Tantalus Revisited

I first heard the story of Tantalus when I was at school. Condemned to eternal hunger and thirst in the Underworld where he stood in a pool of water, underneath low hanging fruit. Whenever he tried to drink, the water receded, and although he was starving, the fruit was always just out of reach. That's how life in this part of France feels today. For roughly two months now, the sun has beaten down from cloudless skies. Temperatures have been unbearably hot, and little or no rain has fallen. Our(water) source has flowed merrily on, but now it is beginning to falter. Few can have missed the devastating fires that have spread throughout Europe. But what has this got to do with Tantalus, you ask? Every day, the weather forecasts promises us lower temperatures and rain ahead. But every morning as I consult the weather forecast , the promised relief has receded by one further day. Today is no different. Storms were forecast for tomorrow (Mercredi). Now I see they have been replaced by constant sun. But hey ... look. From Thursday (Jeudi), there will not only be endless rain, but temperatures are falling. But do I believe it? Not a bit of it. The gods are laughing at us, or so it would seem.