israel

This is an account of my first trip to the Holy Land, in 2017. The idea was to take part in a real pilgrimage. I did not expect to find the faith for which I had been baptised, I just wanted to ‘see’ the places, the hieraticity, if that was possible, and to immerse myself in a cultural mosaic that I could not yet imagine. I visited Haifa, Nazareth, Tabor, Cana, Capernaum, Lake Tiberias in Galilee, Bethlehem, Jericho, Bethany and the banks of the Jordan River through the Occupied Territories, and finally, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The variety of stories, historical, cultural, and ideological content I encountered during my first experience in the Middle East led me to an irrepressible desire to write about it. Therefore, my first absolute travel notes were recorded in the religious hospices of this land, when we would retire to our rooms, or cells, in the evenings. Whether or not one believes in destiny, somehow this journey changed my life, aspirations and perceptions, inaugurating a chapter of existence that is still ongoing, made up of curiosity, learning, listening, questioning. I only transcribed the stop in Tel Aviv and Galilee. Perhaps I never adjusted the writings on the days in Palestine, because I believe they are more valuable left there, imperfect, instinctive, in the notebook. Or maybe I never touched them again because I felt the weight of responsibility. Maybe sooner or later I will.