Heatwave survival tips
How to stay cool when it's disgustingly hot
I am sitting in our living room, and the fan has become my new best friend. I have carried it everywhere with me today: up and down stairs, into the kitchen, into the bedroom. Always directed straight at my face.
The current temperature is 36 degrees. It’s not the worst the canicule (heatwave) can get. We have had whole summers where the temperature goes over 40. But it’s pretty warm, and shows no sign of slowing down as we head into July.
Without further ado, then, here are my top tips for surviving a heatwave in the South of France:
1. Open your windows wide, first thing in the morning, and let the cool air rush in. Then close them tight along with the shutters, and sit in the dark.
This is something I did not understand when I first arrived in France. I kept throwing the windows open in the afternoon to let in some cold air… but cold air didn’t exist. I used to sit there bathed in my own sweat, wondering when I would start to cool down.
2. Accept that the morning is the only possible time to get things done.
Once the heat arrives, behave like a cat, and sleep as much as you can. Don’t try to be productive. And if you have to do one of those pesky obligatory tasks like going to work, make sure the AC in your car is working.
3. Embrace the indoor life and be thankful for thick walls.
What a great time to catch up on your reading/correspondence/tidying up. Going outside is not an option, unless you want to live permanently in a sauna. If your boyfriend happens to be a farmer, steer well clear of his greenhouse.
4. Give up any intention of looking good (this one especially applies if you are eight months pregnant).
Make-up? More like melt-off. Hairstyle? Scraped back and nowhere near the face and neck. Think ‘mum bun’, extreme sweat version. Clothing? As minimal as possible. I’m finding the cycling shorts/baggy t-shirt combination to be ideal right now, but I’m not sure I’m quite mastering the iconic 80s Diana look. The thought of a sweatshirt makes me feel ill.
5. Seek out air-conditioned places, especially if you have small children.
Because staying inside all day only works if you’re on your own. If you value your sanity, you need to give your kids a change of scene. All hail, then, supermarkets, shopping centres, and soft plays. Oh, and trains. The trains are blissfully cold – but the metro in Toulouse is not.
6. Don’t try to go to bed until it’s not hot anymore.
All this week, I’ve been climbing into bed at 10pm and tossing and turning until well past midnight, cursing my hair, my giant baby bump, and the lack of breeze going through the room. I should have just stayed up and written this newsletter. Or the novel. Or watched trash TV. Literally anything except spending two hours thinking that I was too hot to get to sleep.
In a few months, I’ll be lighting the fires again and fantasising about sunshine, so please don’t think this is a newsletter of complaint. It is more of an observation that even though this happens every year, I am still surprised by it. Seasons give life rhythm, don’t they? I can’t really complain about that.
And on that note, thank you to the lovely friends who checked in with me last week after my post about my constant hormonal crying. I am totally fine and, with your encouragement, I did eat that Easter chocolate. It was delicious.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this, please feel free to tap the little heart. It would make my sweaty little soul so happy.