Of fresh mornings and tired evenings on the beaches of Alghero

Now if I had to choose the best part of the day here in Alghero I guess it would be the early morning.

The sun is up, and there is that freshness in the air which combined with the promise of things to come makes it very special.

But then I have to say that I am also drawn to those last few hours of sunlight on the beach.  Most people have left and you get that sense that the day which seems tired and a little tatty at the edges still has plenty to offer.   You can still get plenty of the sun as sinks down the sky and there is plenty to watch.

On the paid beaches the staff are cleaning the sand off the beds, dropping the umbrellas and putting protective covers over the umbrellas.  It is slow methodical work and no one hurries, they have after all been working all day in the heat of the sun.

A few people still hang on, perhaps with nowhere to go, or just want to enjoy the cooler time.
But already there the early holiday makers heading along the coast road towards the old town, all dressed up and ready for the night ahead.

They make an odd contrast.  On the beach the few still tenaciously holding on while passing them in ever increasing numbers are the advance guard of the evening to come.

And across the place there is a stillness which is mirrored in Alghero as the fair begins and the bars and restaurants fill up.

Picture; from the collection of Andrew Simpson