Paris was burning in a wicked and deadly heat

Last August found my family and me in France during a wicked week of heat.

Temperatures around the country peaked at more than 100 degrees. The French are used to la canicule, the dog days of summer, but this was something different.

In a land where air conditioning and even ceiling fans are relative rarities, nearly 15,000 people died of heat-related causes. While the vast majority of those fatalities were older people and those on the extremes of health and society, the medical situation was made worse because many hospital and emergency workers were on vacation.

Six weeks of drought had also left the country parched. Rivers were running at record lows, curtailing boat traffic and even raising the prospect of having to shut down the country's nuclear power plants.

The streets of Paris were even more deserted than usual during the summer vacation month. Stepping out of a building felt like opening the door of a pizza oven. Park fountains were turned off to save water. Warnings were posted to watch for falling tree limbs baked dry by the unrelenting heat. EMS personnel patrolled on bicycles around the city searching for people who appeared at risk of heat stroke.

The temperatures were much the same in the country's southwest corner, where we spent most of our time. However, because people there were on beach vacations and the proximity to the ocean and breezes helped cool things somewhat at night, the situation seemed more an annoyance than a threat.

The beating sun didn't seem to dissuade many beach-goers from lying out, even during the hottest part of the day. Parasols and pavilions were in short supply, and while I didn't notice much use of sun block, people did seem to wear floppy sun hats and make regular forays into the ocean or outdoor showers to refresh themselves.

(Lacking any previous tan, I tended to wear a T-shirt into the water, which was great protection and also cool when I got out. Cool, that is in terms of body temperature rather than sense of style.)

The heat sapped my appetite. A hearty eater who generally enjoys great cooking, which was abundant, I found it easy to skip lunch and difficult to finish dinner, preferring instead to partake of small, salty snacks and frequent drinks throughout the day.

Moving slowly was another accommodation to the heat. Although I suspect the French have a certain languid gene in their physiology, even the crowds on the beach promenades seemed to stroll more leisurely during the midday hours.

Although air conditioning was a rarity, traditional Basque architecture was suited to the climate -- high-ceilinged rooms with thick, masonry walls and small windows with heavy curtains or shutters to block the sun during the day. With no bugs to speak of, windows were unscreened.

While I suspect the heat was keeping much of the population from getting a good night's sleep, people didn't seem to be cranky. Even late night celebrants at the huge Fete de Bayonne were polite, jovial and unaggressive. Traffic jams, however, were another story.

In general, the heat didn't seem to prevent people from enjoying their vacations although I later heard that area golf courses were deserted during the day.

French officials hope lingering memories of last summer's climate don't prevent visitors coming this year. They have taken steps to coordinate emergency workers and health resources in case of a repeat of last year's temperatures. A four-color warning system has been devised to alert the public when the risks of coups de chaleur, or heat exposure, are particularly high.

Considerable investments have been made to educate the public about simple preventative measures, the same sorts of things we hear here -- spend time in cooler places, wear suitable clothing, eat smaller meals, drink more water (and less alcohol). A $24 million fund has been set up to help elderly people have at least one air-conditioned room in their home.

In the end, however, with awareness and common sense, heat waves are as manageable as they are unpredictable, in France or anywhere your summer travels take you.

Like a Boy Scout, be prepared -- both for the heat and for a great vacation.