Forbidden Visitor

I imagined southern Spain would throng with sunshine and crowds. As my train blurred through fog-cloaked olive groves, with snow packed on the ground, I had to readjust.

In a thick coat and scarf, I wandered, almost alone, through one of Seville’s best known monuments, Real Alcázar. It felt as though winter had chased the world away and the palace, designed for so many, felt empty with so few.

Finally, a woman stepped into view, a tiny amber glow visible as she lit a candle, the whisper of a prayer on her breath.Then she stepped back, her arms by her sides…and posed for the camera.

Here again, reality challenged my illusions but showed me a different kind of beauty.

We never really travel alone.