I am sitting on the porch and this is the view: not exactly a view, becaue the view is covered by our sun blind. If the sun is shining you protect your eyes from the sun. You make sure that you stay cool. Of course I could remain inside where there is no sun, but here there are also rules to be followed. To put you in the picture, many parts of Europe are at the moment undergoing a heat wave, daily temperatures of above 30°C.

After lunch I take a golden oldie sleep. I need this sleep. I look forward to this rest after organising life during the morning. There was a meal to be cooked, a pile of ironing to be dealt with and after lunch, you have a drink – perhaps a coffee, in my case a cup of refreshing tea, and your head slowly begins to nod, just slightly, enough to tell you that a relaxing sleep on the bed would now be ideal, after cleaning your teeth of course.

However, there are certain steps to be taken in preparation for this sleep. To escape the heat you take this sleep inside, in the bedroom. Inside has been prepared to protect the human body from the sun and the heat. It is a well known fact, amongst some people, that closing the blinds, the curtains and the windows are the ideal way to keep cool inside the appartment. This is where opinions may vary. I agree that it would be the ideal method to keep the heat outside where it would belong. On the other hand, if you need and want sleep, the dark during the day can irritate. We all have our own methods of enjoying sleep. Mine is fresh air from the outside, even if it is warm air. Although I would now make a point of mentioning that our bedroom side of home, on the Eastern side, is completely in shade from late morning until the next day. It is the Western side that we have sun from 11.00 o’clock until evening, thus the sun blind on the terrace which helps.

Now the mistake, my mistake. I go to bed for a midday sleep, open the blinds in the bedroom, open the window and relax. I cover myself with the duvet and think that life is good to me. I can breathe, relax and from 1.15 until 3.00 p.m. usually I forget the real world, but all good things come to an end, especially when you are told that due to your sleep preparations you have allowed warm air to enter the home. Not told, it is a lecture explaining the meaning of warm air protection. You have jeopardised the chances of a cool interior, but english people never did understand the intricacies of hot air protection.

There I must agree, we did not, the only hot air we had in London were the exhaust fumes from the lorries passing through the streets. The sun was to be respected, as you did not often see it, due to the clouds of environment unfriendly fumes. We opened the windows, opened the doors and celebrated the blow of air through the gaps in the door frames and window frames. We called it fresh air. The understanding of fresh air in continental Europe is something completely different. It is the air you can enjoy around 9-10 in the evening when you are again allowed to draw curtains, open windows and shades recognising the refreshment of keeping the home protected from all outside influences during the day.

Mr. Swiss and I agree on most things, we discuss matters and generally reach a decision together. The protection of the inside cool air is not one of the subjects we agree on. At the risk of making a daily mistake, I sleep after lunch with the blind and windows open and allow fresh air to enter the bedroom. Same time, same place, same discussion. and same mistake, or was it just a slight misunderstanding? I now feel refreshed and ready to go after my relaxing sleep.

Daily Prompt: Sorry, sorry, sorry, my mistake