Having the time of my life
Last Friday morning, in a hotel room in Greece, I switched on the TV. You can guess what was on – wall to wall stories covering the demise of the King of Pop (TM). One of the many talking heads dragged out for the occasion happened to mention that the great thing about music is how it defines those ’special moments’ that you will never forget and how, of course, Michael Jackson provided those moments for many people.
Sadly, although I like his music, Michael Jackson has largely failed to supply me with any personal ’special moments’. Happily though, another group created a ’special moment’ for me that very same day.
We had decided to go on a cruise around some of the Ionian islands associated with the Onassis family (as recommended by Planet Mondo). The morning started off bright and sunny, all was picture perfect as we smoothly glided through the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean. ‘This is the life’ people said to each other with big, stupid grins on their faces.
Mid-morning though things started to change: the wind picked up, dark clouds started to loom ominously in the distance and the boat began to sway. By the time we were scheduled to leave our final destination, a lunch stop in Nydri, Lefkada, the sky was dark and it had started to spit. We all hurried back to the boat looking nervously upwards.
Back onboard, the cheery staff decided that what we all clearly needed to buck us up was a blast of the world’s real favourite superstars, ABBA. So with astonishingly well co-ordinated timing, someone hit play on the CD player and ‘Dancing Queen’ burst out mid-song with Frida and Agnetha singing ‘having the time of your life’ precisely at the same time that the heavens opened - thunder crashed, lightning cracked, the boat lurched viciously, people clutched their stomachs, children cried, torrential rain poured, everyone got drenched and a boatload of holiday making Brits, Germans and Swedes failed to be amused.
And as we all sat there with towels wrapped around us, shivering as fresh blasts of rain attacked us all the way home, everyone gritted their teeth, glared silently into space and enjoyed the comforting sounds of a careful selection of ABBA’s most inappropriately chirpy numbers. It was a moment.
But other than that, the holiday was great.
Tags: holiday snaps
June 30th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Glad you had a fine ol’ time Cocktails did you see much of the island? Or do the jumping off the back of the boat bit, by Onassis Island? (and is that the trip where you navigate into the cave German subs used to hide in) Weather looks thunderous..
I’d forgotten Nydri and Lefkada *drifts off into daydreaming*
June 30th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
I wondered why you’d been so quiet. Well, boat hell aside, sounds like you had a wonderful time.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Didn’t get to see much of Lefkada PM, as the weather wasn’t quite encouraging it – same reason we didn’t do the swim off Skorpios. It takes a lot to get me into the water at the best of times, so approaching grey clouds weren’t going to help the situation!
We also went on a trip around Ithaca which was a lot nicer, weather wise, and very very pretty. Also took your advice and avoided the famous beach – got a nice view of it from above though and that’s all we needed. Fab place though, would go back….
June 30th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Know what you mean about Jacko… whilst there’s no doubt the fella has constantly been ‘around’ most of my music listening life, he’s not done anything that changed my life (although I will always remember the Brits performance! but that’s more for dear ol Jarvis!).
Glad you had a good time, bar the downpour… one to laugh about.. one day!
P
June 30th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Piley, I do like Michael Jackson and his music has been there throughout my life, but I can’t even say that I was particularly devastated by his death (it’s not like Kurt Cobain, someone who could go on to greater things). Cynically speaking, dying was probably the next big career move Jacko could make. Jarvis is on Newsnight on Thursday – to add a frission to the inevitable MJ discussions no doubt.