Like most young men, I've done some pretty whacky things in my time. Being an Art Student for five years certainly helped.
I started thinking about my 'best times' a few days ago, and several things went through my mind. Encounters with famous people, last minute decisions to fly off to Paris and elsewhere, and my (unsuccessful) rowing exploits being amongst the favourites.
But I was looking for something that I'd classify as the MOST fun, AND the most memorable.
In about1985, my oldest (Kimbo) and I went off to Kos for a 2-week beach holiday. We stayed in a quiet, rather eccentric 'hotel', and ate at beachside tavernas; exactly what one does on small Greek islands. Sea, Sun, and Squid during the daytimes, and Moussaka, Retsina and Sleep in the evenings. The perfect way to unwind away from the tedium of everyday life elsewhere.
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One evening we took a private boat ride out to a tiny island for a BBQ; I think there were about 8 of us in all. We swam in crystal clear waters, dined on roasted Lamb, and returned to the 'mainland' in pitch dark and choppy waters. A rather attractive young lady clung on to my knee throughout the return journey; she explained that there was nothing else for her to hold on to (ahem).
It was one of those magical evenings that can never be repeated. I've been to plenty of wonderful evening village dances, BBQs, and parties, but nothing compares to that very special (and almost exclusive) evening spent on an exquisite sandy cove on a miniscule island in the Aegean Sea. The scenery, the swimming, the food, the slight danger, and the cool scented night air, were the making of a totally memorable evening.
I don't suppose I'll do anything like that again. A dodgy back, dodgy hips, dodgy legs, and a dodgy knee, all suggest that my pleasures will, in future, be taken closer to home.
You've mentioned Kos many times and now I can see why it is such a wonderful memory. Your description really takes me back to when it was so magical. We have visitors at the moment. They've all been here before but keep on coming back .
ReplyDeleteI loved it there. Back in those days such places were exactly as one imagined them to be, and that little trip I mention was as perfect as it could have been.
DeleteThat is certainly a good memory to hold onto.
ReplyDeleteIt possibly sounds quite an ordinary event, but for me it was wonderful.
DeleteLovely. Of course it could have been Sea, Sun and Sex rather than Sea, Sun and Squid by the sound of it. Yes, there comes a time when you realise there are places in the world you want to see but know you won't. But how good to have the internet and be able to read the experiences of others.
ReplyDeleteWe can now be anywhere we want within the click of a button.
DeleteI too have good memories of Kos Rhodes and Corfu. The only times I have been out of England. This was early 90's .I am about your age so I know I won't be going again. My much younger sister goes back time and again.
ReplyDeleteThose islands were so exciting and perfect. These days I believe Kos is full of refugees.
DeleteI remember one particular moonlit night on the island of Hydra. In a taverna after the food service had ended, there were about fifteen of us from all corners of the globe. We danced in a ring with arms around each other singing Patti Smith's:-
ReplyDeleteBecause the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us
Oh how we laughed, far away from our homes, happy to be alive and later we went back to the beach to sleep in our sleeping bags until dawn before plunging into that clear blue sea.
Sounds wonderful. People just slept on the beach in those days. I'm not sure they do that any more.
DeleteSounds magical, and will get all of us thinking what are our magic moments
ReplyDeleteThe most fun out & about, a moment so special I'd like to go back...sitting alone in the New Mexico wilderness eating an orange, dappled sunlight, textures, shapes, and feeling the overwhelming delight nobody in the world knows where I am. Eventually...need to get back on the correct trail before I get lost.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest goes to Mexico a lot. I've not been. I think these days one has to be cautious, as kidnapping has become popular.
DeleteA month island hopping with my husband and toddler son in the Caribbean made for good fun and adventure.
ReplyDeleteI only know Grand Cayman, but I can imagine what fun that was.
DeleteEngland. Spending time with my daughter, who I'd not seen in three years, getting to know my son-in-law...it was so perfect. The perfect mix of ordinary time and extraordinary day trips.
ReplyDeleteMeeting up with family, or old friends, after a long absence can be wonderful.
DeleteI am sure a very young Kimbo would have enjoyed it as well.
ReplyDeleteHe loved it regardless of some nasty sunburn. I was an irresponsible father.
DeleteThe most fun I ever had, oddly enough, was my years in the shoe factory. Great job, great people. Happiest nine years of my life.
ReplyDeleteA shoe factory doesn't sound like a bundle of fun, but anything or anywhere can be if the atmosphere is right.
DeleteHaving coffee on the beach in a tiny cove on Oahua - the roar of the waves and fresh breeze from the ocean in the early morning - a magic moment that stays with me.
ReplyDeleteOMG, just heard about Queen Elizabeth...
ReplyDelete