The beach seems a little crowded today
No, I didn’t take leave of my senses and seek sand today. March is going out “like a lamb” but the beach is still several months away. Ahh, yes; sun, sand, water, isolation. The perfect way to spend a few hours in mid-summer.
This afternoon I tuned in to Thalassa on TV5. This is my favourite fishing program, because their crew is oceanocentric. No small-mouthed bass guitar fish for them. And, once in a while, they are distracted by some of the other sights that make the littoral so special. This afternoon the crew went to the beach.
I’m from an the Island, with world class beaches. Thankfully, the world hasn’t discovered the Island. For those that live in Europe and want some tan time, beaches are very popular. Popular to the point that I shook my head in awe (not a usual response to anything). You see, they’ve got far more people than they do beach space, as near as I can figure out. Take the beaches in Rimini, on the Italian Riviera. Please.
A beach that is fifteen kilometres in length is admirable. Populate that same beach with a gang of vacationing Europeans who want sun AND shade, and a special sort of environment evolves. I’ve checked this one out, and there are lots of images, webcams and documents of the veracity. For example, check this Google Map link, and scan southwards. Those neat rows of dots are umbrellas. Tens of thousands of umbrellas. Rented out by the day to lucky tourists.
I’m extremely nearsighted, and have always feared returning to the wrong towel after a wade in the waves. Here, I’d be lost for weeks. Given my knowledge of Italian, I could be lost forever. No thanks, I’ll be a tourist elsewhere. Still, it’s kind of neat that a beach can have as many people as it does sand fleas.
Come summer, I’ll be back on one of my favourite Island beaches. I won’t have an umbrella and I won’t have thousands of neighbours.
