The Spirit of Prague

Ivan Klíma wrote the following in The Spirit of Prague – For me, the material and spiritual centre of this city is an almost 700-year-old stone bridge connecting the west with the east. The Charles Bridge is an emblem of the city's situation in Europe, the two halves of which have been seeking each other out at the very least since the bridge's foundations were laid. The West and the East.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Dusk and Walking

My single favorite pastime here is walking. My favorite time to do this is at dusk...as light fails, the lights come on around the city. The weather has been perfect the last few days. Clear skies allow this time to linger for a few extra minutes, as the shades of blue slowly cross the spectrum to black. It's at this time, Prague changes. The streets are less crowded. Even the Charles Bridge becomes walkable. I'm not sure where all the people or tourists go, and why they all seem to miss the best moment.

Prague at dusk adds a new layer to the city's character. Prague at night is a different character entirely. I simply love to walk as sunlight fades, and night Prague takes over. At dusk, I sense a new city coming into being. At night, I find myself stunned anew. Here is some evidence of the city changing.

The Charles Bridge as light creeps across the horizon (the first three). The Jewish Quarter. A church at Namesti Miru (my subway stop), and finally, a tree decorated for the coming Easter market and celebrations in Old Town Square with the Astronomical Clock Tower in the background.

Dusk. Night. It's a safe bet you will find me walking somewhere in the streets of Prague.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.