It is August. The stores are closed and the streets feel deserted. A beautful tranquility has descended upon Florence, and I love it.
Some friends have told me that I should have left the city during August, just like everyone else has. But I'm not ready for that yet. I want to experience Florence when it is empty and see what an August is like. Besides, I want to work the bike tours that everyone else doesn't want to work, because I need and want the experience. I'm the only one who stayed in Florence. But that's okay. I'm enjoying the peace and quiet in the city, with everyone gone.
And why would I want to go "al mare" (to the ocean), when the whole country is there? I would rather go in September when the beach is quiet and all the vacationers are gone. I am thinking of going back to Ischia in September, and maybe make it an annual event. September will be the first anniversary of my finding my roots in Ischia last year. I think I'd like to go back again this year, and reflect on how my life has changed after the discovery that I made there last year. Ischia is beautiful in September. I hope that I can escape there for a few days in September to celebrate the finding of the place that I come from.
