There is indeed no perfect place. There is no perfect anything; sometimes very close, but perfection is truly impossible. Provence is blessed with stunning landscapes, sunshine, blue skies, endless delicious local items, cycling, and so much more.
And the weather is pretty terrific too, if you like sunshine and warmth. Not much snow, if you enjoy skating or skiing, it’s not for you. Of course, there are seasons here; the winter can be chilly, and there are heatwaves in the summer. But overall, it’s quite pleasant.
Then there is the Mistral. I think we are all united in our opinion of the wind. But the Mistral isn’t just any wind. It is a strong, northwesterly wind that produces sustained winds averaging 50 kilometres an hour, sometimes reaching 100 kilometres an hour. It can last for several days—we just had a stretch of at least 10 days. Periods of the wind exceeding 30 kilometres an hour for more than sixty-five hours have been reported. It can drive people crazy, as the French say, “le vent qui rend fou”.
In the summer, occasionally it can cool things down, but oftentimes it’s smoking hot and creates a type of convection oven effect. It can make you feel cooked. Sometimes there is respite in the Drôme, where it blows less. In the other seasons, the wind can be brutally cold and downright miserable. It definitely makes cycling challenging; even a walk into town can feel unbearable.
So the fact is, even in an idyllic place like this, there is always something to keep you humble. Van Gogh said, “The wind in this country—especially the Mistral—is something one has to wrestle with, but it does create the most beautiful effects in the wheatfields, with the movement and changing light”. Without question, the beauty here absolutely helps you wrestle with it.
