Travel Writing

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Everything You Need to Know About Le Mistral

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The south of France is an area that boasts fresh and clear weather during all seasons, but most visitors are unaware of the strong winds that blow during the winter and spring. Provence’s pleasant climate is no accident, thanks to the legendary mistral, as the wind is called. The annual mistral blows away dark clouds and air pollution, allowing the region to maintain blue skies and bright sunshine even in the cold months of winter. If Provence is on your list for winter and spring travel, here are a few facts to get to know the mistral like a local. 

1. What is the mistral?

The name mistral comes from an old dialect of the region, translating to “masterly” in English. When the wind starts to blow during the winter, it is sharp and cold, driving most people indoors for days at a time. It picks up the most right on the edge of spring, serving as an unmistakable marker of the seasonal transition. 

2. What does it mean for me?

This wind cannot be ignored, especially not while traveling. The mistral averages about 30 mph, so a cute beret isn’t going to cut it for your dream southern France look. In fact, the locals claim that the wind is so strong that it can blow the ears off a donkey. You’ll need a tight hat, a scarf, and gloves to protect yourself from the biting cold. 

3. At its worst

The mistral can reach speeds upwards of 100 mph, and the windy periods frequently last several days, but sometimes they can last for more than a week. In preparation, houses and barns are built downwind, and locals in the region place heavy rocks on their roof tiles to keep them from blowing away. Many trees around the area even remain permanently bent in the direction of the wind. 

4. At its best

Though it sounds frightening, this wind is actually a gift to the region, so don’t let it keep you away. More often than not, the mistral will show up for a day or three (always an odd amount of days, as noticed by Provence locals) and leave behind clear skies and pleasant weather. With the wind’s strength, the Provencal sky can change from entirely overcast to completely clear in less than two hours. It even blows away air pollution, keeping the area clear and fresh.

Meditating in Plain Sight at Parc Guell in Barcelona, Spain

Antoni Gaudi’s modernist wonderland sits like an enthroned oasis at the top of Carmel Hill—“park” does not do it justice. See it for yourself: the serenity of garden meeting sculpture, the fusion of nature and man into one entity. Let the winding colonnaded footpaths guide your steps underneath the roadway viaduct. Count the number of green parakeets building nests in the palm trees up above. Touch the floral mosaic patterns, each pastel portion not like the last, on the walls of the central landmark by the emblematic salamander el drac. And finally, lungs filled with wonder, make your pilgrimage to the highest point of the hill. A rolling view of the city unfolds in the wind. Gaze softly, your mind sound and your spirit calm, and breathe in with all the intention it took to make this place. Then exhale.

Reigniting a Lost Love at Shakespeare & Company in Paris, France

On your walk along the Seine, find yourself wandering from the towering Notre Dame Cathedral into a tiny, bustling bookstore. The packed shelves catch your eye, and among them you find so many foreigners surrounded by English language literature. They want to snap pictures (and so do you), but the copy paper notes taped to the walls tell you not to. You walk through the labyrinth instead. One room for science fiction, one for romance, one for poetry. When you think you’ve found where it all ends, behind you are the rare books, upstairs are the anthologies, and you haven’t even seen the third checkout counter yet. Collecting glimpses of visitors and a list of titles, feel the company of the people and the words you’ve been missing. Declare boldly that you will never stop reading, not after this.