Hello sunshine!

According to one of the UK newspapers, Britain is about to have a record three months of brilliant summer weather. They say that the highest ever UK temperature of 38.5C could well be beaten. "The predictions hinge on a rare set of meteorological circumstances, which forecasters now agree will come to fruition." I will believe it when it happens. Every year they seem to predict such wondrous weather and rarely does it come about. Almost all of us, especially the baby boomers, have memories, undoubtedly false memories, of the fabulous summers of our youth, when the sun shone every day and the tar went soft in the streets so that ladies' high heeled shoes sank into it. And that was probably more to do with the makeup of the tarmac than anything else. 

In reality, the only truly amazing summer I remember is 1976, when we went camping in Brittany in late June, were totally impressed by the heat stroke-inducing weather and returned to England to find they had had the same. Not only that, but it really did continue until mid-September. That, however, is the only time I can say, hand on heart, that we had an unbelievable summer. So I wait to see what my friends and relations report about summer 2016. 

Summer 2016 in Galicia is getting off to a slow start. We have just had a visit from our son and his little family. They left us yesterday day for a week in Baiona, where they are renting the same holiday let as last year. Granted they are here a week earlier than last year but by the time they arrived last year I had already had a few weeks of dipping in and out of the pool. So far, while I wouldn't go so far as to agree with the locals who keep telling me how cold the weather is, I will confess to eyeing the pool with some suspicion and thinking that it is not quite warm enough for me to be risking a daily swim just yet. 

Nonetheless, our small granddaughter had a splendid time wiping the rainwater off the slide and swings in the playground in the garden of our flats. And when we go to Baiona for lunch one day at the weekend I shall probably take my swimsuit with me just in case it should be pool weather. 

Last year, prior to their visit, we had to go through something of a battle to ensure that the parking place allocated to this flat remained free in the underground garage. A series of moderately rude notes were left on cars parked in that very spot. The drivers were invited to contact us if they thought they might like to rent the spot from us for a modest monthly fee. The upshot was that the space was cleared but no one took up our offer to rent the space from us. 

This year, no problem. No illegal parked vehicles. But still no possible tenant. However, the war of the fire-doors continues. We continue to close them. Some other inhabitant of our block continues to wedge them open. 

Oh, the joy of living in interesting times!