Raleigh on a Monday Night.

I took these pictures after dinner at Sitti on Monday night.

I've been trying to find the words to go with these pictures all week, but they are slow coming.

The meal was fantastic - far too many plates laden with concoctions of chickpeas, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, honey, dates, assorted pickled vegetables, chicken, and yogurt sauces that we sopped up with endless warm pita. The red Lebanese wine blend was delightful; the baklava dense with pistachios; the glasses of madeira we passed around the table, the perfect lingering finish.

I was sated beyond belief, walking out, taking these pictures. Raleigh's streets at night are beautiful in an entirely different way than the sleepy neighborhood I currently call home. And yet, I love it just as much.

I drove home and went for a walk when I got there, my head still fuzzy with the madeira, my belly still stretched from the meal. One mile, two miles. My body hummed from the day, from the dinner, from the heat, and my mind wandered as my legs carried me over the familiar pavement.

It sang soulfully, like the city.