AUGUST! More than 50% of Italians are on vacation in August according to TelefonoBlu.org (a consumers association). Where do Italians go?

72% of Italians on vacation are staying in Italy with 75% of those heading to the coast. The other 25% will visit the lakes, mountains, or Italian tourist cities such as Rome and Venice.

In Italian cities many shops and restaurants are closed for vacation, “chiuso per ferie”, but tourist services mostly remain open. Meanwhile, about 1.5 million foreigners travel to Italy on vacation in August. If you’re traveling in Italy, you can expect crowds on trains and roads, especially near the coast.

In spite of all this, I had a very pleasant Sunday on the beach. We spent all day chatting and swimming, relaxing with friends and family and in the end we knew all the people around us on the beach: ciao, buon appetito, buona serata, buon divertimento. A lazy Italian Sunday.