One of the best walks of my life was the day I first visited the city of Úbeda, Spain, exactly two years ago today. I think I wrote about those first impressions in this very community, and although time has passed and many things have happened since then, experiencing this place in the world truly changed something within me. I was on tour with the choir I sing in, so we would be visiting many Spanish cities. It was also my first time traveling to another country, and while I can't deny that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, this corner of the world had a special mystique that I haven't found anywhere else.
At first glance, it seemed like a place forgotten by the world. The streets were empty, it was bitterly cold, and many trees were still recovering from winter. The ground was entirely cobblestone, and I think most of the shops were closed at that hour. But the most striking and important thing was the silence, not an uncomfortable silence, but one that conveyed a profound sense of peace. I didn't wait for my wife or my friends; they all had their own priorities, and all I knew was that it was my only afternoon there, and I needed to go for a walk to see as much of the city as possible.
When I went for a walk, the only people I encountered were my own coworkers. Many of them had also gone out to explore and photograph Úbeda that afternoon, but after a greeting, a photo, and a hug, I was still alone. Úbeda was an experience just for me; I decided not to share my walk with anyone, which was a bit risky because I still didn't have cell phone service. But the walk back to the hotel was enough to make me remember it... Oh! I just remembered that since Easter 2024 was approaching, we were separated into two hotels, as 100 people were too many additional tourists for those already staying there.
In the end, I did enjoy the whole experience. After my first solo walk to explore the area, and after spending so much time without any communication with my wife and friends, I decided to head back to the hotel to make sure everything was alright, plus I was getting hungry 😅 Luckily, we didn't have to waste time looking for lunch because I already had my eye on a pizzeria not far from our accommodation. So, I just changed the color of my stripes and went for a short walk with my friends, ostensibly to find lunch. Finally, we went back to the room to get our concert outfits and walk to the venue where we would perform. And, by the way, my wife and I took the longest route...
Just sitting down to write these words makes me relive every second of that afternoon, and although I enjoy every walk, whether here in Caracas or back in Spain, the peace of walking in a city where the noise seems nonexistent was like an unreal experience. These pictures perfectly capture what happened at that moment; there aren't any people in the photos, even though there were many tourists in the city. In fact, that concert that night was a sell-out. It definitely felt like stepping back in time to the Renaissance; the architecture spoke for itself ❤️
