If someone asked me [and sadly they don’t, so I ask myself], when and where were you happiest, I think there are parts of 2006 that would take some beating – for both of us.
It was the year of our civil ceremony and it was the year we swapped homes with people in San Francisco and spent the whole of our summer in west USA.
The Castro, perhaps, was Tony’s favourite place on earth – a year before an air steward greeted us as we landed in San Francisco for the first time with the words ‘Welcome home’.
But in those 5 beautiful weeks, we also took a plane to Hawaii – and it was there, that I think we both truly found heaven. We stayed on Oahu, not necessarily the most geologically exciting of the islands or, perhaps, the most peaceful – but here, everything seemed to give us both a sensation of sustained peace and happiness [no drugs were involved – I promise].
James and Tony in Hawaii with lei
Strangely, perhaps, one of the most joyous moments was just before our flight back to mainland USA, when at the airport we were greeted by a band of hula dancing old-ladies dressed in pretty Hawaiian dresses and with flowers in their hair. As they danced and smiled, accompanied by a band playing Hawaiian guitars, we felt genuinely touched and loved as we had for the whole holiday by the people of the island.
I have it on video – watched it this afternoon – Tony was so enchanted by the old ladies dancing their touching farewell to island visitors, that he had pointed his camera at it.
At one, wonderful, very Tony moment, another tourist/traveller [a little Japanese woman] steps in front of Tony’s camera – to be fair, we had encountered a lot of little Japanese women on Oahu, most of whom seemed habitually oblivious to anybody but themselves – and Tony, being my lovely, lovely Tony can be head on camera saying
‘Oh for f***’s sake !’
A magic and funny moment -bit like a ferrero rocher, only less fattening and like all good memories, one that can last forever [helped by the good fortune to be able to point a camera at it !].
Tony FOREVER ! 