Rain. And the lack of it. And idiots.

I went out running in the rain this morning. A rather gentle summer rain but rain nonetheless!

By a strange reversal of weather patterns we have dull and damp in Vigo - not unusual for Galician summers but not what we have grown used to over the last few years - while the UK basks in sunshine. And that includes the Northwest of England, and Greater Manchester and even usually rather soggy Saddleworth!

Friends are complaining about it being too hot, something I feel they should stop doing as they complain fast enough when the sun fails to shine. Hose pipe bans are being put in place. People are being asked to refrain from watering their gardens and even to take shorter showers. As for lengthy baths, forget it! Will there soon be restrictions on paddling pools for the tiny tots?

Hot weather apparently increases the demand for salad. And there I was thinking it just made people have barbecues. When it was still sunny here I saw lots of people leaving the supermarket laden with supplies of red meat to burn on the barbecue. But in the UK salad is the thing, or so it seems. As for me, I eat it all year round, rain or shine and tend not to be a great fan of barbecues.

But last week a record 18 million heads of lettuce were reported to have been sold in the UK, 40% more than at the same time last year. And so we, or rather they in the UK, approach a lettuce crisis. A spokesperson for British Leafy Salad Growers, said: “When the mercury hits 30C, lettuces can’t grow.” High temperatures have been affecting salad growers all over the place and supermarkets will be running out. Southern Europe cannot fill the gaps on the shelves as they too are affected by high temperatures. (Is it just Galicia then?) I am tempted to make silly remarks about these Europeans sending us their hot weather and then not being able to provide us with salad!

All is not lost, however, as salad can be sent from across the Atlantic. This puzzles me. Does lettuce not wilt fairly quickly? Will it withstand the journey from the other side of the world? What are things coming to?

A more serious consequence of the lack of rain in Northwest England is the outbreak of fires. Here is a link to a report about possible arson attacks on the countryside. What kind of idiot does that sort of thing? I imagine the scenario: “I’m bored. There’s nothing exciting to do around here. I know! Let’s go out and set fire to the hillside!” I am told a similar thing happened here in Galicia during the forest fires last year. Some people were going round setting woody places close to the centre of Vigo alight. Just to add to the chaos!

 It beggars belief!