I don’t know how you are feeling these days about the state of the planet, but I am certainly less than optimistic. Firstly... the terrible wildfires all over Canada, the flooding in Europe, more fires in Spain and Portugal, and then the poor, decimated Maui, it’s easy to think the apocalypse is upon us.
And if it were, it would be well deserved. Our species have really been rather abusive to our home, our planet. And now the planet is saying it can't take it anymore.
But here in Provence, we’ve been very lucky this summer. Apparently, there was almost too much rain in May and early June, and it left some of my winemaker friends with problems with mildew on their grapes and vines. But somehow, I timed my arrival perfectly after the rains and just in time for sunshine, blue skies, and typical summer temperatures. +30 ish. That is normal here. And it has been delightful. We had a few hotter days in July, but it didn’t stretch out too long, peppered with usual temperatures in between. We’ve only had one bit of Mistral which chilled things down and freshened everything up. Not a lot of rain either, but a little bit here and there… so it’s been quite amazing.
Now it looks like we have a bit of canicule-style weather coming in the +35 to +40 range. It’s crazy that in this little pocket of France, we haven’t had many heat waves, unlike people who have been suffering in Spain and Italy. I like the heat, but it can get a bit challenging as you tip over to near +40 degrees. I’ve been seeing the reports from places where new heat records are constantly being set, and it cannot be easy to be sure. I have no idea how, unlike last year, Provence has managed to escape the worst of it and has had practically perfect summer weather. I feel very fortunate indeed.
