L'Herault breaks loose

Remember this idyllic scene from our first week here? It's the swimming place at the Pont de Diable, a few minutes drive out of Aniane. Look at the gorgeous blue water, the pebbly beach, the gentle current and the lovely shady trees.



Here it is today. After a couple of days of rain, the river Herault becomes a torrent. The beach is gone, the pink rock in the foreground, that kids were diving off a few weeks ago, is now under water, and much of the vegetation is also submerged. Inonde as they say round here.



Here's the view upriver from the bridge, the summer version. Pretty, eh.



Here's the same view taken today. You can see the level of the water is much higher in relation to the more distant bridge. It's brown and full of bits of tree, a roiling boiling race down the gorge. Cool!