High summer

Summer peaked last Saturday on the 15th – it was the Italian August holiday called Ferragosto. It actually celebrates the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary but nobody even knows that and the day is celebrated by going to the beach and eating huge quantities of homemade pasta in large groups (the latter being obligatory for any Italian festa, of course).

The beaches and roads are packed on that day so we opted to stay at home. We went a little crazy after the entire youtube playlist of Winnie the Witch so the next day we decided that had to get out. We braved the Adriatic coast and were shocked to see our normally empty paradise beach absolutely full, there was literally not enough space to walk between people’s towels. Still, it was good to get out and get the fresh sea air and we all slept well for it.

It’s still high season for the next week or so but things are definitely winding down. The blue collar crew will be back at work already and northern Italians will be working their way back up the boot and leaving our little zona in peace again.

By the first week of September the beaches will be much quieter, as will our little country lane which at the moment is alive with local families escaping the heat the town. We will have a bit of time to reclaim our paradise beach and then it will be autumn, time to take out the crochet blankets and light the fire. By this time last year I was yearning for the cooler weather but it has been such a pleasant summer this year that I wish it would last a bit longer.