Spanish lessons for the French to cope with the scorch

JEAN-PIERRE Farandou grew up in the sunbaked southwest of France, north of the Pyrénées mountain range, which divides France from Spain. His grandparents, he recalls, were farmers who rose to work in the cool predawn hours and rested in the heat of the day, the French equivalent of a Spanish siesta.

So, when Farandou, now France’s labour minister, was searching for ways to respond to the heat waves that have recently scorched France, he instinctively cast his eye toward Spain. Farandou contacted his Spanish counterpart, Yolanda Díaz, and proposed a field trip to Madrid, the capital, to explore how Spain has adapted to its torrid climate.