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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU because I'm not enjoying our holiday

22 replies

wisteriawoman · 23/08/2010 08:01

Came on holiday last week and we;re here for a fortnight in a remote part of France and I can't stop grumbling because its SOOOOOO hot. (Much hotter than we;d expected). House has no air con. So am getting no sleep, I can't go out for walks / sight seeing that I'd planned because its too hot (mid to high 30's) so I'm taking DD to lake everyday which she enjoys and at least there's a nice breeze there. But can't bear another week of sitting on a beach.

I realise I'm really lucky to be on holiday for such a long time (first time in a decade) but everyday I'm in floods of tears just wanting to be cool. (I'd wanted to holiday in the UK). Latest weather forecast is for temperatures to rise. Sad

How do I snap out of this? I feel guilty that I"m not enjoying myself and I'm being a misery. I suggested to DH that we went to Paris for a few days and he was appalled at the suggestion.

Sorry to sound like a spoilt brat.

OP posts:
Shodan · 23/08/2010 08:11

Oh poor you.

You have my sympathies, at least. We went to DisneyWorld last year and I spent the whole time dashing sweatily from one air-con to another. I was very miserable and what made it worse was that it was my fault- I'd organised and booked everything so only had myslef to blame.

But anyway. Could you possibly take yourself to Paris for a couple of days, leaving your DD with your DH? Does he know just how mis you feel?

I have nothing useful, really, except just to say keep as cool as you can. Keep your hair wet, if possible- I find it cools me down hugely. Can you go shopping for a fan, talc, and/or some of that cooling spray stuff?

Try to enjoy it as much as you can and just think- you'll be back home very soon.

Original poster
wisteriawoman · 23/08/2010 08:24

Shodan, thanks for your message. Will definitely go and invest in talc and fan.
Yes, I am also partly to blame for this as I never thought that a two week holiday would feel like an ordeal rather than a pleasure. I suppose it's all a learning experience. I'll know for next year. (The trouble is I don't like hot places but DH always wants to go south in the summer when my idea of bliss is Lake District!)

Have just investigated Paris option and its sadly too expensive - plus DH would refuse to come and since he doesn't drive he'd be left stranded. Hmmm.

OP posts:
rookiemater · 23/08/2010 08:24

That's not great. We went to the Dordogne in July and were honestly not expecting it to be so hot. Luckily we had shutters on the rooms if not air con so could manage to get them to a reasonable temperature.

We only had one unbearably hot day where the DCs ( shared villa luckily) stayed round the house because it was just too hot to leave. What we did on that day was to do a little excursion but leave it until much later on i.e. 5pm by which time it was a little cooler. Is that an option for you ?

When you say you are taking your DD to the lake everyday is your DH there as well? Is he doing his fair share?

Weta · 23/08/2010 08:41

I do sympathise - we lived in the south of France for a few years and I found the summers unbearably hot, and on our honeymoon we went to a Pacific island where it rained nonstop for the 10 days we were there despite not being the rainy season!

I think you do just have to try and tell yourself it's all relative, and make the best of it as much as you can. Accept that it's not the holiday you were hoping for, and try to find other ways of enjoying it if you can.

What area of France is it?

I would second the idea of buying a fan if there isn't one already, and the other thing we found in the south of France was that we had to adjust our timing - go out early in the morning when it's coolest, have a siesta in the afternoon and then go out around 6pm or later when it's getting cooler again. Not easy with a child I know, but maybe you could try?

Oh and the other thing is that you really need to work on keeping the heat out. As soon as the outside temp is hotter than inside (probably around 9am?) you should close the windows, and keep the shutters closed whenever there is the slightest ray of sunshine that could come in. I know it can seem depressing but it does work.

Make the most of any water options in the vicinity, lake etc, maybe there is a water park nearby? and maybe go somewhere there is air conditioning (don't know how remote you are but there may be places not too far away). Art galleries and museums always have air con for the artworks, or try shops or other tourist attractions. And have a cool shower 2 or 3 times a day...

fluffles · 23/08/2010 08:45

sorry to hear that, you need to change your entire routine to try to survive... i've travelled to horribly hot places i wanted to see even though i hate the heat.

get up about 5am and go for a nice walk then, even if it feels oppressively hot inside at that time it's probably bearable outside.

my top tip for sleeping is to wet through a single cotton sheet in the sink then ring it out and lay it on top of you to sleep - the evaporation/drying of the sheet will really cool you down and it'll be dry when you wake up.

Plumm · 23/08/2010 08:49

We had a big family holiday in Italy in July and none of us enjoyed the heat. We were lucky enough to have air con so that just about made it bearable but the evenings were as hot as day so we didn't get the nice long lazy evening meals we were looking forward to. DH suffered from awful heat rash and nearly came home (if it hadn't been a big family holiday the three of us prob would have come home).

YANBU - we won't be going to Europe in July/August again.

Of course, if you'd holidayed in England you would have been caught in torrential rain this weekend - I'm not sure if that's better!

