present tense

another precious day. Blake and I called when I woke, which kicked the morning off in a wonderful way. after breakfast, Jan and I walked to the Rezidens, a grand palace of sorts internationally recognised for being home to the largest fresco ceiling in the world. we weren’t allowed to take photos, but the place was pretty spectacular. Jan translated the tour for me as we moved through the building.

after exploring the surrounding gardens, we made our way through the hungover city, stores closed on most corners - enjoying the Sunday afternoon. we stopped for coffee and cake at a student cafe, before meeting Jan’s housemates by the big bridge. Zena and her friend had to take photos as part of their university assignment, so we joined them by the river as the afternoon sun made it’s gradual descent into the hills.

back home we made some pesto pasta to enjoy with our leftover stir fry from last night. taking a bottle each from the six pack we’d bought last night, we went for an evening walk. Jan showed me the path he usually takes on his solo walks as we laughed and chatted and probed ourselves with difficult questions about our hopes and dreams for the future.

on our return home we joined Jan’s housemate Ruben for a few rounds of Mario Kart on the couch. after Ruben went to bed we showed each other favourite live performances of songs we love, eventually delving into music that matters to us both. laughing and listening to each other as we told stories about a ridiculous range of things.

I’ve loved spending time with Jan, and I feel very lucky to have returned into his life to realise that our friendship is one that can still exist in the present tense. this means a lot to me. on to Hamburg tomorrow - solo for the last time in a little while. <<