As it is now our tenth summer in France (hard to believe) and our hottest so far I am now going to repeat some advice I gave out on my blog five summers ago. Anyone planning a continental holiday in August be advised:

Heat Survival
This is our fifth full summer in France, our fourth in Thezan, and we are getting used to deal with- and even enjoy – the high summer temperatures.

Here are a few tips we use to survive.

Copy the natives and sneak off for a siesta in the heat of the day, from 12 to 2.00, this also allows you to have the energy to get up much earlier and do stuff in the early morning cool.

Let yourself sweat , use a deodorant which is not anti-perspirant, sweating is natures air-conditioning and helps us cool down.

Use a fan to cool down, the breeze on our sweaty bodies is marvellously refreshing.

With that end in mind wear as little clothing as is decent and make sure they are materials which absorb sweat like cotton or linen or sports synthetics which wick away sweat.

I am assuming that you will liberally lather yourselves with sun cream to an appropriate factor but you should also pay attention to other areas of skin.

Use a lip salve, the sun can chap the lips like cold does.

If your are a little on the chubby side (like me) make sure and lubricate any areas where you might chafe.

Irish feet used to the protection of socks will crack and dryout when suddenly exposed to the air in sandals, get an appropriate foot cream (men as well as women) and rub in well and liberally.

Drink copious quantities of water, the colder the better.
We also find that some of the carbonated waters have a high natural salt level which is very refreshing in the heat.

If you are renting a house always shut the south facing shutters in the heat of the day.
In fact most of the people in our village shut all the shutters all day for cool.

If you are feeling overcome by the heat take a trip in an air-conditioned car or dawdle over shopping in an air-conditioned department store.

Go to an old mountain village for a wander.
The tall buildings offer shade from the sun and the narrow winding streets channel the breezes refreshingly.

Seek out the shade, picnic under trees and buy yourself an umbrella for the beach.

Forget about sun-bathing, it leads to skin cancers and premature aging, be fashionably pale.