Summer is nearly upon us, and with it come holidays at the beach – lying on the sand, walking along the ocean as the waves touch your feet surrounded by a light breeze and the sound of people laughing. Here and there some enterprising children and adults build sandcastles of varying complexity.

As with nearly all aspects of life in 2020, beach season on the Mediterranean could very well take on a rather different feeling, as countries such as Greece and Italy plan to contain the coronavirus over summer by containing tourists in plastic huts. While this is great news for refreshment vendors and graffiti artists alike – plenty of wall space for advertisements and artistic expression – lifeguards are more likely to be apprehensive: 40°C with nary a breeze to reach the interior of what amounts to a greenhouse will certainly do a number on even the toughest among us.