By Joanne and Tom Tansey
This article is sponsored by Spanish for Beginners
And Spain’s weather forecast from July to September will be ... scorchio!
Let’s face it, the climate in Spain is a major factor for we ex–pats being here at all and for the holidaymakers amongst us, we’ve looked forward all year to a good bake and a break from the grim, grey northern European ‘summer’. However, with the sunshine come hazards and so to make the best of the Spanish summer we’ve put together some tips and information to help you pass the time safely and comfortably. It is by no means exhaustive but we hope it helps.
On the beach
If you fancy some time at the playa, there are any number of beaches along the Murcian coast that have been rated with the Blue Flag status, guaranteeing that you will find a well maintained and clean beach with amenities (for more information go to Blug Flag If you haven’t already done so, why not try one of the following?
Top tips for safety on the beach (advice from the Red Cross)
When sampling new places always remember the golden rules:
* Don’t mix alcohol with water activities. Alcohol impairs your judgement and coordination and affects your swimming and diving skills.
* Always swim with someone else; never alone. It’s preferable to swim in areas supervised by a lifeguard.
* Inexperienced swimmers should stay in water less than chest deep and remember to constantly supervise children in the water.
* Learn a bit about the area you want to swim in and its potential hazards, such as deep and shallow areas and strong currents. Check to see if a warning flag is up.
* Don’t try to swim against a current if caught in one – swim out gradually by swimming across it.
Top up the tan but remember to love the skin you’re in!
* With the heat of the summer, remember to protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays: limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10am and 4pm and wear a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 20.
* Drink plenty of water regularly even if you don’t feel thirsty. Your body needs water to keep cool.
* Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine – they can make you feel good briefly but make the heat’s effect on your body worse. This is especially true with beer, which dehydrates you.
Wear eye protection – sunglasses are like sunscreen for your eyes and protect against damage that can occur from UV rays.
Wear foot protection, as your feet can get burned from the sand or cut by rubbish left in the sand or insects or jellyfish that just love to bite an unprotected foot.
Sling another banger on the barbie mate!
Interestingly, most men seem to get the urge to take control of the tongs when it comes to cooking ‘al fresco’. Maybe it’s the accompanying beer or two that goes with this lonely pastime, but whomsoever dons the apron outdoors, take heed of the UK’s Food Standards Agency advice:
* Always wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food, after touching raw meat and before eating.
* Raw meat should be separated from cooked and ready–to–eat food. Do not put raw meats near salad or burger buns.
* Use separate utensils for raw and cooked meat. Never put cooked food on a plate or surface that has been used for raw meat.
* Don’t add sauce or marinade to cooked food if it has already been used with raw meat.
* Barbecued food may look thoroughly cooked when it isn’t. To be sure that it is safe to eat, check that it’s piping hot all the way through, that none of the meat is pink and any juices run clear.
The Pain in Spain – what to do for bites and stings (guidance from emedicine.com
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The most common irritant for most of us in Spain is the mosquito. As with most things in life, prevention is better than cure. Our local pharmacist always recommends an insect repellent called Halley, and as someone who suffers from mosquito bites, it works for me. This coupled with wearing dark long sleeve tops, trousers and avoiding being outside at dusk without repellent helps.
If you are bitten there are things that you can do to take away the itch.
* Avoid scratching. A mosquito bite will last a few days but continual scratching will increase your discomfort and may prolong the itching.
To ease the itch you can try one or some of the following remedies:
* Apply an ice pack or ice wrapped in a cloth to the bite area.
* Aloe Vera gel is good for reducing the swelling and itching and helps to form a protective layer against possible infection.
* Use an antihistamine to help with any swelling or itching.
* If your mosquito bite becomes red and swollen and if the area around the bite feels warm to the touch, it may be infected. Apply an antibiotic cream or ointment. If symptoms do not clear up, consult your doctor.
Jellyfish Stings (Medusa)
Thankfully jellyfish stings don't happen very often but just in case:
Rinse the affected area with salt water or just leave it. Don’t pour fresh water over the sting because it will just make the reaction worse. Applying acetic acid 5% (like white vinegar) will help to decrease the symptoms and taking something like Ibuprofen will also help ease the pain. Try to keep the affected area still.
¡Tranquilo! Driving locally.
Inevitably the roads leading towards the coast will be much busier in the high season. This, coupled with the fact that the new motorways and link roads from Alhama de Murcia and Totana to Mazarrón have yet to be fully opened means there is a chance of getting caught in long, slow traffic queues, or that these new roads themselves will lead to confusion. Remember to pack extra food and drinks just in case you get stuck in a jam.
If you don't know the roads well, do your homework in advance, drive carefully and if you do know the area well, be patient with our tourist friends. Keep calm! ¡Tranquilo!
Crime (advice from the UK foreign and Commonwealth office UK Foreign Office
* Personal attacks are infrequent. Nevertheless attacks occur and are often carried out by other British nationals.
* You should purchase your own drinks and keep sight of them at all times to make sure they cannot be spiked.
* Street crime is occasionally accompanied by violence. Remain alert and guard valuable personal items at all times. The majority of reported thefts are a result of items being left unattended or thieves using distraction techniques
* Motorists should be on the look out for “highway pirates” who target foreign registered and hire cars, especially those towing caravans. If you decide to stop to check the condition of your vehicle, you should be extremely wary of anyone offering help.
* At some airports robbers are particularly targeting rental vehicles on the exit road and nearby highways by indicating that there is a problem with the vehicle’s tyres. When the vehicle stops the robbers will offer assistance and take advantage of distractions to steal bags, etc from the interior of the vehicle.
* And of course, in the place you are staying make use of window locks, rejas (security grills), garden gate locks, alarms, safes and in general be vigilant.
Contacting a British Consulate office in Spain
Telephone and location of British Consulates in Spain see: ukinspain.com
Opening hours, telephone numbers and addresses of all British consular posts in Spain can be found by clicking on “consular offices”. For help between 8pm to 8am Monday to Thursday, and from 8pm Friday to 8am Monday, call 606 987 626, and from 6pm to 8pm Monday to Thursday call 91 700 8200.
Last but not least – don’t forget the pet!
* Leave dogs at home with plenty of water and shade so they can stay cool. The inside of a car can reach 120° in a matter of minutes, even when parked in the shade. An air conditioned car with the engine off isn’t healthy for a pet either.
* Limit exercising your pet to the early morning or evening hours. Pavements can get very hot and burn your pet's paws.
* Apply the same common sense to your pet as you would to yourself.
Above all, take it easy and have a safe, cool summer.