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Light, Leaves and Traffic Jams
Nov. 3rd, 2003 10:07 pmI really have to remember taking my camera with me. I always forget, and the result is that I either end up longing for a damn printer port for my head or trying to reconstruct it with words. Both is unsatisfying.
But start with the beginning.
As always on Mondays this semester, around 9am I've got to leave for university. Unfortunately, today is the first work day after the fall vacations, so the roads were full. I was just driving towards the highway when I heard on the radio that on the A1 there was a traffic jam of 10 km between Burscheid and Köln-Nord. Which means that after two thirds or so of my way I would have been stuck. Adding the obligational jam on the A57 and the traffic in Cologne itself, that most likely would have meant that I'd be late. Very late.
So what do I do? Leave the highway in Burscheid, making my way through the small towns.
This was the point where I rued not having my camera with me (once I'd reach Köln-Mülheim, I'd rue having gotten up at all, but first things first). The morning had, so far, been clouded, and the light had been the strange blueish light I wrote about in spring already and fog had risen out of the valleys next to the highway. But now the clouds had broken open, and the sun shone on the wet, glistening streets; they were surprisingly empty and I was getting along great, and my mood improved greatly. Actually it's a miracle I arrived in Cologne, because I was looking at the landscape more than at the streets (though I was mindful enough to notice two speeder radar cameras in time, so there). For those who don't know the Bergisches Land, think the Shire with more houses, more trees and more rain.
So basically, there were these green hills and the dark green coniferous forests and the colourful deciduous forests; the sunlight coming through the clouds, leaving tracks of light by refraction (the way clouds and light look on paintings by Hans W. Sahm). And right beside the road stood a dark brown horse, raising its head as I drove by. Perfect.
(It is highly frustrating how long it takes to describe something and still miss the most important points while you can see it within the fraction of a second.)
And there was no one but me, and a parking opportunity. And no camera.
The colours that autumn leaves can take are incredible. I seem to forget that every year and only realize it again when I see it. And the street, glittering in the middle of the forests and hills and villages, promising to lead you anywhere, everywhere, just follow, the road goes ever on and on...
Helium Vola and Loreena McKenitt provided quite an excellent soundtrack.
And far away, in the lower lands, lay the sprawl of Cologne and Leverkusen like a big, multi-layered, white and grey jewel. From far enough away, it really looked beautiful.
It didn't once I got there, obviously. By now, the streets were crowded and every traffic light (of which there were quite a lot) meant standing motionless for minutes and breathing smog. I wished I'd just stayed out of the city and tried to look at the horse and the clouds and the hills and the trees and the light until I never would get it out of my head again. There was nothing equally beautiful to see in Mülheim. Later, of course, the cathedral once you cross the river Rhine. (Then again, I suppose that was just as well, since I couldn't look much anyway unless I was standing in just another queue.)
Anyway. I arrived just five minutes late, which was fine because I didn't participate in the tesuto anyway, and probably less then it would have been with the traffic jam. And I will keep in mind that the roadside between Burscheid and Leverkusen is beautiful.
- - -
( Licht und Blätter und Staus )
- - -
But start with the beginning.
As always on Mondays this semester, around 9am I've got to leave for university. Unfortunately, today is the first work day after the fall vacations, so the roads were full. I was just driving towards the highway when I heard on the radio that on the A1 there was a traffic jam of 10 km between Burscheid and Köln-Nord. Which means that after two thirds or so of my way I would have been stuck. Adding the obligational jam on the A57 and the traffic in Cologne itself, that most likely would have meant that I'd be late. Very late.
So what do I do? Leave the highway in Burscheid, making my way through the small towns.
This was the point where I rued not having my camera with me (once I'd reach Köln-Mülheim, I'd rue having gotten up at all, but first things first). The morning had, so far, been clouded, and the light had been the strange blueish light I wrote about in spring already and fog had risen out of the valleys next to the highway. But now the clouds had broken open, and the sun shone on the wet, glistening streets; they were surprisingly empty and I was getting along great, and my mood improved greatly. Actually it's a miracle I arrived in Cologne, because I was looking at the landscape more than at the streets (though I was mindful enough to notice two speeder radar cameras in time, so there). For those who don't know the Bergisches Land, think the Shire with more houses, more trees and more rain.
So basically, there were these green hills and the dark green coniferous forests and the colourful deciduous forests; the sunlight coming through the clouds, leaving tracks of light by refraction (the way clouds and light look on paintings by Hans W. Sahm). And right beside the road stood a dark brown horse, raising its head as I drove by. Perfect.
(It is highly frustrating how long it takes to describe something and still miss the most important points while you can see it within the fraction of a second.)
And there was no one but me, and a parking opportunity. And no camera.
The colours that autumn leaves can take are incredible. I seem to forget that every year and only realize it again when I see it. And the street, glittering in the middle of the forests and hills and villages, promising to lead you anywhere, everywhere, just follow, the road goes ever on and on...
Helium Vola and Loreena McKenitt provided quite an excellent soundtrack.
And far away, in the lower lands, lay the sprawl of Cologne and Leverkusen like a big, multi-layered, white and grey jewel. From far enough away, it really looked beautiful.
It didn't once I got there, obviously. By now, the streets were crowded and every traffic light (of which there were quite a lot) meant standing motionless for minutes and breathing smog. I wished I'd just stayed out of the city and tried to look at the horse and the clouds and the hills and the trees and the light until I never would get it out of my head again. There was nothing equally beautiful to see in Mülheim. Later, of course, the cathedral once you cross the river Rhine. (Then again, I suppose that was just as well, since I couldn't look much anyway unless I was standing in just another queue.)
Anyway. I arrived just five minutes late, which was fine because I didn't participate in the tesuto anyway, and probably less then it would have been with the traffic jam. And I will keep in mind that the roadside between Burscheid and Leverkusen is beautiful.
- - -
( Licht und Blätter und Staus )
- - -
