under the low bridge

The quay narrows beneath the stone bridge until there is room for only one person beside the canal. The arch traps the sound of water and turns each drip from the masonry into a distinct metallic note. Moss grows thickest where the stone meets the current. Halfway through, a set of shallow steps descends directly into the canal and vanishes under the surface. They are old, worn concave at the center, and continue visibly for four steps before darkness takes them. An iron handrail follows the wall down into the water. Beyond the bridge, the canal opens again beside taller buildings faced in pale stone. The copper domes glimpsed from upstream belong to a public bathhouse or something very like one: high arched windows glow with diffuse blue-white light, and steam drifts from roof vents into the cool night. On the opposite bank, a tram stands motionless at a small platform. Its interior lights are on. No driver is visible. The route plate above the windshield displays a single symbol that resembles a crescent laid on its side.

From city records