"Hot" summer vacation

However, news reports indicate that this year, many Danes are choosing to spend their summer holidays at home. The reason is... the heat! During our train journey from Denmark to Germany and then France, we quickly experienced temperatures approaching 35 degrees Celsius, while we heard that temperatures in Italy and Greece had already exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.

Initially, we traveled along the coast, and although it was hot, the wind was bearable. The further inland we went, the more unbearable and dry the heat became.

During my stay in Monaco, Nice, and Marseille, I witnessed tourists —including my family—who didn't want to do anything but seek shade to escape the sun, eat ice cream, and drink lemonade. As a result, ice cream parlors and lemonade stands were always packed with long queues.

Tourists in Orange, a city not far from Avignon, the capital of the Provence region of France.

Locals say that the past two years have been very hot, causing droughts and water shortages. Italy and Greece are in an even worse crisis, facing wildfires.

The scorching sun keeps activity low during the day, while the night becomes lively. Locals avoid going out between 11 am and 2 pm, the hottest time of day, compounded by the Southern European custom of napping (called siesta). Almost all restaurants and shops are closed. Only tourists suffer!

One or two restaurants remain open to attract customers, but the food is not good and the prices are exorbitant. However, because there are no other options, tourists still flock to these places.

Knowing the weather forecast beforehand, we packed only light, thin, and cool clothing, and of course, we couldn't forget sunscreen... The French National Railways (SNCF) thoughtfully sent an email reminding passengers to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.

The heat was a consequence of my youngest son developing a rash, and both of us lost weight because we ate less. On the way back to Denmark, near the German-Swiss border, the weather finally cooled down. My husband breathed a sigh of relief: "Only now can I think clearly; for the past few days I was just trying to avoid the heat and didn't get to enjoy anything."

The hot weather has sparked much debate about the use of air conditioners. Partly because Europeans are not accustomed to using air conditioners, and partly because they believe these devices consume a lot of electricity, release hot air into the surrounding environment, and worsen climate change…

The hotel we stayed at in Paris didn't have air conditioning, but in southern France they have small units, just enough to cool a small area.

The same applies to trains. German trains don't have air conditioning, while French trains do, making them more comfortable. On our journey from Paris to Nice, our train had to stop for an hour to wait for passengers needing emergency medical attention, as they might faint from heatstroke.

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