Between Worlds

A Prague night. As dark as proper chocolate, yet surprisingly warm considering the season. Perhaps thanks to the star, likely a red dwarf, that descended from the celestial ocean and landed softly just in front of Prague Castle, towing one of the orbiting planets and its faithful companion. True, they uncannily resemble the Earth and the Moon, but that might be merely a coincidence. Isn’t there an infinite number of such blue-and-white couples in the deep black void? And an Earth on Earth—that would be too much metaphysics for a single night. Let’s just stick to the “random object” theory for our own sanity. And let’s enjoy the spectacle.

The castle square is jammed. The last remaining Prague candelabrum—one that has witnessed monarchs, presidents, and even protectors passing by on their way to take office over almost two centuries of illuminating the plaza—is ringed with kids striving to peer over the heads of adults. No worries, though; the light is electric now. The crowd is eclectic: locals and foreigners alike—languages from every continent (except Antarctica, perhaps, since the delegation of penguins has decided to settle down by the river rather than climbing up to the castle) resonate through the square; and the crowd buzzes with expectation. The fantastic wordless journey into that niche between worlds and the realm of imagination is about to begin.

Street theater (or square theater, in this case), acrobatics, juggling, and dance. Creatures evolving just in front of your eyes. Performers floating in the air, as if gravity were something that only applied to the stunned spectators. You find yourself taking a tentative hop or two, just to see if you still land on your feet a moment later or join the floaters. Flames, sparkles. Ashes to ashes, stardust to stardust. All you can do is bow.

If I had a better camera than a smartphone, I’d be hunting shadows for you—the ones that bravely climbed up and down historic façades, and even the castle itself, jumping onto windowsills, cheekily peeking inside, growing and shrinking like Alice in Wonderland. Yet I don’t have such a device, so the shots from the show will have to suffice. Still, they are a visual feast fit for the kings who once called the castle home.

Perhaps to prove they were real, and not just figments of our collective imagination, the performers let children pet several of the creatures when the show ended. A giant, shimmering fish was particularly popular, and I can definitely relate!

Prague is truly amazing at this time of year. The autumnal colors suit it best. If you are considering visiting my hometown, perhaps on your way to the meetup in Kraków in November, feel free to ping me. I might share some insights with you.

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