Alexander Stream

One day in January, when the ground was still saturated from the season’s rains but the day was a little less wintry, we all went out – the whole family – for a bike ride along the Alexander Stream. The air was clear and cool, but not freezing, and the sun gave just the right amount of warmth so that we wouldn’t want to rush.

We parked at the entrance from Route 4, from there we continued along the path adjacent to the stream, until we reached the Turtle Bridge. This is a place that always stops us. The children leaned on the railing and looked for the Sea turtles – the large soft-shelled turtles that suddenly appear among the shadows, floating in the water like ancient creatures. Sometimes they swim quietly, sometimes only a head or the edge of a shell protrudes.  In the distance, we also saw a nutria crossing the path towards the waterline.

After a short break, we continued riding, and at some point, we stopped next to an open, green field, at the foot of which the Alexander Stream continues to flow. Because of all the green, it is difficult to discern where the field ends and the forest begins. The grass is thick and fresh, about ankle-high. I rode to the center of the field and photographed the panorama – 360 degrees as usual – so that the field stretches in all directions and the bicycles appear twice, I like to duplicate things.

The trees that surround the place – mostly eucalyptus – create a natural barrier that filters out the noise, if there is any at all. The wind is light, almost unnoticeable, and only the sounds of birds fill the air: sparrows, swifts, and sometimes also of a dwarf kingfisher that flew for a moment above the water – a bright blue spot of color.

In a moment like this, when the skies are blue and only a few white clouds sail on the horizon, and the bicycles are lying on the grass and waiting patiently, you can forget about the time. This is a place where you can just be. To stop. To breathe. And to feel that you have found a quiet, open spot that does not ask questions.