Euro 6 - Rimini On the Scene

Quick refresher: Becca and I left Atlanta on a Sunday. We'd had the time of our lives in Rome for three days and made do on the beach outside La Spezia (Cinque Terra). Now its time for the original attraction to hoof it all the way to Italy - Paganello. First off, here's a map of the flip we did from one Italian coast to the next. Rome is at the southern end of the map.

Paganello, the beach tournament is famous (lives in infamy) in the ultimate community as a must-do before retiring from the sport. The tournament is frisbee-based but party-focused. Here's an image from inside the tourney tent, with the Paganello logo projected onto the ceiling:

Though I had run into the same Notre Dame/midwestern ultimate players from Rome on the Bologna train platform headed to Paga, I didn't get the feeling arriving in Rimini that frisbee had taken over the resort town. But before I got to my hotel, I found Fred, Atlanta resident and friend I'd tried to meet up with a couple days earlier in Rome. Becca, meanwhile, headed to Florence to see some of the Uffizi and other epic artwork/history/tourism there.

Fred and I drop off our bags and (after flirting with a couple Canadian womens players) head to the first night of tournament partying. The organizers start the weekend with complimentary pasta, wine, and fireworks. Here's a pic of the beach sky during the fireworks and a blur of the crowd mingling under the stars:

Some frisbee is played, some resting at the beach (between games) is done, and temporary tattoos are applied. Here's a small group of us chilling.

Then the parties ensue. We went big at the parties every night - starting dance parties and sometimes finishing them. At one of the Rimini clubs, there's a pretty helpful Alcohol-Tester. Ididn't bother using it cause we were walking everywhere, but glad to know its there.

Again, temporary tattoos are applied. To friends and strangers alike, at the beach, the hotel, and the bar(ge). We host an impromptu dance party in a city park, play more frisbee, have team dinners at restaurants and hotel terraces. And apply more DTB tattoos.

Friends are made, frisbee is played/watched, and eventually we're saying goodbye. Here's me, Becca, Terri, Max, and Tom at the grandstand area (we played one round there and watched some of the semis and finals, too) the last day.

We leave more tired than I can ever remember being. And though it may appear to be a seat, this is actually Becca resting on her suitcase in the train's aisle:

Phew.