Travel Lessons : 7 ways to Beat the Heat
For me, Rick Steves has been the Mr. Rogers of travel shows.
Long ago I became a fan of reading Rick Steves’ travel books and watching his television shows highlighting European travels. I agree with his philosophy that travel is about challenging ourselves and our home culture’s norms. Steves encourages vacationers to connect with locals, observe different ways of life, and learn from the solutions that other cultures have found for similar challenges. Through travel, we can better understand our own culture and know that there is no “right” way to live. This is a lesson we could all use a little more of these days.
As I walk through European cities, I learn a lot about beating the heat.
In the USA I might jump from one air-conditioned building to an air-conditioned car to another air-conditioned building. In Europe, where air conditioning is not found in every home or store, I adapt to the ancient and new ways to save energy and reduce the body’s stress from heat.
Temperature in Spain in June, July…
Oslo public library we stumbled upon - has restaurant (with awesome chicken salad) , a bar, coffee shop, reading circle and tons of books. We thought it was a small mall when we were passing by to look for a place for lunch and went inside. This is the way libraries should be-a community hub!
Here’s what I’ve learned,
We don’t have to stay in the bubble of our isolated air-conditioned homes, offices, and cars. We don’t have to fear city electrical brownouts, air conditioner failures, or high electrical bills. With extreme weather in summer and the impact of climate change, we just have to make some personal and physical adjustments and we can take a few lessons from the history and current lives of many around the world.
TOP 7 Ways to Beat the Heat- Spanish Style
Hug the shady side of the street, slow your walking pace, and take breaks under canopies and umbrellas. Cafe cultures, “tranquilo” mind-sets, and ancient, tiny streets of the Mediterranean villages remind us that attitude and architecture can aid us in hot times.
Seek cool public spaces outdoors, where we can find: trees, fountains, and shaded park benches. Or indoors: shopping malls, cinemas, theaters, museums, cafes. When I was single in Maine with no air conditioning in my apartment on hot afternoons or evenings, I’d go to the matinee movies. This summer, my husband and I found an awesome public library in Oslo, and in Valencia, I like discovering libraries in each barrio of Valencia. I love to walk but come midday I choose the public transport of buses and metro to make it home for my lunch and siesta.
Hydrate: Water is Life. The moors moved water through irrigation to fountains, making gardens and architectural design perfect for hot weather and which are still calming and cooling Spain. Hang out near the plaza fountains and use water fountains to refill your drinking-water bottles. Carrying a bottle on the go is essential. Stopping to purchase water is an opportunity to chat with a stranger and take a breather.
Cool the home by lowering the shades and closing the curtains. I remember my grandmother closing the shutters of her Southern Virginia home to keep in the morning cool throughout the summer day. So too, when we came to Valencia, I thought-no way am I closing those metal shutters making my home like a shadowy cave in the day, but a couple of years (or Augusts) in I was copying locals. Fans-overhead fans, small fans and opening windows in night can keep air flowing.
I never thought I’d be carrying a fan in my purse but it’s so easy to use while sitting in a waiting room, crowded auditorium, or metro.
5. Use hand- held fans that fit in your purse-these aren’t just for tourist purchase in Spain or part of a flamenco dance -local women really carry hand-held fans and use them. Dress in thinner, shorter, summer wear, Use sun glasses, sun lotion and carry extra in your bag or car.
6. Exercise your pet and yourself during sunrise and sunset. Hug the shaded hours- early mornings, and late evenings. Keep afternoons for restful siestas or work indoors. In European cities where parks and streets fill at night you can see children out by midnight on playgrounds, people strolling home from restaurants, and jogging or biking at sunset or later. Gathering outdoors at night is safe and inviting in many cities by design. Italy and Spain have well-lit plazas (which Rick Steves loves) Plazas can be found in central cities and neighborhoods, serving as social areas where people can gather to gossip, play, and meet in the day or summer evenings.
Cool waters of fjords near Oslo. Boat ride on a sunny afternoon for this year’s vacation.
7. If you can afford the time and money, take a break out of the city. A drive or metro ride beyond the asphault to the forest, lake, or beach. Sometimes the beach is more breezy than in-town. Share the ride with friends or rent a cabin with a group. This July Gary and I visited Oslo, which was 10 degrees cooler. Just a week away helped get us through the heat of summer this year. We hope to pick different, cooler, get-aways each summer. Once again, now I know why many of my Spanish neighbors are gone in August. Shops, doctor’s offices, and many cafes are closed. My hairdresser puts up a handwritten sign in August that says “Regresaremos en la primera semana de septiembre.” “We will return the first week of September.” Everything seems shut. Even most doctors and real estate agents are away and only have answering machines for the month! So too, when in Rome….now we are searching for our summer vacation spots away.
