Greeting the sunrise, smartphone in hand, has evolved from a weekly to a daily ritual for Jeff Salviola. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
Here Comes the Sun related stories:
Stories of finding inspiration along the shore
‘East Coast Sunrise Group’ meets to greet dawn at Oceanfront Park
Picture-perfect setting for couple to announce engagement
A first-time visit lifted her spirits
By Rich Pollack
Stroll along the beach in Delray before the sun comes up just about any morning and you’re likely to see Jeff Salviola perched in his beach chair, just a few hundred yards south of Atlantic Avenue, anticipating another spectacular sunrise.
A frequent Sunday visitor to the beach for many years, Salviola started making everyday treks to the seashore soon after the start of the pandemic.
“Now it’s a daily ritual,” he says. “It’s kind of a habit.”
An early riser who has worked in the restaurant business for most of his adult life, Salviola says that watching the sunrise is the perfect way to welcome a new day.
“I like the brightness and the colors that start the day,” he says. “You get the feeling it’s OK now and that it’s going to be a good day.”
For a few years now Salviola has been sharing the beauty he sees in the sunrise with others online, posting photos on Instagram under the moniker of Jeffflorida.
His photos can vary from ordinary to extraordinary.
“Every sunrise is different,” he says, explaining that the formation and shifting of clouds add a bit of mystery.
Over his many days peering out east over the Atlantic Ocean, Salviola has come to expect the unexpected.
“You always wonder, ‘What’s it going to be like today,’” he says.
While the sunrise is the magnet drawing him to the water’s edge, Salviola says it’s also the peacefulness that comes with being by the ocean and the wonders of nature that keep him coming back.
“I just like to sit and listen to the waves,” he says, surveying the ocean and sky not long after watching a pod of dolphins glide through the water.
Comments