European beaches suck

St. Barthelemy, Italy - We're not in Provo anymore!

ST. BARTHELEMY, Italy -- OK so they don't suck that bad, but when you come from a place like Turks & Caicos, they certainly are different. Crowded, rocky, the water is and less clear, and there is a whole different vibe to the beaches along the Italian, French and Spanish coasts of the Med. They are more like beaches in the Northeast US actually, what with the honky-tonk beachfront bars and restaurants. Oh, there are nice places and high end hotels, too, but for the most part the smaller beach towns seem to tend to cater to the masses. There is certainly more to do off the beach than a place Turks & Caicos, and Europeans seem quite happy making a two week family holiday out of most beach visits.

Physically, the beaches are quite different. The girls already miss the soft white sands and crystal clear waters of the TCI, which you just don't see near where we are. Europeans defend their beaches adamantly, acknowledging only that the Caribbean beaches are "plus differentes."  We probably won't be spending much time at the beach anyway, but lying on bunch of rocks to bathe in cold water is not my idea of a great beach experience anyway.