Progue by myrabe
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Description
Prague
One old man, a fellow tourist, remarked to me as we entered the Old Town Square in Prague, “This city is starting to become interesting”. How right he was. The city seizes the eye, heart, and senses and never lets up. It is a place, an idea that keeps the spirit of all who have ever lived here. If you have never known Kafka’s writing, you will read it here in the winding streets and striking buildings that seem to hold each other shoulder to shoulder as they crowd into the labyrinth of this Hapsburg center.
I sat in an outdoor café nursing a cold beer waiting for the 15th-century astronomical clock mounted on the Old Town Hall across the plaza to strike the hour. When the bell clapper begins to toll the time, two small windows above the clock open, and out would march Christ followed by the twelve Apostles and the skeleton of Death continuing to strike the bell. This hourly show has been performed for the past six-hundred years and shortly I shall become a witness to its message along with the hundreds of other tourists packed into the plaza and standing in front of me.
As I waited for the hourly march to begin, curiosity about the figures mounted on either side of the clock face gnawed at me until I opened my guide book and learned that the man on the left holding a mirror represented Vanity, one of the feared Deadly Sins. The fellow standing next to Vanity was Greed, symbolized by a Jew holding a bag of gold, that was another worried over Deadly Sin. To the right of the clock stood two more figures that represented Mans greatest fears; Death in the form of a skeleton, and a turbaned warrior representing the fearless Turks who were then the greatest and most dreaded fighters known. Two inner fears and two that were outside of ones control stood alongside the Prague astronomical clock.
From the time I walked across the St. Charles Bridge to the clock café experiencing dozens of artists, vendors, and statues, I began to feel a wave of pleasure move through me. It was like a bulb turning on illuminating the joy of travel that until then I had not felt. Instead of being just a spectator to the places I moved through, I became a part of them. I belonged. The old man was right, the city was becoming interesting in a very personal way.
Comments (7)
Mutte4R
Staroměstské náměstí is always a pleasure to see... Tak stejně orloj, Karlův most a na horizontu samozřejmě pražský hrad. Perfektně napsané moc se mi to líbí.
myrrhluz
Since being a regular peruser of renderosity, I have learn many fascinating things and seen many beautiful images, of Prague. They illustrate a magical city just as your words do. You drew me in with your words, and I experienced vicariously, some of the intense pleasure you felt that day. Very well written with beautiful descriptions. I do hope you'll write more of Prague and your experiences there. Excellent work!
myrabe
Myrrhluz, many thanks for you kind words. My mind at times works more like a storm than a gentle breeze and that seems to take me off to many of the places I've been lucky enough to experience. I don't know,as yet, how to stay put. Ben
psyoshida
For a short piece you really have packed a lot of tension and emotion. Right from the quote of the old man, we await a confirmation of his words and are not disappointed. I second Lucinda's request for more writing Prague or not.
auntietk
If you haven't already gotten to know Chip's work, check out his gallery. His name is Chipka he's a brilliant writer, and spent quite a bit of time in Prague. He has this postcard of Kafka ... well ... just go look. :D Aside from making an obvious introduction ... I enjoyed reading this very much! I could see the clock with its archaic symbolism, and I looked over your shoulder while you checked the guide book. Nicely done, my friend!
Chipka
Prague is a mad old woman who grabs you and doesn't let go. Prague is a vortex of emotion and sensual bliss that cannot be replicated anywhere. Prague is full of wonderful friends with names like Honza and Stepan, Kacha, Jana, and most profoundly, Pavl. I lived there for two years and I know the places you write of here. The Astronomical clock stands across from the cafe where my friend Stepan works. I would sit there, making sure to position myself at one of the tables he served, and on his break, he'd come over, share a beer and cigarettes, and comment about how famous the Astronomical Clock is. "People come from all over the world to see what time it is," he said once. I suspect you saw Stepan, as it sounds like you were sitting at the cafe where he works. Your writing is evocative, and it stirs memories of the two years I spent in the Czech Republic and the one and a half years I spent in Prague...wandering around with Pavl and drinking in the ancient cellars turned into bars. How wonderful it is to relive that and to realize, whether I like it or not (and I like it) that I'll be returning to Prague one day...or as my Czech friends say, returning home. Thank you for posting this!
myrabe
Chipka, The one thing Prague's astronomical clock does not do is tell the time as any of us expect a clock to do. Thanks for your visit