Archive for August, 2008

Ferragosto : Italy national summer holiday 15/8/08

Here in Italy it’s the peak of summer. Tomorrow the 15th August is the ferragosto national bank holiday.

All of Italy comes to a grinding halt the week before and after ferragosto. Since 2 weeks ago businesses have been closing down per le ferie and the majority will remain closed till the end of the month.

If you are conducting business with Italy, forget it, as all the Italians have gone to the sea, to spend their hard earned holidays at the lido. With large traffic jams on the motorways, the Italian’s enjoy their annual migration, totting their horns as they impatiently want to get to their destination, where they will spend days squeezed onto the beaches paying extortionate rates for beach loungers, umbrellas and hotels. Yet they all still love it. With months of diets, the best swimming costumes and don’t forget those shades, they love strutting up and down the beach. This ritual continues into the evening as they dress up for the famous passagiata, walking along the main ports and town centres of the best Italian holiday destinations.

For the saner international holiday maker i would recommend to keep away from the beaches and head in land to the Italian Lakes. Still very popular with holiday goers and some discreet Italians they offer a good climate, spectacular views and fresh water. Particularly I like Lake Iseo. Located between Lake Garda and Lake Como it offers similar conditions but without the mass tourism. I have recently wrote a local English language newspaper called “The independent Lake Iseo View”. Click here to go to the website and download a copy. It discusses holiday venues, swimming pools, towns, holiday homes, Italian property, villa rentals and helps you enjoy your precious holiday time by reviewing these for you.

A tutti un buon ferragosto.

Ciao David

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