Our time here at the beach is up. It's true that after the first week here I was sick of the sun, but after two and a half months I have grown to love living in Spotorno, Italy.

I ended my last day here the same way that I spent my first. Each day is the same. The uniformity and regularity of everyone's lives amazes me. We get started at the same time every morning (we're usually amongst the first ones on the beach). Every family has the same net bag full of shovels, buckets, and trucks. Each beach is a pristine mix of the following: a row of smooth pebbles covering the sand along the water's edge, next the evenly spaced lounge chairs and multicolored umbrellas to be rented out, behind the last row of umbrellas lie the children's plastic jungle gym contraptions with slides and the inflated rafts, and lastly the bar and changing cabins. People's actions can be tracked like clockwork along with the timing of each vendor that walks by. I think every coastline in Italy has the same coconut boy with his cowbell that he rings to announce his presence, shouting "Coc-c-c-co, cocco bello!" We come inside for lunch around 12:30pm and feast on fresh foods and fruit. Isabella then does her summer homework, Ginevra plays semi-quietly by herself, and Claudio sleeps. As mentioned before, this is the time when the city sleeps as well. Later, everyone's back at the beach by 3:30 or 4pm (after our snack) and we spend the afternoon playing and swimming or 'doing a bath' as they call it. By around 7:30pm the sun finally starts falling behind the buildings and we pack up to head inside, shower, dinner, and out for the night. The town comes alive after 10pm.

Of course I have my free time and days off that I spend doing things a little different. I travel with friends or explore by myself, read, and go on hikes and bike rides. This is a very peaceful, yet energetic place. There are so many quirky things about this town that I laugh at; however, as with any new town you explore, that's what makes it unique... The Italians who show up at the beach fully dressed with makeup, hair done, belts, and jewelry over their costumes, and equipped with about 4 different costumes (swimsuits) to change into throughout the day each time one gets wet. The constant public 'canoodling' of the adolescents. The showy lifeguards...all the same. The abundance of kid's shows and games all geared towards the masses of families that want to keep their children occupied so they can relax. Good times. Yes, I'll miss this place. Of course, I think we're returning next weekend. :)

For now, I'm off to London this morning, only to return back here tomorrow afternoon before heading back to Alba. It's going to be a long two days. Every say a little prayer that I make it back in the country!