August is for possibility. We booked this trip on a whim—Zurich to Lake Como to the Côte d’Azur—guided less by plan than by intuition (and, of course, a Google Flights alert).

We’re dressing for the mood—foldable sun hats, white trousers, a few good linens—and hoping the rest will fall into place. A camera to capture it. A sketchbook to hold it still. The kind of adventure you plan only when you stop overthinking and start moving.

Curious. Composed. Unfolding. That’s the mission.