topics
tools
editor's choice

State and private schools in Spain

Festivals in Spain 2011

Should our kids go native too?

Childcare in Spain

Moving to Barcelona with children

Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2119.44 0.28
DAX 6339.94 0.38
IBEX 30 6543 0.13
CAC 40 3047.94 0.32
FTSE 100 5351.53 0.03
AEX 292.76 0.23
DJIA 12454.83 -0.60
Nasdaq 2837.53 -0.07
FTSE MIB 13154.8 0.36
TSX Composite 11576.47 0.09
ASX 4120.2 0.96
Hang seng 18819.63 0.57
Straits Times 2796.22 0.85
ISEQ 20 500.94 1.55
You are here: Home Leisure Travel & Tourism MadridMan: Summer heat in Spain

Travel & Tourism

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


25/07/2011MadridMan: Summer heat in Spain

MadridMan: Summer heat in Spain I hate the heat. "So why in the heck did you move to Madrid?" people always ask me. The short answer is that I love it here. I love Spain. And I can put up with three months of hellish conditions for nine months of otherwise wonderful weather.

This article is reprinted with permission of MadridMan.

Today, they say, it got up to 36 degree Celsius. That's pretty darn hot. But it truly is a dry heat -- and I say that without smirking.

The worst hours of the day, at least in Madrid, are from about 16.00 to 20.00. Before and after that it's pretty much bearable indoors. Sure, you sweat hauling heavy bags of groceries for five blocks -- and then up five flights of stairs, but those tasks are best done early in the day. It's funny seeing hoards of people on the shady side of the street while the sunny-side is totally abandoned. These people ain't dumb.

Someone told me recently that the gym they patronize seemingly doesn't believe in air conditioning as it's bad for your health (exercising in cool air). Another person told me that a Spaniard told them that one shouldn't use a fan while sleeping because your bones will freeze and you'll die.

Others have told me me they never turn on their air conditioning (if they have it), even on the hottest days, because they don't want to catch a cold.

And another, and this is a goody, they say you should always put a blanket over your mid-section while taking an after-lunch siesta in order to aid digestion. If you forget this mid-section cover-up, you might have stomach  or intestinal problems later. These are just a few of the "old wives tales" I hear constantly.

But even "old wives tales" have a grain of truth, don't they?

How many times have I gone to the cinema here in Madrid only to have to complain to the manager/clerk about it being too hot? Okay, that only happened twice, but it happened. Twice! You won't likely find a U.S. cinema with warmer than sub-arctic temperatures. Why is that?

I think all this goes back to those "old wives tales" which are still generally accepted in Spanish culture. The uncomfortable truth is that air conditioners are terrible on the environment, which is why I don't like to use them at home unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, I use fans.

And unlike in other countries, a very few Spanish homes have central air conditioning, except for the most modern. Where I live there are two air conditioning units, one in the living room and one in the computer room - none in the bedroom.

These units are really intended to cool just these rooms and not the entire house. Why in the world would you want to air condition the bathroom, kitchen, or hall? Okay, I'm with you, I would truly rather have the entire house at a comfortable 72-degree Farenheit all year around, but that doesn't work here.

Here, it's all about fresh air. Are you surprised to hear that nearly all hotel, hospital, and office building windows, even in high-rises, can be opened? Okay, maybe it's not so much about "fresh air" as it is/was about allowing cigarette smoke to escape the premises. But now that you can't smoke in any public spaces maybe those construction guidelines will change with time. Who knows.

More and more stores, restaurants, and even gyms are turning down the heat and turning UP the cool, particularly when the entity is in the business of making money -- and a lot of it. The chain stores always have the air conditioning turn on, even with their street-side doors wide open, blowing cold air onto the overheated bare legs of passers-by.

The smaller, individually-owned stores like newspaper shops, convenient stores, and even some of the neighborhood markets don't use A/C -- or if they do, you can barely notice.

Many Spaniards return from a summer holiday in the USA, say to New York City, and complain how everything, every place there is too cold. That's probably true, but there's nothing better than walking in from a sun-baked, asphalt parking lots into a cold mall or restaurant. They say those sudden, extreme changes in temperature are what causes summertime colds and flu.

Oh, I don't know. An old wives tale maybe? But we, in the USA, do over-do it when it comes to the air conditioning.

My first visit to Europe was in September 1993, traveling through Italy, Switzerland, and Belgium. I don't recall if they had/used air conditioning there much then (and it was hot in Italy), but I do recall making jokes about how the soft drinks and beer were served at, what we joking called, "Euro Cool" temperatures.

Luckily, Spanish beer are always served ice-cold and the soft drinks are almost always served with ice-cubes.

So, summer just started. Wonderful. That means I've got another three months of sweat-moist desk chairs, morning and nighttime showers, lots of laundry, and constant patting of the forehead with one of my many cloth handkerchiefs (which I only use for "patting" and never for "blowing").

It's nearly 19.00. Another hour and I'll turn off the A/C and stick the box-fan in the window for the night. Hope my bones don't freeze.

For your further reading enjoyment - or distraction, take a look at the blog entries, "MadridMan is a Hot Body!",  written in October, 2007, and "95º and Vinyl Seat Covers", written in August 2009.

MadridMan / Expatica

MadridMan is from America and has lived in Madrid for five years.


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating



0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment
Discussion Forums

Technology in Spain

Sat phones/internet links

English in Spain

What is the best travel insurance cover to Spain?

American in Spain

U.S. citizens, plan to vote in 2012? Did you know...

Relocation to Spain

thinking of moving to madrid

Jobs in Spain

Job Agencies or how to find work.

participate in the forums

Leisure essentials
Leisure expert Q&A
ask your question
Leisure A-Z listings
find the business you need
Inside Expatica
Editor's Guide: Getting Started in Spain

Editor's Guide: Getting Started in Spain

Expatica's Getting Started section will provide practical information on how you can open a bank account, exchange your driving licence, improve your Spanish, and more.

Groups and Clubs in Madrid

Groups and Clubs in Madrid

Here's a guide to an extensive list of groups and clubs in Madrid for expats, from sports groups to social and family gatherings.

Groups and Clubs around Spain

Groups and Clubs around Spain

A brief introduction to our Tax section for Spain, from help with inheritance tax to accounting advice.

Groups and Clubs in Barcelona

Groups and Clubs in Barcelona

Here's a short introduction to our Banking section for those living in Spain, from what to ask the experts to opening a Spanish bank account.