Between empty seashores and beach volley buzz

We had a great ride today, cycling from Pesaro to Cervia, entering into the Emilia-Romagna region. Even though we stayed along the Adriatic coast under the same bright sun, the scenery kept changing. We passed kilometers of closed hotels and restaurants, completely deserted seaside resorts, peaceful pine forests, the rather unattractive city of Rimini… and then, charming little harbors with a touch of Venice or Burano - like in Cesenatico.

When we reached the beach in Riccione, we stumbled right into Europe’s largest beach volleyball festival: over 1,500 participants and 200 courts spread across the sand. Organized by Germans, it almost didn’t feel like Italy anymore! We had a picnic while watching the matches and trying to figure out the rules of the game.

Beach volleyball feels like more than just a sport - it’s a whole vibe. There’s lounge music playing, spectators wandering around in flip-flops and relaxed outfits, and players high-fiving after every single point. Still, there’s one thing about it that doesn’t sit quite right with me. The official dress code for women requires a bikini, with the bottom part no wider than 7 cm at the hips… you can imagine the style. The only exceptions are for religious reasons or if the temperature drops below 15°C. Meanwhile, men can wear shorts and a t-shirt. Honestly, there’s still a LOT of progress to be made when it comes to gender equality here. Apparently, many top volleyball players refuse to switch to beach volleyball just to avoid having to dress like that. And I’ve read that around 20% of Olympic beach volleyball footage focuses on women’s bodies - on their bottoms or breasts. Not exactly surprising… but still, it would be nice if the sports world could move a little further away from that kind of mindset.

Tomorrow we’re cycling towards Comacchio, our last day by the sea side.