[helene_t]

It is not excactly prime season in Riccione. The tourist office at the railway station was supposed to be open but a message in Italian said that it was not and tourists were adviced to call some phone number. At the beach I encountered two gulls, one tourist and the life-guard. The shopping center is almost a ghost town. And the waitress at the hotel decorated my table with a plant that looked healthy enough but obviously hadn't been cultivated to serve authumn visitors - it lost its flowers weeks ago, I think. I was somewhat woried being the only guest for diner, since "Dinner at your hotel" was part of the festival program.

But fortunately there are some bridge players at other hotels. We are some fourty in total, aging 20-75 (my guess) and many countries represented with Itally being the dominant one. Also several from Turkey and Norway. They all seem to be nice people. The atmosphere at the tables is fine. Conveniently, language barriers reduces the amount of "how-could-you-pass-my-forcing-bid-you-idiot" conversations.

The formula is one 32-board indy which we had today, and a three-sesion pairs event friday and saturday. Plus shorter pair tournaments in the evenings, and three excursions.

I'm not good at judging the level of the play. The fact that I ended 32nd of 34 in the indy does not say anything of course In the pairs tuesday night, we ended 4th of 15.

I think Riccione rates as the most borring town I've ever visited. But the beach is clean (and empty!) with warm water, as a Danish viking I would almost call it hot. So if your holiday ambitions don't go further than playing bridge and swimming, it's fine.

[jillybean]

Nice note Helene! A great result in the pairs tournament, it seems indys are just as random in real life as online.
LOL maybe next year you will need to take your own Danish viking , Im sure there would be a few volunteers.


Even the photo shows the beach is deserted lol, not even the lifeguard

http://www.world66.com/europe/italy/emilia...na/riccione/i_1

[Rain]

lol funny and nice report Helene. Hope you're having fun. At least you won't get a nasty sunburn with the autumn sun.

Don't forget the most important thing (apart from Bridge!)
Collect hotel and frequent flier points!

[rona_]

Helene, if you get really bored you could visit El Cachavaz! I hear he's given up bridge for Tango dancing and if I am not mistaken, lives in RImini. Forum nick "'Chamaco".

[jillybean]

Dont do it Helene!

[helene_t]

Oh sorry Mauro, I really should have checked that! But why not, Kathryn?

We ended with 49.2% plus a first place in one of the small off-program drives and 53% in the other. I was quit sattisfied with that, given that we just met and could hardly communicate (pd's English was rather limited), while all others where established partnerships. I made many really nice people that I expect to see more often, at least on BBO.

There were national selection pairs from Turkey and Israel, but most of the local particiants were not so strong.

The organisation of the tournament was a complete mess: no pre-dealt cards, no specification of alert- and HUM-rules, players could just start at the tables they wanted instead of using according to a pre-made schedule, etc etc etc. But I had a great time and that's what matters.

I'm in Verona now, beautitul city.

[Chamaco]

Hey, I am reading this too late... :-(

I can understand Helene's comments about Riccione: it is an artificial town, grown in the last century (unlike Rimini, my hometown - which has a Roman downtown ... yes you guessed right, there is a rivalry between Rimini and Riccione, eheheh), and basically right now is a sort of Vegas without Casinos... Nightlife, dance clubs and discobars are the main points of the touristic offer, besides the beach...

But renting a car and moving in the inland one can discover other things, another world from Riccione's downtown...
Or, alternatively, having a local person accompany you for a tour, of course ! :-)