Travel Notes | Charles Bridge and Vltava River in the sunset

"My life and inspiration all come from the great Charles Bridge." It is said that these were Kafka's last words before his death. This Jewish man who was born on the edge of Charles Bridge regards this ancient stone bridge as the cradle of his life and the source of his creation. It is true that every great writer always has a hometown complex and writing motif that he can't let go of throughout his life, as was the case with Kafka.

Saying goodbye to Kafka's cemetery in the drizzle, I naturally thought of Charles Bridge. Looking at the sky that is like a child's face that suddenly clears and rains, I thought, maybe I can still see the beautiful sunset on the Charles Bridge today.

Taking the subway to the Charles Bridge, the light rain stopped as expected, but the wind became colder, and it suddenly felt like autumn. The clouds like billows and snow are still piled up on the horizon, but the setting sun has forced a hole to tear open, and stubbornly poked out a few bunches of thin crimson light, smearing it like rouge on the rippling water, and the golden sparks made it cold after the rain. The Charles Bridge and the Vltava River are in tune with each other, and the warmth becomes vivid in an instant.

Compared with the lonely Kafka cemetery on the outskirts of the city, this place is extremely lively. People of all colors from all over the world come and go with smiles and light steps. In addition to the vast river and sky, no matter which direction you point the camera, an endless stream of tourists will always break into your lens uninvited.

Bypassing those blond and long-legged people, I took advantage of the opportunity to occupy a position near the river. I leaned on the railing and looked at the endless river in front of me and the bridge across both sides. It really made people feel a bit distorted. It turned out that this was far away and unfamiliar. Charles Bridge and the Vltava River. At this moment, we are so close, as close as the Oujiang River that I face every day, within reach.

Many times, when we yearn for a place, we often only need a small reason. It may be a person, a story, or a poem, an article, or a piece of music. For example, the bridge and the river in front of me, my first perception of them came from a piece of music and a person's love for them. This kind of love infects me.

I walked onto this ancient stone bridge.

The Charles Bridge is the first bridge built by Prague people over the Vltava River and is one of the most famous historical monuments in the Czech Republic. It connects the castle district and the old town on both sides of the river, integrating the high and low Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance buildings, making it the essence of the architectural art in Prague's old town. Therefore, this is also the place with the highest concentration of tourists.

Europeans are more straightforward. For example, when it comes to naming, they are not as particular as we Chinese. This bridge, built on the order of Czech King Charles IV, was named Charles Bridge, very simply. This bridge, which started construction in 1357 and was not completed until 1400, looked like a giant gray-brown dragon, silently gliding over the Vltava River for more than 600 years. How many people's footprints have been printed on her body that is 10 meters wide and 520 meters long? This is the only way for the coronation processions of kings in the past, the only way for the army when war comes, and the only way for people to come in and out of life. Like all great buildings from historical stories, she has been blessed. Glory has also experienced bloodshed and natural disasters.

My daughter and I walked slowly and took a few photos at random places.

Although the dusk is a bit gloomy, it does not detract from the charm of Charles Bridge. The crowds of tourists, vendors setting up stalls on the bridge, various street performers, and groups of pigeons flying around make the bridge very lively. In particular, the various artists display their talents and make people feel happy - those who sell paintings, sing, play the piano, perform handicrafts, etc., it is dizzying to see. The most eye-catching one among them is a man with long white hair and gray beard. The instrument he plays is like a box, and the music is low and mute. I have never seen it before. My daughter gave him a tip and asked about it, but she didn't understand it clearly.

This Charles Bridge is like an art exhibition hall, showing the romantic side of Prague to people passing by. The liveliness and vividness of this kind of human fireworks, and the sculptures of mythological figures that have stood still for hundreds of years on both sides of the bridge, form a strong contrast between movement and stillness, warmth and coldness, but they also complement each other and are pleasing to the eye.

