Back in our favorite place. Major tanning time.
From my journal:
7-17-25
G.H.M Beach
noontime
The lunch time announcement beckons from the Barracuda Beach club, "We are waiting for you," punctuates the announcement over the intercom. It is the high-noon toll. The high point in this daily cycle. This place has a rhythm. I think all of Italy does at this time - at least for the vacationers. Vacation here is not about novelty, or movement, or attractions. Its about time and space and hospitality to allow us to enter this light pleasant routine, this rhythm. It entails a soft slumber in delicate white linens. Waking up to the light of day and sounds of the mopeds zipping by. Its the immaculately set table for two on the patio, the bright orange juice and clear still water, the cappuccino brought to the table. A slow breakfast with eggs cooked to order. Salamis and tomatoes and cheeses and cakes and fruits. And then once breakfast is over, its time to relax by the sea. The yellow (for hotel guests) and blue chairs are made for your enjoyment with matching sun visor and a string to pull to drop the back flat, so you don't ever have to worry about getting up to change your position. The platforms are out floating at various distances and positions. By the late afternoon they are covered in the bodies of Italian teenagers tanning and socializing. And so this consumes the better part of the daylight hours. Tanning, heating up, taking a dip to cool off. Rinse and repeat, and then punctuated by a delicious light lunch - pesto pasta, chicken milanese with french fries cut like long half-pipes, a cold beer or Hugo Spritz, and then an espresso for desert. This time of day, like the others, is very slow. The hours are long and sticky, and largely irrelevant. More important is the way the shadow of the umbrella migrates throughout the day, and the quality of the light - how it changes; in the morning hours its delicate, glinting and gleaming and dancing across the water on its way to the beach. Its direction is straight on, and its hot. Midday is accented by the light's flatness. Shadows are smaller and directly underfoot. The water loses its shimmer but gains translucence. The green rocky sea bottom is appreciated. Then finally the afternoon comes and the light turns strange. To me, a Californian who is used to the evening sun setting over the ocean, and all my directionality and sense of place coming from this understanding, the afternoon light here feels awkward. It is angled in a strange way. Shadows are cast towards the water, rather than away from it. There is a contrast. To me, this is a sign to return to the hotel, for a slow afternoon shower, to relax in our robes, lounge on the bed, enjoy the view, the breeze, the sounds from below. To others, this is merely a que to turn their sun beds 180 degrees to capture the afternoon light on their skin. Once the piano starts playing on the front deck, its time fro an aperitif. We dress nicely and head down to the front of the hotel. The light actually lends itself very well to this moment. It is soft, subdued, and cool in color in the shade of the Grand Hotel, but looking out at the view, the sea and mountains are lit up in a warm evening glow. This is the time to order a nice cocktail or beer. Either way, its brought out in a professional manner. The art and practice of service here is distinct and unparalleled. The table is quickly arranged with nuts, olives, and chips, toothpick, a bowl to receive the olive pits, a folded pyramid of a napkin, and a coaster (or two in the case of a beer, one for the bottle and one for the glass). "May I pour it, sir?" They pour about a quarter of the beer before setting down the bottle and rotating it so that the Peroni label is facing you. Buon appetitio. This session can last less than one hour or several. Guests come and go. The view changes as things wrap up for the day at the beach. Lights turn on in the distance and begin to twinkle. The sky remains bright late into the evening.
This first day here was like a childrens pool. There were so many families and lots and lots of kids.
The beach club. 90% local guests. These signified by blue subeds. The hotel guests were yellow, scattered here and there.
This mirror has the best color and vibe. It perfectly frames the beach club. It also is a little warped and gives a fun clown-house vibe.
There were so many school-aged kids running around playing. They were so capable. We watched two of them launch a small inflatable boat from the shore, row out using the big ores several times longer than their whole body, and catch a fish with a net and bring it back to shore all within the span of a few minutes. It was so cool.
Here they were playing rock paper scissors on the diving deck, and with each hand lost, they would inch closer and closer to the edge of the deck - loser falls in.
Lat picture from our hotel near the train station in Milan - this was just before our 1 star michelin dinner and just after our mcdonalds big mac.
