Week of True Summer

 

 

Summer sunset

Same sunset a little later

It's hard to believe the 4th of July has come and gone--it's such a strong summer celebration memory for me.  The rest of the season seemed to always speed by after that evening picnic of hot dogs, watermelon and sparklers.  Here in France July 4th is just another day, but during this week of weather reminiscent of mid-Atlantic July 4rh heat, I celebrated the American holiday with a picnic, another American, a Brit and and |Irishman.  

Wine, aperos and Martin plays

 We packed a picnic and hauled it to the banks of the River Aude on Wednesday in the late afternoon.  I made oven fried chicken, potato salad, cole slaw, deviled eggs, black-bottom cupcakes and I had some watermelon slices--all those elements I remembered from childhood Independence Day celebrations.  Debbie, a fellow Southerner, brought chips and dip and sparklers!!!  David brought some tuna stiffed tomatoes...he's British, what does he know of American appetizers?  

Debbie, provider of sparklers

David is forced to celebrate losing his Colonies

The river was almost unrecognizable from a distance--it looked like solid mud.  The day before we had "enjoyed" heat and humidity much like that I remembered from mid-Atlantic summers, culminating in aviolent early-evening thunderstorm. We didn't get hail in Carcassonne itself, but the surrounding area got pelted, and severely so.  Growers are worried about damage to the vines and crops.  That upstream deluge must have been what turned the Aude into a torrent of brown water.  

Martin brought his guitar, we sand old-timey songs--This Land is Your Land, (even the non-American's knew the words to the chorus), had a great picnic, drank lots--and I do mean lots--of wine, white and rose, lit our sparklers and sang You're a Grand Old Flag.  It was cooler by the river, for sure, but the wind was fierce--blew some food off the table at one point. 

Looking south on the pedestrian street

Some are blowing in the wind

Rumbles in the west and threatening clouds sent us off for shelter at a furious pace--I had a mile to walk home--and the storm was coming fast.  I hauled myself and my old-lady cart holding all the leftovers home at a fast clip and made it inside my building and up the two flights of stairs with about 1 minute to spare before the heavens really opened up.  It was good exercise, but wow, did we cut it close!

The wind was brisk

ace Carnot and its umbrellas

That storm broke the little heat/humidity wave that we were "enjoying," and we had a few days of breezy low-to mid-80's- no-humidity-perfect summer weather.  But the heat is back, with temperatures expected in the low to mid and then upper 90's forecast for this week.  One way to cope with the heat is to take myself out in the evening, usually around 9:00 P..M., while it's still light.  It' usually begins to cool off by then and there are lots of opportunities for twilight photographs.  

Twilight photo of re=done Chenier fountain

Same colors as the umbrellas

Early casualties of the wind

The city has taken some measures to help protect the pedestrians here in the Bastide against the strong summer sun.  They've joined in the world-wide circle of cities participating in the Umbrella Sky Project.  Hundreds of umbrellas, opened, have been suspended over the main pedestrian street in the Bastide to help provide some shade for those passing beneath.  They also provide color and smiles...the tourists love them and the pedestrian street was, to borrow a phrase from one of my British friends--heaving--yesterday.  Not only is it sale season, which brings out the locals, but this installation has maybe lured some of the tourists who normally see only the walled City up on the hill down to the Bastide to shop and have some refreshments.  (And clog up the walkway, impeding those of us who are just trying to get our daily errands run--my thoughts in my rare moments of impatience)

My spot for a cool beverage on a summer's evening

And who knows, in addition to all the shelter they provide from the sun, by acting as parasols....maybe they will provide a little protection from summer showers--they are, after all, parapluies.

One way to cope with the heat

And here's another