In addition to being an art exhibition hall, it is not an exaggeration to say that the Charles Bridge is "Europe's open-air Baroque sculpture gallery". There is a Gothic gatehouse with Baroque-style relief at each end of the bridge, standing tall like a patron saint. On the stone railings on both sides of the bridge, there are 30 statues of Catholic saints and patron saints with different shapes and vivid images. They are masterpieces of Czech Baroque art masters from the 17th to 18th centuries. Each of them must have a story, but I don’t know it. I can only appreciate it purely as a work of art.

Everything you can see is a perfect combination of typical Gothic architectural art and Baroque sculpture art. No wonder His Majesty the King has to guard the full-length statue of Charles IV at the bridge day and night, staring at it and guarding it. It is a treasure. Of course, the originals are now in museums, and these are replicas.

The sky gradually darkened, and the thin ray of sunset also disappeared. The lights on both sides of the bank and on the bridge gradually lit up, illuminating the ultramarine sky, the blue river water, and the scattered scenery in the evening. The red roof, looking around, is full of brilliant bohemian style. However, when I stopped, among the noisy crowd, I seemed to see Kafka's lonely figure again, walking alone on the bridge.

“I am often surprised by Kafka’s love for Charles Bridge. He started wandering on the bridge when he was 3 years old. Not only could he tell the allusions to all the statues on the bridge, I even spotted him many times. I was counting the pebbles on the bridge at night by the light of the street lamp..." This is a passage written by Kafka's friend Janus in his memoir "Kafka Said to Me", which is particularly scene-like. At this time, such a sense of scene was involuntarily substituted into the picture in front of me, which was both real and illusory.

A dove fluttering next to me pulled me back from my thoughts. Leaning against the stone railing of the bridge, looking at the fast-flowing river in front of me, hitting the bridge piers, splashing out snow-white water, and then rushing away, the undulating and bright flute sound at the beginning of the symphony "Vltava River", It was like the sound of leaping, clear water, ringing in my ears. The appeal of art to people always comes without warning. Maybe it usually sinks in the heart, but at a certain time and space, it jumps out with a "pop".

This piece in A minor in 6/8 time, named after the Vltava River, is the second movement in the symphonic poem "My Motherland" by Czech composer Smetana, and is also the most famous movement. "That morning, I walked slowly onto the bridge. No one knew what I wanted to do. At this moment, I suddenly heard the sound of the rapids of the Vltava River hitting the Charles Bridge..." This is the Vltava River The creative inspiration given to the composer is also the source of life for this piece of music.

The spirit of all things. At this moment, I also heard such a crash.

The ever-moving Charles Bridge is a piece of frozen music, and the eternal Vltava River is an eternally flowing line. They are strong and soft, and are natural.

Human beings have chosen water to live since ancient times, and every place needs a mother river. Obviously, the Vltava River is the mother river of Prague, and it is also the largest river in the Czech Republic. There is such a poetic description in the score of "Vltava": "Two streams merge into the Vltava River, flowing into the distance; passing through the dense forest, the echo of the hunter's horn is heard; flowing through In the harvest fields, the joyous sounds of rural weddings can be heard from the shore; as night falls, water nymphs sing and play on the shining waves under the moonlight; the rushing river water hits the rock walls, making a roar, setting off waves, and rolling along the St. John's Canyon And down; flowing to Prague, flowing through the ancient Visegrad, the Vltava River is wide and magnificent, and continues to flow into the distance..." Such sentences are enough to illustrate the status and beauty of a river in people's hearts.

The ever-flowing river has its own destination, and the never-ending flow of people also has its own way back. Some people walked slowly on the Charles Bridge in the early morning, some laughed loudly in the bright sun, and some wandered under the street lights at dusk. Lonely people are still lonely, and lively people are still lively.

When I walked slowly to the other end of the bridge, I looked at the time and saw that it was already nine o'clock. Looking back from a distance, the number of tourists on the Charles Bridge is getting thinner, but the lonely figure counting the stones gradually becomes clearer and brighter amidst the music of "Vltava River".