I have written before about my lack of love of sunbathing, and some of it is definitely to do with the fact that I now live in Spain and my fair skin really can’t take constant sun. My equally fair niece has just been over for a week’s holiday and despite factor 20 has gone back with pink bits. She is not too concerned however as she ‘only does it once a year’, but when you live in a hot country all year round, how much sun is too much?

Of course my plan was to sunbathe earlier in the year when it wasn’t as hot and get some colour before July, but somehow I never felt like it as sitting in the shade is so much more comfortable. Now however I am having to accept that a slight tan in summer gives my skin a little protection and is probably a good thing. Who wants to have to put on sun-cream just to spend 15 mins up on the roof playing table tennis or haging out washing for instance? So here I am finally spending the odd morning hour in the sun, although still with my high factor sun-cream. My legs are now very lightly tanned and however good Johnson’s Holiday Sun and other self-tanning body creams have been, my colour is definitely more natural looking. There is also the added benefit that a real tan doesn’t come off all over your towels!