Quenching One’s Thirst

The weather in Amsterdam and Paris was moderate, with highs in the 60’s. So it was a bit of a shock when the temperature upon our arrival in St. Cirq-Lapopie was 86° (30°C). The climate in southern France, even in the high country, is dictated by the warm Mediterranean rather than the icy Atlantic. We spent a lot of time in the afternoons attempting to keep hydrated.
My philosophy of fluids to quench thirst is simple: Water is best, followed by something with a bitter edge. For example, beer is better than wine to deal with thirst. Grapefruit juice does a better job than other juices. Iced tea that is unsweetened and unflavored is better than sweet tea or soda. Gin and tonics were tailor-made to deal with thirst in the tropics.
As persnickety as the French are about their food and wine, you’d think they’d be the same way about soft drinks. You would be dead wrong. We ordered “limonade” in Albi. Instead of lemon juice squeezed into water with a little sugar, we got something more like Sprite.

Artisan, schmartisan. Just squeeze me a lime, already!

In numerous places we asked whether the iced tea was sweetened or flavored. The answer was universal: sweetened peach-flavored tea, usually from Nestlé. Julian got some, and it was dreadful. Iced tea should be black, unsweetened, and unadulterated with any tutti-frutti flavors. Anything else and you may as well be drinking soda.
If you really want to slack your thirst, stick to water or slightly bitter beverages. Not only will you feel better, you may save some calories if the choice is between water and soda.