The relief palatable, the calm almost surreal, something is missing – the wind has stopped!

In France, the mistral is a strong wind that typically blows from the north or northwest.  Mistral the name for this wind means “masterly”, and in Nutmeg’s opinion, it certainly lives up that reputation.  The mistral typically blows hard, with gusts at times up to 100 km/hour as it accelerates down the Rhone and Durance rivers towards the Mediterranean.  Much like a Chinook in Calgary, the mistral brings a change in weather, in this case it is typically dry and cooler.  This can be a relief in the hot days of spring and early summer, or a curse in the later days of the fall as it creates glacial temperatures.

There are two French expressions when it comes to the mistral “le vent qui rend fou” (the wind which makes you crazy) and “le vent des voleurs” (the wind of robbers).  Nutmeg thinks both sayings are accurate.  The mistral can blow for just a couple of days or even as long as a week.  A strong mistral will typically send cafe patrons indoors and make golf games virtually unplayable.  The beautiful plane trees of Provence, with their noisy, leafy canopies provide excellent cover for robbers, as even dogs cannot hear their approach.

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