Eleven Minutes

This chapter records the details of Maria’s first erotic physical encounter with Ralf. Though charged with sexual energy, they stop short of sexual intercourse. They meet in a hotel room overlooking the road to Santiago where they first met. Maria makes certain the room is darkened and compels both of them to wear blindfolds, so they must rely on touch. Coelho describes the scene in detail, making clear it ends with both characters deeply aroused. Ralf invites Maria to come to an exhibition of his work, but Maria is reluctant to intrude into that part of his world and to put him in the position of having to answer questions about her. They decide to meet at a church that is also along the Road to Santiago.

In her diary, Maria creates a fable about a woman who falls in love with a magnificent bird and decides to capture it. Once in a cage, the woman slowly loses interest in it and the bird dies. Death eventually comes to her home and expresses he is there to reunite her with the bird, which would not have been necessary if she had not caged him.