Quarantine ? 19 A trip

We are not in a complete lock down, but in a so-called intelligent one. What it means is a bit vague and can be interpreted in various ways. We are supposed to stay at home. But we are also encouraged to go outside once a day, as fresh air and some walking is beneficial. Being locked up at home isn’t. We may not catch corona that way, but be prone to a scale of other complaints and ailments, one being a mental breakdown. So we can have visitors, but no more than three at a time and at a distance of 1.5 meters. In a small room this is not possible. After so many weeks of being shut in one’s own home, and still being healthy, the risk of contaminating others in a similar position is nihil. So I decided to go and see my brother in law, who celebrated his 83^rd birthday this past week. There were several reasons why I wanted to go. To begin with the second part of the 200 km drive is very pleasant and goes through interesting countryside. Another reason is that as I live alone, I was dying for some company, albeit at the prescribed distance. The advantage is that the roads are very quiet, so a long road trip isn’t half as tiring as it usually is, and gas/petrol is very cheap at the moment. Even more reason to go! On top of that the weather has been glorious, which makes for easy driving.  And my sister and brother in law live in a part of the country where the roads won’t be blocked off for tourists, as there aren’t many day trippers, except perhaps cyclists. But with a strong wind, that was less likely. I had to take some water and fruit or biscuits with me, as all restaurants and cafes are closed.

A bright sky and new leaves

On my way up North, I was struck by the sharp contours of everything, the striking colours, as if a computer programme like paint shop had given nature a make-over. The sky was very blue indeed, the type of sky I remember from childhood. Is it possible that the skies were as intensely blue when I was a child, and that it isn’t just my imagination, childhood memories made better and more idyllic? Or is it the absence of air traffic, of pollution, caused by cars as well as planes? Fact is that everything sees more intensely coloured.

Along a rather uninteresting motorway I was struck by a triangular piece of land. It was planted with poplars which showed their young bronze coloured leaves. Underneath was a bright yellow carpet of Cole seed or rape, so bright that it seemed unreal. The sun was shining through the leaves and on the yellow undergrowth. Unfortunately, there was no place to stop and take a picture, for the sight took my breath away.

This made me think of a Van Gogh painting, or the patterned fabric of a Japanese kimono

At this time of year there is cherry blossom everywhere, and in this part of the country there are also bulb fields, where originally you could only find agriculture. This is not known by tourists, so no need to block off roads.

I enjoyed my family’s company. It was nice to see them again and talk not by phone but in person. We are so lucky to have houses with gardens, as have all my siblings. Two of them even have a campervan with shower and toilet, which give them the freedom to travel a bit in our own country and go cycling in different places, even during these strange times. And we all have an income. So there is nothing to complain about and everything to be thankful for. Having a garden is bliss in the circumstances. For me the worst thing about this lock down is the absence of human contact, and not so much being restricted to my house and garden.

 Even more orange than in this picture

I had a lovely day. When I drove back the sun was very low in the sky. Driving past Oldeholtpade (amazing, those place names in Friesland) the sun was just shining behind the beautiful Stephanus church dating back from 1545, and surrounding it with a huge orange halo. Unfortunately, I noticed it too late and couldn’t turn back to take a picture. The sun was also making driving very difficult the first 45 minutes, occasionally blinding me, till it disappeared behind some farmhouse on the horizon, a big orange ball.

It was a happy day.

 I stopped on a service road to capture the last of the sun.

All the way home the sky kept an intense salmon colour against a darkening indigo blue countryside