The couple enjoyed one of the city's special dishes. They were satisfied.
Afterward, they borrowed a small canoe for a night exploration of the city on the water.
Lamplights and lanterns blended seemingly, their warm glows reflecting off the dark water like scattered stars. The city was alive—not as much as the capital, but it was.
°°°
The wooden boat dipped gently with each stroke of their paddles. Water lapped softly against the hull, a rhythmic whisper in the evening hush.
She sat at the bow, her hand trailing through the cool canal, sending ripples into the golden reflections. He sat behind, paddling with steady, unhurried pulls, guiding them under low stone bridges and past weeping willows whose leaves brushed the surface like fingertips.
