Summer's Over. The Tourists are Gone. Calabria is Ours

Forget the fact that I once was a tourist in Italy. When the hordes descend in late July like locusts, I burrow away in my home, grumbling about the lack of parking and slow wifi.

But come the end of August, those pesky tourists have returned to Milan and points beyond. The region takes a collective breath of fresh air.

The restaurants resume their normal cadence of service. No more hour-long waits for pizza.

The beaches thin out. We can stretch without bumping into someone else's umbrella. The sea itself seems cleaner, cooler, and calmer.

The Frenetic Summer Grab

Don't get me wrong. We need the tourists to survive. Some people only work in the summer, and without that revenue, they'd be broke.

But people go crazy trying to make a fast buck (euro). People move out of their homes because they can make thousands by renting them out for a few weeks. Immigrants push cheap sunglasses and hats on the beach to people who don't want to buy them. Restaurants fill to capacity with half the wait staff they need in an effort to earn money while it's there to earn.

It's necessary but sickening.

The In-Between Periods

My favorite times in Calabria are May to June and September to October. It's warm enough to enjoy a swim or just to be outside. This is when Calabria belongs to US, not the tourists.

These in-between periods are a period of relaxation. I have a good two months when I can still swim or walk in the mountains before the cocoon period of winter settles in.

It's still hot here, though I know that in a few weeks, the days will cool and the rains will begin. Until then, I'm going to enjoy the beach all by myself!