I love the month of August in Florence. We have never taken a vacation in August, but I am sure that even if we could we wouldn’t do it. The silence and the emptiness is a vacation itself and also my biggest problem regarding parking is magically solved. My street is always empty on Sundays anyway, but these days, nothing dares to breathe around here. Almost all my neighbors are gone and it feels like the building is entirely deserted except for the occasional noises that come from their ghosts. I wouldn’t trade any exotic vacation for this silence, this complete isolation in the middle of civilization and every year I am amazed by their ritual of putting the lock on the door (either their house or business) and just leave.
Downtown of Florence, the situation is a little reversed; the city is invaded by tourists. The noise overcomes in intensity all the other eleven months of the year and they seem to grab the city by its core, surrounding it, strangling it, in the attempt of conquering it. Tourists this time of year are like colonies of ants, exploring every tunnel from this new, left unprotected mound.
Luckly my location is close enough to get downtown fast, but not too close so they can bother me with their little ant feet and little ant making noise. Have I told you I love Florence this time of the year?
