weather

To me, summer is something to be endured. I wake each day with a prayer, despite being non-religious, don't let the temperature go above 26°C/80F°. If it does I feel like a left over cheese fondue.

I don't want to bask on the beach. I don't want to do sport. I just want to puddle.

At the same time in Argelès, despite the heat, summer has wonderful things. People, whose company I enjoy, come to their summer homes and there are street dances and apèros or just café sits with lively conversations. That is worth the heat.

When we went to the Côté Place for our evening café sit at the Place de la Republique, Friday night what a treat. There were one of our favorite Danish couples, who had arrived that afternoon. The Place is one of the coolest parts of the village along with its colorful buildings.

We celebrated with champagne and tapenade. Then it began to rain. The café umbrellas went up. There is a wonderful smell of rain when it first falls on a hot day. It added to the evening.

Bad weather is much more interesting than good.

Our friends had dinner reservations and borrowed an umbrella. We stayed just chatting until the rain stopped. I looked back at our table and saw how lovely the puddles, were including a heart, and smiled.