This year even the most youthful among us may admit to having dozed off on the sofa as the temperatures have soared right up to forty degrees (and that’s in the shade).
The human body was designed to rest in the heat of the day after a midday meal and just because you may work in the most modern hi-tech environment doesn’t mean that your body has become hi-tech too.
It’s basically the same as that of your forebears of a hundred years ago or a thousand years ago! The Spanish, and particularly the Andaluces, understand this.
The word siesta is derived from “the sixth hour”, the hour when your energy flags and sleep is the proper solution (in the best of all possible worlds!). If you take a siesta regularly you can actually improve your health radically.
Your heartbeat and blood pressure will lower, your headaches will disappear, your cholesterol levels will drop, and your libido will increase; got the idea yet!
However, the siesta is often a function of age. Children, the middle aged and the elderly tend to be those more in need of a regular proper siesta. Young people tend to veg out in front of the TV instead! In fact, nowadays, not many people actually retire to a darkened bedroom and lie under the fan.
The siesta is normally just a quiet period spent relaxing out of the sun .The massive popularity and sales of air conditioning systems have also dealt a death blow to the traditional siesta, as you can remain cool and tranquil all day if you wish.
In these days of global warming (and what a heat wave we have had this summer) you may well wish to extend your siesta time from 10 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon to avoid those deadly uv rays the doctors are always warning us about!
In most towns in the Costa del Sol shops shut at 2 for an extended lunch break in order to have a meal and a siesta.
They often don’t reopen until 5 o’clock. So please don’t be too surprised if you find them shut at 4! In fact in August some shops may well not open at all in the afternoon so the dependientes (shop assistants) can siesta then slope off to the beach or pool.
Garages often follow the same timetable so check before you try to pick up your car in the afternoon. Builders and construction workers operate – “el dia intensivo” during August when they start at 7 and finish for the day at 2 so don’t expect them to finish of the tiling after lunch!
The good news for the more impatient sorts who can’t wait till tomorrow is that in Madrid, Barcelona and other big cities this custom is dying out as people try to keep up with the rest of Europe.
In Madrid all the funcionarios (local government and civil service type jobs) are now obliged to fit in all their daily hours before 6 o’clock thus doing away with the three hour lunch break.
What a shame if this charming and healthy habit dies out!
