The Rain in Spain...

 

A few days before we flew to Málaga, horrible floods that caused more than 200 deaths happened in other parts of Spain. I checked the weather forecast and was reassured to only see sun symbols with occasional clouds for the duration of our stay. We did have lovely weather and overall a great holiday. Less than a week after our return similar torrential rain hit the city and its surroundings, only people were better prepared this time thanks to the authorities reacting faster.

Travelling in times of climate change is becoming a bit of (Russian) roulette, it seems. When Vienna experienced unusually heavy rain in September I also pitied the many tourists who were more or less confined to their rooms unless they had arrived with gum boots and water repellant hooded jackets in their suitcases. Needless to say being able to travel is a privilege and cancelled plans or being stuck at some airport sucks, but is not to be compared with the loss of crops, livestock or your house.

It is a rather scary thought, however, to be caught unawares by some natural disaster while you're in a foreign country (whose language you might not speak or whose infrastructure and processes might be completely unknown to you) while you're on happy hedonistic tourist autopilot mode, ticking off your list of must-see attractions and things to do. I never watch TV when I'm in a hotel and the bookmarked news sites on my phone that I regularly visit might not chose to make a headline of what could affect me unless it has already become a catastrophe of sorts. Food for thought, to say the least...