We could have stayed inside until the church bell sounded, indifferently.

Distant but ever so clear in the icy air.

Vespers are leading up to evening mass now.

Dogs would bark, they are going through the motions.

Then, in a temporary lapse of reason, we decided to unlock this backdoor and begin a never ending journey through nearby villages we had barely visited before.

Time was on our side, because there would be no assignable difference between dawn and dusk.

As a consequence, time would fade unnoticed.

Photos: today, Hageland/Haspengouw region, Belgium. About 50km. away from