For those of us who are familiar with the exodus of gli Italiani each year, empty streets in the city during August are a common sight. What makes it so significantly striking however, is that almost every other time of the year parking spaces are difficult to find, making double parking or even parking on sidewalks common. This is the little street where we live, during August when almost everyone was on vacation.
Here is the same street in early September. People are starting to come back to the city. The parking still isn't desperate yet, as you can see.
I must admit I like the (relatively speaking) quiet slow pace of this city in August. Yes more shops are closed, but the big supermarkets are still open, and I know that anything else we will need will become available again in September. I think it is a fair trade off for the breathing room, and less elbow rubbing that takes place in August. But what else would a true country girl from the wide open spaces of Oregon think?
Ambra, I feel the same way about the month of August and how everyone deserts the town of Lecco. Even my husband is all for it and we cheer to ourselves in the car whenever we need to run errands and there is NO TRAFFIC to slow things down!
ReplyDeleteBut now everyone has returned and it's back to the dog-eat-dog, aggressive driving that I loathe so much about living in the crampness of Lecco. My husband wasn't letting anyone cut in front of us the other day and a biker guy called out "Bravo! Sei un coglione..." Takes two to tango pal. Next time get around on foot if it bothers you to be cut off.
Yes Rowena! If only we could bottle up and store some of the peace of August for when it is really needed, during the frenzy of December... and well, I guess the rest of the year! It is easy to get spoiled in August with no traffic, and so hard to have to go back to sharing the road with the brutal onslaught of rude and crazy drivers that come back in September! Good for your husband to stand his ground. If I were brave enough to drive here, I am sure I would be completely pushed around, which is the biggest reason I don't drive here. I would feel like a little goldfish swimming among sharks. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteI always found it odd that everyone in Italy would want to vacation at the same time and at the same place (the beach) with everyone else, every year. (Granted some do not have a choice about when their vacation is, but many do.) I am with you and Rowena, I would prefer to stay put and enjoy the peace and quiet.
ReplyDeleteCiao Passionate! For a long time I thought it was odd behavior for most of a nation to vacation at the same time. We sure don't do that in the U.S. My husband gave me a long and involved explanation which I will try to abridge here without losing the gist of it. Basically big corporations like Fiat would save money by letting their workers have a vacation at the same time... then all the little companies that depended on them also went on vacation at the same time. A lot of families have two wage earners and for them it is most convenient and desirable for them to vacation at the same time. But like you, I still find it strange to want to go to the same place, the beach or the mountains as the rest of the nation! Just think, they never leave the traffic!
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