I like to be beside the sea...
HOLIDAYS...When I was little summer holidays meant spending a month at my uncle's.
A tiny Algerian seaside village called Collo.
We kids got up at 8am, three hours after the adults brought fresh Mediterranean sardines, still wriggling back from the quayside.
Our uncle, who owned a garage on the ground floor inflated our tractor inner tube-cum-giant floating ring and we rolled it the 500 yards or so to the beach!
"La baie des jeunes filles!" The Young Ladies Bay!
The whole morning was spent climbing on the "ring" and then diving off it, showing off in front of the "jeunes filles", picking sea urchins or hopelessly chasing tiny fish along the beach!
Midday was sardine time! A charcoal grill and a queue of hungry mouths, empty plates at the ready ... A squeeze of lemon, handful of spring onions and a half a French baguette!
Siesta was not for us kids! Siesta time meant a quiet beach and yet more games...
Our five o'clock milky coffee, chocolate bar and more bread filled us up for the quayside walk and more "jeunes filles" ogling!
Dinner was followed by a visit to the open air cinema and a huge cornet of lemon sorbet or a massive slice of watermelon...
Bed by midnight, asleep within minutes... in the knowledge that tomorrow would be the same as today!
Nowadays, a good book, a bottle of wine, an easy crossword and the memories of a well spent youth!
What was or still is your favourite holiday, holiday destination or holiday activity?
I screamed and guess what?
15 Comments:
my early childhood weekends and summers were spent at our little summer house, with my cousin and a neighbor. together we would ride around on our bikes terrorising the entire village, climbing trees... even climbing fences into other peoples' yards.... we were bad little kids. evenings were spent by a huge campfire out in the street with my granparents and my aunts family where we would bake potatoes right in the fire.
my favorite passtime was chasing my OLDER BOY cousin with a caterpiller and making him squil like a prissy little girl! oh i STILL remind him of it!
At my grandparents' home, with tons of other cousins, running wild and free. Catching fish. Climbing trees. Teasing people. Chasing my grandma's fowls.
Oh, at 5 pm we had that milky coffee and thick chunky bread [with butter] too.
Your youth sounded wonderful, Cream. The beauty of having a big family...siblings, cousins...
The pace of life is so incredibly frenzied, I look forward to relaxing in my own home with my family. This summer, instead of taking a trip, we bought season passes to our local amusement/water park. I have masses of pictures in the archives on my family blog,
imthedad.blogspot.com
It's still got to be sailing away to somewhere remote every new years eve and feeling like we have the world to ourselves.
At my grandparents. It was in rather poor part of town but with lots of grass, old train rails. We (me and my sister) were riding bikes, playing badminton, dinners under the pear-tree. Everything was perfect those days. The place is ruined now and yet more poor but the feelings are strong.
Thanks for your comment on my blog, Cream :)
I was lucky enough to grow up not far from the sea in Dorset, so I remember sitting, often in the cold, looking wistfully at others whose parents hired windbreakers. Burying my sister in the sand, or being buried by my mum, and never getting all the grains of sand out of those 'awkward' places. Braving the sea and teasing my sister that fish were going to snap her feet if she kept them on the bottom. Wandering off and getting lost, having lifeguards combing the beach for me. Collecting razor shells with mum, looking for ones that were still intact. Looking forward to the one ice-cream of the day, preferably the plastic cone with a ball of bubblegum at the bottom.
I really think that a happy childhood is the answer for a better world!
Most of us here remember having a great time without expensive toys. Just great experiences!
GG, my youth was amazing because of the extended family! Lots of uncles, aunties, cousins, grandparents, great uncles and aunts... A whale of a time!
All our summer holidays were spent either at home, or with relatives, especially aunts. Now I'm aunt to 10 but no-one comes to stay... they go off on expensive holidays abroad instead.
And I forgot to say - I like the picture!
Yeah, well Caro! They don't know what they're missing! The picture is another attempt with Painter.
L'oiseau, your blog is great! The translation tool gives some funny French turns of phrases.
Hobbes, next time you have a staff party we are all coming!
Back when I was a kid I would spend at least a month every year up north in our family's farm. Playing around the woods, swimming in the river, even doing some country work for fun (not like chores).
Nowadays it depends both on how much time and how much money we have available. We love going to new places but we also enjoy going back to familiar places, sometimes nearby. Activities? Whatever we can, ranging from rollerblading or snowboard to diving or simply shooting some pool.
DC, isn't it funny but all of us seem to have enjoyed simple holidays surrounded by relatives?
I really believe that this is what today's youth needs: some nurturing without the need for too many luxuries. None of us remember whether we got expensive holidays or toys. As I said above it is all about great experiences.
I am too old for rollerblading and snowboarding!
Pool, I don't mind!
Hahaha, I'm now seeing the pic., she with the water thingies...hahaha...
I totally enjoyed reading about everybody's childhood...isn't it amazing how kids don't need expensive stuff to have fun? Just each other, and caring grown ups.
Eid Mubarak to your family in Algeria, Cream...if they celebrate.
Thank you very much, GG! I rang them today to wish them a Eid Mubarak. You have got it right, you clever thing! Yes today is Eid in Algeria. For other countries it is tomorrow.
I fasted the whole month of Ramadan but I am a bit of cheat because I am not religious. It is one way to detox and lay off the wine for 30 days.
The picture is a pastiche of Karen on holiday. She growled when she saw it! If she knew it was for all the world to see, she'd smash my kneecaps!
I honestly thought it was just Guyana celebrating tomorrow, everywhere else is Thursday.
Tell Karen she looks lovely. Tell her the whole world saw it, I want to hear about her reaction hahaha...
Post a Comment
<< Home