> >> Look to medieval tales of the Mistral, the oppressive annual fog
> >> which descends hot and heavy upon the Provence region (Arles,
> >> Avignon, etc.) of southern France, for inspiration.
> > But the Mistral is a strong northern wind...
> Guess who's been April Fooled!
On "Sun, 31 Mar 2002" ??
Well, I'd wish so, but ...
Michael :
> According to the lovely regional website devoted to Provence (apologies,
> I don't have the URL at hand), the fog brought by the Mistral is
> generally referred to by the same name, occurs at the height of the hot
> season, and is laden with humidity.
I've spent several years in the South of France, and this is the first I've ever heard of this (although I've not spent that much time in Provence proper).
The reference is _extremely_ suspicious, because the Mistral is a brisk _dry_ wind that * blows humidity away *. The real effect of the Mistral is to clear the air, and the 2-3 days following the Mistral are ALWAYS fabulously beautiful.
I suppose you may have read some arse-backward report about hot, heavy, and humid Proven�al weather being "temps � Mistral" or Mistral weather, as the weather conditions you describe do sound propitious for the coming of that northerly gale.
But, bottom line : the Mistral is not a fog. Not. Nope. 'tisn't.
> Keep in mind that a modern person's experience of the Mistral is not even
> slightly similar to that of a medieval person's due to the presence of
> household climate control devices, such as dehumidifiers and air
> conditioners.
Most people with houses in the South of France don't have such devices.
We certainly don't.
> 'Tis a world of difference...
No, you used a crappy source of "information". Peter Mayle ??
Julian Lord
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