The recent heat and humidity has really been getting to us. Highs have been around 30 degrees C. every day and the muggy air means even the easiest job causes one to break out in a sweat. One afternoon Dom came downstairs and laid flat out on his back on the tile floor. He said he knew any piece of furniture would soon warm up but he knew that would not happen with the floor. This week we have tried to get up early and do our outdoor chores as quickly as possible. Then after lunch we either run errands in the air conditioned car or hide inside.
Earlier in the week we talked about going to the beach to cool off. Our hectic social schedule meant yesterday was the best day for the excursion. So, after doing a few chores, we packed bathing suits, towels, flip flops, books and various other items into a couple of bags and off we went.
We went to our favorite spot in Marina di Massa. It is an area that is not as posh as some of the beach communities further south such as Forte di Marmi or Versilia. Bar Nettuno is quite casual with a blend of families, teenagers and a few tourists. Their food is pretty good so we had lunch there before paying to use a couple of chairs and a beach umbrella. It cost us Euros 10 which was a discount because we had lunch and were only there for the afternoon.
We went to our favorite spot in Marina di Massa. It is an area that is not as posh as some of the beach communities further south such as Forte di Marmi or Versilia. Bar Nettuno is quite casual with a blend of families, teenagers and a few tourists. Their food is pretty good so we had lunch there before paying to use a couple of chairs and a beach umbrella. It cost us Euros 10 which was a discount because we had lunch and were only there for the afternoon.
Not a bad self-portrait!
Dom hunkered down in his chair with his book.
This was the view from our table at lunch. Beach umbrellas and chairs as far as the eye can see!
The beach is lovely, soft sand. The dry sand is incredibly hot so one has to wear sandals to the water's edge. Dom took his off too close to the surf and they ended up being tossed around by the small waves. There is not a lot of tidal swing in the Mediterranean--maybe 1-2 feet maximum. In this photo you can also see the pier that sticks out in the water. On either side of it is free beach so by mid-afternoon it was quite crowded and lots of people were splashing around.
We did not spend a lot of time in the water, just bobbing around periodically for a few minutes before going back to our chairs in the shade. It felt a little brisk when one first went in but after a minute or two it was perfect. It is hard to believe the water is so warm in mid-June. Lake Washington, in Seattle, would be lucky to be as warm after a long, hot summer.
Another picture of the chairs and sunbathers at Bar Nettuno with the Alpi Apuane in the background--where Carrara marble comes from.
The beach umbrellas have hooks for keeping things out of the sand and little tables for drinks or sunscreen.
The building next to Bar Nettuno is a restaurant and disco. I noticed that on the roof it looks like they have hot tubs! You can just see them behind the metal railing.
We stayed at the beach until 4 pm and then headed home. That gave us plenty of time to rest up before going out to dinner last night. We had a wonderful meal with Anna Galli and her parents Luciano and Mara at Il Mulin della Volpe, one of our favorite local restaurants.
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