Having lived in Arizona for 25 years, I am well aware of the need for sunscreen. I used to do plant survey work out in the desert and had to slather the stuff on (along with bringing a LOT of water to stay hydrated, avoiding rattlesnakes, and keeping an eye out for the random Strange Desert Guy hiding in some bushes with a machete). Now living in Barcelona, I'm amazed at all the bald guys walking around hatless all the time. There is a nude beach near our place, and the funny thing is, I have zero problem with the nudity, but do have reservations about ahem THOSE bits being exposed to the sun. Ouch.
Thanks so much for your comment, Les. OUCH is right!
I burned myself badly in Spain once. That was over forty years ago. I journedy with two friends on road trip from Madrid to Andalucia. We stopped for a picnic and to enjoy the picnic and wine even more we took off our clothes. I burned my rear end so badly I could not sit for days or avoid scratching in public the terrible itch on my hind side. That was a lesson learned. Never again.
Glad the rattlers didn't get you or that at least you lived to tell a tale.
Leaves me scratching my head. But one can say the same about all kinds of other dangerous behaviors in which people partake in spite of the damage to one's health. From your living in Spain, you know a big one that I mean.
A Legacy of Sun Awareness: Protecting My Redheaded Children
As the wife of a Mallorcan man whose grandfather—fair-skinned and red-haired—tragically passed away young from skin cancer, I feel deeply connected to the importance of sun protection. My father-in-law’s dad spent years working under the blazing sun with nothing but a straw hat. Back then, there was little awareness and even less access to proper protection.
Today, we know better. And we must do better.
My children inherited that same delicate, fair skin and vibrant red hair. Every time they visit Spain, I gift them high-quality sunscreen—not just for the sunny days, but as a daily habit. Sun protection isn’t seasonal. It’s a lifelong commitment to caring for the skin they were born with.
They’ve learned firsthand how quickly their skin burns after just one unprotected day. That awareness is now part of their routine, and I’m proud to see them take it seriously.
This isn’t just about sunscreen. It’s about honoring those we’ve lost by protecting those we love.
Good grief. As one who burns if I merely glance at the sun, everything about the desire to behave like a rotisserie chicken while on the beach is baffling.
Reminds me of when we hiked up the dunes in the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado and then boarded down the dune slope. Hiking up those dunes with your feet digging in the sand was an aerobic exercise for sure. The ride down certainly made it worth it. Looks like your hike was equally worthwhile
Unfortunately, people do not appreciate the harm of those rays of sunshine until much later when they get the skin cancer...and then they often regret their actions.
The sand boarding sounds like fun but going up sounds like a drag. Literally.
You're right about people not realizing until it's too late. After researching and writing this piece, I'm applying even more sun screen and avoiding the sun until 6:30 or 7:00 at night. It's hot and bright here now.
Great post, Andrea! I understand the English, Irish, Welsh and Scots are among the most fair, and most likely to develop skin cancer, yet today it is 35 degrees here, and I see hundreds of white-bread-coloured people from the isles out there in their tiny tops and bottoms (which, by the way, they would never wear at home, as they are much too revealing). I am inside with a fan blowing, drinking fresh mint tea, because that is what my Moroccan friends tell me is the right thing to do. It is HOT. But the baby pink skin is out there, and even if wildly successful in developing a modest tan after their outer layers of skin burn off, come winter and old age - should they live that long - these same people will look like contour maps of the Himalayas! But why??
Sunscreen every day, all year, is important and necessary.
Thanks for your spirited comment. I guess people who live in chilly and gray climates can't resist the one time a year that can soak up the sun -- as if they need to store it until next year. But even one cooking can lead to problems. Plus it's so painful. And then they turn bright red. And then the skin peels off like wallpaper. To me, even that part alone makes it a disagreeable practice much less inviting skin cancer.
I hope you've drunk a lot of tea these past few weeks cuz it is HOT! Even I am looking forward to fall. With sunscreen. Cheers to that!
Furrowed brows, indeed. I find it hard to "care" about people who entertain such foolish and anti-scientific views. Love your final sentence, which hints that the underlying problem is intrinsic to human nature. To a degree, we all pursue irrational behaviours.
Yes, I find this behavior very hard to understand in the face of scientific evidence. As you rightly point out and as I indicated, I don't think there's much scientific evidence that anti-wrinkle cream really works. But what if it does and I don't use it because I'm skeptical??! At least it's not carcinogenic.
