For the time being, there are no footprints left by the swimmers or the lifeguards coming down from their tower. However, this silence and stillness tell us that the performance is about to begin again. The picture is still incomplete, like a painting waiting for the last few brush strokes. This is a portrait of expectation. A bird rests here momentarily but, in the blink of an eye, almost without us realising, it will soar across the immaculate sky.

This flapping of wings will merge with the buzz of the first swimmers, people who have come from near and far, all drawn by the need to absorb this calm on Anfi beach. Two dikes protect the sand with their stone embrace. A small island stretches off along the southern coast, boasting a garden and its own chill-out zone, separated from the promenade by a canal. From here, you feel even closer to the sea’s energy, and you can make out the small marina. The tiny island forms the shape of a heart, and its heartbeat is getting stronger.

This photo is about to become a film, starring children jumping from the slides on the back of the pedalos, swimmers, boats that come and go from the dock, the bustle of kayaks and paddle surf boards, groups of scuba divers or snorkellers who will briefly descend into the life below the sea with seabream, headstanders or trumpet fish that play their silent underwater melody.

The palm trees point skyward and also lead the way to the central square, home to shops, terraces and hotels. Everything moves. Faces light up among volunteers and happy beach shipwreck survivors. However, the peace on Anfi beach remains intact, anchored inside us.