The majority of Italian beaches at seaside resorts are leased out to bathing establishment companies for the summer season and entry is only by payment. There are, of course, free beaches but at places like Viareggio and Lido di Camaiore they are abysmally narrow.
On Saturday 19th May the bathing season opened at Viareggio and the Versilia coastline. We visited the seaside the preceding day when the leasers of one particular resort were busy laying out deckchairs, sunbeds, parasols and all the other paraphernalia of holidays by the sea. Lines were pegged out to assure perfect geometric alignment of the beach furniture. The operatives were also cleaning the sands by carefully sifting out any rubbish.
They still left plenty of seashells, however, to the joy of collectors.
As the season was opening the following day we had the whole beach to ourselves including the deckchairs and all for free. Luckily the bar next door was open so we were able to treat ourselves to ice-cream.
Although the seawater felt warmer than that at most British seaside resorts at the height of summer there was only a mere handful of swimmers.
Behind us the Apuan Alps (which we see from the other side from where we are in Longoio) protected the area from any strong Easterly wind. Recognize the Procinto, that panettone-shaped mountain?
The flag colours indicate the following:
Red: dangerous to swim because of bad weather or absence of lifeguard.
Yellow: Reduced lifeguard in operation between 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm.
Red and yellow: No lifeguard in operation.
No flags. Safe to swim and lifeguard service in operation.
Do note, however, that this flag system is particular to Italy. In Australia, for example, red and yellow together means that that there is a lifeguard operating while no flags at all mean that there is no lifeguard to save one. Most confusing!
Perhaps the most important flag is the blue flag, meaning that the sea and adjoining beach have passed stringent environmental standards as monitored by the partnership between the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) and the EU.
(This is, incidentally, another issue which the Brexit idiocy has failed to address – will blue flag beaches in the UK still have the same standards if Brexit goes ahead? The residents in UKIP voting Clacton-on-Sea are very proud of their clean beaches. But would Clactonians have still voted to quit the EU if they knew the clean beaches and sea are thanks to EU membership?)
We passed a lovely afternoon at the still empty bathing establishments of Viareggio knowing full well that the following day hordes of holiday-makers would start to come to one of Italy’s most pleasant beaches and knowing that for yet another year it has won a blue flag award.