Tuesday 22 June 2010

Summer solstice

It hardly seems like midsummer but it may be the beginning of summer. For the first time, this week, we’ve had bright sunshine all day, even though the north wind has been cold.

Yesterday, the day of the summer solstice, at midday I took this photo of the light in the narrow street near our house, called Carrièra Escura (Dark Street in Occitan), this is the lightest it gets all year:

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What a difference from mid-December when the sunlight hardly reaches below the roofline:

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And playing truant….

Today we played truant from work and gardening and went on a trip through the red desert to Lodève. This is an amazing area of red earth, rock and shale interspersed with strata of harder rock which lies at angles to the surface. Very little grows on the rocks, although there are productive vineyards and olive groves in the more fertile parts.

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Tomorrow we’ll get back to work in the garden!

8 comments:

Weeping Sore said...

What a lovely place you live! Because I volunteer at the Water Conservation Garden, I often explain
to visitors that we here in rural San Diego also share a "Mediterranian climate" with other continental western shores in the middle equitorial latitudes. So although we may inhabit similar climate zones, I think you live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Weeping Sore said...

What a lovely place you live! Because I volunteer at the Water Conservation Garden, I often explain
to visitors that we here in rural San Diego also share a "Mediterranian climate" with other continental western shores in the middle equitorial latitudes. So although we may inhabit similar climate zones, I think you live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Thanks for the unexpected adventure, but YES, your garden needs your attention and love. Have fun.

All joys to you,

Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

Carolyn ♥ said...

Enjoyed your post! You may enjoy my post on Summer Solstice:
www.ThisGrandmothersGarden.com
I saw the artichoke at the bottom of your page... I love artichokes! I wish I could grow them.

Jon Storey said...

I am pleased to say that the weather here has been good all week, makes a change!

Ellada said...

Hello,
I love the tour and the landscape are very beautiful.

Jan said...

What strange and beautiful rock formations!

michelle said...

That is a beautiful landscape. I'm always fascinated by rock formations like that.

It is nice to get a break from garden work every once in a while, but I'm sure you'll enjoy getting back to it, I'm always anxious to get back to mine after time away.