Looking forward to summer?
As we are about to enter the seventh week of our Italian quarantine, we can’t help but wonder what summer’s really going to be like. Are we going to be allowed to take a dip in Barcola and then sip spritz bianco under the pine trees in Pinetta while watching older Triestini play cards on folding tables next to our beach towels? Will it be permitted to dive into the unique world of Pedocin where tan lines are almost non-existent as most women are topless and most man are engrossed in endless sport conversations under parasols (courtesy of the wall that separates the male section from the female section of the beach)?
As summer draws near, Triestini are starting to wonder to what extent the nationwide lockdown and travel limitations will affect the holiday season. If the restrictions are lifted in time for summer, and people are allowed to venture out to the sea, what will that new reality look like?
A company near Modena proposed to use plexiglass screens at the beach to separate the vacationers. The transparent units would be built using 2-metre high walls made of plexiglass, measuring 4.5 metres on each side, and open on top, according to renderings published by Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
Photo taken from La Repubblica
Both Ausonia (a beach club with a 5 euro entrance fee) and Toppolini (a central part of Barcola adored by Triestini) will have to be monitored by lifeguards and other staff if available, perhaps limiting the maximum number of occupants and introducing hours during which the older generation (the one most at risk of catching the virus) is allowed to come to the beach, according to Il Piccolo.
Whatever is decided, it’s safe to say it’s going to be a no ordinary summer.
By In Trieste
