One of Europe's hottest cities is fighting the heat with ancient technology

A cyclist riding along the bank of the Guadalquivir River in Seville, Spain. The city regularly registers temperatures above 40ºC (104ºF) in July and August. Photo: 123rf.com

Many Spanish kids’ childhood memories of summer are peppered with sweat, long siestas and street games around their grandmothers, who would take their foldable chairs outside as soon as the sun set, spending the coolest hours of the day chatting with neighbours and friends.

The tradition, known in Spanish as charla al fresco or "cool chat”, is so entrenched that last year a village in the southern region of Andalucia sought Unesco World Heritage status for it. The village’s mayor argued that the old habit is in danger because of the widespread use of social media, which encourages people to stare at their phones or computers rather than engage in real-life conversations.