Running from the heat

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from The Olivia Rose Diaries on Sunday 27^th July 2025.

We have just arrived back at Le Shack. This may come as a surprise as in my last blog, almost a month ago, we had just arrived in Valence on the Rhone, a pleasant but temporary stopping point on our journey south to the Canal du Midi.

As travellers however we have to adapt to the situation that we find ourselves in and we found ourselves in a very hot place. Too hot. Not just here but all across Europe and even into the UK. For several weeks the temperatures were permanently above 30 degrees, often closer to 40 degrees. At one point it actually reached 40 degrees inside the boat as well as outside, although for the most part it was around 30-32, despite all our efforts to manage it with reflective sunshields. I know I always say that heat is harder to bear on a boat with all its many windows, but it’s true. Imagine living in a greenhouse, all that glass, with little chance of shade to protect you from the heat of the sun. It’s easier to moor up by the bank under trees on the small canals, but we are now on a big river and at times the marinas are the only safe place to stay, rows of boats all reflecting heat off each other, and no shade at all.

We both became obsessed with the weather forecast, vainly looking for a day when the numbers might drop down to the high 20’s. They are used to hot summers in this part of France but this particular heatwave was too much even for the local people.

A number of factors all fell into place and as a result we decided to end our cruising season early this year. Firstly, we liked Valence and felt the marina would be a good place to leave the boat over the winter. We wanted to stay here ourselves and explore this beautiful area on our bikes from the boat but that was not possible in this heat so it made more sense to leave now and come back in September for a couple of weeks when the weather was kinder. And lastly, if we stopped now it left us a decent trip still to do for next year, and we could begin it in late spring which so often gave perfect weather for cruising. So, all in all, we are happy with the decision. It wasn’t quite what we expected but it makes sense.

Back at our tiny cabin home the temperatures have dropped back to near normal levels for a while and we are blessed with an abundance of shady places to sit and enjoy the view and to relish the amazing silence. We notice it even more because the marina was close to a motorway, and when the wind was in the wrong direction the constant background roar was intrusive.

Those of you who have been following this blog for some years know only too well that we come back to a wilderness each time we return and so the following video will hold no surprises. For new followers, brace yourselves!

Despite the fact that on the day we arrived back home it actually rained, everything here is tinder dry. We have never seen the pond with so little water in it and the soil is dust on the surface, brittle and hard underneath. Cycling in to town the other day to pick up some fuel for the strimmer we noticed that a group of plane trees, planted to give shade in the local school playground, were shedding their leaves. The ground beneath was carpeted with them, a typical sight in autumn. But of course it’s not autumn.

Lastly, a sad piece of news which I wish I did not have to share. Spot, our cat, died while we were away. The organic vegetable farm just below us has always been her second home and they emailed us a few weeks ago to say that she had an infected paw, was limping and off her food. They had cleaned and treated it but it didn’t improve. Over that weekend she went markedly downhill and they decided to take her to the vet on the Monday, but then she disappeared. They looked for her everywhere but she hasn’t been seen in the neighbourhood since and they think she went off to die.

Now we’re back I too have looked everywhere for her but with no luck. She was a special cat, and I can’t yet accept that she has really gone. She will be greatly missed and this home won’t be the same without her.

We plan to be here for a couple of months and I am ready to stay in one place and be still for a while. We have lots of projects to keep us busy, not least taking all the tiles off the roof and replacing the membrane and battens, probably some of the joists. Then putting all the tiles back. Not particularly looking forward to that job! But I have plenty of creative projects in mind that will be more restful.

Of course, there is always the chance that a tempting house-sit might unexpectedly turn up in our emails ……

Hope the sun is shining for you – but not too much of it. See you soon.

MJ