August 1st is the first day of the vacation month in continental Europe (and the first day back at work in Northern Europe, where July is the traditional vacation month).

It’s the beginning of the peak season for tourism, when small seaside towns will triple in size as people want to spend their free time swimming and sunbathing.

In countries like Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal, people are leaving big cities cites, to travel to the coast and the countryside. The large capitals, like Paris, Lisbon and Madrid, are emptied of their normal population, and even in a smaller town like Florence, many places close for August. (A visit to big cities is best in spring or autumn, when it’s pleasant to stroll aimlessly and eat dinner on a terrace.)

Traffic in these popular summer hotspots is usually congested. The narrow roads were not built for this many cars, so better to stay close to the beach.

The heat makes everything slow, so there’s no need to rush.

In this newsletter, we celebrate the typical European summer holiday.

We’ve created a few lists of some of our favourite things to enjoy in summer, of music to listen to and books to read, hoping that they’ll be a source of inspiration for you as well, while planning your upcoming trips.

Most photos in this newsletter are from a trip to Lake Garda, one of Italy’s most popular summer destinations.

Summer drinks

Despite its popularity, I can’t think of anything more boring than a generic Aperol Spritz before dinner. There are so many great drinks to try, and variation makes life more interesting.

Next time, enjoy one of these alternatives instead.

Limoncello Spritz

This is one of the most refreshing drinks you can make, but beware, it can be deceivingly effective, so drink it in moderation. Different Limoncellos have different levels of alcohol, so check this on the label before mixing.

Ingredients:

1-part Limoncello (choose level of alcohol after your own taste)

1-part sparkling wine (I use Pignoletto but anything but Prosecco, which is too sweet, will do)

1-poart tonic water

Serve with a slice of lemon (if you can, go with one from Amalfi) and ice cubes.

Port & Tonic Spritz Cocktail

White port has long been an obsession of mine, and this drink is a classic in Portugal.

How to mix it:

Use white port as the foundation, add clementine tonic water, as much or as little as you prefer.

Serve with ice cubes and an orange slice.

Negroni Sbagliato

This drink is forever associated with Milan’s iconic Bar Basso, hunting ground for the European fashion crowd, but it can be enjoyed anywhere in the world. It’s a lighter version of the traditional Negroni.

How to mix it:

1-part sparkling white wine (again, if you have other options, avoid Prosecco)

1-part Bitter Campari

1-part Martini Rosso

Garnish with a twist of orange, add ice.

Montenegro Spritz

We’re biased as we live outside of Bologna, home of Montenegro, but honestly, this is something I often drink before dinner all year long and never get tired of.

How to mix it:

Traditionally, you pour the amaro and sparkling wine into a glass of ice.

We usually replace half the wine with tonic water, to make it a bit lighter on alcohol, but this is a personal preference, so do as you like.

Stir and top with a twist of lemon or orange (we always opt for orange).

If you’re feeling adventurous (we never do when it comes to this drink), add two green olives.

Summer Reading List

The book with the most hype this spring has been Vincenzo Latrinoco’s Perfection, recently translated from Italian.

It’s a contemporary interpretation of Georges Perec’s 1960s classic Things, one of the most fascinating books ever written on Western consumer culture.

Latronico has updated the story and added the dimension of social media.

It’s a book you can finish in an afternoon but that will stay in your mind for a long time afterwards.

In the mood for nonfiction?

Musa al-Gharbi’s “We Have Never Been Woke” analyses social development in recent decades through a perspective of social class.

Tired of the AI hype and how the trust in new technology has made people stop using their own minds and creativity? Read Emily M. Bender’s “The AI Con”, for a refreshing insight into the matter, written by a tech-savvy linguist.

Film and Fashion

The categories of best film and fashion is one and the same, and has remained a constant ever since 1958, when Otto Preminger’s filmatization of Françoise Sagan’s Bonjour Tristesse, written four years earlier, premiered.

It has something for everyone; beautiful singing (by another style icon, Juliette Greco), a great script, and the best Riviera fashion (for both men and women) ever seen on screen, as shown in the photo below.

For those wanting to know more about David Niven’s fascinating personal life, his memoirs The Moon’s A Balloon is immensely enjoyable.

Summer Songs

Here’s a playlist of our current favourite Italian summer hits.