(la Suisse romande) and it has been VERY hot here for the past week. Temperatures here have been setting records and, as in France, individual dwellings usually don't have AC. Museums, some restaurants, shops and shopping malls do, so many are spending time there in an effort to avoid the heat. Also, we have wine cellars that can give us a break, LOL! All the local public pool areas are crowded and some are paying to use private pools in hotels, clubs, etc.
But this morning, I woke up thinking that my apartment had magically been equipped with AC, as it was quite cool. Of course, it was only a dream, but there were LOTS of bikers, hikers and horseback riders outside while I was riding my bike later on - all of us taking advantage of the lower temps.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed because it is warming up again now, although predictions for the rest of the week are more the norm for August. This is the first summer since 2011 that I've brought my fans up from storage. I can take a day or two without fans at all because I have wonderful shutter blinds and awnings that get optimum use in summer, as well as good airflows throughout the apartment. But several days one after another literally drain one's energy. Unfortunately, my fans were doing little more than wafting the warm air about, but the movement itself helped one to feel cooler.
Fortunately, I live right across the road from our local beach, so a dip in Lake Geneva is also a nice option, and it is never as crowded there as public pool areas are. It's a pebble beach and that discourages some of faint heart. Many also have an inordinate fear of "duck fleas" from the lake. But, IMO, the "threat" is greatly exaggerated and there are showers right at the beach that one should use right away that mitigate any problems. Taking a bath/shower right away when one returns home is always a good idea as well. I and any visitors who have swum in the lake have never had any problems and, for a large lake, the water temperature is actually much warmer than one might expect. The mighty Rhone River created this lake. Like the Rhone, other feeder streams are primarily the result of melting glaciers.
In fact, the glaciers here are melting so fast that they have yielded bodies of long-lost hikers, etc. this summer.
Climate change is REAL. ANYONE who denies it has NO credibility with me whatsoever.
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