 Scenes of life and landscape in Provence where a chilly wind called the Mistral blows down the valley of the Rhône to the Mediterranean. The Provençal terrain is dry and parched; the infrequent clouds dissolve in the sky. Farm animals and townsfolk are accustomed to a struggle with the wind and its effects on a wedding, or mailing a letter. Erecting a palisade can lessen its force but the Mistral is inescapable.