Coping with the heat !

But I do see where I need to take this, as some people automatically associate summer holidays with the only time they can get time off, school holidays and scorching hot temperatures. They will tell us that they can’t “stand the heat”. They can already see themselves sweating and in discomfort, with babies yelling at 4am and the sun beating down on their heads all afternoon.Really? That’s not how we see things, not at all.

OPTION 1

If summer holidays in Southern Europe include temperatures you don’t particularly like, then go later!

Whoever has been to Provence in September or Costa del Sol in October is probably nodding in agreement with this. Sea temperatures are glorious in the Mediterranean Sea well into October, and you can enjoy an Indian Summer anytime as of September anywhere around the Mediterranean. Watch everyone sink into post-holiday blues as the drizzle starts and greyness settles overhead.

Smile, you’re on your way to your rented holiday house for your summer holidays – in autumn!

OPTION 2

And just like some have nodded in agreement with the above, others are mumbling that schools are not optional to jet off in the middle of October.

So July and August it is. Anywhere in the hills or mountains in Southern Europe will offer you a light summer breeze that brings temperatures back to acceptable. Head for altitude!

Rent a holiday house with a swimming pool a little higher up in Provence or Tuscany where you will find fresh air, a summer breeze, and you might even need a cardigan to sit out on the terrace in the evening. Wonderful!

OPTION 3

Another tip: construction.

Rent a traditional Provençal mas that will offer you thick walls, keeping you cool in summer.

No need for air-conditioning here, although many modern houses have them, for the simple reason that modern houses are not built like they used to.

OPTION 4

Finally, to state the obvious, a swimming pool!

Renting a holiday house with a private swimming poolalso means you can cool off before breakfast, have a midnight swim before going to bed, and enjoy it all day whether you’re perfecting your swimming skills or floating idly on a lilo.