ITALIAN SUMMER
" A country is necessary, if only for the pleasure of leaving it. A country means not being alone, knowing that in the people, in the plants, in the earth there is something of yours, that even when you're not there, it remains to wait for you. "
So Cesare Pavese quoted in one of his many praises for Italy. And returning there, even just for a vacation, brings back to your senses all those childhood memories that seemed to have been set aside in some remote corner of your mind.
The chatter between one beach umbrella and another, the smell of sunscreen on the skin, the splashing in the water. Coffees at the bar, greasy focaccia, and fingers stained with oil. Walks along the promenade and crossword puzzles on the beach.
And then the picturesque neighborhoods full of character, the squares crowded with people in the evening, and the young lovers in the parks admiring the sunset.
All these little details resurface like colorful buoys to remind you of your roots, to remember who you've been and how little it takes to bring back a bit of carefree spirit into everyday life.