The mobile purred. A sleepy finger reached out and pressed answer.
“Thought I’d phone in this week’s postcard from afar.”
“Lee, I can barely hear you. You sound like you’re croaking it in a drainpipe.”
“Only line in town, boss.”
“Only time for one take, even then we’ll barely make the deadline. Gimme a second to start the recorder.”
A pause.
“Okay, Lee. 1-2-3-go.”
“I’m calling from a fire-engine red telephone booth. With ocean views. Mirror blue sea as far as the eye can see. Capped by iced-cream waves lapping at the shore.
My backdrop is soaring granite-walled mountains that fill the horizon, capped with marbled white snow all year around.
Beyond the phone booth, between me and the sea is a stone-edged jetty where the fishing dinghies tie up of a night. Full to the gunwales with today’s catch of slapping fish glistening in the sunset.
But this paradise is totally isolated. No satellite. No internet. Just a solitary phone booth overlooking the sea.
When I told the locals, I was a travel blogger, they bought me drinks at the local while falling about laughing. When I convinced them, they were most helpful. They directed my now lightened steps to this phone booth.
But not before opening up the markets just for me. A special evening session. Fish arrayed in booths: smoked, seared and sealed. Garnished by plates of the gathered local cuisine. I could share the recipes but that would save you the effort of making the trip. Beautifully locally brewed beers and wine to die for. And for dessert : marshmallows toasted on a stick and smeared with sweet cream.
‘Marvellous,’ I said. And told the locals of my predicament. And my decision. And again they were most kind and hospitable.
I thought of writing in this episode but the stamps and postmark would give the location away. Even if I crossed out the return address. No postcards either. Same reason.
Sorry about that.
You’ll have to make you own when you get here. If you can find me.
No holiday snaps. So no selfies either. Even if they had mobile reception: which they don’t.
Otherwise you’d geolocate me and this place would be filled with tourists crowding the locals out. Sorry about that.
So here I am, final tourist in town, pockets full of change, phoning in this poddy. This is Lee, signing off for now. And forever.”
