Snoozing and reading in the shade is for WIMPS!!

I know, I know – another weather orientated blog but read on because it is and it isn’t – if you get my drift!!

Technicolour Sun - Courtesy of NASA

Now here we all are in Spain trying very hard NOT to moan about the heat. Yes the weather is just as much a topic of conversation here as it is in the UK and probably in most parts of the world. The last couple of days the temperatures have been getting silly with no respite after the sun goes down because there has been no breeze whatsoever.

But isnt it sad that we tend to wish our lives away saying "oh I cant wait for September". I think our biggest problem as expat Brits in a Southern European country in the height of summer is that we try to continue as normal. We are not used to flopping out for the afternoon and keeping cool as possible.

Heavens NO!!!! We must build that wall, prune those trees, wash that car and sweep those terraces – stiff upper lip and all that jazz. Snoozing and reading in the shade is for WIMPS!!! We Brits are not comfortable with that sensible approach to coping with summer in a hot country.

When I was in Abu Dhabi I used to start work in the morning at 7am and finish at 2pm and that was in air-conditioned offices all the year round. It was like having 2 days in one - great. But you see even with air-conditioning people are "conditioned" to that siesta time and we Brits are "conditioned" to that 9-5 work routine - when will we change?

Of course there are many people here who don’t have air-conditioning. We only have AC in the bedrooms for instance (I am not nice if I don’t get a good nights sleep). We don’t really want it in the rest of the house as it would mean keeping the doors closed and we would hate that. (Mind you we wouldn’t have said no to bit of AC during the last couple of days!!)

For me now I have the best of both worlds because I am self-employed and my main occupation is with my internet marketing business, I can start early when its cool and feel that by 2pm I have done enough so its pool and shade for me! And then I am happy to do some more at about 7pm when its slightly cooler. Flexibility is the key!!

I think its maybe a case of allowing ourselves to go with the flow more. We need to get over our mental conditioning (puns are ALWAYS intended by the way!) lighten up and relax!

ITS SUMMER after all and traditionally a holiday time - so chill, relax and Enjoy!!!

Sun, Sun, Sun ...... and did I mention SUN!!!

Well my friends - its been forever since I blogged. I kind of got "bogged" down in blogging about rain (too many puns in there to apologise about and all of them intended!)

So I stopped, regrouped, and got "bogged" down in Living My Life NOW! so blogging was well and truly put on the back burner. And now, well now the sun is shining (somewhat fiercely) and the birds are singing - rain is history (although I have it on good authority that this rain thing will happen again this week !!!)and all is well in the happy Vellacott household.

Its strange isn't how we Brits cannot get away from talking about the weather. Unfortunately the weather was so foul last winter that it was a big topic of conversation. Even now people keep commenting about last winter's weather and do I detect a note of longing in some of these comments? Certainly with the soaring temperatures I think people do reflect with a little fondness of winters days of rain and lighting the fire at night.

Do I reflect with fondness? I DO NOT!!! YUK! Spain, in my personal view, does NOT do RAIN. Its ugly, mucky and inconvenient.

Yes it is quite warm at the moment and we have resorted to the Airconditioner at night as I am quite (understatement) grumpy if I have a bad night. But the aircon also has its plus points. The constant hum of the aircon evens out and masks all the other sounds of night time Spain in the campo; such as barking dogs, screaming peacocks, yowling cats and did I mention barking dogs?

But the nights are sooooooo lovely aren't they? A couple of nights back one of our dogs was not on top form and so I got up with her around 4am and she was wondering around eating grass and trying to make herself feel better whilst I sat in a chair on the terrace looking at the sky - aaaaah - it was beautiful - so many stars it was magnificent. Derek came out to join us after a while and it was with reluctance I think that we all went back inside when little Lucky was feeling better.

Spain in the summer, I think takes all the best bits of all your childhoo, teenage and adult foreign holidays and allows you to relive them all whether from your own garden/terrace or at a beach, at a bar or eating at an outside restaurant. The sounds, smells, feeling warm in very light clothing - it just makes you feel young and alive again.

So the days are hot ................ hello!! what did YOU come to Spain for? From my point of view, I came for the Sun and its here and I might get a little overheated when working (and sometimes when sitting) but I still love it!!

Sunny (?) Spain??

Well - now I really am going to keep this blog up. Promise.
It came to me last week reading comments on Facebook and other social networks, you can take the folk out of the UK but you cant take the UK out of the folk!! WE STILL TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER! And yes didn't we give it hell. We have lived in Spain for just over five years and I have to say that yes, the weather around Christmas and New Year was the worst we had encountered but it amounted to DAYS of rain not MONTHS.

Yes, we all have different reasons for coming to live in Spain but for most of us, if we are honest, the weather is a major point. And for about 300 days of the year its great but boy oh boy don't we moan when we hit a glitch.

There is a reason for this though. Spain does NOT DO RAIN. It quite simply cant cope. The roads become littered with debris that is washed out of the storm drains (the storm drains that for 2 thirds of the year are rubbish receptacles!). Then there is the mud. I have never seen two dogs conceal so much mud about themselves. They gather it like flowers from a meadow (poetic - yes?) and then hide it surreptitiously beneath their fur only to be shed in lumps (both wet and dry) over furniture, clothes, car - hmmmmm! Special !

But for those of you not yet arrived and those still agonising over the decision - its not all bad. Spain needs its rain. We "apparently" now have enough reserve water for two years if it doesn't rain again in that period. (Hmmm not quite sure who is responsible for that information). Whatever the reserves, we do have lots of water and should be able to enjoy a fine old summer of swimming, watering the vegetables and most importantly showering!

And now we are enjoying lovely warm weather with the odd day not so great but really back to situation normal for a Costa del Sol January. Phew!