Aart Heering
For those who work in Rome, the second half of August is a wonderful period. The great exodus, which started on the last Saturday of July, is shortly before Ferragosto, the holiday on August 15 already instituted by the emperor of the same name, has been completed.
In this way, there is a soothing calm in the office. The Italian business and interlocutors are on holiday en masse, the mail flow has dried up, days pass without a single phone call and even the permanent election campaign, into which Italian politics has degenerated, has been put on the back burner for a while.
cucumber time
Only Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, the true leader of the cabinet of Lega and Five Star Movement, occasionally flies a kite from the beach of Milano Maritima. For example, he has been arguing for a few days now for the reintroduction of conscription, in order to instill order and tidiness among the youth.
Of course nothing will come of this – the Minister of Defense dismissed the proposal as a 'romantic thought' – but it is good for a few days of news again during the cucumber season and that is what it is about.
So few urgent matters, except in the consular department, where colleagues are very busy, like every summer, with compatriots who have been rolled, robbed or shaken out on the city bus, on the beach or at the campsite.
(Perhaps unnecessarily: do not carry wallets in handbags or back pockets, beware of people who approach you on the street with silly stories and do not leave anything of value in the car or in the tent!)
For the others, these are days of reflection and preparation for the busy months of autumn: archiving, cleaning up emails, writing a policy plan and the otherwise unprecedented luxury of a dip in the pool at noon.
No traffic, but tourists
But the best thing about these days is the traffic, or rather the lack of it. Streets where you are tormented by traffic jams, honking and smog for the rest of the year, are liberatingly empty in these two or three weeks.
Normally bustling intersections now radiate the surreal desolation of a painting by De Chirico. And where I would otherwise invariably be forced to the very edge of the road by angry motorists on my bicycle, I can now swam broadly across the asphalt with free hands.
In the center it is of course different. The Romans are on vacation, but Rome is full of vacationers. There are no fewer than 10 million there this year, together accounting for around 25 million overnight stays (more than 6% more than in 2017), and it shows.
To watch the Trevi fountain is it even so full that a Dutch and an Italian 'lady' recently had a controversial battle there for the best place for a selfie.
But once you are a bit away from the tourist highlights, cycling or walking through the quiet streets of the empty city becomes a detached experience.
And the temperature?
It is warm, although that is sometimes exaggerated. I realize that with properly working air conditioning in the office and in the bedroom it's easy to talk, but it's not that hot anymore.
35 degrees in August is just normal for Rome and then it is better to stay under roof as much as possible between 12 and 5 and not go on a hike with a heavy pack.
But we have not had 40 degrees this year and towards the evening the weather becomes pleasant and the terraces of cafes and restaurants fill up.
After a day of sitting indoors, my roof terrace is also an irresistible temptation. When the sun is on the rise and the city is still buzzing with the heat of the day, fresh fruit and cool white wine are the place to be. Also in August, especially in August!
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