St. Hippo Summer
- JanetJoanouWeiner
- Jul 14
- 5 min read
Summer in our little town brings scorching temperatures, scores of tourists, and a plethora of special activities. Join me for a tour of the sights and sounds of summer in St. Hippolyte du Fort.
Our weekly open markets are at their peak, bursting with seasonal produce, flowers, local products, clothes, and so much more. White and yellow peaches, melon from Cavaillon—delicious chilled with jambon de Parma—yum!
My home garden grows slowly this year. A chilly spring, an extended trip to the US followed by a grueling heat wave all had their impact. Tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce are coming along but taking their sweet time. Good thing we have the open market and a lovely produce store in town.
After several failed attempts in past years, I finally have a lovely sunflower patch. A young friend helped dig up our hard earth, add compost and mulch, and voilà! My sunflower seedlings took root and soared. I love how their perky faces follow the sun throughout the day.
After working hard to grow flowers, with multiple failures, I marvel at summer wildflowers that pop up on their own. Delicate and hardy, they appear alongside roads and in otherwise empty fields. Colors range from pastels to brights, with varying patterns and sizes. Such a delight to behold!
There's a lesson in their unforced, uncultivated beauty. The earth receives seeds sown on the wind or stored underground from the previous year. Without human effort, they bloom and grow. It's interesting to observe what likes to grow in our rocky, limestone-filled soil.
The rhythmic chirping of cicadas is definitely the soundtrack of summer in the south of France. As temperatures soar, so does the "singing" of these little creatures, conjuring idyllic memories of summers past, including my childhood in southern California. Some people find their "noise" intrusive, but not me, nor my grandchildren who have a white noise machine with a cicada setting.
Summer in St. Hippo also brings a multitude of special events. From art exhibitions to dance and opera performances, there is something going on every few days, it seems. Most are free! Despite my best intentions, I miss many of the evening events as they often start around 9 or 9:30 PM! I'm definitely winding down at that point.
One of the more unique shows takes place in the tunnel running through Le Cengle mountain. Originally made for the passenger and cargo train that ran through our little town until the 1980s, it is now part of our voie verte walking path. And for a weekend in July, it becomes the place for local artists to exhibit their work.
Another fun event is "Made in Cévennes" full of regional products: goat cheeses, olives and olive oils, truffles, sausages, honeys, wines (lots of wine!), beer, and handcrafts. Wine tasting is free with the purchase of a "I love St. Hippo" glass. I have quite a collection through the years!
Of course, celebrating the"Fête Nationale", French Independence Day, is a must. No one here calls it Bastille Day. If I do, they hesitate, confused, then say "oh! the Fête Nationale!" or sometimes, le quatorze juillet, the 14th of July.
This year events span two days: a pétanque contest which involves heavy iron balls thrown the length of sand pits (sometimes called bocce ball in the US), an apéro moules frites (apéritif of mussels and fries... delicious!), and some kind of race involving soap boxes that I don't understand and might be like a derby race.
The town mayor will give a speech and hand out prizes for drawings by school children and the above mentioned contests. In the evening, the town hall hands out paper lanterns and candles to all, including children. A "parade" ensues, where everyone walks through town in a circle and tries not to catch anything on fire. Fun! And no disasters since I've lived here.
DJs are on the schedule for both nights of the Fête Nationale. They'll start their shows at 10 PM and go into the wee hours. Earlier in the evening (7:30 PM!) there will also be a philharmonic concert for those with classical tastes.
Throughout all these festivities, and indeed for many days and nights leading up to them, the crackle and pop of pétards or firecrackers can be heard all around town. While not entirely legal, the police seem to look the other way. Already a few nights ago, we awoke at 2 AM to the boom and flash of pétards being set off the bridge in front of our home.
We used to have a fantastic fireworks display the night of the 14th, truly incredible, lighting the sky for over twenty minutes. That stopped during covid and never came back due to fears of wildfires. Now, we have them at Christmas time, which just isn't the same. Who wants to stand outside on a frosty December night?
We also have a caminade coming up, which is a street theater piece with costumed actors and singers. Each year, they create a new production that travels through town on foot, telling local history and anecdotes through drama, dance, and song. It's a lot of fun and quite informative!
In early August, there will be a Jazz Festival in the Fort's courtyard. Yes, the very Fort that gives St. Hippolyte du Fort her name. I've never attended but will try to this year, if for no other reason than to be on the property. I believe it is currently a private residence. There are multiple private property signs and a general unwelcoming atmosphere. It might have to do with the Fort's past. King Louis XIV built it to suppress and control the large Huguenot population of our little town.
After all this activity, the tranquil beauty of nature imparts a literal breath of fresh air.
Occasional rain and thunderstorms refill our river Vidourle. It flows but at a slow summer pace.
This is one of my favorite stretches along the river. Sunlight streaming through trees, gurgling water rippling on its way. Deep breath. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
La vie est belle!
Yes, Lady Lit Linda, LLL (I like the alliteration). that's my husband Mike and myself two years ago. We had the best time visiting our long-time friends from SoCal. Just saw them again this summer. Amazes me how we are able to see each other as much as we do. It's always such a rich time with them!
Congrats on finally growing sunflowers! Resilience pays off! The wildflowers in your town are beautiful. It does amaze me how they flourish without human aid, yet our domestic flowers are quite finicky! God is the best gardener! Enjoyed seeing all the pics and summaries of the town's festivals and traditions. So much culture there in that village. Also, cool Cindy was there to enjoy the festival as well!
Is that one of the Lady Lits in the pic below the paragraph about the mayor? If not, she has a doppelganger!