The Beach at Sperlonga

Sperlonga is a hill town on a flawlessly clean stretch of beach between Naples and Rome.

 The shops in the old town square sell things to entertain the kids on the sands below.

 Every morning after our coffee and pastry Bill and I would descend to the beach, La Spiaggia di Levante, that extends to the east of the town.

 The little port, Il Porticciolo,

 the sandy beaches beyond

 and the watch tower, La Torre Truglia, soon appear. In the town's past the tower was necessary to warn of Saracen and pirate invaders. 

 The little fishing boats now share the harbour with luxury and tour vessels.

 Here's a spectacular view of the town from the first of the beach concessions.

 Our target is the concession called Lido Rocco

the third or fourth one along the beach.

 The town receded as we walked.

 It was lovely to walk along the edge of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Fun to see the stuff for sale. Very Fellini-esque, no?

Our hosts had told us to look for the blue and white beach umbrellas. 

 We rented our spot at the edge of the sea.

and settled back under our umbrella.

 The sand was hot under our feet.

 and the water was cold then warm and delightful.

 We took turns going into the water.

then coming out to dry off and relax.

Bill pointed out to me how great Shelley Savor's tote looked in the context. 

 I was halfway through Goldfinger -- perfect retro beach reading.

We had three glorious days under our umbrella by the Mediterranean.