Prague, Czechia
January 2018
As I was flipping through a pile of photos for a recent blog, I stumbled upon this one clicked randomly on a wintry evening of 2018 on the Charles Bridge. I yet remember the sight of this human orchestra that transmitted quite a bit of warmth that I needed that evening in subzero conditions. Sun was signing off for the day and wasn’t half as effective as I’d have wanted it to be. To be honest, I was 1-layer short of clothes, and Prague was getting damper with each passing hour. I was in a hurry to get back to my hotel after savouring the best of Prague Castle and attractions around.
It was freezing out there, and all I wanted was to get back to my cosy retreat as soon as I could, which was some 5 km from the centre. But I had a task cut out that evening. The entire Charles Bridge and adjoining Old Town were overwhelmed with tourists, and I had to manoeuvre through the jam-packed 1-km stretch that ran through the Old Town leading to the Wenceslas Square where Metro station was located.
Some 60 meters following the main entrance of the bridge, my gaze fell upon this man adorned with all sorts of musical instruments, most of which I couldn’t even name. I could hear him well only after inching closer. He appeared to be a local artist singing and playing some Czech music. This man was nothing less than a genius, housing an entire band in himself. The precision with which the controlled all the instruments was remarkable. His hands, mouth, and feet worked in sync, switching different instruments at a regular interval, and this sight turned out to be a visual delight. Music has always bailed me out in different situations. In this case, I overcame the cold. And this warmth stayed with me a bit longer than I expected.
Doughnut Icecream Cone did the rest!
