Above Middelburg, the sky could not make up its mind. Mea sympathised. Colombine would have appreciated a clearer statement; Lu Cia already had a conclusion: we’re going out. Windy Zandvoort later joined their shared travel notebook. Their forecast held up surprisingly well across both outings.
Illustrated fiction inspired by original Travel2City photographs. The places come from separate journeys, not a one-day itinerary. Characters, dialogue, props and some composition and lighting are artistic interpretations.
Outside a house with dark shutters, Mea studied the bright edge of a cloud. Colombine studied its considerably greyer edge. Lu Cia declared both equally promising and considered the matter settled. For a moment all three stood with their heads raised. A passer-by might have mistaken them for an expert committee. In fact, they were simply delaying the decision about which street to take.
“My forecast has a lovely silver lining,” Mea said.
A gull stood on the paving with the air of someone who had worked here for years. Colombine invited it to speak with an open palm. The gull looked away. Mea interpreted this as a cautious statement; Lu Cia considered it a clear recommendation to continue walking. The bird received neither crumbs nor a role to perform. It went about its business, leaving three women with exactly the forecast they had started with.
On their later outing to the beach at Zandvoort, the wind needed no encouragement. Mea caught the end of her scarf, Colombine held her collar and Lu Cia laughed as she tried to work out which direction her hair belonged in. They each had a different technique, all only partly successful. The sea carried on regardless. Their small meteorological team had no influence over its programme.
Then a gap opened in the clouds. The sunlight did not promise an entire afternoon, only a moment, but all three turned towards it together. Mea released her scarf. Colombine stopped monitoring the clouds and Lu Cia half-closed her eyes. Sand and seafront buildings lay behind them; ahead was air that finally required no decisions. Their forecast could be concluded with one shared result.
“Three smiles. No warning required.”
From notebook to book
The Map with No Last Page
Travel2City journeys continue between the covers of a book. Discover our illustrated travel world.
Their notebook ended up containing no temperatures at all. It had three names and a small mark for every pleasant moment. The gull offered no comment on the results. They planned to consult its professional opinion again on their next journey anyway.
