#Monomad Challenge - Longing for the sea

Good evening , #Monomad friends

Here is my entry for the #monomad contest by @brumest and @monochromes.

A source of inspiration for many artists. A place of retreat for many more. A source of pleasure and relaxation for those on vacation or simply enjoying their free time. An outdoor gym for those who like to take a deep breath...

All these descriptions are synonymous, and there are many more.

Just the other day, I was talking to a close friend about how I hadn’t spent a single day—or even part of a day—at the beach yet this year. I live very close to the coastline, and I’m less than a half-hour drive from the nearest beach.

I don’t know how I let so much time slip by… But it’s a fact. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. And as for the sea, just a mirage in the distance when I drive along the coastal highway.

There’s no rational reason. Or maybe there is. But there shouldn’t be.

A source of inner peace, at no cost, a place to recharge the soul’s batteries. It serves the same purpose as the holiest of cathedrals that stand in the largest cities.

Is there a greater and more natural sanctuary than nature itself—and, in this particular case, a beach?

I doubt it.

And with this longing, this melancholy, today, July 18, I searched through the photo archive I still have, looking for some pictures from my last trip to the beach...

I’m talking about December of last year... It was on a sunny winter day when I went for a walk near Ericeira, where I spent a few brief minutes in silence, alone with my thoughts.

Satisfaction is guaranteed for anyone who seeks to organize their thoughts in this way. There’s no better way. There may even be alternatives that lead to the same outcome, but better… I doubt it

What about you? Are you also lucky enough to live nearby or have quick access to a beach? Or are you the type who prefers the countryside, or even a good book and a comfortable couch?

Leave a comment and share what brings you the most joy—your ultimate indulgence for a day when you have only one concern: to have no worries, and to let go of any you do have!

I hope you enjoyed my post here in the B&W community

Bem Hajam 🍀

^{Photographed with Samsung A26 by @xrayman in 2025, December 14
Photographic edition with PhotoScape X
Original text in Portuguese written by @xrayman, translated with DeepL.com}