Freezer to the oven

When the decision was made that we needed to get to the US to see Valerie’s uncle we booked flights out of Roma for the next day and quickly packed for our trip. Being that it was mid summer and all the forecasts for Washington, DC had us expecting hot weather we packed accordingly. This was a mistake.

I felt cold most of the time I was in the US, despite the hot and humid weather outside. We were inside the majority of the time in a hotel, the hospital or restaurants and subjected to the full power of American air conditioning. I guess after three summers in Italy I have adjusted to minimal use of air conditioning as I found myself constantly chilled; despite the fact I wore long pants most of the time. On one occasion in a grocery store I huddled by the rotisserie display to fight the cold air blowing from the ceiling vents.

I arrived back in Roma to heat and humidity. The skies are muggy and the August sun is blaring. The temperature in our apartment approaches the low 80’s, a marked difference from the mid-sixties indoor temperatures experienced in the US.

Today is ferragosto, the big summer holiday in Italy where everyone heads to the beach. Ascoli Piceno looks like a ghost town with everyone at the coast and shops closed for ferie. I have not seen many of our friends since returning as they are out of town on vacation, most will return in a week.

The weather forecasts call for cooler temperatures this weekend…we’ll see.