“Pack your bathing suit …” – no, we do not want to bore you with old tales, although the latest fashion craze, colorful Bermuda shorts and colorful bikini would be well worth talking about. But swimwear and beachwear you certainly do not forget when it comes to packing your suitcase for vacation in the subtropical summer. Thanks to fast flight connections, flight times to the Mediterranean coast or even the South Seas are shorter than usually a train ride to the Baltic Sea beach; you literally jump from one climate zone to another.
Summer climate of the south
The subtropical summer in the Mediterranean regions is unfamiliar to us northerners and easily tempts us to indulge in ill-considered vacations. This means for our organism a certain change, other habits adjust, for which there are some important basic rules and tips. There should be a place for them even in the overcrowded suitcase. The climate of the subtropics, to whose northern region also the Mediterranean countries belong, is dominated especially during the summer by pronounced high-pressure areas, which advance further to the north with the seasonal shift of the wind belts. So, in our travel season, there is a predominantly dry and cloudless climate with intense sunshine, which is encountered in the direction of the equator, throughout the year.
Sun protection and sunglasses
This subtropical summer is unusual for us northerners and easily seduces to careless vacation enjoyment. Therefore, the first path on the beach of Mallorca, on the coasts of Fuerteventura or on the palm promenade of Ibiza should lead to one of those merchants who offer very pretty woven hats for little money. They are anything but a fashionable attribute or a souvenir to be acquired later, but an often underestimated necessity of life. However, this head protection must be such that the eyes and neck are overshadowed. Otherwise, the so often mockingly quoted sunstroke is not so far away. Even if an overdose of sun does not always lead to immediate damage to health, at least the ability to experience the sun and thus the recreational value of the vacation is greatly reduced. The most important experience of a trip to the south is not even the air temperature, but the brightness of the diffuse sky light, which wants to be especially considered when filming and photographing. Of course, there is a good light meter in the suitcase next to the camera, and photography friends have given the tip to close the aperture one or two values further than the meter indicates. But is one as careful with one’s own eyes? Everyone is blinded, but especially the bright-eyed. Sunglasses must be part of every traveler’s luggage, not just any pair, but a pair recommended by an optician with coated lenses. Yes, one should drive with sunglasses even a formal cult, less because of the many interesting forms, as rather with differently strong and weaker the sunlight absorbing glasses.
Tanning and sunbathing
There is hardly any restriction for bathing. On the contrary, swim vigorously and otherwise, do not skip any sporting activity, although not with a full stomach, but otherwise extensively. However, it is a momentous bad habit to dry the wet bathing suit on the body afterwards, no matter how form-fitting it may be. The evaporation cold quickly leads to hypothermia of the body and thus promotes disorders of the intestines. So dry off quickly, also taking off the unaccustomed strong sea salt, and dress in airy light clothing, for which there are delightful variations. If opportunity, otherwise later in the hotel, a freshwater shower is recommended, because remaining salt particles, mixed with sweat, sometimes cause skin irritation. With all emphasis must be warned against excessive sunbathing in itself, twice in the subtropics. Healthy tan and real recovery is achieved only by those who get used to the sun of the south only slowly, starting with scarce minutes and increasing them only a little. Lazy stewing in the sun makes tired. One even falls asleep and then runs around red-powdered like a wingless canary – unless serious health damage occurs. In any case, the vacation is completely spoiled. Far better is movement on the beach, is air bathing in the half shade instead of at the “sun grill”, which is to be noticed very soon at the own well-being. The evening coolness is particularly restorative. This refreshment can be increased.Stone and concrete floors, house walls, in short all buildings have stored heat of the day and radiate it like a huge oven. An evening boulevard stroll, seeing and being seen, should therefore take place more on green central promenades or in the parks.
