Posted by seryna on Monday, May 15, 2017 in 2017 Blog post.

One of the my favorite places in world is the beach. Whenever I get the chance I try and go, and this habit has been sustained since I arrived in Cefalu. Today I went to the beach later in the afternoon and got to watch the different ways in which people interacted.

One of the first things I noticed was how so many people were fully clothed. I would say that the majority of the people there were wearing full outfits while laying out. In America when it is a little colder people avoid the beach rather than still making the trek in full clothes. It is almost as if the beaches here are more than just places to lay out in the sun and swim in the water. Of the people who were in bathing suits, I noticed they were pretty typical to what I see in America except the men showed more skin. The men were wearing either shorts that went to their mid-thighs or Speedos, which I was not used to seeing. In America I typically see women wearing more revealing swimsuits while the men wear shorts that go to at least their knees. The roles seemed to be reversed in terms of swimsuit modesty.

The most interesting observation I made during my entire time at the beach was the intimacy between the people there together. I was watching many different forms of private moments, and felt almost like I was intruding on them. I had to keep reminding myself that it was a public place and their interactions were public as well. At first it made me almost uncomfortable to watch such intimate interactions between people. Couples were kissing, holding hands, and cuddling on their beach towels. Even friends and family members were holding hands and being physically intimate with each other. It was as if they were expressing their love and bonding through these intimate actions. I was watching moments that people in America seem to try and hide or only show in privacy out in the open and everywhere. I had never seen that many public displays of affection before. Whenever I go to the beach at home and see couples they may hold hands while they are walking, but that is the extent of the public intimacy. It would seem out of place to see the level of affection at home that was completely normal today. As I said before, the beaches here are almost more than they are at home. They are not just to tan and swim. People here use it as time to really bond and enjoy being with each other.

Along those same lines, people seemed to be taking the time at the beach to enjoy being with each other without the distraction of other activities. I did not see the “typical” beach activities that I see at home. There were no people playing football or soccer, no one was on their phones, and no one had headphones in listening to music. Everyone was either talking, reading, or just laying there and enjoying being with each other. It was so refreshing to be in an environment that was in the moment. People were really interacting each other without feeling the need to do something else at the same time. Whenever I go to the beach with my friends at home we will either spend the whole time on our phones or put headphones in to listen to music. We do not really spend time just laying there and enjoying the scenery or the people we are with. I would like to know more about the relationships between people and how this intimacy and ability to be in the present moment with each other affects them.

The beach overall seemed to be more of an intimate way to bond rather than what I think of when I go to the beaches in America. Everyone was in the moment without the need for distractions. They were also more openly intimate with each other.  I would, however, like to see more people interact and more families. I saw a lot of young couples and friends, and it was later in the evening. I do think I would have to observe at other times of the day in order to get a more holistic idea about the interactions at the beach. It could have been that when it is closer to night the beach is used in ways different than a sunny afternoon. Since I know this will not be my last trip to the beach in Cefalu I plan to continue to look for answers to my questions.

https://vanderbilt.box.com/s/lnpiolg0i2h0p32ezhdzfxgssk0953e9

https://vanderbilt.box.com/s/7g4mhd0zeery8a8rgzb88qiwd9oup5bk

https://vanderbilt.box.com/s/pjvcqlv8okkffvqe9ol6ezsr67wzo5kb