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After missing for a long time things are bound to change, but my homeland has a pace of its own. Mammuthal shopping centres and new glass and iron buildings give you the idea that things are moving faster than it is. The reality is that key behaviour and cultural habits are unchanged. Priorities are exactly the same and even if the Italian dictionary adopted more and more English words this shouldn’t fool visitors; Italy isn’t going any faster than it used to.

During the summer Italians are slowing down even more. Not their fault at all – the heat is incredible. After lunch at more than 35.C it is difficult to drag yourself to the beach People are more nervous and things take forever to be completed.

During my breaf visit the first stop was the costal city of Rimini. This is very well known for the summer night life, hence the total number of people grows five fold in this season. This is possible thank to
one thousand hotels that dot the coastline.

Life there is very much taking place around the beach. Locals and tourists alike are engaged in this daily migration to and from the long stretch of sandy beach. Nobody seems to be in the hurry to get anywhere, most locals will use their bike while tourist will slowly stroll toward the warm Adriatic sea.

Things important when travelling to Rimini are; beach towel, swimsuit and sun cream. It is also important to decide if you fancy some nightlife, because if you do arrangements need to be book in advance as the club scene develops itself in the hills surrounding the city.

If you are neither a lizard nor a reveller, Rimini also offers some cultural highlights. Once an important Roman centre, Ariminum still includes the Thiberius Bridge, the Cathedral and two important squares with the council building and local museum. Just an hour away there’s also San Marino the smallest republic in the world.

Food wise the variety on offer cannot be bad – at the end of the day we are in Italy. The local speciality/snack is called “Piadina” a sort of local tortilla that is filled with local ingredients including cottage cheese, parma ham, salad etc. Simply the best lunch you can get!
More speciality include the usual homemade pasta and pizza, these are available more or less everywhere but my suggesting is if possible to try to avoid the coast and look for a ristorante inland, La Greppia is certainly a good choice.