Federico Stories Extras

In the 2020s, I visited Toledo for the first time — a peculiar town woven with narrow alleys and timeless stone buildings. Among its winding streets, a small bar caught my eye: La Taberna del Cardenal . I stepped inside and ordered a glass of wine with some tapas. The barman, a gruff yet friendly man, quickly picked up on my unusual accent. "Are you from an English-speaking country?" he asked, curious. I smiled and explained that I wasn't — but that I had spent almost a decade living abroad before finally returning to Spain. We struck up a conversation. As we spoke, he revealed that his family had lived in Toledo for over 300 years. With a certain pride — and a hint of unease — he told me about the old Jewish quarter nearby, and a narrow, forgotten alley known as El Callejón del Diablo — the Devil's Alley. A shadowy corridor, flanked by crumbling stone walls, steeped in whispered tales and ominous legends. And among all the stories, there was one that had haunted...

Long ago, when I was still young in 1997, I was coming back blind drunk to my house in Mixco, Guatemala. It had been a fantastic Friday; I had drunk several fine beers with my friends, and I felt like the king of that place. However, I would remember that night for the rest of my life, but not for this specific reason. I was not sure where I was going when suddenly I almost fell down on a massive cliff. How did I survive, you might be wondering? To be honest, I just felt an extremely fast wind that shoved me from the cliff. I hit the pavement very badly. The strange wind followed me from the distance until I arrived home safely. I am convinced the same wind had been protecting me before, but I was never sure if it had been my imagination only or something else, until that day. During the following weeks, I went to visit a childhood friend who lived in Jutiapa. I shared with him my odd experience with this odd wind that saved me. He was somehow concerned because he recognized what this...

Many years ago, I was a young and handsome man. I was considered one of those men who could conquer the heart of any woman if I wanted. No one was better than me in this art. My life was fantastic, full of women and success. I was unstoppable. I was climbing into the corporate world extremely fast. However, one terrible night, I will recall for the rest of my life! It was a Friday 13 th in 1994 when the CEO promoted me to General Manager of the organization. I felt so amazing I invited my best peers to the   December 6 th Bar in English ( Bar 6 de Deciembre in Spanish )  in Portoviejo. It was the best night in many years with several beautiful women, the finest beers, and the best music in town, what a memorable night should have been, but it was not. After I had left the bar, I was dead drunk. I could barely recognize where I was. So many beers that I lost count when I was on my tenth one. However, my guts were telling me that this was an abnormal night and that I should ...