Summers are long and hot in Arcos. There’s a chance of rain in June, but in July and August you expect to go for weeks without even seeing a cloud in the sky. So, we were all taken by surprise two weeks ago, when a band of rain moved in and it poured down a whole morning. Just like Autumn!
When we moved to Arcos, we assumed the locals wouldn’t bother talking about the weather, at least in Summer, when it’s one hot and sunny day after another. Wrong! It’s the same the world over - weather is the number one topic of conversation, or at least the number one topic of polite conversation. Here, you’ll often hear people talk of the ‘levante’ wind, which can spring up at any time of day or night. Though less strong in Arcos, on the coast this easterly wind can blow with amazing severity.
We’ve got a mild levante blowing at the moment, which is just as well, because it is taking the edge off some ridiculously high temperatures. Thermometers in the street having been registering around 45 celsius in the last few days, and we even saw one up to 52 celsius.
It’s no wonder that the streets are deserted in the afternoons, apart from a few hardy (or mad) tourists. Evenings are when the townsfolk come out of their shells. And as the sun goes down, you may be lucky enough to see the man in the microlite, drifting back and forth over the old town. Blissful.