Manresa (Catalonia, España)
The valleys lie beneath a thick blanket of fog, with peaks jutting out like water lilies floating on a quiet pond. The setting sun bathes the sky in a spectacular display of pink hues. Leaning against the wall of our accommodation, letting my gaze drift through the window, I cannot tear myself away from this beauty. Gradually, fog, valleys, hills, and sky merge in the gently falling darkness. The last day of the year draws to a close.
Somewhere out there, on one of those hills, we hiked today. It was wonderful - the perfect ending to an eventful year. The drive was short, yet it took us almost half an hour. While the navigation system gave up on finding our destination, Google Maps reliably showed us the way: first out of the city, then along the highway, until we finally turned into the forest. The paved road winds through the trees and abruptly turns into a gravel path. Here begins the Serra de Gallcanta.
The following kilometers stretch like chewing gum. The path - let's better call it a trail - allows nothing faster than walking pace. Though generally passable, small bumps and potholes repeatedly force us to make careful detours. Finally, we reach our destination: a modest bay that marks the starting point of our hike.
The first part of our path leads through shady terrain; the sun hasn't yet climbed over the hill. In the few spots where its rays penetrate, we feel their pleasant warmth on our skin. At a fork in the road, we leave the wide main path and turn onto a narrow trail that leads steeply upward through dense pine forest.
The forest embraces us like a cool, fragrant blanket. Sunlight filters through the closely standing trunks in narrow strips, while our steps on the soft, red earth are almost soundless. The air is filled with the spicy aroma of pine trees and the muffled song of forest birds.
Suddenly, the forest clears. Trees and bushes recede, revealing a rocky platform. My heart leaps with joy as the horizon opens into infinite expanses. Where dense green had just blocked the view, a magnificent panorama now unfolds: gentle valleys undulate like green waves into the distance, crowned by the majestic peaks of Montserrat. On the other side, at an even greater distance, rise the snow-covered peaks of the Pyrenees, seeming to merge with the azure sky.
The cool forest air gives way to a fresh breeze that caresses my face. A feeling of freedom and awe flows through me as my gaze sweeps across the landscape. The confinement of the forest - and with it my inner confinement - falls from my shoulders. My thoughts wander as far as my gaze across this boundless expanse.
With each breath of the clear mountain air, the boundaries in my mind dissolve. What seemed like insurmountable walls below now appears small and conquerable from up here. The vastness of the landscape mirrors itself in my inner being, opening spaces I never knew existed. Where thoughts once circled endlessly, a soothing clarity now spreads.
Like the winding paths that snake through the valleys leading to ever-new horizons, unexpected ways and possibilities reveal themselves in my thoughts. I just need to give them space to unfold. The majestic tranquility up here teaches me that some things need time, while others - like the passing clouds in the sky - are merely temporary phenomena.
In this vastness, a deep truth reveals itself: Life holds more possibilities than the constrained view of everyday life suggests. The perspective from up here grants not only a new view of the landscape but also of myself. Here I feel with absolute certainty: We are on the right path.
We dive back into the green sea of pine trees, only to resurface again and again to catch another intoxicating glimpse of the ever-widening horizon. Like a dolphin playfully breaking through the boundary between water and air, we move between the shelter of the forest and the freedom of the view.
Each step on the springy forest floor anchors us in the present, while each deep breath of the clear mountain air gifts new vitality. In this interplay between diving in and surfacing, between grounding and weightlessness, we find a natural rhythm that carries us like a gentle current.
The forest releases us, and with it, the path widens into an inviting way where we can walk side by side again. The descent begins. While the dark pine trees and gnarled shrubs remain behind, the majestic Montserrat also fades on the horizon. Instead, we're welcomed by gently rolling landscape, across which brown fields stretch like an endless sea. On the northern horizon, the snow-covered pinnacles of the Pyrenees rise proudly and timelessly.
This boundless expanse acts like a gentle but powerful medicine - it dissolves every tension, every doubt, every little fear and replaces them with a tingling, vibrant joy. This lightness carries us like clouds throughout the entire descent, until we finally reach the small parking lot, where our car waits like a patient companion in the afternoon sun for our return.
