Hello, and greetings from the 'cold' north

Im going to Madrid in July, when I ordered my vacation in January, I never expected it to be as hot as it seems to be now... the temperature must be almost unbearabel ?? Is it too hot, to move around and do a lot of sightseeing in the daytime?

And does anybody have some good advice on what to do, when its this hot.. ? Thinking about visiting, retiro, casa de campo and I hear that the air should be cooler at Parque de Atracciones at evening/night time..

So if anybody have some good advice, on how to get by in the red hot Madrid please post them.. Thanx!!

Couldn´t agree with you more. Yesterday (Thursday) in Madrid it was the coolest day, by far, since I arrived 6 days ago. Otherwise, it´s Sweat City for the forseeable future. But really, it´s true what they say, "it's a dry heat". Which means it takes you about 30% longer to sweat the same amount. Just dress as lightly as possible, wear sunscreen protection, drink lots of water, and stay in the shade. Spending time in the parks and museums would be a good way to escape the worst heat for periods of time. But if you´re sightseeing - and you are - you´ll have to be outside, onfoot, in the city where it´s the hottest.

I can imagine if I ever lived here I´d become a virtual hermit during the months of June, July, and August, MAYBE coming out of my hovel only at night.

For the 5-Day Weather Forecast and current temperatures in Madrid, visit http://www.MadridMan.com/weather.html . Today it´s going to get up to 98ºF (36ºC). Great. The weekend will be considerably cooler, thank goodness.

Best of luck. Stay coool. It´ll be another HOT HOT HOT day today.

Saludos, MadridMan

Many foreigners don't understand why small shops are closed from 2pm to 5:30pm, or why offices close at 3pm in Summer. Now, you've got a reason why.

Hi, nordica.
I'm also from the 'cold' North....of Spain!
And for me the first summer in Madrid was... well...
shocking? unexpected? terrible?
And I was warned and I knew the facts. So, I guess nobody is ready.
You suffer the first times... then you still suffer.
I still suffer, and it's my 7th summer.

Nordica,

I'll be there in July as well. The museums provide respite and under some trees in El Retiro with a cool drink is a nice way to relax.
I was in Madrid in late June last summer and I was just so happy to be there, I didn't care much about the heat!
Or take your siesta in the afternoon and emerge when the sun is lower in the sky and the city begins thumping with it's afternoon and evening rituals...tapas.... el paseo...

Have a lovely trip!
Lynette

Hi Lynette! Nice to see another Philadelphian around here.

Recommendations for "enjoying" this heat wave:

1. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times.
2. Do your tourist shopping at El Corte Inglés during midday when the sun is the hottest and the airconditioning is at full blast inside.
3. Enjoy the parks in the morning hours (9-11) before the heat really hits, or in the evening (6pm onwards). Sun doesn't set until 9:30-10pm so you still have plenty of daylight.
4. Avoid mayonnaise based foods (ensaladilla rusa, patatas alioli, etc.). As tempting as they might look under glass with all the other tapas, they don't mix well with the heat.
5. Eat lightly and frequently. Fresh veggies and fruits are the best.
6. Enjoy all the ice cream you want without an ounce of guilt!

Hola Chica! Not many Philadelphians here, eh?

I'm with you on the ice cream. And El Corte Ingles for that matter! Shopping and ice cream is the cure for heat anywhere!

Chica writes: I hope you will be coming back for Live-8 on the Parkway July 2nd (or even just see parts of it on Cable-TV).

How about a nice Italian water-ice??

I'd much rather put up with the summer heat of Madrid than have to deal with 1 million people crammed on the Parkway in the high heat and humidity of Philly (and with only 300 toilets).

And helado beats a wudder ice any day.

Probably you are taking too much of the day and too little of the night. Madrileños avoid the first half of the day by sleping and take advantage of the first (and cooler) hours of the night by going out.

Andres