Over the last couple of summers, the beloved Italian tradition of feasting on the beach has become a source of tension. Locals have noticed that a growing number of beach clubs on the Apulian coast around Bari, a stronghold of seaside picnics, have started banning people from coming in with food. In a country where for many people, lunch and the beach are the summer’s often inextricable protagonists, the new directives caused a stir. By law, no one can bar Italians from bringing their own food to beaches — which are all public, while resorts only provide a service on them. But because the clubs operate under such a peculiar legal arrangement, some owners have taken to enforcing what are generally the unwritten rules about eating out, which include not bringing your own food.
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