As usual, PO Life brings you walks, restaurant reviews, recipes, airport news, French and English language exercises, silly jokes, days out…… and a host of talented guest writers who have volunteered (or been volunteered) to be your personal guides around the region.

As the rain clouds gathered on Thursday morning, I jumped in the car with two adventure-loving pals and headed up to the ominously-named Pont du Diable (Devil’s bridge) in Céret to meet up with our guide from Extérieur Nature.

The summer exhibition at Collioure’s Musée d’Art Moderne displays 40 works by Henri Vergé-Sarrat and Rolande Déchorain. Rolande, 18 years his junior, was first Henri’s pupil and then his wife. In love with each other and Collioure, the couple visited the quiet fishing port at various times during the 1930’s.

Joncet bypass now open. Heading up to the ski slopes this winter? Spare a thought for the 60 or so ‘joncétois’, residents of Joncet who have watched 5000 vehicles per day, many of them lorries, thunder through the tiny village for many a ski season.