THE TEMPERATURE’S RISING, IT ISN’T SURPRISING

French Village Summer: Hot & Lively

If you can stand the heat, village life is buzzing with activity

No shortage of summertime activities, village style. (author’s photos)

Every year I write (aka complain) about the summer heat here in southern France. And every year the canicules (heatwaves) arrive a little earlier, temperatures break the previous year’s heat records, and Big Oil doesn’t give a damn about . . . but wait, this is supposed to be a positive piece about all the fun things to do in the summer.

And it’s true. French village life in summertime makes up for the winter doldrums with so many fetes, musical festivals, wine and food extravaganzas that you could be living it up every night.

But for the heat. Evenings do drop a few degrees except during a canicule when nighttime temperatures stay toasty. There’s a more technical definition, but toasty should give you the idea. In short, summer temperatures are hot — often in the high 30’s Centigrade, or triple digits Fahrenheit. So if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of . . . well, Languedoc.

Summer dining in the vineyard

But, I tell myself — because everyone has heard enough of my heat grousing, grin and bear it. Or, for women, bare it because in summer it’s necessary to bare arms, another thing I dislike about this season. I digress: tonight is a Sausage Sizzle in the vineyard, tomorrow is the Fête de la Musique, a celebration of the summer solstice observed across the country in cities and small villages.

Summertime music

Since almost every village puts on its own Fete de la Musique performance, I suppose you could village hop and take in half a dozen or so shows, but people mostly seem to stay close to home — probably to avoid the gendarmes waiting to pounce on those who have imbibed well, but not wisely.

My balcony in summer

Speaking of home, my balcony presents something of a summertime problem. I once bought a tiny table and chairs, before I realised that they left no room for my plants. The balcony is standing room only. Every year, I experiment with different varieties to see which can best withstand the Mediterranean heat. Roses aren’t thrilled, but I love them, so I persist. Cactus might enjoy it, but I don’t love them. Too prickly, comme moi in early morning.

Languedoc countryside in summer

If I can rouse myself sufficiently, an early morning summer walk is enjoyable. By nine, it’s uncomfortable; any later, unbearable. Since I’m not exactly an early riser, exercise tends to lapse during summer months. I’ve managed to convince myself that searching for my glasses and the three flights of stairs from the garret constitute exercise.

Jazz under the stars

Years ago, an English woman in the village decided winter evenings needed a bit of livening up, so she started inviting jazz musicians to her house for monthly concerts. As attendance grew, the living room became uncomfortably crowded. Come summer, though, concerts take place in her parklike garden, and it’s a completely different scene. On a warm evening, listening to soft jazz under the stars, it all feels quite magical.

There’s a concert next week, and then, I think, some sort of wine tasting and a seafood repas. All in all, summer isn’t so bad, I suppose. Heat notwithstanding.

Languedoc beach at sunset

But wait. Reading this, you might have thought — Mediterranean. What about escaping the heat on the beach? Rest assured that everyone in the Languedoc will have had the same thought, packed their children and beach paraphernalia into their cars and driven to the nearest beach. On the remote possibility that they find a parking place, another remote possibility will be actually finding an empty spot on the beach to spread out all their gear. Nah, better to stay in the village.