I have always thought about visiting my grandpa’s hometown “Sabra” that is a small village in Telemcan – Algeria. I just hesitated a lot, till I really lost the chance to accompany him when going there. He went several times before he died, he had always been in love with that feeling of old childhood memories, nostalgia and meeting his relatives over there. I always have had wondered how for a man that has travelled all over the world to decide coming back to have a simple life in here. Therefore, the last holiday, I have decided to go visit that village and discover what has made it so special for grandpa to always go back there more than Japan, France, Germany and several other places that he had been to before… So on a tuesday morning, I went to the bus station and got a ticket to Telemcan, the trip was 12 hours long. Somehow, I have always enjoyed long road trips where you really get more nature to see and less urbanism nor pollution. I enjoy seeing the small villages, the farmers and herds of sheep. Once I arrived I have found my grandpa’s sister, aunt “Meriem” with her son ”Abd El Ghani” waiting there for me, she has always been my grandpa’s dearest for being the kindest and closest one to him. After long hugs and kisses we went to her home in “Sabra”. All the people there knew each other very well. So, when there’s a stranger everybody would notice. After meeting my other relatives, tasting all those delicious dishes and getting a good night sleep, the day that I came for has finally arrived. It was finally time to go up the mountain to see where grandpa had grown up. I have heard so many stories about it, yet never seen it. It was a life of poverty that my grandpa and his family had, however, those memories were his most precious ones. It was a cloudy day with light summer breeze, climbing up slowly, I was ccompanied with my aunt “Meriem” and her two grandsons “Toufik” and “Mourad”, the aunt was not at the age where she could make similar efforts to that of ours. She told us so many stories along the way, every olive tree, every rock had a story that only her and her siblings could appreciate its value. Up the mountain there were two houses made of clay and bricks, the roofs were made of wood, rocks and clay. The fact that they were abandoned and nobody lived in them any longer was obvious, not only in looks but everything seemed quite and life-less to me... My aunt; however, has relived all her old all over again, her eyes were full of tears that expressed it all. She stood there staring blankly into those walls, although old and dirty but those were the barriers that protected them from the cruelty of colonialism of those times, walls that embraced all of that warmth and love that they shared as a family even in hard times. I stepped in into the house, no need for a key, just a single push was enough to get inside. It was all dark in there, a group of rats ran out, and spider webs were covering all the walls. I looked around, there were three rooms with no doors, just a piece of cloth that seemed as a sort of a curtain I suppose… The whole atmosphere has evoked a sense of yearning. I wished grandpa was there with me, he has been longing to come to his old home in so many years but even when coming to the village he was unable to climb up... We went out, the second house was said to be their uncle's that has passed away couple years ago as well, his family moved elsewhere too. I loved the smell of nature that surrounded us, the varied trees and the quietness of the place that was only interrupted with the sounds of bees or birds. I have had seen some old pictures of my grandpa’s family before. So, I started imagining them as kids, playing around while their mom milking the goat that grandpa used to tell me a lot about, and their dog “Rex” so happy playing with the kids. When I first started looking at this place, it looked like a mere old, abandoned house, but now when imagining how full of life it was once, it all makes sense… We returned back down to village, I have spent more days in there. It was really a detoxifying holiday for me from all the stress and the crowdedness of my days back home. I will make sure to come often here, whenever a break is needed “Sabra” shall be the place to flee to!