The end of August

My Corona ad

It rained.  Thank goodness.  Not a lot, but lightning one night meant a light sprinkle in the early hours of the morning, which meant we all awoke to sun, a bit of a breeze, and bearable temperatures.  Now, these last few days of August lead into the best month here - September.  The water is still warm, the breeze is light, the temperature won't stifle you with heat and humidity, and the end of the season is a few short months away.  Conversation starts to slowly turn toward autumn plans, winter weddings, trips home.  The average hour for dinner again bumps back to 5:30-6 pm, as the Italians head home after their August vacation.

BBQ and beach games

Our hidden little beach bbq

Again, the questions flow as my American accent stops being a source of amusement for Italians, and starts being an inevitable conversation starter for English-speaking tourists. The most important thing is that the visitors in this period of the year reflect the weather and the feeling in the area - people are much calmer and happier.  Gone are grimaces and sweaty shirts as people fight the waves of tourists snapping pictures as they get off the train.  It's like taking a deep breath and smiling.  Another important positive is the re-emergence of our day off a week.  We hiked over the Gigante statue to the hidden little beach on the far side of town and had a quiet beach bbq for the birthday of Manuel's cousin.  No one bothered us, save for a little dog whose owner was snoozing, that smelled our sausages from Brugnato on the grill.



Also, as I've happily discovered, this is the time of year for my beloved uva fragola, a dark grape that is sweet and tastes just like eating a strawberry.  Another added bonus.