Just down the road from the house we lived in last summer there is a winding river, the water coming straight off the nearby mountains and ambling out of sight into the town of Oloron-Sainte-Marie. We spent many hot summer afternoons paddling, swimming and having picnics there; the water was freezing but it was a peaceful and pretty green spot to relax at.

This recent heatwave in the UK reminded me of the river, and how much I wish I was so close to it now!

So this is my photo tribute to the river that kept us (and as you can see from the final photo: other locals as well!) cool when the the temperatures rocketed: