I'm not going to say that I don't like hot, sunny, weather; because that would be untrue.
But what I really don't enjoy are the relentless, day after day temperatures in the top 30's C, that force us to stay indoors for most of the day.
I always get-up early anyway (5 am), and my 'Office Work' is usually finished by 7 am-ish. The rest of the early morning is then given to working outside before the worst of the 'Canicule' arrives. There is always sweeping, pool cleaning, and general tidying to be done. At lunchtime we always eat outdoors, but in the shade. Most of the afternoon is then spent on Siesta, Crosswords, or a good Book; all within the thick walls of our old stone cottage.
We wear hats, and shades, we drink litres of liquids, and we throw ourselves into the pool regularly.
People moan about the heat, and rightly so (my own favourite temperature is 25 C). But as with so many annoying things in life, it's all a question of management. Plan your day, pinpoint the hottest hours, and work around it.
There is little point in the government warning us about 'Summer Temperatures' (above), we all know they're coming, and we should all make our own arrangements. We don't need Little Miss Nanny France to tell us.
Enjoy the temperatures that suit you; and avoid the one's that don't. Simple.
p.s. Starting from today, it's going to be SUPER HOT again for some while!!!
I guess there's a reason that southern European countries had long lunch breaks and siestas during the hottest part of the day......
ReplyDeleteI think the siestas were induced by the large amounts of wine consumed over lunch.
DeleteI do hope we don't get those temperatures in our summer. We don't have a cottage with thick stone walls to keep us cool.
ReplyDeleteIt's debilitating. We stay indoors and try to keep busy.
DeleteOutdoor activities need a bit more planning around the position of the sun during certain times of the day. Up until midday the bottom of my garden is cool and pleasant, so that's where I should be working in the mornings. Yesterday I trimmed the top of the hedges in the afternoon, big mistake. Had to take several breaks and retreat indoors.
ReplyDeleteI've been out there this morning hacking back a Fig Tree, some Wisteria, and a Hibiscus. Now I'm exhausted. I shall go and swim!
DeleteBack indoors for 15 minutes, no swimming, eating fruit. I've got two step ladders up against the back hedge. Now I need to squeeze between the hedge and a fence to attack the other side because it's too wide to reach across. No hacking, limited space. Up and down with the loppers to tackle the thick pieces.
DeleteI fell off the top of a ladder recently. I'm a bit more cautious now!
DeleteLiving up here has its advantages sometimes. Cooler weather has now become more popular!
ReplyDeleteIf offered, it would be popular here too. It becomes a bit tiresome after a while.
DeleteDoes your "office work"involve wearing a floral pinafore and wafting a feather duster while singing, "Always look on the bright side of life..." ?
ReplyDeleteNo. I've been cleaning my .45 Magnum. You never know!
DeleteLovely with stone cottage, porch,swimming pool and leisure not so good with young children, high rise, no playground/park nearby, limited money and probably work as well. Indeed, count your blessings.
ReplyDeleteWe did have some small children here recently. They managed to amuse themselves. One learned to ride a bike, and they both did some shooting and archery. Otherwise it's a bit boring for them.
DeleteIt's been like this for three months now. We have air conditioners everywhere, in homes, in stores, in cars. I sometimes wonder how we survived this as children when there were no air conditioners.
ReplyDeleteWe have a few electric fans. I think next year we'll install a some a/c units in the bedrooms. Some nights have been so hot that we couldn't sleep.
DeleteYou're so right in that a sunny 25c day is perfect. We're told that our fifth U.K heatwave is on it's way this Thursday with a possible 34c or 35c hot period. And for once I think I'll enjoy it. Why? Because our long hot Summer, which I want to continue, is actually winding down. And Autumn is looming in a matter of weeks.
ReplyDeleteSeptember is just a couple of weeks away. If we were staying here it would mean Chestnuts, Walnuts, Mushrooms, and Misty Mornings. But we shall be back in Brighton where the seasons pass almost un-noticed. I do know that we have Tomatoes waiting for us at home!!!
DeleteI like temperatures up to 30o. 25o is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteLast year we seemed to have endless heatwaves which went on for weeks. This year we've had 2 and the heat only lasted a few days. It's been bearable. Spit 3 times, don't want to invoke the evil eye .
We learn how to live in these searing summer temps as you say. I can work till 10 outside, manage till 11 then the I'm either sitting in front of a fan or slowly becoming human again in an air conditioned room.
Evenings, after 9 are quite pleasant
The interview Zanny (what a name) Minton Beddoses of the The Economist had with Elon Musk was contentious to say the least (she asked him how it felt to be abhorred by so many people). I wondered how she got to her position thinking this was how an interview should be conducted. She also went on a self-righteous monologue about the violence in America etc. He was pretty fed up with her by then and turned the topic of violence into the lack of air conditioning in Europe. He stated that more people die from the heat in Europe in a year than from gun violence in America. He asked her if she was against air conditioning. It was a bizarre exchange and I was left horrified thinking of the people (mostly elderly, I'm thinking) who actually went through the agony of dying from the heat! One can always put a coat on but there is not a lot one can do against the heat. She did not correct him. I can understand how difficult it would be to rehab those beautiful old buildings you have without ruining them, but why is AC not common in new construction? I live in Albuquerque which is high dessert, brutal heat in summer, cold in winter. I grew up on the plains with hot summers. I don't think I could tolerate it anymore. That pool of yours is a necessity!
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