A Weekend On A Mediterranean Beach

Wow.

That pretty much sums it up... but for the sake of this blog I will elaborate.

Italians really know how to relax, and by that I mean, ITALIANS REALLY KNOW HOW TO RELAX!

The life of the Italian revolves around meal times and food. Common topics for discussion include, what you ate yesterday; what you will eat today; how you will cook what you're eating today; and what you will be eating tomorrow. However, there is another phenomenon in Italian culture that revolves around la spiaggia (the beach).

Every year, especially in August, thousands of Italians flock to the beach to relax, get a tan, and, of course, eat. As it is June, I experienced a fairly tame version of the beach scene, but it was nevertheless an intriguing cultural experience. Friends had warned me about the strange Italian beach processes, so I was understandably cynical; especially given my Australian upbringing. In my experience beaches are places where you don't pay anything, you bring your own gear, and you employ every 'sun smart' technique known to man.

No, no, no, say the Italians, that's not how it's done. It was a quick crash course, but I think I'll soon be a master of this fine art. Here's a little account of my initiation...

I caught the 7.50am bus from Siena to Castiglione Della Pescaia with two friends from my language school. It was a two hour bus ride and a short walk to our hotel where we checked in, got changed and headed to the beach. After an inquiry or two we were directed to the sea side bar where we payed for the hire of an umbrella and three sun-beds.

No, my fellow Australians, it would not do to simply spread your towel out on the sand and lie on it. You've got to really be able to lounge around on the beach. This requires, not even a chair, but a bed with adjustable head height, and don't forget the large umbrella!

I soon observed that most people regarded the umbrella as a type of flag that waved over their territory and served no other practical purpose, like, oh I don't know, PROTECTION FROM SKIN CANCER! Most people baked in the sun for hours and often bore evidence of a life time of sun exposure. It's ironic that Italians use the same word (pelle) for both skin and leather, because with many sun-charred beach-goers it was difficult to tell whether their über-bronzed exterior was in fact human skin or cured leather.

The first day on the beach (Saturday), I did nothing! I lay on my sun bed (under the umbrella) and alternated between napping, people-watching, revelling in the perfect temperature and just thinking. It was so incredibly relaxing; I realised that these Italians are onto something. At lunch time we moseyed up to the beach-side deck of the restaurant where we had some delicious food. A few more hours of lounging and before we knew it, it was almost dinner time. We went back to our room, showered and headed out for some beautiful seaside cuisine. The fish was unbelievably yummy (and that's coming from a chicken-eating-girl!)

The second day I was a little more productive - I wrote postcards to my family and actually went for a swim in the sea this time! Compared with Melbourne's chilly beaches (on account of being so close to Antarctica) the water was beautiful. There are no surfers, because there are no waves, so it was perfect for swimming.

Again, we lunched on the deck where our waiter decided to tell me he liked me "a lot" and wanted my number. He looked shattered when I said no, but I'm sure he'll get over it pretty quickly! It's summer, and he works on the beach where there are plenty of bikini clad girls. I hope this isn't heartless, but I feel better about being able to reject him in grammatically correct Italian, than I do about having had an admirer! Haha

Well, before we knew it, it was 6pm and we had to leave to catch our bus back to Siena. It was the perfect weekend and I have never felt so relaxed, EVER. Therefore, the conclusion to all this was very simple:

We're going back next weekend!