A Tiny Piece of Prague by Chipka
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Description
I remember these. I sat (uncomfortably) on one of them, as Pavl paused to pick something out of his sandal. I lit a cigarette and listened to the babble of tourists around us. I marveled at the fact that, for once, Pavl wore sandals without black socks. Moments later, we walked on…finding (as always) an interesting bar full of people Pavl knew. On that night, we met the woman once who insisted that Pavl and I should kiss simply because such a thing would show her that affection still existed in the world. I remember that night fondly, the night Pavl and I kissed, then surprised the woman by kissing her as well. She giggled, then called Pavl “naughty.” We were at Pavl’s “secret bar” a red-lit cellar simply called “Friends” and true to the name, everyone there seemed to know each other. It was crowded that night. There was a lot of kissing. Straight people (all 4 of them) were even doing it.
Days later, I found myself at the same spot behind Our Lady of Týn—Prague’s iconic cathedral. I’d decided to wander around, taking pictures like a tourist. And on the day I found these barrier supports, (their chains long removed) I’d spent much of the afternoon with Štĕpán. He no longer worked at the Golden Sickle and I had his old job. He’d found work at a café across from Prague’s other icon, the Astronomical Clock, and on the day of this photograph, I sat with him, drinking free coffee and sharing cigarettes while tourists gawked at the hourly parade of wooden figures that marched through the clock’s ornate windows at the strike of every hour.
“Tourists,” Štĕpán had declared. “Million[s] of them come from all over world to Prague, just to see what time is it.” Like many Praguers, Štĕpán’s relationship to tourists is a complex and contradictory one; like Victor (in Moscow) Štĕpán often drops articles from his sentences, or describes the function of an object rather than naming it in English. Štĕpán, like Victor, learned to speak English from MTV and Hollywood blockbusters. And so, with coffee in my gut and smoke remnants in my lungs, I let Štĕpán return to work. The inevitable crowd of tourists had seen what time it was and were in the mood to enjoy pastries and beer and light lunches before moving on to the next mark on their maps. I was interested in capturing something. A moment. A mood. An overlooked piece of my adoptive home. I found the barrier support I sat on as Pavl made adjustments to his sandal. I saw him later that week, but never mentioned the picture.
***
I made this picture in Prague, obviously, behind Our Lady Before Týn—Prague’s definitive tourist attraction. I’d emailed this picture to Victor in Moscow and he declared it “enough good” which is high praise coming from him. He’s a professional visual artist and often frighteningly precise with his critiques, but then that’s Victor for you. I can’t wait until I reach Moscow and allow Victor to show me around my new “home city.”
I'd like to dedicate this picture to Flavia49 and Sandra46, who are visiting Prague now.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope to catch up with commenting myself!
Comments (22)
kgb224
Stunning capture my friend.
KatesFriend
Hmmm, at least the tourists of Prague gawk in good taste. You should visit King Street in Toronto when ever a performance of the "Dirty Dancing" revival ends (or begins for that matter). Can you say, 'Mary Kay Commandos'? The supports look fairly old and very sturdy. Probably harken back to darker times in Prague. This photo has triggered a childhood flash back to my old home where we had a stone driveway. Many of the pail and whitish rocks (which I could grasp with my toes and throw with my feet) contained fossilized imprints of tiny marine animals. Mostly tiny crustaceans like shrimp and bivalves. Perhaps the supports are the abandoned exoskeletal shells of some rare (maybe even extinct) arthropod.
blinkings
Nice bollards mate, and well written story (as usual).
myrrhluz
There are so many things I love about this image! It gives me a feeling of being enclosed and looking out. An awareness of layers and the maze like quality of life. I love the rough textures and sharp lighting of the barriers and the cathedral, the lesser roughness of the pavement and the smoothness of the orange and yellow buildings. The POV, lighting and clarity of this shot are excellent. Beautiful image and very interesting narrative!
auntietk
I love the simple, every-day association of leaning against one of these while waiting for a friend to do something mundane. I can see you there, carelessly watching Pavl, perhaps thinking about pork chops, perhaps thinking of nothing. The image is wonderful, with its textures and light and color. Good stuff!
watapki66
Very lovely image!
danapommet
Lots of different textures stone plaza, Our Lady of Týn cathedral and the stone "posts". Dam good story to go with your posting. Dana
beachzz
I love your stories of simple, everyday things. you tell them so well, I always feel like I've become part of the day, wandering around with you, or Pavl, or Stepan, and of course, the elusive Russian!!. And wouldn't THAT be fun!!
mbz2662
Thank you Chip :)
elfin14doaks
Awesome dedication great shot too! Awesome story with it.
durleybeachbum
Once again your skillful writing and intimate pic put me right HERE, with you. Wonderful how you do that!
helanker
It is always a pleasure reading you Chip. You are enjoying life and almost always as a tourist you wander around and suck in the atmosphere wherever you are. And then you share it with us. Thank you for that. I love the rouch stones in the image.
faroutsider
You are a rare phenomenon - a tourist who actually sees, who feels the culture you're embedded in, and who describes the world you move through both with precision and deep emotion. And, yes, those do look like very uncomfortable seats...
yons
I like the way you balance the space between straight and curved lines. Very interesting stones I wonder what they were used for? Tying up the reins of horses that pulled carriages in the old days? Who knows but that is what makes it so interesting.
Alex_Antonov
Excellent!
Meisiekind
Incredible work Chip~~~ :)
jac204
How lucky people are to be able to visit a place like Prague. Nice image and narrative.
SIGMAWORLD
Excellent shot!
bmac62
Ah, yes. I love these paving stone streets and allyways in Europe. So precisely done by careful stone masons. Done the same today as they were hundreds of years ago. No need for humongous amounts of concrete or asphault. Just lots of sand and these hard, gray pavers. Almost all the entrances and exists (ausfarht und einfarhrt) for the autobahns in Germany feature these paving stones too. Walkways in market places...lots of examples everywhere. There must be a strong stone mason's union in Germany, the Czech Republic and elsewhere in Europe:) As for the stone barriers, they too are ubiquitous. Your photo brings these things flooding back to me. Thanks Chip:)
EBSPhotographic
That's a perfectly exposed shot; nice detail in the shadows and highlighted areas. And your POV is outstanding.
flavia49
a great piece of remembrance! thank you for the dedication..and we're afraid we saww every and all the tourist attractions on the map! we understand the Praguese people's feelings about tourists because we lived in Venice all our (unfortunately far) youth in VENICE. Venetian feelings for tourists aren't ambiguous, in fact they almost hate the hordes eating off chuncks of their city, mostly because they know that the city survives because of the tourists that cannibalize it. Prague isn't even near to that fate. On the contrary, the city officials have spent a lot of money to restore its magnificent buildings, and the Praguese people are very kind, they haven't been fed up with the invaders yet. Flavia & Sandra
MrsRatbag
Those don't look at all comfortable to sit on! The remind me of termite mounds in Africa... a great piece of your world!