...summer is roaring..it is time for new platform sandals!!

Good morning everyone, how are you today?

Ah, tranquil August. There’s a soporific effect in the holiday month as people take some downtime from work and many escape to the seaside.

Well this is the normal...the new normal I believe has given to all of us so many downtime from work that the risks for many is to miss the super hectic life we used to manage!!

I am still doing my physiotherapy sessions every day. My arm is slowly getting back to normal which will still take more time, but who counts the time nowadays! Summer in the Hamptons has never been so relaxing, no parties, no fundraising, no crowds...


I imagine only  a few of you  lucky ones are in Florence in August and as always there’s plenty to do there too! It’s most certainly the perfect month for music. Settle in front of a sunset with a glass of something cold in hand, and absorb the sounds and strains of marvellous music to make some magic summer memories. Tuscany has just the right spread of musical styles in some of the most stunning settings. Morellino Classica Festival Internazionale di Scansano (www.morellinoclassicafestival.com) is a particularly intriguing option. Top class performances are held with some magnificent backdrops, as there are 30 different locations in Tuscany used for a massive 180 concerts. It takes place until August 30 so there is plenty of time to fit in a concert or two!

Learning never stops, not even in August. Scuola Popolare at Villa Romana offers a varied and free programme of lectures and discussions with topics ranging from psychotherapy to workshops hosted by Black History Month Florence. Choose your topic and then pull up a seat in the gardens to engage your mind and your senses in this unique format.

The ReGeneration Festival in Florence’s Boboli gardens is another must with free performances of opera, orchestras, jazz and more from August 26-29. Try to catch Gioachino Rossini’s La Cenerentola that will both open and end the festival.

The dates also mark another occasion, the anniversary of the coronation of Cosimo I as Grand Duke of Tuscany (August 27, 1569). It’s him we can thank for some of Florence’s most glorious and impressive sites, from the Uffizi Galleries to Pitti Palace, his influence is pervasive in this historic city.

August marks also another Italian milestone: Ferragosto! I’ve always been fascinated by Ferragosto. Celebrated on August 15, it’s a national holiday in Italy and marks the unofficial beginning of holiday season meaning you'll see many 'chiuso per ferie' (closed for holidays) signs popping up all over the place.

It dates back as far as the emperor Augustus, who made August 1 a day of rest following the hard work of farmers in preceding months, typically marked by a monetary bonus by employers. In fact, the term Ferragosto comes from the Latin Feriae Augusti (the festivals of the Emperor Augustus). The Catholic Church decided to move the festivity to August 15 to celebrate the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. Mussolini then used the festivity to give those with lower economic means an opportunity for a holiday with packages including food and board in places all over Italy.

It’s still tradition to take a trip, or even simply mark the day with a meal shared with loved ones.

I hope you will have a relaxing August and enjoy the glorious opportunity to sit in the sunshine and toast to friendship and family. Cheers!

Stay Safe!! Love to you all, yours truly...

Jennifer

p.s I liked the idea to show my Ateliers to everyone online so enjoy these virtual tours and spot your favorite item or team member.....simply click on: FIRENZE VIRTUAL TOUR or PALM BEACH VIRTUAL TOUR