Sand, Sea and Scorn
Holidaymakers on the beautiful beaches of the Italian island of Sardinia have given notice that nothing will be allowed to disturb their peace and quiet – especially not brash celebrities.
Flavio Briatore, the managing director of the Renault Formula 1 team and co-owner of an English football club, found this to his cost when he and his entourage tried to bring their dinghies ashore from his luxury yacht.
People having a restful afternoon on the Capriccioli beach were having none of it. Shouting ‘Shame, louts and go home!’ a group formed to meet the third dinghy, attempting to push it back out to sea. Water was thrown from hastily-filled children’s buckets, followed by wet sand bombs.
Briatore, who was in Sardinia to open a new restaurant, was outraged, saying: “We are nice people and we get treated like this. I will close down everything. I pay my taxes and this is my right.”
The Italian newspaper, La Stampa, saw this as the start of a fightback against celebrities flaunting their wealth on the country’s top beaches in front of ordinary cash-strapped Italians. The paper commented: “From north to south, the rebellion against those who show off their power and wealth is growing.”
by Andy Moreton
Luxique offers a selection of superb luxury hotels in Sardinia.
