Ulysses was sitting on the beach on a Sunday morning. For some time, he had been observing the waves coming and going. The weather was pleasant, and the sunshine was profusely irradiating all around. In a series of chained alternating movements, the heat of the sun and the cool breeze that came from the sea went towards his presence. In that landscape, the manifestation of nature was evident: the birds sang exuberant songs, the coastal zone’s geography, with its nuanced colors and shapes, sculptured in a single cut-out what the eyes could catch, and on the horizon, a well-drawn dividing line delineated the sky and the sea. Also, it was impossible to ignore, on one hand, the instability of the small boats that were floating on the water and, on the other hand, the immemorial stability and constancy of the coconut trees stuck in the ground. The entire ambiance and its most diversified elements coexisted peacefully in that landscape. It was wonderful to stand on firm ground. However, things weren’t always like that.

It wasn’t the first time Ulysses went to the beach, and that place had specifically been discovered recently – the coastal zone was enormous. Since then, he has visited it frequently, especially on Sunday mornings. The Sunday mornings on the beach were particularly appropriate for the cultivation of thought and the most varied intellectual experiences. The enlightened environment and generously abundant nature were exceptionally inviting for the practice. In that place, different thoughts were passing through Ulysses’ head, and each one was born spontaneously. There was nothing else to impede it. The traveling memories were also present in his intellectual experiences. So, certain aspects of the return journey to Ithaca occupied his thoughts.

That travel was permeated by uncountable difficulties. When Ulysses left Troy, he roamed the most improbable paths along with his comrades. Navigating stormy waters and facing adverse situations became something habitual in our character’s life over many years. The paradox imposed itself omnipresently: at each time the boat gained the sea and penetrated the recondite corners, Ulysses felt that, instead of following their path, he and his comrades seemed to be getting more and more lost. However, the presence of his comrades was always a key element that helped Ulysses keep his trust alive so the situation could be successfully surpassed.

Ulysses spent most of the time talking to his comrades on the different stretches of the journey. The topics were diversified, as our character had a great appreciation for the art of conversation. This was how the friendship bonds got stronger among them. Our character and his comrades always exchanged their different impressions about life. They certainly exchanged views on the difficulties and supported each other so that they could get stronger. The middle station of life was the appropriate time for doing so. With the dawn of maturity, travelers could retrospectively evaluate their previous experiences and even dream of everything that could happen throughout the years ahead. Then, the bond between Ulysses and his comrades represented a cooperative liaison so that they could deal with the force of nature and, if they could leave alive, come to Ithaca.

There were certainly critical moments. For example, Ulysses got himself imagining how such a precarious boat could be able to face the water agitation and sea revolt in the stormiest stretches. The boat in the nights of darkness, adrift, and the period without water and food were practically insupportable. However, Ithaca was always on the horizon, and it would be from that that Ulysses would get the forces to keep on traveling home. On the other hand, our character also made some comparisons. For example, to understand the situation in which they were, Ulysses compared land travel to sea travel. In land travel, it was possible to guarantee spatial orientation through paths. There was a route traced on the ground on which it was possible to hike. During the hike, the walker got the feeling of space advancement, that is, the dislocation from the origin to the destination was evident. However, it didn’t happen in sea travel! Ulysses and his comrades were thrown and helpless in the instability and inconstancy of the sea. There wasn’t a path lined in which it was possible to advance. It was not possible to visualize a path. The travelers were completely disoriented, and they advanced according to the whim of the blowing wind. This was how they reached the off-the-beaten-track places.

Ulysses doesn’t forget a rainy night full of lightning, in particular. The darkness almost imposed itself in front of his eyes. Our character and his comrades, however, went ahead and masterfully bypassed the adverse situation. They ended up arriving on dry land; however, the feeling of safety was ephemeral as there was a long browsing trajectory. On the other hand, Ulysses always maintained Ithaca on his horizon.

Another memory that crossed Ulysses’ head was remarkably disquieting. There was a travel stretch extremely dangerous. Ulysses had already been warned about the dangerous siren song. At that time, there was a myth according to which the sirens were a threat to sailors. When they sang their songs, they seductively attracted the navigators. If they succumbed to their charms, the sailors would lose their reason, their conscience, and their sense of reality. Then, they were simply destroyed. In front of the imminent danger, Ulysses organized his entire defense apparatus so that he could protect himself and his comrades. On the other hand, our character thought how unfortunate the navigators were when they were unable to mobilize their defense apparatus so that they could protect themselves against danger. But the saddest fact is that those navigators didn’t even have a defense apparatus!

According to the orientations previously received, Ulysses and his comrades should put beeswax in the two ears to impede the melodious notes, the supposed adequate pitch and the misleadingly agreeable tone could reach their ears. The vocal singing seems to be an artistic phenomenon pleasing to the ears; however, the siren song was a seductively dangerous manifestation aiming to simply annihilate the sailor’s life. Ulysses and his comrades, attentive and vigilant, prepared the defense apparatus, and they crossed the stretch unharmed, though they received news that other navigators had not survived.

Ulysses was still sitting on the beach, and his thoughts freely walked. Then he pondered. Navigating stormy waters and facing adverse situations would be something habitual for just certain moments in his life. At this moment, after having navigated so much and going through unbelievable situations, our character remembered the moment in which he came home and the state in which it was. The scenario was distressing. His loved ones had gone through unimaginable situations in his absence. It was painful to see that. However, as he got rid of the outsiders who had invaded his home, it was also extremely comforting to remember the moment of his reunion with Telemachus and Penelope after so many years:

– And, after all this time, they had imagined they wouldn’t meet me anymore and that I was dead.

Even with the facial and body traces changed due to the disguise he needed to wear to enter his home, Ulysses never forgot that Argus, his dog, was the only one who recognized him when he came home after the long journey. Our character was deeply attached to the little animal, and it was thrilling to have found him again. It wasn’t easy to get home after such a long time. While wearing the disguise, the outsiders weren’t able to recognize Ulysses. Indeed, it had been such a long time, and Ulysses, transformed by the journey, was no longer the same person. Also, our character couldn’t but remember his comrades who weren’t able to come to Ithaca along with him.

So, after having been sitting there for some hours, contemplating the landscape and feeling the sea breeze and the sun on the skin, our character stood up, took a walk, and inflated the lungs with beach air. The beach is a place that brings about memories, and all those sensorial impressions made Ulysses feel even more alive. Now, the short walk along the seafront, on dry land, would take him to the beach restaurant so that he could meet his friends and have a tranquil lunch together.

About the painting:

Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890)

View of the Sea at Scheveningen

The Hague, August 1882

Oil on paper on canvas, 36.4 cm x 51.9 cm

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (State of the Netherlands, bequest of A.E. Ribbius Peletier)