AUGUST IN TUSCANY

This ancient, closed door is symbolic of Tuscany in August. It is closed. Everybody goes on holiday in August, with the backing of the law. Italians, contrary to popular belief, work very hard and deserve their holidays but mama mia, do they all have to go at once? Cities empty out, shops close and the only people left are the old, the very poor, tourists, bewildered illegal immigrants and us. Oh, and ladri -- thieves.

One of the two houses we let to tourists was broken into earlier this week but nothing was taken. The mirrors and pictures were all askew meaning that the thief was looking for a wall safe, money and small valuable items. There is no wall safe, no money, no small valuables. It was probably someone on foot with transportation parked elsewhere.

The same house was robbed two Augusts ago, too, and we pretty much know who did it.
They unscrewed the TV set from the wall, took the DVD player, the hair dryers and quite a few towels and blankets in which to wrap their loot. The police came immediately and took notes, not in any hope of catching a thief but for us to give to the insurance company who, un miracolo, paid instantly.

As I said, we think we know who did it. We call her Benzina Betty and she and her son travel about on a motor bike to see what they can see. I don't know her real name but we call her Benzina because we caught her siphoning benzina -- petrol/gas -- from our little Piaggio into her motorbike. They live hand to mouth, these two, as anyone with a garden near the road will testify.

In addition to burglaries in August, it is also dog dumping time. Some, so ruthless in their pursuit of a holiday, simply leave their dogs outside to fend for themselves. Others take them for a ride and dump them far from home. That's how we acquired Luigi and Cloud, both August acquisitions. This practice is not unknown in the UK and the USA.

The fixation with an August holiday is so that people can escape the heat at the seaside or in the mountains. They needn't have bothered this year. It never got hot. The dampness on the door says it all about today.

This pic was taken with a Nikkor 18-200 mm lens.