Painting pretty Provence pictures

The end of November is near, tomorrow the sun enters the Sagittarius sign, meaning the winter solstice is only a month away. The commercialised Christian festival is the prominent image in every shop window, town centres are already decorated with lights and business is booming in Aix's Christmas market. Mothers are talking of mince pies, mulled wine and presents for the little ones, while fathers frequent the local looking forward to festive football. It is a time for wrapping up warm or staying in with a cup of tea and a good book. Thick woolly jumpers are out in force, as are scarves and hats of all varieties.

Except in Provence. As I sit at my open window overlooking the small square with its fountain and overflowing cafes, it would be easy to mistake the scene for an early summer day. These lucky people are out eating lunch and drinking coffee in the open air. I have no heating in my flat, all my windows are open and the thermometer reads 20 degrees. Admittedly it gets colder in the evening, but right now I feel like I am being robbed of winter. I cannot associate this time of year with warmth. Some of the people I watch pass are wearing light clothing, but most are kitted out in their winter gear, as if they are waiting for the cold weather to pounce at any moment. Perhaps their hearts are in denial about the climate and deep down they are craving the cold. I have heard it said that Brits abroad miss the weather of their homeland most. It is easy to complain about rain, wind, clouds, mist, snow and a lack of sunshine, but they give her a sense of variety that the south of France is missing. I am tired of predictably good weather, every single day. I want it to be icy cold some mornings when I wake up, so that I need to struggle to get out of bed. I like the feeling of walking home from work in the rain occasionally, safe in the knowledge that a hot shower will rejuvenate the body.

All those people who dream of living somewhere warmer are deluded. Continuous sunshine gets boring, dull and breeds laziness. Give me a real winter any day!