The beautiful summer season gets hot in Vicenza, like really hot (30-35°). And humid, too. That means that from around June to August everything changes as we adapt to what the summer brings.

First of all the city gets quieter. There’s less traffic around early morning as most of the school run is finally over. The pace slows down.

You can’t even walk fast when it’s this hot. So you stroll under the porticoes if you can. If not, any other shaded area will do.

And then we start to adapt to the season: we change what we eat, what we drink and what we do in our free time. And that’s what I’m going to talk about today. Starting with managing the heat.

At Home…

During the hottest parts of the day, keep the shutters closed. Or half-closed and use the curtains for shade. Later on in the evening and in the early morning you can open up everywhere to air the house. Even if you have A/C at home, this is still a good habit.

Create a green barrier on your balcony to absorb some of the sun’s rays before they come inside. Our favourites are ivy, yucca, succulents and spider plants.

These will resist both the heat and the odd weekend of neglect. Does anyone else suddenly remember their plants during the drive back home from a nice trip somewhere, hoping they haven’t shrivelled up and withered away?

In the city centre you can see many pretty balconies in the city with cascades of ivy trailing down. They’re not just nice to look at, they’re functional, too.

Summer Food Ideas at Home

In summer you fancy eating something colourful, light and fresh.

The dishes I’ve suggested all tick those boxes. And as they’re all served cool, you can prepare them beforehand and just store them in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. That gives you the time to shower and cool down before you eat.

These dishes are also ideal packed into boxes for a healthy picnic lunch at the beach.

Some of the classics from our summer menu at home in Vicenza are:

Prosciutto e Melone
Parma ham with melon is the easiest dish you can make. Buy your melon ahead of time and leave it in the fruit bowl to ripen up for a few days. Once it releases its perfume, it should be perfectly sweet and juicy. You’ll need two slices of each for a starter and about six for a main course. The sweetness of the melon with the saltiness of the ham is a great combination.

Insalata di Riso rice salad
There are lots of recipes out there. Try using parboiled rice as the grains won’t stick together. Then venture out into black rice and wholegrain rice. Just keep it simple and follow a them: seafood; vegetarian; classic etc.

Vitello Tonnato veal with tuna sauce
Mmmm…this dish was a complete mystery to me when I first arrived in Italy. I thought: what am I eating? Tuna-ed veal? I’ve since learned that it’s basically fine slices of veal covered with a tuna and caper sauce. Served cold. Once you accept that tuna-and-meat-together concept, it’s actually good.

Watermelon
Summer wouldn’t be summer without this amazing fruit. Its bright colours put me in such a good mood!

Plus it gives you all those vitamins and minerals your body needs to cope with sunny days.

I recommend you buy a half or a quarter of a watermelon unless you have plenty of room in your fridge or live in a house with a lift!

Our Summer Drinks…

Try a Hugo Spritz for a change. Add to your wine glass:
150 ml Prosecco
20 ml elderflower syrup
Top with soda or sparkling water
Ice, a sprig of mint and a slice lemon or lime, and that’s it.

The Mocktail version without the wine is even more refreshing.

It’s great as a pick-me-up in the afternoon instead of a coffee.

Escape To…

Asiago and the mountains

At 1000 metres and about an hour’s drive from Vicenza. It can get sunny and even hot there too, but the air is dry and the heat is more bearable. The gentle and green landscape around Asiago will calm your soul.

Go for a walk in the pine forests nearby and sit under a tree for a picnic and breathe in that fresh air!

The Beaches of the Adriatic Coast

You have so many to choose from:

Bibione for its endless cycle path and wide, sandy beaches.
Lively Jesolo where there’s always something going on.
And the recently rediscovered quiet and restful Cavallino.

ENJOY THE SUMMER for all that it brings:

The streets are fragranced with jasmine.
The oleander is in full bloom with pink, red and white florals.

It’s wonderful to spend a warm evening outside in a beautiful piazza for an
aperitivo or a meal that lasts for hours, gazing up at all those lovely buildings
that make up the city.

What’s your trick to surviving the heat of the summer?