Taking The Waters: Late Summer In Montesilvano

“There is no place like the beach... where the land meets the sea and the sea meets the sky”  

― Umair Siddiqui

August. Don't you look forward to the month all year long! As soon as the tinsel is boxed, its on to the internet to choose your seaside holiday. According to a recent Sunday Times survey- if you're set on foreign shores- it may well have been an Italian beach.

This year, however, you may have regretted your choice. For even those hot blooded Italians have adopted the English pre-occupation with the weather. 'Lucifero' reigns supreme. Their social media is full of it and there you can even view  a new species of human: the "homo aqua"-

We hear  the endless jokes about camels leaving the country for the African oases. We see  the Italian meteo maps awash red warning triangles. We read that  Italy is the hottest place  on earth, outside the Sahara desert! For Italians there has never been a more pressing need to take the waters!

It's early August now an we're still in the grip of this great African pestilence. If Pepys was still around he'd be writing about it in his diary. Yesterday we fled to the hills. Our destination a thermal town, Caramanico,  700 m above sea level.

Approaching the foothills the car thermometer reached
an unprecedented 42.5 degrees Celsius.We photographed it.
Then it continued to rise.
We were too hot to another  to photograph it again!

Arriving at Caramanico the only cold air we find is in a air conditioned hotel. The windows were all closed to prevent the dense smoke of  nearby forest fires entering. Dante's Inferno sprung to mind. By the time we arrived home the only waters I am able to partake of are those of my own shower!

However, as always, I remain the true Scot! And,  a recent DNA test has shown me to be a 40% Viking, so it's down to the sea early next morning. And yes, the water's fresh! Thank God!

The sea of Montesilvano has provided refreshment for  many years. The town was founded in the 11th century and grew up around a castle in the wooded -Silva-  hills above.
Now  this is   Montesilvano Colle (hill)  to distinguish it from the fishing village, Montesilvano Marina (sea) that grew into the present day beach resort. And this year- if you've chosen Italy- it  may well be the place to be.

From the fresh fountains to mitigate the thirst to the  cooling  Adriatic sea to refresh the body. There is certainly plenty of water to partake!





Today, August 5th, is to be the last one we must suffer Beelzebub's fury- according to the latest Meteo reports. Tomorrow cooling heavenly breezes will start to waft in from the Atlantic Ocean.
 A late bookings to Italy may still prove to be a wise choice. At 5.30 a.m. we are sent a portent or promise. . It comes in the form of the most beautiful rosy aurora and full blown alba sunrise that residents of Montesilvano have probably ever witnessed. Noah would be out of his ark and enjoying a celebratory swim already. And so will I be in a couple of hours.

But I have got something even more personal to celebrate. For it is not the splendid sunrise that my husband wanted to show me this morning. Not the rosy alba, but a video from Rosalba. Evidence - if evidence is needed - that even in the infernal heat that scorched since June, miracles can still occur.
In my next post I will relate this particular miracle.