Summer Vacation

Summer vacation is probably the happiest period in a student’s life. Everyone waits for summer vacation to enjoy going out for its warm weather because it’s the perfect opportunity to do outdoor activities. During summer you’re free to do whatever you want, not worrying about curfew or waking up early for school.  As a teenager, summertime fun in the sun began with the ringing of the last bell of the day. It means that it was time to throw away old home work assignments and to forget about anything to do with school for two months at least. Summer time is a time of simple pleasures and exciting times of the year. Two months of late night sleepovers with friends, hanging out at the malls, and not having to worry about homework. When summer vacation finally rolls around, I can never make up my mind on what to do first. Shall it be riding bikes to the park with friends or hanging out at the mall? One thing was for certain though, the family vacation.

This time we decided to spent our summer in Milan with family relatives who lived there. Milan, which for ten months is ugly, hectic, foggy, noisy, crowded, impersonal, wet, chaotic... surprised me to the point that I now wanted to visit it again next summer. The mass escape and closure usually takes place in August, so in July there is plenty to enjoy with concerts, events and fabulous places to eat. Our favorite one is Arrow's, one of the finest fish restaurants in Milan. The high quality of the products and the perfect mastery of the chefs will always present on your plates little masterpieces of taste.

In June and July, the music entertainment opportunities are endless thanks to the Milano City Sound Festival. In the first week of July at the Piccolo Teatro, the Milano Flamenco Festival takes place.

August, my favorite time in the city. Everything is closed, everybody is away, the heat is sometimes unbearable and to find a good restaurant is a challenge... why do I love all of this? Because it is the only time of year that you can feel Milan is really yours! The streets, usually packed with cars, are empty and you can reach every destination in less than twenty minutes if you have a car, but also a tour by tram, an icon of the city, is a pleasure and not a pain as it is in winter. Around you people are relaxed and smiling, happy to give you any sort of information you need and maybe indulging in a little chat. In the end you both share a secret about Milan, and this makes you members of the same brotherhood.

A relaxing walk in the Sempione Park is an opportunity to mix with the locals, who use this beautiful park as a family garden, and to enjoy a slice of fresh watermelon. Or you can visit the Garden of the Righteous in the Monte Stella, an artificial hill built with the rubble of World War II. I love walking from Castello Sforzesco to the Cathedral, passing through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and there, in the middle of the gallery, do my lucky spin with my right foot on the genitals of the bull mosaic portrait. I don't know if it works but it is a fun tradition! The historic centre is always open and without the frenetic mob you can visit every single shop, browsing for bargains – there is always something left from the big July sales – and at the same time refresh yourself thanks to the stores' air conditioning. I prefer the natural coolness of the Cathedral where I spend hours enjoying myself with the magical stained glass. If you are brave enough, you can climb to the top of the Cathedral and from the roof have an amazing view of the city and, on a clear day, of the Alps. After a day like this we usually reward ourselves with ice-cream at Il Massimo del Gelato, where you can choose between eight different kinds of chocolate ice-cream or try the fantastic granita. It's the only ice-cream shop you have to queue to enter, even at 10 pm, but it's totally worth the wait.

As it is with every summer, there seems never to be enough time to enjoy all the simple things in life. I can still remember the excitement and enthusiasm I shared with my family, especially with my brothers. It was, I think, one of the best summers I had experienced. For me, spending the summer with the entire kin and friends is as greatly fun as it could be.