Many European cities with a history rich in
military, cultural and economic might have comparable “morphology” – at night
they look and feel like a travel in time. In part it is the architecture (often
baroque), the cobble stone streets, and the narrow serpentine streets between
centuries old buildings.
For me, the architecture means little without the
people and their habits. So, I travel in time when the cobble streets echo the rhythm
of horse shoes, when the dim lit facades of century-old sandstone buildings
reverberate with music, and when chestnuts are roasted on street corners when
there is snow on the ground.
Decades ago one could find these moments in Paris
but it is a rare thing now. However Budapest, Prague, Florence and Warsaw still
can put us in those time capsules. But my favorite remains Vienna in winter. It
is small enough a city to see all these happen during a night walk.
Music is everywhere as one would expect. But not
only music, great music. Notice this member classically trained musician giving
a solo public concert wearing impeccable symphonic orchestra attire.
Or listen to a more eclectic set of improvisations
from lands farther away.
And never forget to notice how great it feels to see
a horse drawn carriage come out from under the Symphony Hall arches making you
wonder if iPhone and satellite TV were bad dreams you had the night before…
December 4, 2016
© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2016
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