Would you ever have thought that, in the third millennium, one would have to migrate to the Equator from Italy just to find some cool air?
Certainly, up until four or five years ago, ordinary people wouldn’t have bet on it, unlike the experts, environmentalists and doomsayers (who, by taking a shot in the dark, seem to get it right one way or another these days).
In the collective imagination, Africa is not only the continent of heat, deserts and people walking about half-naked (though we ought to remind them of the Tuareg and make them wear the skins of Ugandan shepherds), but also that of mosquitoes, humidity and tropical diseases. Here, however, unlike in Jesolo and Riccione, we’re used to it, and over time the insects have become less of a nuisance; they no longer resemble unidentified flying objects you could play padel with…
Even during last year’s long, hot summer, Italians had already seen the first signs of what is now becoming a climatic norm – one that seems destined not only to become established but to intensify. In the scorching heat of June (the adjective has almost become a euphemism by now; so much so that when I ask about it from Kenya, they reply, “Scorching?
 ‘If only!’”), so much so that the media can no longer find worse adjectives than ‘hellish’ (indeed, what could be worse to imagine than eternal fire? Perhaps only a traffic jam on the motorway at midday?), everyone is talking about the temperatures in Rome, Naples, Florence and the Italian islands, which are approaching 50 degrees.
All this is happening whilst the ‘child’ – who is not Jesus but that South American climatic phenomenon (no, not Messi at the World Cup in the United States) known as El Niño – has, in recent years, brought decidedly spring-like temperatures and intermittent rains to East Africa, causing nature to flourish once more after years of extreme drought.
 This year, however, the rainy season has been milder – long but spread out – leaving less humidity and pleasant air along the coast, whilst in Nairobi and the surrounding area it’s almost a bit chilly.
It is an indisputable fact that climatic stability no longer exists in Italy and, now that we have become accustomed to artificial intelligence, we are forced in winter to create mild weather by spending millions on heating, whilst in summer we rely on the artificial coolness of air conditioning, with further expenditure and an added bonus of hell for the planet.
 It is now a well-established fact that if sub-Saharan Africa were an economically unexploited, well-organised and sustainably developed region, everyone from the West would migrate here.
I wonder whether we should wish that on the Kenyans. They’re already starting to get fed up with those who turn up in Malindi and Watamu in winter to save on their gas bills and think they’re bringing prosperity to the local population…
Back to the weather: the moral of the story is that, as we watch the news reports of people sweating it out across the continent and browse the internet from our cool Kenyan refuge, we melt just at the thought of it – and (though this happens often, setting aside the undeniable nostalgia and the endemic shortcomings) we’re glad we’ve made a run for it.
Meanwhile, from Watamu, our ‘resident band’ Re Mida & The Creek are trying to poke a bit of fun at their compatriots baking in the Belpaese, which is in danger of turning into a baked scamorza cheese.