No Shore Thing: Italian authorities pull the rug from under a long-standing tradition

Saving a spot on an Italian beach overnight with a towel or umbrella? Prepare to bail out your beach ball plus face a fine as Operation Safe Sea cracks down on sand-squatting sun worshippers. Active Junky appreciates the spirit of the initiative if not the hefty Euro penalty. Apparently, the early-bird gets the sea slug as 8:30am is when public beaches officially open for balmy business. Read more here.