“After enjoying several am-dram/country specific articles from Mum’s Gone To …… I click on one called Prima. Whooooah, wait a minute, I know that chap in the photo – what does that sign say, Son Amar – I’ve been there, done that. Off I go to root through an album of old, old photos and lo and behold there it was. Can you believe this, the same chappie. Only difference in the photos is the age of the recipients of the wine from El Porron. Even the neckline of the dresses are somewhat similar. My photo was taken around 1973 and I’m at least 18 years older than you (think I was around 23 or 24 at the time). But even at your young age you are much more controlled than I appear to be – I doubt if I could possibly have opened my mouth wider, I look as if I am making an attempt at an impression of the entrance to the Queensway Tunnel. Obviously I was a trainee lush in my younger days even before the trials and tribulations of this world wore me to a nubbin of my former self…..
Can you believe it? Sitting at virtually the same table in a huge restaurant, the sort where the tour companies organise bus trips to, probably only a few months apart, being served by the same chap (minus his cardi in Marion’s photo as it was probably the summer then), both of us happily knocking back the wine. Forty years later the beautiful woman in the second photo comes across the young girl from the first photo and that one moment is re-lived.
As Marion said for both of us, “My flabber was well and truly gasted”.
Note (added 5 July 2.30pm) – Have since worked out that we must have gone on this holiday in December 1972, not 1971, so have adjusted the post accordingly. Mum was reminding me today that my brother and I, nicely oiled with Spanish plonk and always happy to take centre stage, entertained everyone on the bus on the way back to the hotel, with a version of Chuck Berry’s ‘My Ding-a-Ling’. As this was a UK hit in November 1972, the date of our holiday could be settled once and for all.
I'm NOT going to say anything about it being a small world, but…isn't that one of the very best, most wonderful things about blogging? It's a little bit like the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon, only much, much better…
@MsCaroline – my first blogging coincidence occurred when I discovered that the blogger Expat Mum was my second cousin. We'd been commenting on each other's blogs before the connection was made on Facebook.
Some things are truly fated. What an amazing act of synchronicity!
@Steve – It's uncanny isn't it! I can't stop smiling when I look at the two photos.
Seeing the photos actually side by side on the screen, rather than one on the screen and one in my hand, was unbelievable. My flabber was even more gasted.
Marion
@Marion – I know,it's amazing! Mum is tickled pink and my brother was blown away too. All the memories have come flooding back. We've since found photos of both mum and dad drinking the wine too – my mother found it so easy to open her mouth wide and glug it down that the waiter was happily looking the other way!
Incredible! It's a small world, innit!
How spooky…but in a good vibe kind of way!
Wow! It is indeed a very very small world! Emma 🙂
This the best part of blogging – love this tale! Also great to see that some cultures really do know how to treat kids like Kings!
How uncanny! Loved the story! :o)