So I have been planning my latest instalment of Lanzarote with Disabilities, all to do with education and special needs but have been thwarted by sickly children. First was the little one with a water infection, quickly followed by the big one with a chest infection, and now we are onto a stomach bug...
Yet landing on my Facebook Page each morning are wonderful pictures of life in Lanzarote! Full of healthy looking expats, all enjoying a wonderful outside lifestyle, the sea, the sand, the pool, the cafe’s with the umbrellas up, watching the waves lap against the shore line...
Grrr. I am sat here watching yet more grey clouds rolling up, gale force winds blowing the fences down and hail stones landing on the cold grey patio.
So tell me all you expats, would you trade places with me?
“No” I hear you shout.
Yes the Euro is failing, the economy is sliding, but hey; the weather is warmer, the sky is blue, the sun is out and the temperature is averaging 23 degrees.
I cannot remember being ill in Lanzarote – ever! My husband has never experienced any hay fever, my son’s asthma has cleared up quickly and the family eczema has all but disappeared. The lovely clement weather system brings the Trade Winds; a bit blowy perhaps with but wonderful in the summer heat, making for a fabulous climate and you instantly feel better. Does that mean it is just a placebo phenomenon? Is it a case of the sun is out so I feel better? Perhaps a little, but the clean dry days and warm evenings, the lack of constant rain and grey days on end, the coughs and the colds, the flu, the tummy bugs; who would trade places?
Research suggests that the Calima can bring higher on average dust clouds to Lanzarote resulting in a greater spread of dust mites and a higher respiratory incidence of Asthma in Lanzarote than most of the rest of Spain – however coming from a damp and dismal part of the UK we have only found Asthma to be less prevalent than back at home.
We have found healing properties in the Volcanic Sand and salt levels in the sea are fabulous for skin conditions such as eczema and Psoriasis. The amount of time spent outdoors encourages the extra production of Vitamin D lessening the effect of S.A.D that so consumes us Northerners.
Fair enough you don’t get to see the Northern Lights (actually that only happened to me once on the M55 near Blackpool- and that wasn’t The Illuminations either), but the superb light show of the Moon and Shooting Stars are a common experience in the Canary Islands hence the huge observatory that is mounted there full of Star Gazers and rivals our wonderful Jodrell Bank.
All in all I think it is fair enough to say that for the majority of people good health is something that is far superior in Lanzarote than in the UK. The instances of major disease is somewhat similar and the standard of healthcare is excellent, however the cleaner air and the fresh winds just seem to improve health and make life seems so much easier and pleasant.
And so at the end of my quick look at life differences, climate and a slight moan about living in Blighty here is a weather outlook for Christmas……
Post to Twitter