about packing 'for Spain' - YouLookFab Forum

So I work in retail in London, UK. I'm at the tills in a store that sells everything related to fashion (men's, children's, women's, lingerie, swimwear and shoes). I get to see the stuff people buy. And I've had a good number of customers happily buy several bikini sets and pairs of sandals because they are going to Spain. Like, next week.
I'm starting a thread today because yesterday my colleague was serving this lovely lady and suddenly she says 'oh, Irene is from Barcelona! The lady is going there tomorrow :)'. So I'm like, 'great, it's going to be a bit milder than here'. And she goes, 'what do you mean?'. 'Well, it's still winter, but it's milder, so you could probably get away with wearing a parka because you are used to the colder weather...'. I mean, we've had SNOW in March in the past. It's uncommon, but it gives you an idea of how 'hot' it is. She stared at me in disbelief. The lady had been packing for a summer holiday. In March. Spain is not a tropical country. She cancelled all of her purchases and said she was going to cancel the flight, too, because it was her anniversary and she had been expecting the weather to be really hot and sunny. A quick conversation with my mother at night reassured me that it's actually going to rain this weekend.
I feel sort of guilty about ruining this lady's dream of a summery vacation mid-March, but it's not my fault if she didn't bother to check the weather forecast one day before her trip.
I also had this lady whose husband was taking her on a surprise trip 'to Spain'. She was also packing bikinis. I really hope he was taking her to Canary Islands, because if she was going to the north...
I find it slightly amusing that they truly believe that it's always sunny and hot everywhere in Spain (or Italy, or Greece, or Portugal), when there are actually places in these countries that are far colder than England (especially London, which is not even that cold... jeez). Then we see them in March walking around Barcelona, short skirts, sandals, their legs covered in bumpy skin and a blueish tone due to the cold.

British ladies, please do not do this to yourselves! Go to Spain, or wherever you want, and enjoy your time there, but wear appropriate clothes, and always check the weather forecast before visiting a place

PS:
'But will I use the sunglasses?'
'Well, if it's sunny...' -I shrugged. Actually, no, you would not have this particular weekend

'And what about Málaga?'
'Well, I don't know, that's southern Spain (Barcelona is IN THE NORTH) so it might be warmer there...?' -just checked, it's not any warmer there right now

9 years ago

Astrid

Veteran

Irene, that is kind of hilarious... I feel a bit bad for that woman cancelling her trip, but you were just honest. I've been to Italy three times in February and March and even though the weather is warmer than in Berlin it is still cold. I wouldn't imagine Spain being different. I guess it's because you only get to see documentaries, advertisement etc. on TV where it looks sunny and hot. So people have this weird idea that the weather is always like this or like that. Although I will never understand why people don't check the actual weather forecast beforehand.

Anonymous

Oh, no. I go to Greece each year and 2 years ago at the end of May it was too chilly for bikinis! I never go earlier than late May/June. In fact we now have to go in August due to school rules.

abc

Same here in Mexico...everyone thinks it is 35C/95F year round and the weather is more like San Francisco here (quite mild, more like 22C/72F average daily high). Maybe those are the same people that pack their bikinis for SF and Spain in March??!!

Summer

Just as many assume that it's always cold and raining in the UK, Irene!

Good point, Summer! It goes both ways, I'm sure. I get the feeling Irene was frustrated and just needed to get it out

The main point: research your destination's weather before going and shop/pack appropriately!

rachylou

Oh, Irene. Crushing hopes and delusions Lol.

Also: I'm not sure which is colder - SF in winter or SF in summer.

Also: Can I ask why there are bikinis in the stores right now? I mean they've taken over the sales floors here.

rabbit

Lol this is funny but true. I have to say though I've seen teenagers in Britain walking about in shorts and bare legs when the sun comes out in in spring even though it's in the mid 50's (Fahrenheit). Hardy stock! I was still wearing a wool coat as a visitor.

Laurinda

We call it "Tough love" .

For fun I just checked the weather for the Canary Islands. Light freezing rain...

@Rachylou SF definitely feels colder in the summer. I think it is relative -- who else needs a wool sweater on a July afternoon?

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Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Same thing happens here - people hear "California" and think of sunny beaches and bikinis ala Southern California and then come to San Francisco and freeze. California's a big place - parts of it are never bikini weather, and parts of it even have snow!

DonnaF

For those coming out to California, just don't pack an umbrella much less a raincoat. And maybe bring your own water? Heading into a 4th year of drought. . .

DD who is attending college outside Chicago wants to wear shorts out here in the Bay Area as soon as it hits the 50s so I guess she's like the teens in Britain. I won't go bare legged until it hits the 70s.

Caro in Oz

Nothing wrong with a little reality from time to time We get the same in Australia - travellers who think it is always warm

Deborah

Irene this is so funny. One of my first points of research is checking the climate where I am going. Goodness, I even do this with local travel. You may have saved the lady from a really disappointing holiday.

Irene

Summer, it is mostly cold in the UK! (I don't agree on the rainy part, but summer is hot for, like, two weeks in total, maybe three if you are lucky, and it's not even that warm, it just feels warmer because of how chilly it usually is).

Barcelona is not mostly warm (or hot). I can't speak about the entire country, so I won't, but my region is a 4-seasons area. We have winter, and we have fall, and those two last for a good 6 months. Most people don't wear sandals and summer clothes until June lol

Caro, isn't talking about 'Australian weather' crazy, anyway? It's too big of a country for that. Yesterday I met this Australian customer, and she's like 'yeah, back home is nice, too hot though'. And I'm like, 'but you get winters, right?', and she goes 'well, our winters are hotter than your summers'. My idea of 'Australia'? Sydney. Her idea of 'Australia'? Brisbane.

It depends where you start from, Irene. I was born here (UK) so I've probably toughened up!

I went to college in Wisconsin and there were always people that pulled out the shorts as soon as the snow melted. Now that I've lived in the Bay Area for nearly twenty years, I've become a relative weather wimp when we visit relatives in the Midwest in the winter. Give me my layers!

harmonica

LOL. Irene, you saved the woman for a holiday that would not live up to her expectations. Good work Until now, I believed that everyone did a little preparation before traveling.

I just came back from a week at Tenerife, the Canary Islands - and the temp was nice, but chilly in the evenings. My packing was spot on --- and guess what, it was because we checked the weather forecast in advance (of course)!

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