“The distances are gloomy, shrouded in a foggy veil. Heavy rain has been watering the road and fields for three days now. It’s cold like autumn, although it’s only the beginning of summer. The clouds rush low and quickly over the ground like shaggy birds. Roadside willows with heavy branches loom from a distance like large black tents. The fields are empty, only here and there people are milling about, despite the rain...”