Food and nutrition in the south
If you indulge in the subtropical vacation pleasures so freely and unconstrained and yet a little thoughtfully, you have won a lot, with the diet you can do even more good. It should be emphasized at the outset that the catering in the vacation centers of the Mediterranean countries is subject to almost as strict hygiene supervision as in our country. Also the servants Luculis there already adapt themselves to a large extent to the used food of their guests. Occasional dietary disturbances are therefore hardly due to the fact that something was wrong with the food, rather quite simply the change of diet with simultaneous overfilling of the digestive organs is very often the cause. Many vacationers believe that the rich pleasures from kitchens and cellars must be fully savored also quantitatively. A big mistake! It is one of our German idiosyncrasies not to let anything go to waste. But not for nothing is there a saying: Other countries – other customs. Thus, what is served up to us with gracious hospitality is only to be understood as an offer for the eye and the palate. One should taste and eat according to one’s needs and appetite, but by no means devour everything – by the way, a hopeless “competition” in which German tourists have never remained winners. Instinctively, we consume less fat in summer. That’s right and not at all rude, if you happen to leave some fatty meat on the plate. Seasoning – even with salt – should be more than at home. There is a good reason for this. Increased release of water through the skin, sweating, lowers the salt level in the body, so that more salt is by no means harmful, but creates a physiological balance. Daily consumption of yogurt or kefir stimulates digestion and protects against intestinal infection. Plenty of fruits are recommended, but distributed throughout the day and not by the kilo as a snack or “cure”, of which one is proud on top of it.
Thirst and drink in the south
The unaccustomed heat brings thirst. It would be completely wrong to coin the principle of taking in as little liquid as possible with great willpower, so that you do not sweat so much. But this is precisely the natural cooling of our body. The constant loss of water through the skin must therefore be replaced. That means on the other hand no constant drinking, but three to four times a day in slow pleasurable draughts. There is also a widespread opinion: hot days – hot drinks. This can indeed be beneficial, provided hot teas are not excessively sugared. Fresh water from the tap central water supply of the subtropics is not always hygienic. Therefore, one should either boil the water or drink only mineral water from the supermarket. Likewise, one should beware of drinking well water. It contains bacteria that are not found in our usual environment and can easily lead to digestive disorders. The warmer it is, the more effective alcohol is. For example, if you drink a glass or two of beer at lunchtime, you can become tired, sluggish and unable to experience the rest of the day. Of course, there is nothing wrong with a glass of dry red wine to tempt you in the refreshing evening, which is preferable to all other alcoholic beverages.
Poisonous snakes, spiders and scorpions in the south.
Stands nevertheless recently a message in the press, which made the Turkey tourist a little bit attentive: Before bulldozers leveled the area to build modern seaside resorts on the Mediterranean beach, deceptive porcupines had been released to help clean up the area as voracious snake enemies. Throughout the Mediterranean there are venomous snakes both near the lake and in the mountains. Although they are not very common, they are more common than on Hiddensee or Sylt. However, it is known that a snake attack on a human being belongs to the realm of fable. Such vipers have their poisonous fangs to kill or paralyze prey. Humans are certainly not part of their diet. To distinguish this can be trusted even to the small “intelligence” of these animals. Therefore the snake will make use of its weapons, whose dangerousness should not be minimized, only if it feels attacked.So, the rule for travel areas, where the presence of poisonous snakes is known, is not to camp, if you have not at least briefly oriented about this place. Any snakes that may be present in the neighborhood will take flight on their own at the scent of man. They love warmth very much. When the sun has set, snakes like to crawl on paths, on or on stones from which heat is radiated. So, if you like to roam the botany in the dark, you’d better light your way with a flashlight. The danger is, on the whole, small. Nervousness is not advisable. Scorpions and poisonous spiders are even rarer. They can hardly be dangerous for adults, but they can be dangerous for children. For this reason, and also because of the possibility of cuts everywhere, which can easily lead to infections, it is always advisable to wear shoes outside the beach. In the subtropical areas we have visited, the general fly and mosquito control, carried out with great intensity, has had satisfactory results. Nevertheless, it can be quite useful to pack an insecticide in a spray bottle in your suitcase. Because mosquitoes or flies can be a real nuisance everywhere and rob you of your night’s rest. In Southern Europe and Southeastern Europe, tropical infectious diseases such as malaria, amoebic dysentery and others, which were also originally widespread there, have been practically completely eliminated, so that you can start your vacation without worrying, but not carelessly. This also includes putting health insurance papers in our wallet in addition to our travel documents.