Super tu escrito, yo quería tener piel color canela, cuando era mucho más joven, pero no podía exponerme al sol porq me ponía roja como un camarón, aunque usara el protector más fuerte de la época, q era factor 30. Hoy aunque me pusiera factor 100 no me expondría al solo ni por cinco minutos, despues del cancer de piel q tuve muy pequeño, al lado de la oreja izquierda ( no entiendo porq ahí, si ni siquiera me llega el sol a esa zona 🤣🤣), desde entonces huyo del sol.
Muy sabia siempre eres, mi melocotón. Si, después de una experiencia como el cáncer de piel, uno debe cambiar el comportamiento. Desafortunadamente, mucha gente espera hasta el momento cuando ya es tarde. Siempre eres bella a pesar del tono de la piel.
Reading about the sunbathers made skin tingle, and not in a good way (although good in the sense that your writing is so evocative). I can't get my head around it anymore than you can and I feel my skin protesting and shrivelling if I stay out in it too long.
On the suncream, LUSH used to do a natural one made with sesame seeds that I loved and made me smell like a delicious salad but they took it off the market, so perhaps it wasn't very effective.
And on the wild (non-scientific) theories, you reminded me of a friend of my parents who believes we should all stare directly at the sun for five minutes a day 🤯
I hope you had a lovely time exploring this new part of Spain!
Thanks, but I'll pass on smelling like sesame seeds and staring at the sun. I will continue to smear on my anti-wrinkle cream though, even though I have no proof that it works. At least, it doesn't cause cancer.
I appreciate your comment that the writing made your skin tingle more than the subject matter. Onwards!
I’d love to visit the Canary Islands someday! But I will be wearing a hat and long sleeves and sunscreen. I’ve worn sunscreen daily since my 20s, when I wrote for a dermatology newspaper. I love soaking up the warmth on a sunny day, but my skin doesn’t tan; it fries & peels.
The perfect place to use sunscreen, Sonia querida! Lovely to hear from you. I hope you have a wonderful time in Lewes. Let's talk soon, maybe sometime in late September when Fabio comes back from Colombia?
We just had breakfast with a friend here in San Miguel de Allende where we were reiminiscing about our misspent youths as sun worshipers. Now, we all load up on SPF 50 moisterizers and share stories of who just had the best visit with our mutual dermatologist. Levon and I will be stopping off in the Canary Islands next April on our next transatlantic reposition cruise. We will be sure to bring our sunscreen!
The only consolation about our misspent youth is that the ozone layer was thicker and more protective then so maybe the effects weren't as dire. We can make up for our wayward ways now.
Do you know yet which island you'll be stopping at? Any other Spanish territory? It would be great to have another rendezvous like we did in Barcelona.
Not sure yet about which Canary Island will be our stop. But we will also stop in Alicante and end in Barcelona. So YES!! We will need to make a plan! ❤️❤️❤️
Oh wow, I hadn't heard the sunscreen conspiracy theory! Very 'creative' thinking (🤷♀️) We see so many pink people on our walk each day. I am slightly more sympathetic to the need to feel the sun living in this more northern climate. But of course you can feel the warmth of the sun AND not get burned too. Maybe I should be more thankful for the many cloudy days that minimise my exposure time, mainly since I don't spend as much time outside when it is cloudy. And I never see people 'fully browning' either! Thanks for sharing the less common perspective of summer sun!
Yes, you said it right. You can still enjoy the sun without exposing yourself to its dangers. I'm a sun worshipper myself but not to the extreme of throwing myself on a towel for days on end. Not even close. Limiting exposure to the sun seems like an easy way to avoid a problem.
That said, I hope you get a lot of it there to store up before winter sets in.
Having lived in Arizona for 25 years, I am well aware of the need for sunscreen. I used to do plant survey work out in the desert and had to slather the stuff on (along with bringing a LOT of water to stay hydrated, avoiding rattlesnakes, and keeping an eye out for the random Strange Desert Guy hiding in some bushes with a machete). Now living in Barcelona, I'm amazed at all the bald guys walking around hatless all the time. There is a nude beach near our place, and the funny thing is, I have zero problem with the nudity, but do have reservations about ahem THOSE bits being exposed to the sun. Ouch.
Thanks so much for your comment, Les. OUCH is right!
