Vietnam in St-Émilion

The temperature gauge on our friend Tim Johnston’s car registered 35 °C as we clambered into it at 12.15 pm. By the time we did so again after lunch it was closer to 42.

When we arrived at our destination and managed to find a parking space, life in the small hillside town seemed pretty normal. The narrow pavements were crowded with pedestrians who walked along in single file, sticking to the shade, all of them with hats on and most of them carrying a bottle of water. We were just three of...