Auckland Castle and Timbuktu planning

More than  two years ago (September 14, 2017) there is a blogpost  called 'Ladbroke Grove', in which I talked about the commission I had been given to paint a floorcloth, for the diningroom at Auckland Castle. Yesterday I went to Bishop Auckland in County Durham by train to be present at the grand opening do at the newly opened refurbished Castle. And this is the glorious dining room with my floorcloth surrounded by all those magnificent Zurbaran paintings! Very pleased with the result, and hoping it will bring more commissions...

 Meanwhile I am also trying to organize the up-coming return to Mali and Timbuktu in December- something which is getting harder every time as the authorities are tightening the control of who is allowed to go up to the northern parts of the country since security arrangements are getting increasingly complicated. But somehow it always seems to work out... And this evening I got confirmation that we had been given places on on that little plane after all, winging our way once more into the edge of the Sahara and Timbuktu like so many times before. This time it will be Father Columba and Dima Bondarev + his wife Klara  as well as Maria Luisa my Italian friend and collegue who has featured before in this journal.
 I wonder what adventures this time will present us with...