Terzo Bacino, between the countryside and the lagoon

I come back every spring and then disappear again in the autumn. I’ve been doing it for years. I spend around seven months of the year here. That’s more or less 30 weeks: nearly 210 days. You might be surprised to hear it, but I see all sorts of things here.

There was a time when I didn’t see many people, just the odd farmer working in the fields and occasionally some tourists who’d got lost. I always used to wonder why so few people came here. The answer lay in the sea air that the wind blew in every morning and evening, but I didn’t think it was a good enough reason.

Ich bin die Erste, die stundenlang bewegungslos die Sonne genießt. Ich kann die Menschen, die auf der Suche nach Sand und Wellen aus der Stadt und entfernten Ländern kommen, gut verstehen. Aber Bibione ist nicht nur dort, man kann es auch hinter sich, hinter den Wohnungen, Geschäften und Restaurants finden.

No one likes basking in the sunshine for hours on end more than me. I realize that people come here from big cities and other countries in search of sun, sea and sand, but there’s more to Bibione than just that. Turn away from the beach for a second and look beyond the apartments, shops and restaurants.

There’s a whole world waiting to be explored in Bibione. There are sand dunes, pine woods, the countryside and the lagoon, which go side by side with each other here in Terzo Bacino. All of the migratory birds know how much it has to offer and so do the ones that stay here even after I’ve left. They open their wings and fly freely over farms or perch on posts and admire sweeping views that encompass expanses of brackish water and land that humans have reclaimed over the years.

Now photographers have started to appreciate the qualities of this area. From the river banks, they try to capture the beauty of the light reflecting at sunrise and sunset, or the looks on the faces of herons hovering over old fishermen’s huts. Nature lovers make the most of its simple, peaceful delights. It’s an easy-going place that helps people to unwind when they seek respite from the concrete jungle and endless hours in front of computer screens.

All you need to do is go over the bridge that joins Bibione – an island in the Adriatic – to the mainland and the rest of the world. Follow the little roads steeped in rural atmospheres of yesteryear. Stop by the sides of the fields, climb up onto the banks of the canals and watch the seemingly motionless water flowing along, or move on and explore other parts of the countryside and other spots on the coast.

This is a little world of its own. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s the perfect place for those who need a bit of peace and quiet in simple surroundings. You can take a break from the beach, go for a leisurely bike ride, lose yourself among its many humble delights, and see Bibione from a whole new perspective.

Here in Terzo Bacino the world seems to move at its own pace. It follows the cycles of the natural world, just like me. I flutter in the wind, soak up the sunlight, turn red and fall in the autumn, then burst back into life the following spring.