I burned myself badly in Spain once. That was over forty years ago. I journedy with two friends on road trip from Madrid to Andalucia. We stopped for a picnic and to enjoy the picnic and wine even more we took off our clothes. I burned my rear end so badly I could not sit for days or avoid scratching in public the terrible itch on my hind side. That was a lesson learned. Never again.
Glad the rattlers didn't get you or that at least you lived to tell a tale.
Same with me, I got severely burned once in middle school, and have never let that happen again. It is very unpleasant.
I managed to never get bit by a rattler, thank goodness. Cactus spine jabs were the worst injuries I sustained.
The sunscreen denialism drive me nuts!
Leaves me scratching my head. But one can say the same about all kinds of other dangerous behaviors in which people partake in spite of the damage to one's health. From your living in Spain, you know a big one that I mean.
Thanks for the read!
A Legacy of Sun Awareness: Protecting My Redheaded Children
As the wife of a Mallorcan man whose grandfather—fair-skinned and red-haired—tragically passed away young from skin cancer, I feel deeply connected to the importance of sun protection. My father-in-law’s dad spent years working under the blazing sun with nothing but a straw hat. Back then, there was little awareness and even less access to proper protection.
Today, we know better. And we must do better.
My children inherited that same delicate, fair skin and vibrant red hair. Every time they visit Spain, I gift them high-quality sunscreen—not just for the sunny days, but as a daily habit. Sun protection isn’t seasonal. It’s a lifelong commitment to caring for the skin they were born with.
They’ve learned firsthand how quickly their skin burns after just one unprotected day. That awareness is now part of their routine, and I’m proud to see them take it seriously.
This isn’t just about sunscreen. It’s about honoring those we’ve lost by protecting those we love.
What a lovely and touching piece, Irene. Thank you. It is about honoring and protecting all those around us and ourselves!
You're absolutely correct that using sunscreen is a lifelong habit all year round.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment and sharing that story.
Good grief. As one who burns if I merely glance at the sun, everything about the desire to behave like a rotisserie chicken while on the beach is baffling.
And it's so painful and unsightly to get burned. That's enough of a deterrent for me.
Reminds me of when we hiked up the dunes in the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado and then boarded down the dune slope. Hiking up those dunes with your feet digging in the sand was an aerobic exercise for sure. The ride down certainly made it worth it. Looks like your hike was equally worthwhile
Unfortunately, people do not appreciate the harm of those rays of sunshine until much later when they get the skin cancer...and then they often regret their actions.
The sand boarding sounds like fun but going up sounds like a drag. Literally.
You're right about people not realizing until it's too late. After researching and writing this piece, I'm applying even more sun screen and avoiding the sun until 6:30 or 7:00 at night. It's hot and bright here now.
Great post, Andrea! I understand the English, Irish, Welsh and Scots are among the most fair, and most likely to develop skin cancer, yet today it is 35 degrees here, and I see hundreds of white-bread-coloured people from the isles out there in their tiny tops and bottoms (which, by the way, they would never wear at home, as they are much too revealing). I am inside with a fan blowing, drinking fresh mint tea, because that is what my Moroccan friends tell me is the right thing to do. It is HOT. But the baby pink skin is out there, and even if wildly successful in developing a modest tan after their outer layers of skin burn off, come winter and old age - should they live that long - these same people will look like contour maps of the Himalayas! But why??
Sunscreen every day, all year, is important and necessary.
Thanks for your spirited comment. I guess people who live in chilly and gray climates can't resist the one time a year that can soak up the sun -- as if they need to store it until next year. But even one cooking can lead to problems. Plus it's so painful. And then they turn bright red. And then the skin peels off like wallpaper. To me, even that part alone makes it a disagreeable practice much less inviting skin cancer.
I hope you've drunk a lot of tea these past few weeks cuz it is HOT! Even I am looking forward to fall. With sunscreen. Cheers to that!
Furrowed brows, indeed. I find it hard to "care" about people who entertain such foolish and anti-scientific views. Love your final sentence, which hints that the underlying problem is intrinsic to human nature. To a degree, we all pursue irrational behaviours.
Yes, I find this behavior very hard to understand in the face of scientific evidence. As you rightly point out and as I indicated, I don't think there's much scientific evidence that anti-wrinkle cream really works. But what if it does and I don't use it because I'm skeptical??! At least it's not carcinogenic.
