El Rincón de la Memoria y La Libertad, Plaza Encarnación Sevilla.

I’m often surprised by the things you don’t see when you don’t pay attention. Like the other day while on one of my usual ways home I noticed this small olive tree for the first time, growing in one of the planters next to the “lone mushroom” in Plaza Encarnación. And then I saw the plaque, quoting Mahatma Gandhi – “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way”. Then I noticed the date on the plaque: March 11 2014, the 10th anniversary of the Madrid train bombings.

Apparently this lovely memorium was sponsored by City Hall and the Alberto Jiménez-Becerril Foundation, the latter founded to help victims of violence. City councillor Jiménez-Becerril and his wife Ascension Garcia Ortiz were murdered by ETA terrorists while walking home on January 30, 1998, just around the corner from where I lived. The week before I’d met the wife and their three children at the English language school where I was working at the time, so that is a very strong memory for me. And so now I will always notice this olive tree on my way home and hope that it grows well and strong.