I call them Mistral trees – but I don’t know if anyone else does. That’s because the south of France is famous for a hurricane strength wind known as the Mistral, which at certain times of year (particularly winter) can actually force traffic on highways to stop.
It’s what they call a northwesterly wind – and that can be a bit confusing. It does not mean that the wind flows to the northwest, but rather emanates from the northwest.
Here’s a nice picture of how the wind flows:
From time to time you spot a tree that has grown up directly in the path of this strong wind, such as this tree here that I spotted in the southern French commune of Sainte-Marie-del-la-Mer,
