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Sunday 29 June 2008

One of the most beautiful places on this earth

I'm talking about Ibiza. Yes Ibiza!

Now - this is not the Ibiza that throbs with young people and nightlife, but the Ibiza where James Blunt has a very grand villa to carry out his songwriting; where artists, writers and film stars seem to pop up on street corners and where time stands still. It's one of the best kept secrets of the Mediterranean - and one which is shared by a relatively few people (I know, because we meet them every year in the same place!).

We always go for the same two weeks in August each year. Two years ago the entire extended family all went together and we had a fantastic time. (The kids hired out a car and went clubbing every night, totally missing the point of the beautiful location.) My mum came with us: it was only three months before she died. I'll never forget our mornings drinking coffee and trying to complete the cryptic crossword in this heavenly place. The memories are very precious and I'm so glad that she spent her last holiday on this earth in such a lovely place, and that she didn't know she had cancer then.

There is an exquisite fragrance in the air in Ibiza, which I wish I could bottle. It's the smell of fresh pine trees, mixed with lemon, and just breathing in the warm fragrance, whilst soft, warm, white sand slips between your toes is absolute heaven on earth.

My favourite place is sitting on the edge of the waterwith a good book, gentle waves lapping around my legs. I can sit there for hours, just listening to the rustle of the breeze in the pine trees behind me, and breathing in that lovely smell. Rob likes snorkelling and is also a qualified scuba diver, so I just sit on the edge of the water, drinking Sangria and reading my book with one eye and watching him with the other.

(We won't talk about the sand - but suffice it to say that each session sitting on the edge of the waves necessitates a brisk swim in deeper water!)

Last year, Rob and I went alone for the first time and had a very lazy holiday indeed. Lazier than any holiday we had ever been on before. Looking back - that holiday was a watershed in my life. It represents the transition from my old life to my new one, which is very different. It was the Saturday before we departed for our holiday that I bought Jane's 'Wannabe a Writer?' from Waterstones, and it was when I got back that I decided to come out of the writing closet after nearly thirty years of secret writing.

This year my holiday will be subtly different. I can't wait. This year I will be a writer in Ibiza and I somehow think some of my summer reading on the edge of the waves will be replaced by summer writing.

If I were to win the lottery, I'd buy a villa in Ibiza and invite all my lovely blogging friends to join me for a writerly holiday.

It really is a fantastic place and I can recommend it for a lazy holiday.

7 comments:

Denise said...

What a lovely description, I feel relaxed just having read that. I had my first ever lazy holiday 2 years ago and wished I'd discovered them sooner! Just watching the world drift by in a beautiful location is one of the best things in the world.

Lane Mathias said...

What a fab post Annie. When we're all a bit loaded, it sounds like the perfect place to hold our annual get together!

What a difference a year makes. We're so proud of you Annie:-) x

HelenMWalters said...

Sounds fantastic. Yey for that annual get together!

DAB said...

Oh can we have a barbie on the beach? I can come can't I? PLEASE I'll be ever so good. I'll do all the cooking. (TF, what U go and say that for, you can't cook! I'm a quick learner ;-) TFX

Anonymous said...

It's great to find a location you really enjoy and go back to every year. For me it's the Canaries, and I'll be going again in November.

Well done for coming out of your shell and becoming a writer. We should all take a leaf from your book!

Karen said...

What a fantastic recommendation! My friend's mum and dad holiday there too, and can't praise it highly enough. It might be time to get over my fear of travelling :o)

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Oh it sounds like utter bliss. I've never been but now I certainly want to go there. I loved that you had such a wonderful holiday with your mum just before she died, that is so precious.

Hope you have a great time this year and happy writing.

PS hope too that you win the lottery and I can come over and stay.