And Relax......

September sunrise

So it's Sunday 1st September and the weather is decidedly 'unsummery' today. Despite a rather spectacular sunrise, the skies clouded over somewhat rapidly & we've had several showers this afternoon. However, there
are positives to the fact that August has passed, the first of which is: most Italian holidaymakers went home yesterday, yay!!!!

Yes, when we went to La Torretta for lunch yesterday, there were spaces in the car park - not just one, but loads - we were spoilt for choice. They still had the ticketing system operating for ordering your food but as soon as we took a ticket  it was our turn.  And, after lunch, when we walked to the supermarket there were only 4 cars in the car park - only 4! - a sight not seen for months. No queue at the deli counter, no queue at the checkouts (in fact, only one checkout was open, it was so quiet).

Spiaggia Pozzillo

We decided to go into Santa Maria for a gelato & a coke this afternoon and again we had no trouble finding a parking space. Town was very quiet with only a handful of diners at Il Cantuccio in Piazza Lucia and less than a dozen customers at Bar L'Ancora. As for the beaches, they all still have their regimented rows of sunbeds & parasols but very few were occupied.

And so we feel that we can finally reclaim Santa Maria as 'our own'; no more traffic jams, no more queueing for what seems hours at the deli counter, no more battling through throngs of holidaymakers up & down Corso Matarazzo and, best of all, we'll be able to get on the beach whenever we want.