July 2019
I had watched the late afternoon glow on the Charles Bridge and then die as the lights slowly re-illuminated the statues of the saints. Prague had been beautifully cleaned up and even though discovered by the tourists throngs, it was hard to feel disappointed. People gathered in the old city square, in front of the entrance to the castle hill, and around the Charles Bridge at the end of the day. Other parts of the city remained blissfully empty.
I walked along the river slowly toward the hotel, not at my usual brisk pace, to drink in the moment. I never did that enough when I travelled because I was always in a rush to get onto "the next thing". Something Italy and Spain had taught me was to slow down at least for aperitivo at the end of the day. I walked along the bank of the Vltava and looked back over the river and the castle hill. I didn't have time to re-visit that part of the city because I was too busy traveling to the corners of the Czech republic that I had missed back in 1987. The castle and cathedral spires in the dying day were breathtaking.
I felt satisfied that I had been right about Prague all those years ago. If it were ever discovered and cleaned up, it would be a hit. It remains one of my favorite European cities. One day I must return just to "be" there and enjoy it.