Cotignac in the news today: tragic fires

Fire in the vineyards in the French village of Cotignac in the Var department in France.
This is one of the many wildfires burning in France this week.
This photo is especially meaningful to me because I have been there several times.

Cotignac, 1976-1994

We visited the village of Cotignac several times from the 1970s until the 1990s. Our friend Michelle, who lived and worked in Paris, shared a second home there with her sister and brother. This house with its beautiful surrounding vineyards had belonged to Michelle’s grandparents; however, her father had left the village for Paris as a young man seeking a more urban life.Thus, Michelle was born in Paris where she went to the university and had a career in scientific research.

Cotignac was a very idyllic place. There was a wonderful market in town, and vineyards all around. The grapes harvested on Michelle’s property were made into wine at the local coop, and Michelle always had a lovely bottle to share with friends at her Paris apartment. Seeing the news of the horrendous wildfires there this week was very depressing. Here are a few photos from my visits there in the past.