Monocle Essay Examines Why Sea-Loving Italians Avoid Swimming in Lakes
In an opinion article for Monocle, Ed Stocker, the Europe editor based in Milan, explores the hesitation Italians have toward swimming in lakes, even as they cherish beach vacations. He points out that although lakes offer cooler evenings and are suitable for wading, Italians tend to favor hotel swimming pools, perceiving lakes primarily as tourist attractions. Stocker recounts a dialogue with photographer Alessandro, who, while relishing summers in the south, steers clear of lakes. He attributes this fear to alarming media reports, such as a drowning incident involving a German tourist in Lake Como. According to Rai data, drowning fatalities have remained steady at approximately 350 each year. A lunch at Lake Garda sparked a conversation about lake depths and erratic currents, leading Stocker to reflect on the rationale behind this apprehension.
Key facts
- Monocle published an opinion essay by Ed Stocker, its Milan-based Europe editor at large, on Italians' suspicion of lakes.
- Italians flock to beaches from Liguria to Puglia but are more reticent about swimming in lakes, often preferring hotel pools.
- Stocker's photographer friend Alessandro, raised outside Milan by southern Italian parents, refuses to swim in lakes without explanation.
- This summer, headlines reported a German tourist who waded into Lake Como at the village of Nesso and drowned.
- Rai reports drowning deaths have remained constant at about 350 per year for two decades, including sea, lakes and swimming pools.
- A lunch at a brother-in-law's family house overlooked Lake Garda, across from Salò, home of Mussolini's final holdout republic.
- An expert on Alpine glacial formations told Stocker that lakes get very deep very quickly and that cold deep water plus warm surface water causes unpredictable currents.
- Stocker notes further research suggests wind, not water temperature combinations, is the main driver of lake currents.
Entities
Artists
- Ed Stocker
- Alessandro
- George Clooney
- Benito Mussolini
Institutions
- Monocle
- Rai
- La Settimana Enigmistica
Locations
- Italy
- Liguria
- Puglia
- Milan
- South Tyrol
- Lake Como
- Nesso
- Lake Garda
- Salò
Sources
- Monocle —