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Abstract

id="327a">3. Transport</h2>Wishing you had access to a car to drive to the nearest air-conditioned shopping centre, or shady park or beach. Since I am British and have now lived in Spain for over 6 months, my British driving licence is no longer valid and not exchangeable for a Spanish one.I discovered this the day after it ceased to be valid when I was stopped by the police and fined 500 euros.The only option now is to study for and pass both the theory and practical tests..in Spanish! There are English versions available but I find the translation so confusing, I’d rather do the whole thing in Spanish. It’s taking me time.<h2 id="daa4">4. Getting out of town</h2>A friend invited us to a villa holiday at the end of July, and I am counting down the days. Even if the heat remains, being with a friend and other kids in a place with a pool is going to be much more fun. My husband is working a lot and hates the sun, pools and the beach, so he’s not much use during a heatwave. Thank goodness for my friend and her villa.In August, my daughter and I will head to the UK and housesit in London. Roll on cultural events, visiting friends, English language immersion and cooler days. Yay!Daddy will stay and work, and to be honest, time alone with my daughter, making all the decisions uncontested will be a breath of fresh air. For all of us probably.<h2 id="6e95">5. Water!</h2>Probably the best way to survive any heatwave, I’ll be taking little one to the pool from tomorrow, when finally my antibiotics are done and I can be in the sun.Here there is sun till 7/8 pm, so there is really little way to avoid it, and right now, as I write, it’s 3.15 pm and a furnace wherever you go. I s

Options

hould state that while here in the Basque country it’s 36c, in the south of Spain they are experiencing temperatures of over 40c.When I was a younger sunseeker, that sounded like heaven to me, but by now, with all the wrinkles and sunspots to testify to that time of my life, I know that the sun is best avoided at times like these.When you live in a country where sunshine is not too lacking, you start to appreciate those cold spells when outside is not dangerous or damaging to your skin.<h2 id="51a6">Conclusion</h2>As a child growing up in the UK, when climate change was something only activists and the most enlightened talked about, the sun was something everyone wanted to see more.Cue cheap week holidays in hot European countries where you didn’t even know where you’d stay until they bussed you in from the airport. The location didn’t matter, you just needed a beach, a pool, and sun loungers, and the higher the temperature the better.Spain was a fantasy destination. It still is in many ways — friendly people, the focus on family, good food, rich culture — but these days, in this sweltering heat, I find myself dreaming of the Netherlands, Norway, maybe a trip to Alaska.Cold sounds good right now!Any other suggestions for coping in a heatwave very much welcomed in the comments!Thanks for reading.If you’d like to read some of my other stories, plus thousands of others on Medium, why not subscribe? Part of your subscription will help writers on Medium.Just hit the link: <a href="https://juliegilders.medium.com/membership">https://juliegilders.medium.com/membership</a>Gracias!</article></body>

5 Ways To Survive A Heatwave In Spain

When your antibiotics forbid sun exposure and you have a child to entertain

1. Early rising

Get out for a walk, bike ride, supermarket shop before 10 am. After that, it’s going to feel waaay too hot. Especially if you live in a campsite on the outskirts of town and getting anywhere of interest involves a certain degree of sun exposure.

This is even more important if you discovered last week you had pneumonia (probably from a bout of Covid, even though when I tested it was negative). The antibiotics state I should not expose myself to the sun. Hmm..good luck with that in a 35c-and-over heatwave.

The problem with getting up early to do things is I am not working right now, my daughter is off school, and I am soaking up those lazy morning cuddles that I never get to have during the school year.

2. Ample entertainment

Find a way of entertaining a 4-year-old in a cramped camping bungalow with no aircon or fans. We fenced in the porch with plastic during the winter to keep out the cold. Now discovering it also does a very good job of keeping in the heat :(

Cue princess sticker books from Amazon, tons of drawing materials and craft projects, Mum’s clothes for dressing up, playing outside in the shade (still far too hot), and when all that fails….the Ipad and Mummy’s phone.

3. Transport

Wishing you had access to a car to drive to the nearest air-conditioned shopping centre, or shady park or beach. Since I am British and have now lived in Spain for over 6 months, my British driving licence is no longer valid and not exchangeable for a Spanish one.

I discovered this the day after it ceased to be valid when I was stopped by the police and fined 500 euros.

The only option now is to study for and pass both the theory and practical tests..in Spanish! There are English versions available but I find the translation so confusing, I’d rather do the whole thing in Spanish. It’s taking me time.

4. Getting out of town

A friend invited us to a villa holiday at the end of July, and I am counting down the days. Even if the heat remains, being with a friend and other kids in a place with a pool is going to be much more fun. My husband is working a lot and hates the sun, pools and the beach, so he’s not much use during a heatwave. Thank goodness for my friend and her villa.

In August, my daughter and I will head to the UK and housesit in London. Roll on cultural events, visiting friends, English language immersion and cooler days. Yay!

Daddy will stay and work, and to be honest, time alone with my daughter, making all the decisions uncontested will be a breath of fresh air. For all of us probably.

5. Water!

Probably the best way to survive any heatwave, I’ll be taking little one to the pool from tomorrow, when finally my antibiotics are done and I can be in the sun.

Here there is sun till 7/8 pm, so there is really little way to avoid it, and right now, as I write, it’s 3.15 pm and a furnace wherever you go. I should state that while here in the Basque country it’s 36c, in the south of Spain they are experiencing temperatures of over 40c.

When I was a younger sunseeker, that sounded like heaven to me, but by now, with all the wrinkles and sunspots to testify to that time of my life, I know that the sun is best avoided at times like these.

When you live in a country where sunshine is not too lacking, you start to appreciate those cold spells when outside is not dangerous or damaging to your skin.

Conclusion

As a child growing up in the UK, when climate change was something only activists and the most enlightened talked about, the sun was something everyone wanted to see more.

Cue cheap week holidays in hot European countries where you didn’t even know where you’d stay until they bussed you in from the airport. The location didn’t matter, you just needed a beach, a pool, and sun loungers, and the higher the temperature the better.

Spain was a fantasy destination. It still is in many ways — friendly people, the focus on family, good food, rich culture — but these days, in this sweltering heat, I find myself dreaming of the Netherlands, Norway, maybe a trip to Alaska.

Cold sounds good right now!

Any other suggestions for coping in a heatwave very much welcomed in the comments!

Thanks for reading.

If you’d like to read some of my other stories, plus thousands of others on Medium, why not subscribe? Part of your subscription will help writers on Medium.

Just hit the link: https://juliegilders.medium.com/membership

Gracias!