Joan Manuel Serrat - "Mediterráneo"
"cada lunes Flamenco" read the sandwich board sign outside the little restaurant in the little town we stayed in on Formentera. Swirled around the words, a woman in a red dress danced, arms above her head, foot held in mid-stamp.
So that lunes we stopped in, had a bite to eat and a drink, and waited for the flamenco to start. There was no lady in a red dress, or even dancing, but there were three men, bearded and sun-browned, playing guitar and singing all the Spanish classics, to the delight of the assembled locals and visitors.
We stayed, hung by the bar, had a second then third drink, and listened. One of the songs they played was a version of this, Joan Manuel Serrat's love song-cum-mea culpa to the sea he grew up near. "What can I do?" he asks, confessing he has the soul of a sailor. "I was born on the Mediterranean."
The song was already in heavy rotation on the playlist we'd made specifically for rambling around the island, so hearing it live only added to its magic. The perfect song for wanderers who appreciate life's savage beauties.
