If I could choose a second home on the planet, it would be A Coruña.
I first came here in 2024 for two weeks. This time, I stayed for almost a month, living on the waterfront and surrounded by friends.
March and April had been emotionally difficult months, so when my visa was finally issued, I tried to leave for as long as possible: to be close to loved ones, check how they were doing, hug them… and at the same time, be alone. In my opinion, this place is perfect for solitude in a good sense. When you need to go through a difficult stage, hear your own thoughts, and find inner quiet.
I walked down to the ocean almost every evening, never missing a single moment. I watched the waves. I climbed up to the Tower of Hercules, wandered through the tall grass.
It seems to me that the city itself has some kind of healing power. Perhaps it’s the clean air and the ocean, literally just a few steps away. Or maybe the place simply has a special attraction. Could that be possible? I don’t know for sure. But it feels as if the universe has fenced off this spot and gifted it with qualities invisible to the naked eye.
Having stayed here for a while, I developed my own morning rituals: I knew exactly where I wanted to go for coffee, where to have breakfast, and what to do during the day.
I stayed with Natasha. My beloved Natasha. A dear person, more than a friend; a small, yet truly second family. With her, you can laugh, cry, laugh again, talk late into the night about the strangest topics, light scented candles, reminisce, and dream about the future. Go to the beach, drink non-alcoholic beer in the evening or, if the mood strikes, a glass of white wine at dinner, feasting on paella almost the size of an elephant.
Natasha planned a route for me around Galicia, which I followed. It was here that I had my first experience with yoga: she signed me up for classes, and I went with her. All the lessons were in Spanish, which made them especially colorful. I even remembered a few phrases. And I realized that working with your own body weight is much harder than lifting weights in the gym. I had never sweated so much before.
One of my favorite places in A Coruña is the MOP Foundation. I love the space itself and the café by the port. It’s incredibly beautiful and harmonious: turning a former industrial port area into a museum and exhibition space.
Aidar. My beloved Aidar (and Louisha, our little black pug). Another reason I love this place. If the world allows you to have one best friend, it is definitely him. We have been together for many years, though several of those years were spent apart. Thousands of kilometers separate us, but one call can fill me with happiness. Here we walked with Louisha along the promenade in the evenings, like in the old days, only now with new views. We drank wine, had breakfast at EL PUNTO.
When I was alone, I went on long walks and explored new spaces I had never been to before. That’s how I discovered the Fine Arts Museum, and I also revisited my favorite Castle of San Antón. It has an underground reservoir where I threw a coin a year ago, wishing to return. And when I came back, I went there to say that my dream had come true.
How I wish I could be there right now.