Early in the morning, we can smell the freshness in the fields along the banks of the River Ter. The night has moved on elsewhere as day breaks. Through the rearview mirror we see the Montgrí majestically looming over flowery fields. There is a springtime scent in the air as distances roll by. Today I'll move beyond these landmarks, above the lines, shapes, textures, and colors. I'll fly high, like a wingless bird.
On the horizon of the bay the world seems infinite, but I wonder what it will be like to fly over it. I observe the bay's stone boundaries and the sea in all its facets. The waves crash, soften, and grind. An empty castle rests on a summit, eroded by the wind. The last traces of snow are melting on the Pyrenees.
A giant canvas of bright colors attached to a wicker basket grows with air and rises with flames. I follow signs telling me to make haste. The morning is passing by quickly and the early calmness will not return. The basket rises and we're soon above the ground. Up there, everything depends on the wind. There's nothing to stop us, no direction is followed. Flying is like unfurling sails, daring to navigate and cross this waveless sea.
Life in the Empordà is in full bloom. The sea is as still as the sky. The first morning breezes are lifting the mist, like a sigh blurring the horizons. We travel noiselessly with the wind.
I wish I could stroke this atlas that seems to be made of velvet, flax, and sponge and grind it into the large saltwater basin that looks like it's made of gold and magic. I wish I could take one of the Medes Islands home. The world has become like pieces on a rug, and mankind's presence is undisputed. From up high, I trace the Ter's meandering path through the fields.
We land gently among wild flowers near Púbol, but it could be anywhere. The wind carried us there. We did not reach all the way to the heavens, but we came close. When we're solidly back on earth, the scale becomes enlarged once again. The calm we felt inside the hot air balloon can't be beaten. I will continue to be a wingless bird, but I have seen the Empordà from above.
