After the tour was finished, Ella rerouted the group back to the seafood restaurant as mentioned and briefly showed earlier. Cay and Judas each gave five euros to their guide for her enthusiastic tour around the centre.
“Just call if you would like any further explanation or another tour around the city.”, said Ella, cheerily.
Cay ordered a sort of snail soup with chunks of green vegetables. along with fresh sliced-bread and fried kibbling (cod, maybe), Judas brought his grilled-prawns as his partner was just about to start his meal. The two discussed about their next plan before finishing their afternoon at their accommodation, their meal was easy enough to have while their mouths discussed about the matter at hand.
“Still hungry?”, inquired Cay after Judas finished his prawns.
“I think that’s enough for me, don’t have much of an appetite after leaving the bus.”
“I’ll ask the landlady if we could check-in at an earlier time.”
“Good idea, I’m tired.”, Judas showed more of is exhaustion by letting out a half-hearted yawn.
Cay took his time relishing the bread, which Judas took notice of its’ milky whiteness soaked with the near-nil amount of soup. It looked delicious, maybe even more when consumed. They put on their straps and continued their journey as discussed, stopping by a few attractions on the way to their next home.
The Law Courts of Justice had been closed for renovation, the two turned to the available scenery of the city skyline, the courtyard outside of the premise was at a higher ground than from where they came. The sun was positioned at high noon and people around them began taking of their coats to better embrace the fleeting coolness. Cay thought the vantage point would be a great place to watch the sunset, it had occurred to him to accustom himself to watch the sun setting while in different cities of dissimilar countries.
The two went further South, away from the city centre and into a different urban area where foreign tourists were scarce and people with black ties or black short skirts were commonly seen. There were students from the nearby secondary school walking on the pavements, laughing while listening to each other’s conversation of interest, care-freely. Unlike Lyon, the buildings at Uccle were mostly tall and slender, like a shape of a pill when looked from above, slowly rising as the steady slope apposite of them began climbing ever so slowly.
They passed by one of inns that was part of the pill-shaped construct. From the opposite road, they could see vine-based plants stretching their phyto-limbs from the ground under the inn and had already covered the façade with luscious green, browning yellow, and fading red. One of the signs of autumn had begun dawning Belgium and the rest of Europe. The tall buildings were high enough to hide the two in their shadows from the passing-noon sun, the two put on their jackets even though they have been sweating from the journey.
“Bonjour, I am Florian. Sorry that Maj could not answer the door for you as she is still at work.”, shaking the duo’s hands with a firm one as they waited politely outside the door to be invited.
“That’s alright. Could you show us the room, as we’re tired from the journey.”, responded Cay, almost sounding as if pleading to be away from exhaustion.
“Of course, right this way. It’s just two floors’ up and will be on your right.”
*
The wide, metal ferry arrived with a long, screeching sound from its’ underbelly landing on the concrete slope, its’ large gate slowly lowering itself as to repent from its’ earlier mistake. People and vehicles began streaming into the transport with Cay and Jenna among the crowd.
It was an expected brief but not short journey from one and to another, and so the two took the time by climbing up the thin steel stairs to take in the view. There were posters and adverts behind metal casings for fear of being vandalized by the passengers, the expanse of the ferry enough to be a rock-steady land of its’ own for whoever was on board. Albeit the clanging sound of the floors betrayed the ferry, giving away what it was.
Jenna was taking a few pictures from her phone and a few breaths of fresh, salty air as the current ran the opposite direction around the ferry. The huge transport made them feel like as if they were on a cruise rather than just to cross the bay.
They walked along the shoreline of Studland, which was covered mostly by shrubs and tundra rocks, with a hint of mellow sand surrounding the covered area. Still the same air, but the place felt different than Sandbanks Beach. Barren, one might have thought of the place, with no buildings to be seen about a kilometer away except for a Blue Bus stop.
The ferry took quite some time off their schedule and the two bought crisps and sandwiches from a convenience store on Swanage Road. They finished their light meal and went back to the small port after unable to find anything interesting to do at the quiet town of Studland.
The ordinary hotel was on Canford Cliffs was a ten-minute walk away from where they originally stopped when they first arrived at the beach. Cay picked a room with a view of the sea carefully as a seaside hotel was not a seaside hotel without a sea view. Jenna had a jocund smirk on her lips as they entered the spacious room, the present furniture made Cay feel that the money had been well spent: a beach-style sofa at the protruding part of the room (to replace the missing balcony), a well-made queen-size bed for extra leg space, and an oak wardrobe large enough to fit everything Cay had back in Bath.
He ordered room service before getting changed in the middle of the room while Jenna fell asleep silently on the bed, its’ covers laying under her as the bright sun beam illuminated the clean room.
A porter brought in fish finger sandwiches (“Make sure they’re fresh. You can tell when they’re warm or not.” Said Jenna before drowsing into her slumber.) and a plate of complimentary crisps on an aluminum trolley. Jenna got up just before the man entered and began gorging on the sandwiches when he left, Cay watching as he patiently reached for her waist and began caressing her with loving affection.
It occurred to him that he had not spent enough time with his girlfriend. To be specific, not enough intimate time have been given to both as they had been busy with writing essays and studying online essays. It felt nice as Cay moved from caressing to a soft massage on her neck, squeezing the smallness of it with only one hand. Jenna let out a faint squeal but continued with her food, kicking her small feet on thin air while her slender legs dangled beside the large bed.
Some quality time, Cay thought as he understood the short moment of the day.
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