Still July

This weekend was very tiring. I went to the beach on Saturday and Sunday. I think this is the first time my whole weekend revolved around going to the beach. You have to go with enough stuff to allow yourself to relax, eat, and drink. Speaking of eating I have to thank Ottavio and Matteo. I had my first “Ricci allo Scoglio”. This dish is simple to prepare. You need a mask, a snorkel, and a fork. There’s nothing quite like eating raw seafood in the sea. Ricci are sea urchins and “allo scoglio” is on the rocks (not ice, stones). I’m not too fond of the taste but I had to try them. It felt good to eat a few after one left its spines in my foot. The day was so good that Sunday night we pushed the boundaries of when to leave. We hung around too long (about 7:00 PM) and at this time there was almost no left on the beach so we set up a little beach soccer match. I was already tired from throwing the Frisbee around for about 30 minutes prior to this as the crowd thinned out. Now more running and after several hours in the sun, this is a tough workout. The game was short and hilarious as we played even when the ball was in the water. And just like the world cup it came down to penalties in the end. But the problem with the game was the chain reaction it caused. After it we tried to meet for dinner at 10:00 PM, which was pushing it and everyone knew it. In the end I think we sat down to eat around 11:00 and finished after midnight. It was pretty quiet after dinner as it was apparent that most people were wiped out. So we were left with time for a gelato and then off to bed around 2:30 AM. Some of the others that don’t work on Monday may have gone off someplace else.
Monday is a day of recovery. I’m a little upset because I’m still pretty white. I used SPF8 and I’m definitely a few shades browner than I ever get in USA but I’m still not dark enough that it’s apparent I was at the beach all weekend. I don’t look like a Southern Italian. Well, it’s still July.