Arriving again at the end of August, we encountered the familiar inferno. Our apartamentino felt like a Turkish bath, even after we’d opened the shutters, but with our new air conditioning unit we were quickly comfortable, and the usual friendly greetings and invitations began flowing in. “Come for an aperitivo at sunset at the Villa Emo.” “Meet us for lunch at Da Mario. We’ve booked a table outside, but with a large parasol and a breeze!”

Picking up the threads of la dolce vita is always easy. Life slows down, I read a lot of books, I stroll around the market, I sit in the sun wearing my favorite hat, or I sign in for a day at the local pools with blissful thermal water and an endless choice of sun beds in shade or sun, on grass or pavement, and importantly for me, away from the annoying speakers which play silly Italian pop songs. It’s obligatory to wear a ‘cuffia’, a light-weight nylon swimming cap which neither stays on the head nor keeps hair dry - something to do with European regulations. But I’m willing to endure those small inconveniences for the luxury of bubbles sent powerfully in jets down my back or wherever I please, then to swim lazily looking across fields and vineyards with our local centuries-old castle in the distance.

September comes with continuing heat, but a week later it’s suddenly cooler and it actually rains! I have to hunt for a cardigan and an umbrella.

After a few days I got a disastrous message from my best Italian friend. Her husband, the kindest and gentlest of men, had suddenly died. We of course went to the funeral. He was the local pharmacist, known to the whole village, but even so it was a surprise to arrive and see hundreds of people sitting in the piazza outside the full church. We sensed the waves of love from this little community and were so glad to be a part of it, and to support this lovely family. After the solemn service, everyone gathered in a circle around the coffin in the middle of the piazza. People applauded and talked about the man they had known for so many years. It was incredibly moving.

Not just the end of summer, but the end of an era.