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Posted on Tuesday, 20 July 2010 |
 After a pretty dreary Winter, by French Riviera a standards at least, comes the full brunt of a Cote d'Azur summer. With temperatures soaring to a dizzying (literally) 37 degrees Celsius, the full force of the French holiday sun can come as something of a shock if you are coming from colder climes.
At least the locals have a fighting chance as they are lead gently into the fires of summer through hazy spring sunshine but if you step off a rain lashed Easyjet flight from Belfast or a delayed Ryanair flight from Scotland then frayed tempers are not the only thing that are a shock to the system. The heat humming from the tarmac may be matched only by the throbbing in your temples. So how do you dial into the local body lingo quickly and keep a cool head when all around you the solar fares are burning?
It has become something of a cliché but clichés do ring true so keep your mad dog and your Englishman out of the mid day sun and dial into the local time-line as quickly as you can. For those of you from countries that don't accept a siesta as de rigeur then this can be a hard thing to adapt to and seem like a guilty holiday pleasure but it is one of the most essential things you can do to keep cool in France.
No Matter how late a night you've had it is worth getting up and getting out as early as you can. The French are early risers but come mid day you won't see them for dust as they will be long since settled in the shady cool of a fig tree passing the hottest part of the day in relative cool.
If you have missed the timing and find yourself heading out into the mid day sun then slathering on the sun cream is the recommended advice. Spreading layers of heavy factor sun-creams is a bit like wrapping yourself in cling film and the oil slick factor can set your temperature to bubbling before you've even hit the street. Wear a hat, sunglasses and long, loose, feather light cotton clothes instead. Drift along slowly, in the shade where you can and you'll find that it's not just your protected skin that can breathe easy.
If that fails you then listening to some advice from Granny can come in handy and tuck a handkerchief up your sleeve. Nothing makes you feel more pink and addled than dripping sweat rolling down flushed cheeks while you try and stumble through forgotten school French with an impatient bus driver. A cotton handkerchief dipped in an icy glass of water will mop your brow and restore a cool veil to the back of your neck.
If you are staying in a holiday villa then buy bags of cheap ice pops and throw them in the freezer. They are cheaper than endless ice creams, that you will feel like bathing in, and a little kinder on the physique as well as super cooling. It's not the most glamourous French Riviera trick but it works.
Of course the ultimate heat buster is to find your nearest sandy beach or villa pool, put up a parasol or find a shady tree, take a dip and take in the beautiful French Riviera view. |
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