Summer is coming

At last! Summer is coming, or is it already here?

In my opinion there are not four distinct seasons in Spain, as there are in the UK and other countries, around the world. In reality, there doesn’t seem to be a Spring, despite there being a Spanish word for it, primavera. However, you could say that the earlier weeks in April or May are like Spring as the days are warmer, yet the evenings are still cool. Nonetheless I have known days in December like that though, beautiful sunny days, but cold in the evening.

At the moment I guess the Spanish might say it is Spring now but, I think I prefer to think of it as early Summer.

The sky is blue, it is beautiful and warm out, the birds are singing (including the hoopoe, who is ‘hooping’?), the bees are humming and the garden is full of flowers. Wonderful! The quilt is off the bed and stored for at least six months, and the jeans and jumpers are stowed away, replaced by shorts and t-shirts.

One of our highlights of the summer is swimming in our pool, and each day we watch with bated breath as the temperature climbs. For us, the minimum temperature to go in the pool is 28° and as it is now, at 3.50pm, 27.4°, I believe we shall definitely be in there this weekend.

The last lunch club will be in the middle of June, then we have a break until September, as some of our ex-pat friends go to the UK for July and August, due to the heat. John and I, having lived in Spain so long, now treat the heat the same way as the Spanish do. During the day, we stay indoors, with shutters closed and fans blowing. Gone are the days of lying on sunbeds tanning! Then we venture out in the evening, sitting on our patio with a cool drink, and swimming in the pool.

We shall be going on our summer holiday in July, but not to the UK. I shall tell you all about our trip to Castilla La Mancha in August, when I return. So, in the meantime, wherever you are in the world I hope you enjoy your summer as much as I know I shall enjoy mine.