The summers in the south of France are hot and dry. It means no sticky humidity. No mosquitos.
By hot, I mean mid-80s to mid-90s Fahrenheit, sometimes dancing around 100. Nights usually are cool, in the 60s. Yesterday, the high was 34 C (93 F) and the low 13.5 (56 F). It’s why we don’t have air conditioning. Just gorgeous summer weather.
But the last rain that was more than a trace was 4.4 mm (0.17 inch) on Aug. 4. It’s about one-tenth the usual total for August.
This river has dried up. It’s hard to believe that a few years before we moved here it flooded houses in the village up to the upstairs floor.
Now, the little rapids look like ghosts. Will we be haunted by what we’ve done to the Earth?
At the beginning of the summer, I couldn’t even see the blocks to cross the passage à gué.
Farther downstream, underground springs revive the river to a trickle. Enough for some ducks, who set up housekeeping at the same spot every year.
The marin has kept the Pyrénées in crystal clear focus. Not a cloud in the sky. Usually the easterly marin brings rain. Thunderstorms are forecast for Monday. Fingers crossed.
Taste of France 
Your images, and the drought, remind of that great movie, “Manon of the Spring”/Maurice Pagnol. Very good and so touching.
Of course, here we are so used to air conditioning….it is everywhere. Hoping it will cool off a bit when we are there end of September? We’ve seen it both ways that time of year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is pretty hot today — 32.5, which is 90 F–but since it isn’t humid, it’s quite doable. It will be cooler in late September–probably upper 70s, maybe low 80s.
LikeLike
It was 30° here yesterday. Aparently this has been the hottest summer on record. Hardly anyone has AC….never needed it. Our rain forest is drying up. The Cedar Trees may not recover. We are living in interesting times….hot and dry and blue…blue..sky.
Ali
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow. Let’s hope it rains soon. The bad thing is that the heat might prompt more people to get AC, which will just further contribute to the problem.
LikeLike
It looks and sounds beautiful and idyllic but then the same can be said of the most of France, sadly the world and nature are retaliating for all the abuse we have given it, let’s hope it can be saved
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s exactly the same in Charente. But our walls are 18 inches thick and so it’s fairly cool inside. We’re hoping for a storm break, though not one strong enough to take our vulnerable barn roof down!
LikeLike
Yes, we have massive stone walls, too, and employ the shutters to keep the inside cool. But when you get into a parked car or have to do physical effort outside, it’s hot. Not as bad as, say, NYC, because the temps are a touch cooler and there’s no humidity.
LikeLike
93 here today, and with 55% humidity, the weather people helpfully inform me “feels like” 102. And that’s considered low humidity.
Your pictures are gorgeous. In the first one, I’m trying to figure out the strands of whitish stuff, which I took to be dog hair (:-) ) but I’m guessing are some kind of dried vegetation.
LikeLike
It’s algae or something. The green muck at the bottom of water. The river is clear as glass in spring, but as the level drops, it becomes more stagnant.
LikeLike
Summer does sound perfect there. I can withstand the heat of the day if the evening brings the coolness. Here, the humidity has been unbearable, but it will eventually pass.
I hope you get those thunderstorms and the river runs again soon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The weather here is really great. The average high in summer is 32 C and the average low is -4.5 C. It’s considerably warmer than the average for France in both summer and winter, but neither as hot in summer nor as cold in winter as much of the U.S. And almost 300 days of sun per year. It’s very livable.
LikeLike
The river looks shockingly dry, I love summer, and heat but I start to seriously worry when there’s too long a stretch without rain. I feel as if the plant and animal life around is gasping for water. I hope you got your thunderstorms and a downpour of rain.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The river is bone-dry–completely gone–in some places. In others, springs bring it back to life. We had some promising clouds yesterday, but not a drop. Nothing in the forecast until Sunday, when it’s “rare showers.”
LikeLike
meh, sorry to hear there’s been no rain yet.
LikeLiked by 1 person