What happened in June?

We were in France for the whole of June, and my overriding memory is of the heat. For me, it was too much, and I turned into a sloth! Luckily, there was plenty of tennis to watch – a great excuse to stretch out on the sofa and indulge my viewing passion.

I have written about ‘La Canicule’ previously. In that post, I featured a poster issued by the mairie advising on behaviour during a heatwave. This year’s poster is on the left, but I prefer the older one!

At the beginning of June, we had delightful weather with beautiful blue skies.

Later in the month, we had to change our walking routine with Zeph because of the heat. Walks were early in the morning and as late as possible in the evening. The photos below were taken one evening at about nine pm. I never tire of the view through this bridge from the port to the bassin of the Canal du Midi.

Zeph made a new friend, a corgi puppy whom we met often on our strolls. I think he was more enamoured of Zeph!

We had a friend who stayed for a couple of days and was unlucky enough to catch some bad weather. Later in the month, we had family members who were fortunate enough to catch the heatwave – at least they thought they were!

As our friend was due to have his birthday, we took the opportunity to take him to the ‘white tablecloth’ restaurant in the centre of Castelnaudary! We enjoyed my favourite dessert of fresh fruit salad (assiette de fruits frais) accompanied by an almond tuile and mango sorbet. Yummy!

I’m an avid reader and always get through more books when I’m in France, and the month of June was no exception. I’ve selected two of my favourites to share with you, and both are debut novels.

The Eights, by Joanna Miller, is set in Oxford in 1920, when women were first allowed to gain degrees. The four main characters have rooms on Corridor 8 and form a deep bond, although their backgrounds and experiences are quite different. I loved this book, and I found the way the shadow of World War One impacts everyone was moving and telling.

The Names, by Florence Knapp, poses the question: Are we defined by our first names? Would our lives have turned out differently if we had been given an alternative first name? The story begins in 1987, when a young mother, Cora, who is trapped in an abusive marriage, is preparing to register her newborn son’s birth.

Her husband, Gordon, expects the child to be named after him, following family tradition. Her young daughter would like the baby to be named Bear, symbolising bravery, and Cora favours the name Julian, meaning ‘sky father’. The book explores three different lifelines depending on the chosen name. I loved the concept and the way the book is written.

We’re now back in the UK, and I can’t believe how quickly July is rushing by. I hope you enjoyed my little taste of what did, or didn’t happen in June! Thanks for reading.