Popular portable pool owners share how their new fad purchase helped them to survive the summer amid a health crisis and blistering heat
ADVERTISEMENTThe coronavirus pandemic has meant more time at home for Spaniards. For some, it has also meant less income and thus a diminishing ability to afford a vacation.
Spaniards were searching for a solution to keep cool amid the blistering temperatures, which often can last well into the autumn. This is how the portable pools have become the newest fad. They can be seen in the backyards, terraces, communal patios and even the streets.
Pool owners from the Spanish city of Seville shared how these little extras made their summer lives a little bit easier in the age of COVID-19.
Conchi and Carlos's pool
Conchi Moreno and Juan Carlos Morales' pool sits next to the entrance of their flat. "We are scared to go to the public pool or the beach due to the Covid', the couple says of their decision to buy the miniature pool.
Maria's pool
Maria Luque explains that she bought the pool because she had problems with her back and couldn't go to the gym in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
Elena's pool
This pool's owner Elena Tapia explained that she bought it because of COVID-19. "The best thing about it is that as the owner I don't have to keep any schedule and during the heatwave I can swim whenever I want" she said.
Isabel's pool
Isabel, 30, raises four children in one of Seville's poorest neighborhoods. She bought an inflatable pool to make the heat more bearable for a son who has Downs Syndrome.
“I have no other place to put it but in the street,” she said. “It's horrible to live in these precarious circumstances.”
Ricardo's pool
This pool's owner said that due to the coronavirus restrictions he couldn't go to the beach or to other pools. "If we hadn't been in pandemic we would never bought a plastic pool," he added.
Lita's pool
Lita Gomez always thought that it was a very stupid idea to have a pool in a small garden, but this year she changed her mind. She calls her plastic jacuzzi a glamorous present and a necessity, "This year we don't dare to travel with COVID-19 and the heat here in the city is unbearable," she said.
Manuel and Esperanza's pool
Manuel Caballos had to cancel his vacation due the restrictions of the coronavirus and now says "the pool is crucial to withstand the heat in the city".
Luisa and Oscar's pool
Luisa has had the pool for several years. On hot days she swims with her dogs.
Barbara's pool
The owner Barbara Larraneta bought her pool because of the heat, COVID-19 and the lack of certainty about the summer and the restrictions.
Javier's pool
Javier Salcedo, a 44-year-old construction manager from Seville, decided to purchase a sturdy model, a quality pool with plastic walls, but had to find it in the second-hand market. He's happy he didn't wait any longer.
“Public pools or private clubs were closed and the rest of the plans for the summer were up in the air. We decided to buy it second hand and a week later a heatwave started and all the pools were sold out. I could see that would happen," he said.
Javier's pool
Javier and his family didn't have any prior experience of buying a pool, they were not sure about the sizes. The float Javier bought turned to be too big for the pool.
