Getting hot under the collar.

24̊ - that was the temperature at the roundabout at the top of the road at 9.15 this morning. It just got hotter as the day wore on. We came out to walk to chess club at about 8 this evening and it was still very hot. I'm ok though; I've been in the pool for part of the day. Phil is threatening to join me tomorrow. He must be feeling the heat as he rarely makes it into the water. I am not holding my breath. 

I'm just very glad I didn't have to cycle up very big hills in France today. It must be quite excruciating. Although the downhill runs probably cool them off some. Nibble remains in the lead. I am seeing none of it at the moment. I just catch up on the Tour website at the end of the stage. 

Walking down the road earlier, I saw a young bloke get out of his car and spit on the pavement. I see this more and more, both here and in the UK. When did it become socially acceptable to do this? 

What you don't see much of here here is young men walking along with their chests out. You see this all the time in the UK. Last year I read that several seaside places here in Spain had introduced by-laws forbidding people from walking along the street in a state of undress. And you might expect people to walk around in their swimwear when they're just coming back from the beach. However, you don't see people here doing it in the centre of the ordinary town. Whereas in the UK, the minute the sun comes out blokes think it's ok to strip to the waist and strut their stuff. It's a kind of hangover from bad behaviour on holiday in the sun. One of my favourite fashion gurus, Hadley Freeman, was protesting about it the other day. I quite agree with her. 

Just now I've read a rant by someone called Ellie Mae O'Hagan about how Welsh should be taught in all UK schools. She grew up speaking Welsh (although I'm pretty sure O'Hagan is not a Welsh name. Aren't they all called Jones or Williams or Evans?) and regrets the fact that she is very rusty now. I'm all in favour of children growing up bi-lingual. And I believe everyone can benefit from learning to speak as many languages as they can manage. Oh, and I agree with preserving ancient cultures. But I think school kids can perhaps learn something more useful than Welsh. 

 She claimed that Welsh is the oldest language in Europe. Really? Well, it may very well predate Anglo-Saxon and Latin and so on but I think she might find that Basque is the oldest!! 

I also get a little fed up of hearing about the English domination of the Welsh and the Scottish. It's the same with the Castilian domination of the Galicians and Catalans. 

It's time we all got along. That's what I think anyway.