{"id":1247,"date":"2013-05-29T12:50:54","date_gmt":"2013-05-29T10:50:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rickzullo.com\/?p=1247"},"modified":"2021-11-18T15:59:49","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T14:59:49","slug":"summer-in-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/summer-in-rome\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer in Rome"},"content":{"rendered":"
This year, the summer in Rome has struggled to gain traction.\u00a0 There\u2019s been more rain than normal and the temperatures have yet to inspire the \u201ccambio di stagione<\/i>,\u201d the change of season as it relates to wardrobe choices.\u00a0 Remember, unless it\u2019s at least 30 degrees Centigrade (86 F), then leaving the house without a jacket and scarf puts you at mortal risk from a \u201ccolp<\/i>o d\u2019aria<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 As a foreigner, you may believe that you\u2019re immune to such ridiculous ailments<\/a>.\u00a0 But trust me, being Italian is contagious.\u00a0 Don\u2019t take the chance.<\/p>\n Usually<\/i>, you hear people complain about Rome being too hot and crowded this time of year.\u00a0 Well, yes, if you hang out in Piazza Navona in the middle of the afternoon.\u00a0 But it just takes a little planning and common sense to avoid this situation.\u00a0 My strategy is to get all of my errands done in the morning (ha!), and then surrender to the imposed pausa<\/i> for the afternoon.\u00a0 This leaves the glorious evenings wide open for socializing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dusk lasts much longer here in Italy than back home in South Florida.\u00a0 By 7:00 in the evening, the lower edge of the sun has slipped behind the Roman skyline, the start of a protracted twilight that lingers on past 9:00 p.m.\u00a0 During this time of day, the entire cityscape is drenched in a pastel glow, thick as a liquid, like pink honey dripping down the sides of the old buildings and slowly draining into the river.<\/p>\n A collective buzz overcomes the ancient town, especially on the weekends, as the citizens awaken from the heat-induced torpor of the afternoon and invoke any small cause to celebrate.\u00a0 You can hear distant laughter and the clinking of wine glasses as you walk onto the Ponte Cestio, then stopping to admire the silhouette of Michelangelo\u2019s dome rising above Saint Peter\u2019s in the distance.<\/p>\nHow to enjoy summer in Rome<\/h2>\n