It’s hard for me to believe that another August has rolled around. Where did June and July go? Like many, no matter where we find ourselves this month, I am a bit tired of the heat. Isn’t there a summer equivalent of Ground Hog’s Day to tell us how many more weeks of hot weather lie ahead?

In Italy, this is the month for holidays at the seaside, doing crossword puzzles on a lounge chair, celebrating Ferragosto with friends in mid-August, and taking time to slow down and relax. This week, as I prepare to return to Italy from my summer visit in the US, I am embracing the Italian attitude toward August and taking a bit of break. And while I haven’t even caught a glimpse of the Italian seaside this summer, I am looking forward to spending some time later this month at an Italian lake. Fingers crossed there will be some cool lake breezes!

Instead of writing for this week’s blog post, I have been looking through some old photos. In doing so, I realized just how many times a stray person walks into the perfect shot I had lined up, a car messes up a photo of an ancient building, or a big ugly trash can ruins the photographic potential of a little alley.

The one thing that shows up in a photo and always seems to make a scene even more interesting and classically Italian is a bicycle. Lucca is full of them and they often show up in my photos.

A bike may be parked in front of an ancient vista, chained to a window grate, peeking out from behind a gate, or cruising along the wall that circles the historic center of Lucca. Sometimes the bike is just a serendipitous part of the photo and sometimes it is the main focus.

Bikes can be handy when visiting the flower markets.

It’s not unusual to see a group of bicycle racers flying around the walls or a couple of Lucca’s local police.

Some bikes are workhorses, moving goods - or children - around town. Some even deliver gelato!

Bicycles really are an integral part of life in Lucca. I can’t seem to stop taking photos of them! And here’s one that offers a glimpse of fall.