a surprising decision

Yesterday I came up with an incredible decision - "incredible" for my standard of approach to life. I decided I will take two weeks off.

This week and the next are the "settimane di ferragosto", that is the feriae Augusti, in latin, still referring to a public holiday originated from the festival of Emperor Augustus who made 1 August (the month with his name!) a day of rest after weeks of hard work on the agricultural sector [Wikipedia]. In Italy it switched from the 1st of August to the 15th, making the two weeks containing this day the general Italian holidays where everything is closed. Especially years ago, the main cities and towns were completely empty, as everyone was enjoying their holidays at the see or in the hills or mountains!

Besides we are in the second heat wave which is quite heavy. The first one in June was somehow more bearable - although the temperature did reach 38 degrees! - but previously we went through a relatively "cold" end of Spring that made that sudden heat tolerable.

Now it is different. And the hours from around four/five in the afternoon up to eight/nine in the evening are the most intense with the heat that reaches 38 degrees.

The most intense heat wave I ever experienced was in Central Italy where already in the very morning it was very hot with the heat growing up to 40 degrees. I remember I spent the most unmerciful hours in bed with the ventilator, that kept going through the entire nights, because the heat didn't stop. Only in the early hours of dawn there was a short relief, that lasted only a few hours!

Luckily now, the nights are fine and the rest is assured!