The cliché “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” is an ok one by which to live. So when the mercury hits 38C+, the humidity means you stick to everything/everything sticks to you and the light is so bright it seems like you’re inhabiting the latest 3D animated film, it’s time to escape to il mare, il lago, la montagna, (sea, lake, mountains) or anywhere less sticky than urban Italy.

The only rules that govern life these sultry, halcyon days are, 1) siesta from 1-4pm (or later), 2) don’t dine before 9pm (or later), and 3) la passeggiata e il aperitivo! (An evening stroll walk and an aperitif.)

Buon estate a tutti! (A great summer to all!)

These are structures that range from the rustic to the quite beautiful, and are built into corners of Venice’s various calle and Campi (alleys and piazze) in many locations around the city.

Once you notice them, they’re everywhere! Their function is to encourage the gentlemen to just hold on a little longer until they reach a café or arrive at home rather than quietly relieving themselves in discreet corners! If a fellow were to try to do so, well, an unfortunate splash back effect comes into play!

An elegant solution for poetic justice (and clean streets!), we do believe.

As it turns out, the tree — near Trevi in a little hamlet called Bovara — isn’t that hard to locate. Legend has it that the martyr Emiliano, the first bishop of Trevi, was tied to the tree and decapitated in the year 304. Emiliano became a saint, and the tree seems to have become immortal.

Despite late freezes which have killed off generations of trees in the surrounding grove over the centuries, l’Olivo di Santo Emiliano continues to flourish and produce fruit which the nearby Benedictine abbey uses to make their extra virgin oil.

The trunk has become twisted and gnarled, the bark black with age, and the catalogue number painted on its side seems somehow insulting. But still some majesty—the kind that only something which has witnessed almost two millenia can claim—remains.

The homes are painted in an array of bold and pastel colors: Purple, blue, lavender, red, orange, pink, green, peach, and even yellow. Many of the windowsills have potted plants and flowers, making the island a feast for the eyes. It is very picturesque and the most unique of all islands in the Venetian lagoon.

While you can window shop for a variety of handmade lace products, a specialty of this island, take the time to just wander the small streets. In and around the area are canals, which reflect the beautiful colors of the homes.

Might be strange to be keeping your head down instead of up, but Burano is perhaps best seen in its reflections.

Enjoy! (Be sure to scroll down to see them all!)

Depending on the wealth of the family, these enclosed areas would be larger or smaller. However, due to the gradual abandoning of these traditional homes, and their change into summer cottages and guest houses, what we have today instead is a dead space that is difficult to manage and find a use for (it has no foundations, so a roof is out of the question), but that would be a pity to tear down.

Enter the idea of the tenduso, an invented word which is a combination of dammuso and tenda, or tent. In this case, a traditional thick wool Berber tent from Morocco, and the relative home furnishings, is used.

And voilá! The space is usable once again, with all the thermal advantages of the dammuso, combining local traditions and history.

Created by Tiziana Bosa and Paolo Caravacci for www.lalcova.com in Pantelleria.

It seems a truism that at least in the bigger cities the cats get all the attention, the photo opps and calendar pages… yes, even the feedings by the devoted “cat women”. But when it comes to home pets the smaller dogs have the upper paw. And not just tolerated; oh no, Italians treasure their small doggies whether furry or hairless!

This photos series began as a joke; most of the dogs were being walked, not in arms; but upon being told that this was to be a photo essay for friends in the US, the owners were thrilled to participate by cuddling their companions. One even left her email address and begged to receive the photo!

No problem finding enough men with the tiny terrors to balance the collection either…

Nice thing about it is that everyone, guest and tourist alike, is welcome to enjoy the show. Seems that such a happy moment is made to order for inclusion, cameras are no problem!

Don’t be afraid… join in and enjoy the show!

Some images of:
- A tiny flower girl who seems enchantedly unaware of the excitement of those around her…not to mention the role that she is to play in the ceremony.
- Wedding party at Castel Gandolfo (Pope’s summer home in a tiny and quaint village outside of Rome)…it’s tradition to photograph the groom front and center surrounded by the women guests.
- Traditional tossing of the bride in the air by the males of the wedding party.

Right:
- Wedding gawking is a world and time-honored activity, possibly even more so in Italy
And below:
- One happy newlywed couple on the bridge in front of the Castello San Angelo in Rome
- While the newlyweds in the final photo are still totally engaged in their dreams of marital bliss, the despondent twosome on the right is trying to cope with the aftermath of marriage, possibly dwelling on how to pay outstanding bills…

In the early morning especially you are confronted with scenes from Italian country life that are chicken soup for the soul: the yellow ginestre flowers, the fields of sunflowers, and the hills, the bright blue sea, the wildlife, the chickens and the goats, even the impossibly large farming equipment trying to drive down the same minuscule road you’re driving up…

Sure, roosters crow quite early and quite loudly, and have certainly received quite a few death-by-poison threats as they regale all with their morning cock-a-doodle-doos. But the neighborhood also has everything else, from children taking a walk with their mamme to senior citizens getting out their tape measures as they are down to the wire on their game of bocce… on that haphazard court that overlooks the gorgeous Adriatic Sea. 

Che meraviglia, really.  June in Senigallia is full of wonder.

Achille’s son Giovanni and his wife opened a new workshop in 1924 in the Vico Due Porte a Toledo, where the ancient workbench may still be seen. Their baby son Mario napped in a drawer near his mother’s sewing machine and would eventually preside over umbrella production. A further generation of nephews stands ready to continue the tradition.

Do go to admire these handmade silk umbrellas with cherry, chestnut or sugar cane handles as well as the more workaday versions. You may meet some of Talarico’s somewhat elite clientele, like these splendid gentlemen encountered the day we visited, seen here with Mario Talarico himself.

www.mariotalarico.it

The first thing that may come to mind are Italy’s handsome men who’ve mastered the art of flirting—so women of every age, shape, and size feel admired here.

But what we’re getting at here is the deeper adoration — the fact that Italy is a culture that’s been adoring women since the earth was cooling.

Every Roman worshiped Venus, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, who you’ll see posed nude all up and down the boot, seducing travelers to enjoy this land’s sensual pleasures. And you’ll constantly feel the presence of the beloved Madonna (even outside churches), an abundant, compassionate mother watching over you. With Venus and the Madonna reigning side-by-side, the whole spectrum of the female psyche is honored in Italy.

No wonder why women love it so much! Adoration for them is in the very air of Italy!