Escape the heat in Barcelona
Summer was slow to start this year but now that it's properly here, boy, is it hot!
What the locals do
The locals have one strategy to beat the heat - they head for the hills! Every August, the city goes quiet. It may be the height of the tourist season, but any local who can - and many do - leaves town. For the whole month. It's quite a phenomenon. Weekday traffic levels drop to the same as a typical Sunday. In this town, that means very little traffic.
This year it looks like August is a month too late. It's not even July and the heatwave has started!
Vall de Nuria in the Catalan Pyrenees. This is the type of place most locals escape to in the summer.
Get into the sea
Out on the open sea we always have a cooling sea breeze, and we escape the heat reflected from the buildings and all the people on the streets. So many people. Such narrow streets.
But one thing I don't get to experience as often as I'd like is jumping off the boat into the salty Mediterranean. I think when I have guests on board, it's not really a good idea for the captain to jump off the boat. But don't worry about my welfare. On my days off, I go for a sail - and a swim!
Cooling off in the hottest part of the day
Remember it forever
Whether we can swim or not depends, of course, on the weather. But this is Barcelona. The weather is usually perfect. If your kids want to experience the thrill of swimming in the unfathomably deep sea, miles and miles from the shore, then let's do it. With lifejackets and tethered liferings (and a parent in the water at the same time), there's no reason why you and your kids shouldn't take the plunge. They'll remember it forever - this is not swimming at the local municipal pool!
They will remember this forever
Cool off
Every year, it takes a surprisingly long time for the sea to warm up enough for most of us to take the plunge. But by mid-June, it's getting pretty comfortable. And during a heatwave, a dip in the sea is ecstasy!
Too hot in Barcelona? Imagine the splash!
A touch of romance
Have you ever swum in the Mediterranean at sunset? This is what bucket lists were invented for. I'm not going to say anything more. This is your story. I'll take you there. You take the leap.
Could this be the best thing anyone ever did in Barcelona?
