Two different Isola del Giglio(s)

Isola del Giglio 2008

I am still on my break in the U.S., and it is always a little strange to hear news about Italy (let's face it, my defacto home) when I am outside of the country. And the news and images these days from Isola del Giglio, a tiny island of the coast of Tuscany, have been a bit mind-blowing. 

I know the island pretty well after a long weekend of some rather posh camping and boating along its shores. In fact, that I dared call it a "camping" trip made some of my outdoorsy friends huff when they saw the pictures. 

Camp site among palm trees

Breakfast at the camp site cafe

Boating around the Island

Swimming in turquoise water

In this light, it is an absolute non sequitur to think of that calm beautiful little island as the scene of a major cruise ship accident... It is so odd in fact to reconcile the two that, instinctively, I just want to close my eyes, and preserve my own memories of Isola del Giglio: a serene, sparkling, inviting little island where three years ago a group of friends and I enjoyed a holiday weekend. 

If it is strange and difficult for me to see the pictures in the news, I can only imagine what it is like for the family and friends of those who lost loved ones. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those people.