ASCOLI SUMMER IMAGES REAPPEAR

By Larry & Arlene on Oct 2, 2021 in Blog | 9 comments

  ASCOLI SUMMER IMAGES REAPEAR Looking for options for summer relaxation and rejuvenation during a pandemic can be a daunting task. We are fortunate in many ways. Among them, we remain healthy, and most all our closest friends and associates take vaccination and other public health measures seriously. Then we are retired and not compelled to immerse ourselves into groups. And from an environmental perspective, in this special corner of Italy we have come to call home, it is a generally self-sufficient place with modest population density. But in the case of Ascoli Piceno, a less than overwhelming population density does not dampen a deep sense of vibrant, common community. The overall atmosphere here generates a sense of larger connectivity. For the entire COVID-19 Summer of 2021, we returned to a place of comfort and solace. For five years, we have been renting a spot on the nearby sandy shore of the Adriatic Sea. Once again, we returned to the same commercial concession on the water that provides a dedicated space with a small table, a sun umbrella and two lounges. Our dedicated spot is less than fifty feet from the water’s edge. Each allocated spot is organized into a grid pattern with ample distance of separation. And then there is the sunshine and the clean, salt-air breeze coming to us from across the Adriatic. Our sense is immersing ourselves into a refreshing, health-filled sanctuary. It is an environment where perceptions of pandemic dread can be set aside, at least for a while. Over the now more than eight years Ascoli has come to be called ‘home’, a few other expatiates of similar persuasion in wanting to expand their lives, have come here. Fortunately, this is not a ‘ghettoized’ group but people who share our enthusiasm for this culture that has been kind in welcoming us. These are a group of outward looking people rather than retreating inward seeking only the familiar. A few of our fellow expatriates have also decided to enjoy the Adriatic shore at this same concession. It has worked out that we have a small cluster of nearby spots that provide an opportunity for us to talk with each other as well as having pleasant...