Flash storm

On the fifth day, which was a Sunday, it rained very hard. I like it when it rains hard. It sounds like white noise everywhere, which is like silence but not empty.

I follow instructions, taking the 4 tram and the 11 bus, to get to the trailhead. BART and I arrive early. We’re joined by another 10 over the next half hour or so. It’s sunny and hot, but the paths take us through woods with plenty of shade.

We scale three hills, each with a different view point installation. The first is a tower of sleepers, each rotated a few degrees, forming a pair of spiral staircases that climb 15m into the air. At the top, the view is amazing, but the tower is unsettlingly wobbly.

We’ve scaled the third hill by 3:00 and we settle into a restaurant for gulyasleves. Not a moment too soon, the clouded close in, thunder rolls, and torrents of water fall from the sky. An hour later, it’s all over, the water drains downhill and the roads gently steam.

We take the cog railway down the hill, grab a sneaky ice cream, and go our separate ways.

I join Llewellyn, Arlo, and Abby at their apartment, joined shortly by Gáspár. We drink wine and graze on cold eats. Then it’s pálinka and deep discussion on coaching techniques.

Gáspár takes me back to the hotel, where I throw my stuff into my bag. Back at his house, all is quiet. Tomorrow there will be children everywhere, but for now we enjoy a final beer in a calm, domestic setting.