My worst Summer ever

For sure! I can't remember any other Summer so incredibly heavy and tough to go through. Four heat waves, with a short break of just one or two days, not even cool enough to recover... And the nights, as well, do not cool down until very early in the morning, sometimes even at six! 

My goodness: this was a hard time! But the worse should be over. In the last days the temperature began to decrease: instead of 38 the maximum was 37, then 36, 35...

I remember when 35 degrees seemed so unbearably hot and now it's a relief when we are down at that temperature! 

Besides it is incredibly dry. The entire summer the percentage of humidity was around thirty by default. In the flat river Po valley where humidity reigns in every season: heavy fog in winter and heavy sweating in summer... such a dry environment was unthinkable. But here we are: dealing with dry skin, dry itching eyes, dry hair with cutis irritation! 

The only usable part of the day was the morning when you could run your errands and grocery shoppings. But with the persistent heat I became so tired that in the morning I was like a zombie. And working on the Pc was simply impossible: my brain was flat! I couldn't even meditate! I honestly felt totally lost... 

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Anti heat scheduled time

In the eraly morning, around six, wide open windows and shutters, to refresh the house.

At around one p.m. closing shutters and windows.

At around eight p.m. opening the windows and the shutters a bit.

This shedule seems to protect from the extreme heat in the house. It gets more bearable... Nevertheless it is heavy.

When living in Central Italy I met a Swiss German couple who built their dream house in the splendid hills of the region. The problem was that they indeed built their dream house - meaning that sort of house you see on the hill of Zurich: modern, with huge wall windows and no shutters.

In the north of Europe that is the required style: you try to get as much light as possible. But something like that in the Mediterranean reagions is pure folly! No shutters and wall windows?! Especially if all your rooms face south!

They tried to improve this situation adding thick and dark curtains that obscured the rooms and not the slightest breeze could reach the inside. A nightmare!

Now expacts are much more clear, they know that you should adopt the style of the local. If they have regular size windows plus shutters there must be a reason. At the time these two knuckleheads didn't want any suggestions, and they must pay the price... 

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Heat waves in the flat lands of the Po river

 

The first heat wave was in Spring, as it was already 30° celsius in April/May.

Perfectly bearable although awkward. 

The second heat wave in June. After a week of unusual cold and rain, the first week of heat was welcome. Finally summer... a bit early though. But the following week, when the temperature reached 38° C. it became growingly hard. Towards the end of the week, announcements of a needed break were done. A cooler wave finally, from the following Monday rain and possibly storms.

But the second heat wave was still to be gone through! Between Saturday night and Sunday I felt my body's resistance breaking. I was totally done! 

I don't have AC, actually there was a time we had it, but I couldn't stand it. As if I couldn't receive the enough quantity of oxygen, I felt the need to switch it off now and then and, in spite of the heat outside, open the windows! Now I have little ventilators, but I can't properly sleep with them on. For some reasons it annoys me the air I feel on my body. But I had to choose between the unbearable heat and the "annoying" air... and obviously I chose the latter. 

Finally on Monday night the rain, a healthy thick and continuous rain, not a furious and destructive storm! It was reassuring to sleep while hearing that fat rain, calmly hitting the ground. The morning after I expected a cooler air but the humidity grew so much that it reminded me when in India, finally the Monsoon arrived! 

All of us, Westerners, were so much longing for them, as that particular year, the Asian south east was hit by an incredible heat wave that prolonged the heavy summer into autumn. And in India with all the decaying and rotting rubbish on the street, not only the heat was unbearable but the horrid smell too! In anycase when the first pouring rain of the Monsoon arrived I was expecting a relief that actually didn't come. Yes, the temperature had decreased, but the humidity increased so much that I couldn't tell which between the two was the worst one. 

Last Tuesday morning I had that perception too. But luckily the cooler wave with some occasional rain persisted and the relief came! 

This is now the third way. In the evening I am dragging a camping mattress around the house in search of the most aired spot to sleep, followed by my two cats who always sleep near me. 

Last night I slept with just the sheet, directly on the big carpet in my studio, that is also my bedroom. And I slept quite well. I remembered that around my 30's / 40's I always slept on the floor, on a carpet, and it felt so good. Something that I definitely put apart when I came to Italy, to not exceedingly shock the people around with my too many "excentricities", as they usual perceive my being so different! 

This third heat wave should reach 38° C. Not the 40° and more reached in the second (not so high as in France and Spain!) and should be drier, therefore somehow more bearable. The hottest day next Wednesday, when I will be out for most part of the day as I have to meet someone in Alessandria... 

Eventually it will be over. I say no more. 

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a surprising decision

Yesterday I came up with an incredible decision - "incredible" for my standard of approach to life. I decided I will take two weeks off.

This week and the next are the "settimane di ferragosto", that is the feriae Augusti, in latin, still referring to a public holiday originated from the festival of Emperor Augustus who made 1 August (the month with his name!) a day of rest after weeks of hard work on the agricultural sector [Wikipedia]. In Italy it switched from the 1st of August to the 15th, making the two weeks containing this day the general Italian holidays where everything is closed. Especially years ago, the main cities and towns were completely empty, as everyone was enjoying their holidays at the see or in the hills or mountains!

Besides we are in the second heat wave which is quite heavy. The first one in June was somehow more bearable - although the temperature did reach 38 degrees! - but previously we went through a relatively "cold" end of Spring that made that sudden heat tolerable.

Now it is different. And the hours from around four/five in the afternoon up to eight/nine in the evening are the most intense with the heat that reaches 38 degrees.

The most intense heat wave I ever experienced was in Central Italy where already in the very morning it was very hot with the heat growing up to 40 degrees. I remember I spent the most unmerciful hours in bed with the ventilator, that kept going through the entire nights, because the heat didn't stop. Only in the early hours of dawn there was a short relief, that lasted only a few hours!

Luckily now, the nights are fine and the rest is assured!

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Kauma

Kauma (καῦμα) is the Greek word for heat. It brings you immediately to the hot Mediterranean countries, when the hot Summer is at its apex, and the dry temperature is so elevated, especially during the after midday nap, that there is an almost surreal silence. Infact, this Greek word, originally meant "heat", but at the same time refers to the concept of "calm" too.

In these days there was a Kauma weather. Not normal in the first weeks of June! And exactly as the word reminds, the hours around and after midday were soflty pulsing the immobile silence of the wait. While nothing happened and everything was totally still.

Everyday was announced a weather alarm for possible heavy storms, but no, no storm, no rain, no refreshment. The sky was whiter and whiter, with some hints of grey. Heavy loaded with an increasing humidity. Silence and immobility. Until today in the late afternoon. The storm arrived. It didn't last long, though. 

Nevertheless it was a relief! 

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