BODY AND SOUL (Excerpt from a surfer’s diary) “Due to the waves rumbling far away, I didn’t sleep a wink. The swell had arrived and I was too excited, looking forward to dawn when the wind would be still and the tide low. Early in the morning, I drove to the coast to see the magnificent swell coming. The ocean was striped in spaced blue lines, crossing the water at a constant speed. It was a northwest swell, a beautiful icy swell. Nobody was at the beach, but me. Perhaps because the forecast hadn’t been accurate in the last week, and nowadays surfers are reluctant to leave home without checking it first. But this time the swell arrived earlier, and to witness it approaching the coast was a solemn event. It was like having a holy guest arrive without announcement. For the next few days, the agenda was cancelled, the waves were calling and I had to be ready.”