In Mallorca, Spain we get a heatwave every year from late July to late August - or worse early September. Known locally as the "sweaty heat", people who live and work in it pray for rain every day.
When it finally happens, people who live and work here stand outside cheering and whistling oblivious to the fact they're getting drenched to the skin - known locally as "doing a rain dance"
The intense heat from the sun beats down and burns unsuspecting tourists who sunbathe on the beach very quickly so they look like surimi sticks.
It gets so muggy that going outside, especially after stepping out of an air conditioned building or car, feels like standing in front of a tumble dryer, the air is so humid it's like breathing steam.
A hot cup of coffee stays drinkable for hours because it never gets colder than lukewarm.
Butter or marge melts off the knife before you can spread it on your bread.
Forget making cheeseburgers - the cheese slices melt before you can unwrap them.
Cold beer needs to be consumed very quickly - it goes flat within 30 minutes
Shops fill their boots selling frozen bottles of water - tourists take them onto the beach, as it defrosts, they drink the water, and it stays ice cold right down to the last drop !!
Forget hot showers, you'll never get dry -
The only way is to take a lukewarm or cool shower, put a towel on the bed, stretch out and catnap with a fan blowing, you'll wake up dry - at least until you try to move !!
Cold water shaving provides temporary relief - but only with the door wide open, otherwise the bathroom feels like a Turkish Bath !!
At this time of the year I use a lot of aftershave, I choose something with a very subtle scent, La Toja Aftershave Lotion, Williams Expert Aqua Velva or Floid Vigaroso.
I splash it on liberally and often during the day, the menthol in the Floid and Aqua Velva are a relief in itself, but when the alcohol evaporates it also has a refreshing, cooling effect.
The scent is subtle enough not to knock anybody out, and the cooling effect helps me to forget about the heat - for a while anyway !!
Does anybody else use aftershave for cooling off ?
When it finally happens, people who live and work here stand outside cheering and whistling oblivious to the fact they're getting drenched to the skin - known locally as "doing a rain dance"
The intense heat from the sun beats down and burns unsuspecting tourists who sunbathe on the beach very quickly so they look like surimi sticks.
It gets so muggy that going outside, especially after stepping out of an air conditioned building or car, feels like standing in front of a tumble dryer, the air is so humid it's like breathing steam.
A hot cup of coffee stays drinkable for hours because it never gets colder than lukewarm.
Butter or marge melts off the knife before you can spread it on your bread.
Forget making cheeseburgers - the cheese slices melt before you can unwrap them.
Cold beer needs to be consumed very quickly - it goes flat within 30 minutes
Shops fill their boots selling frozen bottles of water - tourists take them onto the beach, as it defrosts, they drink the water, and it stays ice cold right down to the last drop !!
Forget hot showers, you'll never get dry -
The only way is to take a lukewarm or cool shower, put a towel on the bed, stretch out and catnap with a fan blowing, you'll wake up dry - at least until you try to move !!
Cold water shaving provides temporary relief - but only with the door wide open, otherwise the bathroom feels like a Turkish Bath !!
At this time of the year I use a lot of aftershave, I choose something with a very subtle scent, La Toja Aftershave Lotion, Williams Expert Aqua Velva or Floid Vigaroso.
I splash it on liberally and often during the day, the menthol in the Floid and Aqua Velva are a relief in itself, but when the alcohol evaporates it also has a refreshing, cooling effect.
The scent is subtle enough not to knock anybody out, and the cooling effect helps me to forget about the heat - for a while anyway !!
Does anybody else use aftershave for cooling off ?