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 23/08/2010 08:54

wisteriawoman - reading this and your post the other day about how your daughter was miserable but your husband had refused to consider any child-friendlier options, I think it is your husband that is the problem and not the holiday.

Sorry :(

lazarusb · 23/08/2010 09:08

I have just come back from 2 weeks in Provence to constant rain. I will gladly swap with you. :) Seriously- get a fan, wet wipes, swim lots, keep hydrated.. stay in UK next year! :)

proudnsad · 23/08/2010 09:10

'floods of tears'?? Ok I get that it's uncomfortably, insufferably hot but not enough to be weeping over.

Is there something more going on?

MuthaHubbard · 23/08/2010 13:14

i'm not long back from dubai where it got up to fifty degrees centigrade some days.

yes it was hot - sometimes unbearably so - but it was a holiday and i was determined to enjoy myself, and did. after a week i did get used to the heat to a certain extent and the one day it went down to 35, thought it a bit chilly!!

it does sound a little like there maybe something more going on? but i'm the type who makes the best of everything i can and would be just grateful of being somewhere different and enjoying being with family/dcs without worrying about work etc.

GeekOfTheWeek · 23/08/2010 15:35

We were in spain last month and it was similar heat.

I was having cool showers in the middle of the night!! I even put my top sheet in cold water and put it over me for some relief. It did help.

I think through the days its best to not do much other than pool etc and plan excursions for evening where possible.

We are off to menorca on wednesday so am hoping its hot there too.

loopyloops · 23/08/2010 15:37

Sorry WW, I agree with Alibaba.

Go swimming, and get yourselves a paddling pool to keep your feet it.

Keep having baths and showers. Visit some caves.

Take care love, and try and enjoy yourself :)

rookiemater · 23/08/2010 16:06

OP could just be a bit worked up after waiting for her long anticipated holiday.

I know I had a few teary sessions on honeymoon when we had snowstorms in June in the US rockies. I just wanted it to be perfect and found it hard to figure out how to reconcile with reality. Oh and I didn't have a child at that stage so lots more scope for being a special snowflake.

mellifluouscauliflower · 23/08/2010 16:14

We had same problem in SouthWest France last year. THis is how we made it bearable: get up really really early, go to the beach / walk when it is bearable. Leave at 10.30/11 and have a really long lunch and a sleep. (TV for kids if they won't sleep ) Go back out about 4 and have some fun. Forget about bed time for kids...hope it helps

Original poster
wisteriawoman · 23/08/2010 21:17

Thanks for all the advice . Very worthwhile. I met someone today who said that it is being suprisingly hot for this time in August (normally its cooler). We're near Perpignan. I thought perhaps I was just being a total "woss" and failing to acclimatise.

Yes there are other issues going on.
Re; Weepiness - I've been suffering bad PMT in recent months so I think that's contributed. Oh yes there are other things - DH doesn't drive, so I have to do all that and I'm rather nervous of driving in France - which is another strain, plus its my first long holiday (2 weeks) in a decade, so I wanted it to be perfect.
Anyway thinking of the positives--- the nearby lake is wonderfully cool and we're off on a train ride up into the mountains tomorrow.

Thanks again.

OP posts:
Goofymum · 23/08/2010 21:38

Sometimes I think we put so much pressure on ourselves to enjoy a holiday, especially one that is long awaited, and that can be stressful in itself if you know what I mean! Also, it takes a little while to destress when you go on holiday, so cut yourself some slack. Put it all behind you if you can and start afresh tomorrow.

ninah · 23/08/2010 21:41

I went to wales and got plastered in mud and rain
was nice and cool Confused

glucose · 23/08/2010 21:49

No your not! But just plan next years better! We never go anywhere for 2 weeks, it would be far to long in each others company, and we always go somewhere where there are pleanty of things to do options. You will be pleased to get home, which is one of my favorite bits about holidays! Sorry its not good. Have lots of good french food for me!

justonemorethen · 23/08/2010 21:56

YANBU

Poor you thats awful...PMT and having to drive (no wine at lunch) is no sort of holiday.Perpignan is one of the places I would love to visit so I am still quite jealous.

However if it any help the weather here is completely dreadful,really wet and stormy with 2 mins of bright hot sun just to remind you what it should be like. Obviously everyones opening line is....
TV is all back to school adverts,shops are full of back to school stuff.Dull dull dull

Can you bring me back some yummy french stuff. I love those pretty tins of weird thingys .

Weta · 24/08/2010 04:35

Hope you enjoy the train ride into the mountains! I was going to suggest getting up there as it is definitely a lot cooler - we were living in Montpellier and after a couple of years I realised that holidays in the Pyrenees were a good solution to the heat.

YunoYurbubson · 24/08/2010 05:09

I live in a very hot vountry. My tip is to make everyone have a long siesta, then keep the kids up late.

ZacharyQuack · 24/08/2010 06:39

Wouldn't Paris be even hotter? All that heat-absorbing concrete. Unless of course you hole up at the Ritz and turn up the aircon and live on room service (my kinda holiday)

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