Deep yellow Ville en Fête signage is ubiquitous around most village centers in high summer season. Detours are in store but so is fun–it’s party time, make no mistake. During July and August, most of France goes on holiday at some point, so whether a family opts to travel or enjoy a staycation, wherever they are, a festive spirit is bound to fill the air.
Footloose and fancy free, folks en vacances have plenty of entertaining options from sporty pursuits like cycling over the Alpilles or exhilarating diversions such as flying high in a glider or cultural amusements like the Festival d’Avignon. From 5-25 July this former papal capital offers a wide range of theater, music, and other entertaining events, many of which take place right on the street throughout the day.
And, if you’re up early to beat the heat, birds await! If you go with Merlin, a birding app you can download for free on your phone, you can identify a bird by using the sound ID. (There’s also a photo ID function.) When you hear birdsong, just tap to activate and in a few seconds Merlin will show you a photo of the singing bird, along with its name and other info. And now you can participate in a summer bird project sponsored by the NY Times and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. By reporting your sightings, you’ll help scientists understand what birds are where and when, which will aide them in better understanding the world of birds worldwide. For more info: https://www.nytimes.com/article/bird-watching-citizen-science.html.
Of course, the showstopper summer celebration is the Fête Nationale, on 14 July. Here in Saint-Rémy, the parking lot on Place de la République was transformed into a concert venue and part of the ring road was closed off, allowing restaurant tables to fill the rue. And just after dusk this year, for the first time in what seems like forever, spectacular fireworks exploded overhead!
But l’été can also mean chill time. If lessons in lazy have been learned, then activities that conserve energy might have the greatest appeal–tucking into a light meal, sipping a cool beverage, or paddling around the piscine…followed by a sieste in the shade, naturally.
Whatever you’re up to this summer, stay safe and cool!
Bises, Gayle
PS
For more on the increasing media attention birds are attracting, check out the fun YouTube video that’s part of the summer birding venture of The NY Times and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It features charismatic Metro Desk editor Dodai Stewart interviewing writer/birder Amy Tan and NY birder/activist Christian Cooper. Cooper has written a profoundly poignant book, Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World, and also stars in a fascinating 6-part National Geographic series, Extraordinary Birder. Unbelievably, one entire segment takes place in my adopted hometown–Palm Springs, California!
Gayle Smith Padgett 