Fire Planes over the Virgin Mary

It's that time of year when we hear fire planes pass over the house nearly every day. They strike the fear of God into us, especially on windy days when there has been no rain for weeks. These planes carry water and chemicals to drop on fires which rampage through tinder-dry vineyards and heathland.

Imagine, the vines are full of sugar and the olives and pines are full of oil. They go up like petrol-fuelled fireworks if someone carelessly throws a cigarette butt out of a car window.

Just a couple of weeks ago 125 acres of garrigue was burnt to a cinder. It came within a breath of our town and was skilfully diverted, thanks to the extraordinary skill of the firemen who fly these wonderful planes.