Day 285: Mini Memoir Take 2

I thought this morning about my memoir and was really not digging it.  I picked way too big of a topic for such a small piece.  After some thought, I returned to a previous idea.  I'd written part of it to a friend, so all I had to do was tweak it.  The class loved it.  They were quoting phrases that meant something to them.  If I win this contest, then I'll be a really happy girl.  Here is what I came up with:

Midnight Dip in the Mediterranean

Was it the abundant wine, late hour, or vast sea that made us abandon care?  We surrendered versions of ourselves that rarely escape.  Some removed constricting clothing.  Others seemed forgetful after wandering in with money belts still on.  We embraced the opportunity to be liberated. 

Sounds of simple pleasures filled our little piece of the beach.  Laughing, conversations, and the splash, splash of the skipping stones (or sometimes plunk) teased our ears.  Some people drifted off to sea, while others got to know hidden fragments of new friends.  Life is good.

Day 191: Driving in the Alps

Best Moments
1. Early morning walk in the Cinque Terre
2. Watching the men comb the beach and get ready for another day
3. Wondering if our bus was going to go off the cliff or not
4. Enjoying the view out the windows on our way to Switzerland
5. Excited about planning our paragliding adventure
6. Realizing that the Euro is not such a bad deal compared to expenses in Switzerland
7. Skipping the bathroom break to take pictures of the Alps
8. Picking up snow after being in the Mediterranean
9. Welcome drink(s)
10. Hotel room view
11. Fondue demonstration (and eating)
12. Getting in trouble (again)
13. Amazing mashed potatoes
14. Watching the cows parade down the street in the rain
15. Evening walk down to the next town and back
16. Seeing the waterfalls

Flickr Set of Images

Day 190: Hiking Through the Hills

Best Moments:
1. Having friends to share the journey with
2. Getting up early to go for a hike
3. Being kissed on the lips by an old Italian man walking by and wondering what just happened
4. Realizing that the hike was more than I anticipated, but so happy that I went
5. Getting done with the most challenging part of the hike in the beginning, and then going downhill afterwards
6. Listening to other travelers on the trail
7. Photographing the colorful villages
8. Enjoying pesto in the best place for it
9. Seeing a pug and getting to pet him even though the owner didn't speak English, I think there was an understanding
10. Taking the train and boat to see the villages
11. Gazing into the unreal, blue Mediterranean
12. Meeting on the beach with friends to have wine, focaccia, and an amazing pesto lasagna
13. Making the most of the evening by going to a concert in the old town
13. Watching people in their windows as they looked down on the concert

Flickr Set of Images

Day 189: Healing Meditteranean

Best Moments:
1. Escaping the city to see a typical Tuscan Town
2. Enjoying Tuscan wine
3. Getting some fresh air
4. Eating freshly caught seafood from the Mediterranean
5. Drinking a lot of wine at dinner and having a good time
6. Sharing inside jokes with friends
7. Going for what started to be a late night wade in the Mediterranean to a late night swim in the Mediterranean
8. Truly feeling like I was part of something
9. Skipping rocks in the Mediterranean
10. Realizing that I need to live closer to the ocean

Flickr Set of Images