Gael Arthur 
finds that in Italy 
the closest beach 
is the best beach

  If you are at all concerned about the calories consumed ( grams of fat or the skimpy bikini that will meet you the next morning), get up at
6 the next day to run along the beach,  But don't count on your resolve to stick to a little insalata caprese for lunch the next day.

and life is too short not to be Italian!     ©

The Beach is the Thing      It's summer in Italy and it's hot.   Hotter than normal, with records falling daily and the media reminding people to drink water.  

Tourists are looking worse for wear as they prop themselves up against fountains and slurp gelato.  

From Rome, you are about an hour away by vehicle from beaches that offer the simple comforts of your own private beach. At L'Isola Maccarese, you pay a few Euros admission, and wander through the restaurant (stoppingfor an obligatory espresso, of course), then choose your spot.

The price of admission includes a comfortable "lettino" - a sunbed - with Built-in shelf at the back that can be lifted above your head if you want shade to read.  The water comes crashing in, bringing with each
wave a host of beautiful shells, brightly coloured and in remarkable
shape.  


It doesn't take long before the hawkers approach.  Every nationality (except, I think, Italian) has a different array of goods to
sell and the prices are all negotiable

In fact, the negotiation is what everyone looks forward to - it seems terribly important to save a Euro or two on a parejo that can double as a scarf for the little black dress.  

There may not be little black dresses for sale here, but there are sundresses galore, bathing suits, hats, perfume, tapes and CDs and jewelry.  Forget about souvenir shops -Multi-task by picking up those little gifts for the folks back home
while working on your tan and practicing your negotiating in Italian.

Make sure you take a break from the worst heat of the day - wander up to
the restaurant and order a plate of pasta. 

 I confess that the thought
of eating spaghetti alle vongole after a few hours of sunning and
swimming seemed strange, but the meal hit the spot and set us up for an
afternoon snooze, before another swim and the drive back to the city for
the evening's entertainment.

A  little further down the coast, off the Autostrada, the strip of coast along the Bay of Terracina is a perfect escape for a few days or a long weekend.  The tourists are, in general, Italian, and prices are, accordingly, very reasonable.

 The wise visitor does not leave Rome on
Friday night or attempt to return Sunday late afternoon -the traffic can be appalling.

Sperlonga is known as the Roman emperor Tiberius' summer resort - it's
easy to see the appeal of this town built up the steep rocks that thrust up from the sea.  Drive to the top of the town and abandon your car. The streets the wind their way through the centuries old whitewashed buildings 
(some adorned with lovely murals) are barely wide enough for
two people in some places.  Sperlonga thrives on tourists, yet the
posted prices in stores are fair.

Terracina is home to an outstanding restaurant - Hosteria Il Vicoletto.
We had a remarkable meal at a terrific price. 

 For 30 Euros apiece, 16 different antipasti arrived (with our casual assent to "Shall I start you off with some antipasti", the onslaught began), each a treat in
itself.  With everything from smoked salmon to marinated anchovies to
grilled eggplant to octopus salad to mussels au gratin (or would that be
gratinata?), we were in heaven.  
The pasta specials were outstanding, the service friendly and efficient.  We never made it to a "main course" or dessert, but did savour goblets of wild strawberries with sorbetto. The whole meal was paired with a local white wine by the carafe, and theafter dinner coffee and a quick grappa rounded off the evening.

If you are at all concerned about the calories consumed (carbs, grams of fat or the skimpy bikini that will meet you the next morning), get up at 6 the next morning to run along the beach, or start your triathlon training, cycling up the hill to Sperlonga after swimming in wonderfully salty warm water.  But don't count on your resolve to stick to a little
insalata caprese for lunch the next day.

Traveler's Advisory:  If you are at all sensitive to the sun, make sure you pack your own high SPF sunscreen - it's hard to find anything above "8" in Italy and you can burn in minutes. 

Report by Gael Arthur  ©