Pablo tunes his guitar, each smooth string pluck interspersed with a strike of the church’s bell. Noon on a sunny day in January spent sitting on a bench overlooking the sea, watching the world go by to a melodious guitar. I push up my sleeves and roll up my pants so that the sun warms my skin—it has never felt this good. I feel in a daze, drunk from the sun and Pablo’s intoxicating melodies that flow into each other. The present moment is vividly potent today and I observe the world with my whole being.
I cannot imagine living anywhere else on the planet right now, for this spectacular city of Gijón has captured my heart. Situated on the northern coast of Spain, it has an exhilarating combination of sea and mountains, blue and green. The city is just the right size, and within minutes of leaving my apartment, I’m at the sea. It feels so deliciously open and free when I look out across the bay and down the long curved strip of beach. I love the faint scent of eucalyptus trees, the ever-present group of surfers waiting for a wave, and the people who bathe in the sea every single day of the year. I even love the rain—this green isn’t free after all.
But most of all, I love the way that life is lived on the street. Today, like most Sundays, there is a continuous flow of people walking along the promenade above the beach, and I admire the beautiful ways they are dressed. Every so often, my attention is grabbed by the carefree children behind me who are riding scooters and bikes back and forth behind me. Their cheerful voices mix with the sound of the waves, guitar, and murmur of the conversations all around me. People of all ages are out and about, from baby to grandma. One woman pulls her dog in a cart behind her, its curious head peeking up to peer at the other dogs. Almost everyone has a companion.
I am enthralled.
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