My visits to Italy have all taken place during the intense, white-hot, summer heat of August. It is a quiet, slow, easy time of year that allows a visitor to drink in the spirit of the place. The light is lovely then too, soft and warm, a little hazy, it seems to have baked into the ancient stone used to construct the town walls, streets, cathedrals and homes, creating a rich, memorable patina. There is a wonderful smell too—a heady mélange of cypress trees, lavender, rosemary, sunflowers, grapes and all that stone steeped in the sunshine of centuries.

My favorite time to wander was in the early afternoon when many shops are shuttered against the heat of the day. I had leisurely hours to sit quietly in cathedrals and study their "bones" as well as the intricate stained glass and faded frescoes. Roaming up and down narrow streets and climbing steep winding staircases, I was intrigued by the decorative embellishments found on something as simple as a water faucet, or a small shrine tucked into a stone wall. The rich umber, ochre and curdled cream colored buildings, clearly the work of skilled craftsmen, have been well and lovingly maintained for thousands of years.

Sturdy stone walls, some of which are up to 100 feet thick, wrap protectively around many towns and standing on top of them allowed amazing vistas. Viewing the gently rolling hills and crops of sunflowers, their sunny yellow faces tipped gently to catch the sun, I could take in the layout of a town, finding the perfect spot to stop for a glass of wine and watch as the shops slowly re-opened and the towns came alive.

I hope you enjoy this sampling of photographs from the beautiful towns of Italy.