In this episode of Slow Living in Italy, I’m sharing a little slice of my summer between the garden and the kitchen. I start with small, quiet joys—my rose’s third bloom of the year (so I cut the dry ones to give it more strength) and my zamioculcas finally giving me two sprouts after two years. Those tiny changes at home always feel like proof that slow routines really do add up. Then we move to my favorite kind of summer cooking: seafood. I make an impepata di cozze (the traditional mussels dish from Campania) with lots of black pepper, garlic, and a splash of white wine—plus a few chopped tomatoes I had in the fridge. After that, I go all in with pasta allo scoglio using paccheri, clams, prawns, calamari, parsley, and even salted anchovies for extra depth. And because calamari were at a great price, I also fry them—apron on, stoic warrior mode activated—because lemon is non-negotiable. To finish, I show a simple garden furniture refresh: “someone” sanded the table for me, and I stained it to match the bench. That’s basically my holiday: good food, long walks, a thirsty summer garden, and making the outdoor space feel a little more put-together.