The In Transit / En Route trail starts at the edge of a field. with a sign that asks a rather odd question. Where are you? Où êtes-vous?
As I wrote in my previous post (In Transit / En Route: the beginning), the words aren’t easy to read. The letters are small and the words run together with no breaks. Once someone figures out the question, though, it usually makes them laugh. They make a joke, another person responds, and they laugh as they come up with different answers to this question that seems so obvious.
When they continue along the trail in front of them, they come to a second sign. This one looks the same but the question is different. êtesvousici?areyouhere? This time, the question doesn’t provoke so many jokes. Often it makes people fidget, or shift uncomfortably. Perhaps they stand up straighter, perhaps they stoop to tie up a shoelace, but almost always they pause.
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| êtesvousici?areyouhere? A sign with a question along the In Transiit / En Route trail |
In the distance the sound of passing cars is muted. The woods are quiet, and by this point on the trail, people often are quiet, too, even if they are walking side by side. When they come to the third sign, they read it easily. They’ve figured out how to separate the run-on words into a single question. areyouherenow?êtes-vousicimaintenant?
A short way ahead is the clearing.
I’ll finish this tale of In Transit / En Routein the post next week. I hope you’ll walk the trail with me then.
In the meantime, I’m off to California tomorrow. I hope to share lots of interesting gardens with you in the weeks ahead.
In the meantime, I’m off to California tomorrow. I hope to share lots of interesting gardens with you in the weeks ahead.
