after the storm: the calm and clear

The sultry weather finally broke last night with a good, long rainstorm. Anzi, thunderstorm. Today we awoke to brilliant, crystalline skies and cool temperatures. It was absolutely intoxicating. I have the luxury of air conditioning at home, but that didn’t hamper the thrill I felt at being free to roam the city without suffering from the heat. So, where did I roam? Started with S. Giorgio Maggiore, including the campanile — which gave spectacular views of the Dolomites and the hills around Padua (the colli Euganei). From there to S. Zaccaria, which started out strapiena di tourists, in groups small and large, but they cleared out quickly and left the coro and the crypt to the few willing to pay one little euro to go in. From there to the Pieta’, where my friend Elvira works. We haven’t seen each other in a month or so and ended up having lunch and then doing further wandering through the city.

The weather is just perfect and lovely. It’s as thrilling as the first warm days of spring! I hope it stays this way for a bit so I can get in some rowing. That’s something I haven’t gotten to do in a few weeks. Alas, my little, incipient callouses are now gone. Between the killing heat and the fact that almost all my rowing buddies are out of town (as I was, too, for a couple weeks), voga hasn’t been in the offing. Want to get back out there soon, though, if only as prep for the big Sept. 7th corteo. (More on that later….)

2008 agosto

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