The Prague Fall Flare Leaves Leaves In The Hair

As soon as November begins, our yearly family travels to southeastern Slovakia for the first of November are on my mind. For some people this day might be a standard workless holiday or just another random day, maybe occasionally filled with melancholy and bittersweet memories of a special person or of certain people. Memories of even tiny things like hugs, certain smells or everyday moments that remain locked forever in a world past. Or inner negotiations with a higher power for getting just ten minutes of silent togetherness with a missed loved one.

Regardless of the general mood in the air, I remember the weather being simply autumnly perfect on every single first day of month 11 I can recall. Never did I have to wear my winter coat. It seemed like all the trees in their warm shades of a million browns, yellows and reds radiated a soft warmth not experienced in any other season.

Although I do not join my parents on their November-travels anymore, I am not able to shake off the typical contemplative mood. Sitting in a chair with a cup of coffee getting slowly cold or walking through streets covered with leaves trying to get rid of the ones flying into my hair and finally leaving them there because they look beautiful - in every situation there comes an inner shake I cannot really describe.

Even though 01/11 is not a public holiday in the Czech Republic, this year it fell onto a Sunday, which felt quite similar. It was a warm, sunny day. One that forces people to go out and look for the spot the strongest ray of sunshines shines on. Still not my first 1st of November (or a day around it) not spent at home and not ending with silent darkness lit up by little dots of candlelight, slowly moving shadows of carefully breathing people treading softly on the dark-green grass as if they were afraid to ruin something ungraspable... But something was, or felt different this time.

This year on the first of November, I simply had to walk. I walked up, I walked down, I walked through gardens full of dogs and their similar-looking owners. I didn't know where I wanted to end up or what I wanted to find. On days like these, you find the most things to look at. (Or they find you.) Children playing in / with leaves, looking happier than with any toy imaginable. Unexpected views and places you feel like in a forest when you find yourself there. And most surprisingly - a local Día de los Muertos festival in the Stromovka park. I had kind of mixed feelings witnessing this - and I am saying this despite my newly discovered deep affection towards tortilla-chips.

Maybe I am even more old-school than I thought.

At least the leaves keep their shades every fall the same.