Lipari
Not the tune of my life, but one which will stay with me..

On holiday in Liapri, part of the Aeolian Islands off the north coast of Sicily. The three weeks we had spent travelling round Sicily had been like a dream- ignoring the more touristy south, driving around the island anti-clockwise, and eventually winding up on the islands, They appear uninteresting from the ferry which gets you there, but even the towns still have a timeless appeal to them. You slow down, almost to a crawl, and just drink in the way life should be- long lunches of excellent food, beaches within a bus ride (most of the buses having at least one local who will be more than willing to tell you where to get off, which beach to go to, and which restaurant to eat at). Most of the beaches are stone, but you grab a sun bed and only suffer for the few feet you stagger until you are in some of the clearest water you'll ever see.

We got up early one morning (well, 9ish, but we were on holiday), and made it down from our B&B to the seafront leading into Lipari town. There was still a mist, which enveloped the masts of the boats in the bay, and dispersed the sunlight, muffling sounds and giving the impression that the rest of the town had yet to get up.

We set ourselves up on a table on a deck over the thin strip of beach, and I went into the café to order orange juice, coffee and croissants. Going out of the café, crossing the road, Stereophonics' "Maybe Tomorrow" followed me out, followed me to breakfast, and followed me on through the rest of the day.

I've never really got Stereophonics- a bit too mundane, derivative, unchallenging for my tastes. But that song always brings me back to that moment- my girlfriend waiting with the newspapers, us waiting for breakfast, in the warm sunlight and fast evaporating mist which encapsulated that morning.

Later in the day, we picked up a stone from the beach. oval and perfectly formed. It's here, next to me in the kitchen, and when I hold it I can still feel some of the warmth of the sun it once had.
(groover j lazerus, Wed 3 Feb 2010, 22:01, Reply)