Storm in Basilicata

The Old Man of the Sea was there.

When nothing happens, they all go to the beach and wait for something to happen. But, of course, nothing happens.

But when the spectacle is about to start, they say „fa brutto” (the weather is bad) and they run home, and they miss it. I don’t understand people.

Acquafredda is one of numerous tiny, pretty beaches squeezed between the rocks of Basilicata mountain and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Access is not easy: you need to negotiate several steep curves. I drove my minicamper near Acquafredda beach in late afternoon, when everyone was leaving. I wanted to pay for the overnight parking near the small restaurant, but the warden just said: no need. The storm is coming. We won’t be here tomorrow. Parking is free.

The evening, the night, and most of the next day I owned the beach, the rocks and the sea. The unimaginable spectacle took hours. I was sitting outside, then sitting in my camper, still watching. Every wave different. Then the roar of waves put me to sleep, and then it woke me up. Then I slept again, and woke up again many times.

There was just one spectator….. one?

I don’t remember when I noticed his presence. Just at some point near the dawn, I knew he was there.

He was casually sitting on a rock nearby, relaxed, watching the sea. He held a little stick in the hand which he must have found on the sand. Whenever a new wave was coming near his rock, he would playfully dip its tip in the water and try to capture some seaweed. I noticed the stick forked three-folds towards the end.

The sea obeyed him. Sometimes he would gently gesture with his head to the left or right, and the waves immediately grew stronger. Sometimes he would whistle and the storm responded with the roar of the wind. Then he laughed.

I approached and said respectfully: You made this amazing spectacle just for me. No one else is watching. What can I say. Thank you!

Oh, you, hey there - replied Nereus - Sorry I have not noticed you. I was just amusing myself, and those birds over there. I do it all the time, just normally no one is coming. We are not used to people.

Nice camper, by the way - he added.

Post Scriptum

• I think the Old Man of the Sea also said it you could click a little heart bottom left, in the case you don’t want something dark to pull your legs downwards next time you’re swimming in the ocean.

• I also made a video of that storm in Basilicata. One of those unimpressive videos where nothing happens, but it depends how you look.

• If you liked the storm, maybe you like the Fog, or the Waterfall that wasn’t.