L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 4 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS S ummer is on its way, or so we all hope here in Italy. The weather remains unstable, albeit temperatures are pleasant and I happily enjoyed my first seasonal swim in the sea over a week ago. In any case, with the coming of June, and especially with the end of the school year, thoughts immediately run to a world made of colors, sun cream and ice lol- lies: whether we like it or not, summertime in the Bel Paese is synonym with heat, bathing suits and the beach. Italy's 7500 km of coastal development offer a wide variety of environments and landscapes: let's think about how different, yet equally beautiful, the coast- line of Sardinia and Emilia Romagna are, for instance, and that's only to name two regions known for their beaches. Indeed, even if "coast" does not neces- sarily mean "beach," the associa- tion is automatic this time of the year because, we've just come clean about it, June brings about our yearly obsession with sun, sea and sand. And, as it happens, travel and tourism publications, both online and offline, use these first weeks of Summer to compile their very own lists of the country's best beaches. Useful for some, per- haps, but as compelling and attention-catching as a computer generated voice reading the Yel- low Pages for the majority of us. Of course we want to know about the most beautiful beaches and about those with the cleanest sea, but what about the quirkiest or those Italians are most attached to? It's time to explore some of those 7500 km of Italian coast- line together to find out more. The most beautiful Whether we like it or not, we have to dedicate at least a few lines about those considered the most beautiful beaches on the peninsula; this year in particular we may well take some pride in all these early Summer "best of" lists, as it is an Italian beach, Lampedusa's Spiaggia dei Conigli, to come on top of Trip Advisor's own world most stun- ning beaches list. Spiaggia dei Conigli is not too simple to access, as it lies at the end of a small hill, so it may not be the best choice for people with chil- dren or for the elderly. This beautifully secluded bay opens on crystal clear waters and faces a small island, known as Isola dei Conigli; what's the deal with the rabbits, you may ask? Well, in fact, it seems the furry mam- mals have nothing to do with the area or with the beach itself. Rather, the name Rabit Island was first use to indicate the isola on an 1824 maps used by Admi- ral Smith, only to be misspelled "rabbit" in later maps, thus trans- lating into the Italian Isola dei Conigli. In truth, it is likely the A summer out of the ordinar y by Italy's favorite seaside spots term used by Smith came from the Arabic rabit which can be translated with the word "link" or "tie," pretty apt to describe the isthmus forming between the beach and the island on certain times of the day. High on the list of this year's best Italian beaches is a classic, Tropea, or more precisely, the beach of La Rotonda: think of white sands meeting transparent sea, all under the stern yet charming eye of one of the Tyrrhenian Sea breathtaking cliffs. If you throw into the mix the fact this is an area known also for good food, it comes as no surprise Tropea is known as La Perla del Tirreno, the pearl of Tyrrhenian, by so many people. A bit different from the previous two, and up North this time, is the Baia del Silenzio beach, in Sestri Levante, just off Genoa. The name itself, the bay of silence, evokes peace and beau- ty, with a hint of that old school elegance still permeating the Ital- ian Riviera these days, old ves- tige of its glorious Grand Tour past. Surrounded by Liguria's typically colorful houses, this tiny beach is clean and character- istic, certainly a place to check out. The quirkiest The fact they are quirky does- n't mean they are not gorgeous, too, of course. These are beaches made of colors, more than any- thing else: pink, black and blind- ing white. Yes, pink. On the Sardinian island of Budelli, part of the Arcipelago della Maddalena, you'll find yourself immersed in what seems a tropical paradise, with a pale pink twist, that of its beach, which gets its peculiar hue from the presence of an incredibly high quantity of coral shells. As unreal as it may seem, it's all there and it's true. To make even the Gothier among the Goths happy, enters the Spiaggia Nera dell'Asino on the Vulcano island, in the Arcipelago delle Eolie. Here, thousands of years of lava deposits made the sand incredi- bly dark. There isn't any other place in Italy with sand as black as that of the beautiful Vulcano island. Last but not least, we should look at the whitest cliffs you can think of. Yes, even whiter than those of Dover. We are in the Agrigento province, and this is the Spiaggia Scala dei Turchi, where a small white cal- careous cliff rises above sea waters: beside its color, this stone is known for remaining cool in spite of the heat and the sun, making it a perfect place to stroll on and to lie down. The most loved Italy's heart, when it comes to it, belongs to some very specific beaches. They may be crowded, they may be cliché, but their name means Summer holidays more than the Cornetto Algida and a new bikini put together. We have Vieste in Puglia, Jesolo in Veneto, Rimini, Riccione and Cattolica in Emilia Romagna. All of them have a special place in the heart of Italians: Vieste, a typical Puglia fishermen village, is among the most popular desti- nations of the region. Jesolo and Cattolica are favored among families and Riccione and Rimi- ni are those preferred by young Italians looking for entertain- ment. Rimini, then, is a slice of Dolce Vita, a bit because it's the hometown of Federico Fellini, a bit because since the 1950s it has always been associated with that carefree, lighthearted lifestyle that speaks of VIPs, fun and, of course, Summer holi- days. The Spiaggia dei Conigli, Rabbit's beach in English, doesn't get its name from rabbits, but from an Arabic word, rabit. FRANCESCA BEZZONE Vieste, in the Italian region of Puglia, is one of Italy's favorite seaside locations

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