I’ve given in. It’s not the normal sort of thing I like to write about, but enough’s enough. I have to admit it, we have rain. And not just a little…deluges of the stuff. The Riviera has gone wrong. Spring 2013 has been the wettest on record which makes it very green and very pretty when the sun comes out for half an hour but it’s not what you expect in the South of France.
In fact, the very first time I came to the South of France, back in 1981, I was told in no uncertain terms by the family friend we were holidaying with, that “it never rains in the South of France”. Fullstop. This became a kind of mantra to be repeated every time a grey cloud threatened and it has since entered into my family’s folklore. I have had it going around my brain on repeat for a couple of months now…”it never rains in the South of France”, yeah right!
But as I sit here, looking out at the sheets of driving rain battering the spring flowers, wearing a fleece and my furry-lined winter Crocs, I’m beginning to wonder if perhaps this dreadful weather is not so uncommon. The Cannes Film Festival started yesterday and it’s local knowledge here that it always rains during the festival, so no surprises there. And I’m remembering some of our first guests’ visit in May 2010 – we had to provide a heater and DVDs as it was so cold and wet. As did we last year for guests at the end of April (see image below of private feedback to me on a listing website). We’ve even had hail storms in May that look like snow (photo above) but having said all this, the normal thing here is that bad weather doesn’t last. Two or three days maximum has always been the limit, until this year, that is.
Well, I’ve got that off my chest, my dirty little secret that it isn’t always perfect on the Côte d’Azur, and now maybe we can move on. Maybe, just maaaybe, by admitting it, it’ll now go away, you know, like in a therapy kind of way. Bring on the sun I say! (But in the mean time if you need inspiration for things to do indoors take a look at these 2 posts on what to do on rainy days on the Riviera: 10 top indoor activities and 10 ideas for rainy days!)
And just remember that despite this rain we do actually get 300 days of sunshine on the Côte d’Azur!
Have you experienced unusual extreme weather recently? Do tell!
Have just read your crazy weather blog. Hard to believe some of your spring flowers were taken in the same garden. You obviously are quite a gardener. Well done
I know! That weather was craaaaaazy! I love looking back on photos like this though and realising just how much we’ve done here. I forget just what a building site it was at the beginning.
The photo of your garden is amazing. It’s hard to believe that’s HAIL! But even more amazing is how everything has grown! Wow!
Isn’t it terrible Rosemary? It’s 16° here today too. We should be in the sea, on the beach, in shorts & t-shirts but I’m really back in winter gear I felt the only thing to do was to write about it! 🙁 Thanks for commenting.
We’ve just been down on the Basque Coast and it pelted with rain in Hondarria in Spain! This year is so atypical it’s unbelievable. Even in Paris, it’s not usually 16°C in mid-May. Once the Saints de Glaces are over (11th, 12th and 13th May), the weather is supposed to take a turn for the better, but it hasn’t happened.