Thanks as ever for reading.
Super tu escrito, yo quería tener piel color canela, cuando era mucho más joven, pero no podía exponerme al sol porq me ponía roja como un camarón, aunque usara el protector más fuerte de la época, q era factor 30. Hoy aunque me pusiera factor 100 no me expondría al solo ni por cinco minutos, despues del cancer de piel q tuve muy pequeño, al lado de la oreja izquierda ( no entiendo porq ahí, si ni siquiera me llega el sol a esa zona 🤣🤣), desde entonces huyo del sol.
Muy sabia siempre eres, mi melocotón. Si, después de una experiencia como el cáncer de piel, uno debe cambiar el comportamiento. Desafortunadamente, mucha gente espera hasta el momento cuando ya es tarde. Siempre eres bella a pesar del tono de la piel.
Reading about the sunbathers made skin tingle, and not in a good way (although good in the sense that your writing is so evocative). I can't get my head around it anymore than you can and I feel my skin protesting and shrivelling if I stay out in it too long.
On the suncream, LUSH used to do a natural one made with sesame seeds that I loved and made me smell like a delicious salad but they took it off the market, so perhaps it wasn't very effective.
And on the wild (non-scientific) theories, you reminded me of a friend of my parents who believes we should all stare directly at the sun for five minutes a day 🤯
I hope you had a lovely time exploring this new part of Spain!
Thanks, but I'll pass on smelling like sesame seeds and staring at the sun. I will continue to smear on my anti-wrinkle cream though, even though I have no proof that it works. At least, it doesn't cause cancer.
I appreciate your comment that the writing made your skin tingle more than the subject matter. Onwards!
I’d love to visit the Canary Islands someday! But I will be wearing a hat and long sleeves and sunscreen. I’ve worn sunscreen daily since my 20s, when I wrote for a dermatology newspaper. I love soaking up the warmth on a sunny day, but my skin doesn’t tan; it fries & peels.
I'm sure you'll have a great time when you do visit even if you're all covered up. Hopefully, you'll see lots of other people that way too!
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Fun read!
Glad to hear it!
Great article, Andrea querida. Thank you for the reminder. I should be more aware about the importance of sunscreen. Abrazos desde Lewes, Delaware
The perfect place to use sunscreen, Sonia querida! Lovely to hear from you. I hope you have a wonderful time in Lewes. Let's talk soon, maybe sometime in late September when Fabio comes back from Colombia?
😘
Holy moly! Human beings go to great lengths to convince themselves of their invincibility in the face of nature!
Good pun there! Yes, people will believe anything they want to despite the evidence to the contrary. A bit frightening.
Thanks for commenting and reading.
We just had breakfast with a friend here in San Miguel de Allende where we were reiminiscing about our misspent youths as sun worshipers. Now, we all load up on SPF 50 moisterizers and share stories of who just had the best visit with our mutual dermatologist. Levon and I will be stopping off in the Canary Islands next April on our next transatlantic reposition cruise. We will be sure to bring our sunscreen!
The only consolation about our misspent youth is that the ozone layer was thicker and more protective then so maybe the effects weren't as dire. We can make up for our wayward ways now.
Do you know yet which island you'll be stopping at? Any other Spanish territory? It would be great to have another rendezvous like we did in Barcelona.
Not sure yet about which Canary Island will be our stop. But we will also stop in Alicante and end in Barcelona. So YES!! We will need to make a plan! ❤️❤️❤️
LMK as soon as you know dates for Alicante and Barcelona. Never been to Alicante...❤️❤️❤️
Oh wow, I hadn't heard the sunscreen conspiracy theory! Very 'creative' thinking (🤷♀️) We see so many pink people on our walk each day. I am slightly more sympathetic to the need to feel the sun living in this more northern climate. But of course you can feel the warmth of the sun AND not get burned too. Maybe I should be more thankful for the many cloudy days that minimise my exposure time, mainly since I don't spend as much time outside when it is cloudy. And I never see people 'fully browning' either! Thanks for sharing the less common perspective of summer sun!
Yes, you said it right. You can still enjoy the sun without exposing yourself to its dangers. I'm a sun worshipper myself but not to the extreme of throwing myself on a towel for days on end. Not even close. Limiting exposure to the sun seems like an easy way to avoid a problem.
That said, I hope you get a lot of it there to store up before winter sets in.