Monday 15 October 2012

A trip down memory lane: English summers


It is well above 30° Celsius. As I walk up the steep streets, beads of sweat are trickling down my face. Quite sensibly, I try to find some shade along the way to escape the merciless rays from a blazing sun. But not to worry, I can withstand this torrid weather. I am acclimatised... and resigned.

You see, this is the kind of weather you are to expect in southern Spain - day in, day out - as soon as June rolls around. But the reason I'm writing this post is to express my surprise (and displeasure) that, with autumn already round the corner, the heat is still too intense to spend much time outdoors. Thank goodness late evening brings some cool air which allows you to sleep through the night. A welcome relief from July and August.

How different summers in England are. I miss their unreliability. Though temperatures in most areas usually range between 20 and 25 degrees (with the odd scorcher thrown in), sunshine is by no means guaranteed. In other words, you may see quite a lot of rain in summer. Some years, there may not be a proper summer at all. Much as I love warm sunny weather, I'd rather have that than the stifling heat we suffer here month after month.

At long last, the oppressive heat should now start to subside. Autumn in southern Spain feels more like summer in England. I'm glad. Time to go back to the daily routine and make the most of it. But come summer, I know I will reminisce again about the time I spent in that country. Or maybe not. I'm planning a trip. A real one.

1 comment:

  1. If memory serves, this entry was written in September, 2011. It was posted on another blog.

    ReplyDelete