Radiant Heat and Food

I'd never have believed that it could be hotter in Europe than in Florida.The day of our arrival, we had to brace ourselves against 39 C whereas in Jacksonville it was only 32 C. It feels like melting. If only it melted the fat! Fans were sold out of course -we tried 3 big shops in a big city on the way. Nobody has AC, or course, except for hotels that belong to chains (not your local B&B or picturesque old tourist trap) The official news reader on TV issues practical advice what to do to stay cool:
-put underwear and shirts into your freezer before putting them on
-avoid activities and staying in the sun too long
-keep windows and blinds closed all day until it cools off (I don't like sitting in the dark!)
-put  a bucket of ice water next to your bed.
I wouldn't have believed I would have the same old, same old discussion again: get an Ac or not.Europeans mostly don't have one, i.e. private houses and I mean neither the French, nor Italians nor Germans who now exceed in topping temperatures too.
The usual argument against AC being: we normally only get a few weeks of heat.A few weeks too many in my books.What are they worried about? That the AC goes off when not in use or runs up the electricity bill when switched off?
My memory has 1990 down for the first real beastly hot long summer with temperatures above 30 (90F).
Before that, Germans had to go to Spain, Greece or Italy  for a chance of a decent sunny summer vacation.
All of a sudden, you could bet it would reach you at home.It was the summer we had emigrated to Ireland. Even there we had long spells of hot weather almost reaching 30 and our water well running dry.
Mother-in-law refused my suggestion to have an AC put into her bedroom under the eaves at least.Oh, no, the dust, dirt and having handymen in the house;besides the almost indecent cost of 2000 Deutsche Mark (1,0000 $ then).
In the following year we had the same discussion; and then regularly every other year. Stubbornness prevailed and she would still suffer if she was still alive.RIP!Now I hear it from friends etc. Not one conservation partner swore that he would definitely get one now!
Why this long tirade? Because  now, we are sitting in an overheated house with no end of roasting temperatures in sight, scorcher after scorching day while our house in Florida....is being enjoyed by  our French exchangers.
However, with the daily increasing refugee crisis in Greece, Italy, Hungary, Turkey rattling my European conscience, I promise to stop whining about hot weather.
Here are some pics from our stop in Metz.

Still in business?
The bus was from Northern Ireland- Ulster- btw.