Fog Riders

As followers of this blog know, Ravenna is a foggy city.

This year, however, has been particularly foggy.

We came home for the holidays, and decided we wanted to go for a walk on horseback. Our time was limited, so we didn’t have much choice and had to go horse riding on Tuesday.

It was foggy.

Are you taking your camera on the horse? The guy who was taking us out said.

Of course, I answered. My camera is not for a drawer or an expensive padded bag. My camera is always with me. An extension of my hand, if you will.

Even that day.

And I’m so happy it came with me, even if the photos are foggy and shaky and dark.

We walked in the valli, which in Romagna doesn’t mean “valleys” but “lagoon”, “swamp”.

And they were pretty swampy.

I like fog. It makes everything more mysterious, more intriguing. Our chaperone even said that it was much more beautiful when it was foggy – like this we couldn’t see the towering electricity centres behind us. Fog gives you options: anything could be there. Fog triggers your imagination in ways that the dark simply can’t.

A ghost settlement.

Finally, we arrived on the beach. Not that we’d have noticed, if someone hadn’t pointed it out.

As we waded out in the water, it felt as if we were in that part of Alice in Wonderland when she’s lost and following a path, and there’s a brush-dog that’s erasing the path in front of her.

In front of us, the horizon and the water were the same colour.

In front of us, the path had been erased.

Then the water started getting deeper and the horses more excited. The one beside me stuck its nose under the water and blew air out so noisily that it sounded as if he was laughing, and mine kept pawing at the water and smiling. Yep. She was smiling.

And while she smiled and pawed, my feet trailed in the water and got thoroughly soaked.

I loved the fog. I loved the water and the quiet and the smell of wet air.

It was a great day – thanks to the fog!