was Little Red Flowers (director Zhang Yuan). It’s a chronicle of Qiang’s experience (at not yet aged 4)of being thrown into “boarding nursery school” 24/7 … Even in a strictly controlled Maoist institution, Qiang’s character – his highs and his lows – play themselves out in this beautiful film.

A great way pass a winter’s afternoon.

Director: Guillermo Toro Origin: Spain Year: 2006 Duration: 119m Starring: Ariadna Gil, Maribel Verdu, Doug Jones, Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez

A fairy tale for adults inspired by the paintings of Francisco Goya and rooted, like THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE, in the context of war, this is del Toro’s most accomplished work in his own opinion. In 1940s Spain, recently remarried Carmen (Gil) and daughter Ofelia (Baquero) move in with the cold and authoritarian new husband, Vidal (López), a captain in General Franco’s army. Finding her new life difficult, Ofelia seeks refuge in a labyrinth she discovers next to the house. A magical creature named Pan, the guardian of the labyrinth, reveals that Ofelia is the long-lost princess of a magical kingdom. To discover the truth, she will have to accomplish three dangerous tasks. Del Toro’s startling vision rests on a profoundly moving story with universal appeal.

It was slightly odd seeing it subtitled into English – I’m more used to seeing French subtitles! But well worth seeing.

One thing that I did notice was that in France, at the end of the film, most people sit through the music and the credits at the end – “respect” to the makers of the film. Here in London, people were putting on their coats and leaving as the first credits started to roll. And people were coming in for the next showing before the credits had finished.