July has come and gone, slipping through our fingers like thin, hot, burning air.
It’s been a month of so many mixed emotions: from the pure happiness of lingering evenings in the backyard, sharing delicious ice creams with Marc by the marina, following the Tour de France on TV, and enjoying cocktails on a sun-kissed terrace, to the anguish of the never-ending heatwaves and the now anxiety-inducing news on TV about fires raging across France and Europe.
According to the French media, we’re now into the fourth extreme heatwave of the summer here in France, made all the more alarming by the widespread forest fires, especially in the Gironde region, around Cap Ferret and the suburbs of Bordeaux. I had the chance to stay in Cap Ferret last September for a work-trip, and it hurts to see such a beautiful and fragile natural area being threatened by fire. So far, 220,000 people have been evacuated in the area, and more than 250 homes destroyed. Emmanuel Macron earlier this week said: “The situation we are dealing with today is the most severe we have ever recorded, the toughest since the Second World War”. The fire so far destroyed more than four times the size of Paris.
All this to say, when I wrote that piece about La Canicule (heat wave) back in June, I didn’t think the situation could get much worse this Summer. But, somehow, it did. Honestly, I’ve reached a point where I can’t even turn on the TV or scroll through the news on my phone anymore. I’ve seen so many horrifying videos of people terrified for their lives and livelihoods, people who have lost everything, and animals desperately trying to escape the fires. It’s just too much. I can’t take it anymore.
The soil is bone-dry, even here in Brittany. Our grass in our backyard and in parks is completely scorched, and it’s not hard to understand how the tiniest spark can quickly turn into a devastating fire.
We’re thinking of the firefighters who have been battling these blazes in the South for weeks now, often in incredibly difficult conditions. And like everyone else, we’re hoping and praying for a little rain. But none is in the forecast for at least the next couple of weeks.
We’ve been lucky enough to avoid any major fires here in Brittany this summer so far. But our summer has been quite unsettling, to say the least. We’re facing restrictions from our town authorities that I never imagined we’d see here; and, honestly, ones I never thought would happen in Brittany.
We’re now in “Crise Sécheresse Renforcée – niveau 4” ( the strongest drought warning, level 4/4). That means no watering the plants or the grass, no barbecues allowed (would Americans ever be okay with this one?). No fireworks allowed, either - even our July 14 Bastille Day fireworks were cancelled!
And, on top of everything, swimming at our local beach has now been prohibited for the past few days after water quality tests came back negative, as the water temperature has risen so dramatically this year.
So, while we’re doing our best to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of summer, it’s sometimes hard to fully relax when every evening’s news brings another reminder of just how fragile, and even dangerous, this beautiful season has become.
I sometimes felt guilty for enjoying myself this month, thinking about everything going up in flames around us. And yet, I know we have to keep going, and find solace in the small joys we can find.
So, on a more positive note, here’s a list of the things I truly enjoyed in July.
The Tour de France, of course! While last year we attended the Grand Départ in Lille, this year we watched it all from the comfort of our home (with the now mandatory fan on!), but what a joy it still was. I’m always so caught up in it, and I love seeing the beautiful scenery and all the enthusiastic fans lining the roads. In my opinion, this is hands-down the best sporting event in France. Alas, I was so sad to see Jonas Vingegaard, one of my favorite riders, have to abandon the race after an accident. Wishing him a speedy recovery!
Market days! Baskets overflowing with cantalopes, cucumbers, ripe tomatoes, zucchini, eggplants, and stone fruits! I made so many tomato salads, cucumber salads and also developed a great recipe for zucchini lasagna (one of the few days when turning on the oven was tolerable), which I’m very excited about, and will be sharing with you very soon.
Ice cream! We love stopping at least once a week by Les Loups Givrés, our local ice-cream vendor on the Port-Maria marina. I usually go for one or two scoops, while Marc always gets the soft serve - which we call glace à l’italienne (Italian-style ice cream) here in France.
Lunch at Le Domaine de Loguénolé. We tried for the first time “Maison Alyette” in the neighboring town of Hennebont. It is a newish bistro at Domaine de Loguénolé, a renowed hotel estate in the banks of the Blavet River. The food was great, and the view perfect too!
Preparing for our Luberon road trip! In just two days, we’re (finally!) taking a few days off and heading out on a road trip to the Luberon, in Provence. There’s no doubt it’s going to be hot, but we’ll try to make the most of it and explore the little villages that make this region so famous: Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Lourmarin, Apt, and more. I’ve planned a whole itinerary, but I’ve also left a few gaps in our schedule so we can take things slowly, enjoy a few dips in the pool, and spend lazy afternoons napping to the sound of cicadas. I can’t wait to share the highlights of our trip in next month’s newsletter!
Here are the 4 posts that were shared in July on the blog and here on Substack.
"Quatre-Quarts", the Classic French Pound Cake
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Jul 25
If you’re curious about French baking, the quatre-quarts (or Classic French Pound Cake) is perhaps one of the top three recipes you should have in your repertoire. It’s one of the first cakes I ever learned to make, and it has remained one of my most-baked ever since.
White Bean Tuna Salad
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Jul 18
It feels like day 105 of this endless summer heat here in Brittany, and we’re still firmly committed to our no-cook meals policy. I won’t lie: it’s still testing me.
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