James Blunt has hit out at a selfish boater who ruined his first post lockdown outing in a paradise cove – by anchoring right next to him.
The singer, 47, had found an idyllic spot for a family picnic on the sunshine island of Ibiza, where he lives, deliberately locating a deserted mooring.
Speaking on Alan Carr’s Life’s A Beach podcast, the father-of-two said: ‘I have a tiny, tiny little boat – one you can take out for picnics on, nothing flash.
Not impressed: James Blunt has hit out at a selfish boater who ruined his first post-lockdown outing in a paradise cove – by anchoring right next to him (pictured in 2019)
‘And I went out on the very first day we were allowed to take the boats out, and we were looking back at this empty island.
‘No-one on the beach. Two other boats went out the whole day on that first day. And we parked up and the sun was shining and we’re having a picnic and it was amazing.
‘And then after 40 minutes one of those other boats came up and dropped its anchor about three metres away from us!
‘You’ve got the whole of the Mediterranean empty, no-one here, and you come three metres away – “what are you doing?”‘
Although miffed at the intrusion, James added: ‘There is something very special about it being very quiet and going to empty bays, empty beaches.’
James also revealed he’s been loving ‘pandemic tourism’ – enjoying empty beaches and Venice’s famous Rialto Bridge all to himself – and watching the planet recover from pollution.
The singer was recently able to take a trip to Venice from his Ibizan home, because Spain and Italy set up a tourist travel corridor.
He said: ‘There are various restrictions going on throughout Europe, and I thought “you know what, now would be a great time to go to Venice because there will be no tourists there”.
‘A bit of pandemic tourism – get in while you can.
‘The very famous Rialto Bridge – you can step off the terrace into the Grand Canal so that a gondola can pick you up and drop you off back at your hotel room.
‘The amazing thing was the prices are cut down and there was no-one there. I was the only one on the Rialto Bridge.’
James also admitted that he’s been enjoying the absence of tourists in Ibiza because the sea looks cleaner and beaches are deserted.
Keeping busy: James, whose pub has had to close amid lockdowns, also joked that he’s been loving ‘pandemic tourism’ as it means usually busy spots have been quieter (pictured in 2019)
He said: ‘The planet needs a tiny bit of a rest from us travelling. Here in the water in Ibiza. I went out to the coast and to the harbour and you could see the bottom of the harbour.
‘I’ve been here 15 years and never seen the bottom and maybe to give the planet a little bit of a rest is no bad thing.’
Reflecting on past trips, James said his favourite place from all his tour travels around the world pre-pandemic is war-torn Lebanon.
He said: ‘Beirut is probably the best place to go in the whole planet. It’s such a melting pot of Muslim, Christian and Jew. It’s such an incredible mix of cultures.
‘They have become used to a bomb going off every few years, that has been devastating.
‘But because you know that bomb may go off at any time, they’re very much alive for today. That sense of vibrancy and living for the moment gives them a very special character.’
James told Alan that he moved to the island because of his love of nightclubs – even opening his own called Blunties at the bottom of his garden.
He explained how there’s a ‘big neon sign’ and a mannequin called ‘Svetlana’ who mans the door, with podcast host Alan saying he’ll have to come for a drink one day.
In February, it was revealed that James will be reunited with his prized ‘family heirlooms’ after police arrested the thieves suspected of ransacking his Ibiza villa.
The You’re Beautiful singer revealed in January that burglars swiped a bayonet from his time serving in the Kosovo war and a watch that had belonged to his grandfather.
After revealing the January 14 break-in at the property, which he bought for just under £2million in 2006, he also joked: ‘They also took all my T-shirts and shirts, so they must not have a very good sense of style since I am not known for mine.’
Police on the Spanish holiday island confirmed they had arrested two Romanian brothers as part of an operation codenamed ‘Second’.
Detectives said they believed the pair and a number of suspected accomplices still on the run were behind a dozen burglaries of mansions in Ibiza.
They also confirmed that they had recovered valuables worth more than £250,000 including sculptures, paintings, fine wines, champagne and jewellery as well as a weapon thought to be the bayonet James was referring to.
Good news: In February, it was revealed that James will be reunited with his prized ‘family heirlooms’ after police arrested the thieves suspected of ransacking his Ibiza villa