Cats from Ventabren {France}

Near Aix-en-Provence is a pretty village perched at the top of a hill: Ventabren. It is known for the remains of its Château of Queen Jeanne, the picturesque surrounding countryside, cobbled streets, lots of flowers, and... a couple of cats that were featured in the book The French Cat by Rachael McKenna.

"On my second visit to Ventabren, I came across Romeo dozing on a fence post," writes McKenna in her book. "As soon as he saw me, he hopped off, stretching, and wandered over, obviously wondering where we were off to this time. He even turned up again later that evening when I returned to see if I'd missed any cats. I wonder if he'll recognise me again when we return later in the year to photograph some of the dogs of Ventabren."

"Persian had the perfect vantage point from which to watch the goings-on in the village square in Ventabren. It was dusk when I discovered him. The locals were out and about walking their dogs or on their way to a popular restaurant around the corner. A couple, intrigued by my activities, stopped to admire Persian as I was photographing him: 'Un chat qui ressemble à Garfield,' the man said. He was right. The big ginger Persian did indeed resemble Garfield."