The brown hat looked perfectly sensible while Mea was packing. It matched her bag, held its shape and asked no questions. She placed it on top of her luggage, pleased that at least one thing on the journey had a clear plan. That impression lasted until the first proper gust.
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.
Beside a red door in Amsterdam, Mea adjusted the brim. The hat sat exactly as she had imagined: a little forward, a little confident. She caught her smile in a window opposite and set off contentedly. Then the leaves above the street stirred. The hat tilted discreetly. Mea put it back with one finger, without complaint for now. Every new travelling companion deserves a little time to settle in.
In Middelburg, Mea wanted to see the top of the tower. The hat first offered her a view of its own inner brim. She lifted it and looked up again. Brickwork, tall windows, roof, a little more sky. Much better. At the next gust she already had the brim between her fingers. It looked like a deliberate, elegant gesture. Mea decided she was perfectly willing to accept that version of events.
“A little higher, please. I would like to see the tower.”
Beside the canal they had divided the duties. Her eyes followed the houses across the water, her feet followed the path, and one hand attended to the hat. Mea smiled at the red gables reflected below. She wanted to make a note but lacked a free hand to open the notebook. She left it in her bag. At last, an advantage to the new accessory: sometimes it stopped her taking notes and let her simply look.
On the beach at Zandvoort, Mea stopped negotiating. She took off the hat and held it against her with both hands. Her hair was free, and so was the view. Walking on the sand felt easier without checking the top of her head every few moments. She looked down at the brown brim and laughed. The hat was finally behaving beautifully. It had only needed a different position in the party.
“All right. I will carry you for the rest of the way.”
From notebook to book
The Map with No Last Page
Travel2City journeys continue between the covers of a book. Discover our illustrated travel world.