The valleys lie beneath a thick blanket of fog, with peaks jutting out like water lilies floating on a quiet pond. The setting sun bathes the sky in a spectacular display of pink hues. Leaning against the wall of our accommodation, letting my gaze drift through the window, I cannot tear myself away from this beauty. Gradually, fog, valleys, hills, and sky merge in the gently falling darkness. The last day of the year draws to a close.
Somewhere out there, on one of those hills, we hiked today. It was wonderful - the perfect ending to an eventful year. The drive was short, yet it took us almost half an hour. While the navigation system gave up on finding our destination, Google Maps reliably showed us the way: first out of the city, then along the highway, until we finally turned into the forest. The paved road winds through the trees and abruptly turns into a gravel path. Here begins the Serra de Gallcanta.
The following kilometers stretch like chewing gum. The path - let's better call it a trail - allows nothing faster than walking pace. Though generally passable, small bumps and potholes repeatedly force us to make careful detours. Finally, we reach our destination: a modest bay that marks the starting point of our hike.
The first part of our path leads through shady terrain; the sun hasn't yet climbed over the hill. In the few spots where its rays penetrate, we feel their pleasant warmth on our skin. At a fork in the road, we leave the wide main path and turn onto a narrow trail that leads steeply upward through dense pine forest.
The forest embraces us like a cool, fragrant blanket. Sunlight filters through the closely standing trunks in narrow strips, while our steps on the soft, red earth are almost soundless. The air is filled with the spicy aroma of pine trees and the muffled song of forest birds.
Suddenly, the forest clears. Trees and bushes recede, revealing a rocky platform. My heart leaps with joy as the horizon opens into infinite expanses. Where dense green had just blocked the view, a magnificent panorama now unfolds: gentle valleys undulate like green waves into the distance, crowned by the majestic peaks of Montserrat. On the other side, at an even greater distance, rise the snow-covered peaks of the Pyrenees, seeming to merge with the azure sky.
The cool forest air gives way to a fresh breeze that caresses my face. A feeling of freedom and awe flows through me as my gaze sweeps across the landscape. The confinement of the forest - and with it my inner confinement - falls from my shoulders. My thoughts wander as far as my gaze across this boundless expanse.
With each breath of the clear mountain air, the boundaries in my mind dissolve. What seemed like insurmountable walls below now appears small and conquerable from up here. The vastness of the landscape mirrors itself in my inner being, opening spaces I never knew existed. Where thoughts once circled endlessly, a soothing clarity now spreads.
Like the winding paths that snake through the valleys leading to ever-new horizons, unexpected ways and possibilities reveal themselves in my thoughts. I just need to give them space to unfold. The majestic tranquility up here teaches me that some things need time, while others - like the passing clouds in the sky - are merely temporary phenomena.
In this vastness, a deep truth reveals itself: Life holds more possibilities than the constrained view of everyday life suggests. The perspective from up here grants not only a new view of the landscape but also of myself. Here I feel with absolute certainty: We are on the right path.
We dive back into the green sea of pine trees, only to resurface again and again to catch another intoxicating glimpse of the ever-widening horizon. Like a dolphin playfully breaking through the boundary between water and air, we move between the shelter of the forest and the freedom of the view.
Each step on the springy forest floor anchors us in the present, while each deep breath of the clear mountain air gifts new vitality. In this interplay between diving in and surfacing, between grounding and weightlessness, we find a natural rhythm that carries us like a gentle current.
The forest releases us, and with it, the path widens into an inviting way where we can walk side by side again. The descent begins. While the dark pine trees and gnarled shrubs remain behind, the majestic Montserrat also fades on the horizon. Instead, we're welcomed by gently rolling landscape, across which brown fields stretch like an endless sea. On the northern horizon, the snow-covered pinnacles of the Pyrenees rise proudly and timelessly.
This boundless expanse acts like a gentle but powerful medicine - it dissolves every tension, every doubt, every little fear and replaces them with a tingling, vibrant joy. This lightness carries us like clouds throughout the entire descent, until we finally reach the small parking lot, where our car waits like a patient companion in the afternoon sun for our return.