Marionettes. There is a puppet culture in the
Czech Republic dating back to the Middle Ages.
You can find Marionette shops in many towns and
cities with varying degrees of quality but they are
all fascinating to see. As a mask collector visiting
a country with no masks per se, I was entranced
by the faces of the Marionettes and spent lots of
time just appreciating the q uality.
Scenery. There are some amazing vistas in
Prague. You can climb a number of towers,
depending on the strength in your legs and your
ability to negotiate winding staircases (Check
exchange emails with the tour guides and locals
you may meet along the way). Accuracy is very
important. If you are into historical dates, then
ensure the dates are correct. If you are not a big
history buff, then give a general time frame (eg in
the early 20th century, as opposed to “1911”)
And then there are other forms of writing
inspiration (from the Latin ‘in spirare’ meaning ‘to
breathe’, as in ‘to breathe life into something’).
Many writers have what they call “eureka
moments”. The word “Eureka’ has an ancient
Greek origin and means “I have found it”, and
goes along with the legend that the scholar
Marionette Artistry can be found throughout Prague
out the Astronomical Clock Tower or one of the
Charles Bridge Towers)
And there are many other angles for writing about
the city: history, architecture, music, art, tourists,
shopping, the subway system, the bridges,
museums, gardens, wine, street life, the Jewish
Quarter, hidden attractions (eg. the grotto and the
albino peacocks), and just about any other area or
‘niche’ that interests you.
And that is one of the keys to writing: write about
your own interests. Once I decide on a topic, I will
spend time filling in my knowledge gaps with
research, mostly online, but also from guide books
or contacting someone who knows more than I
about the topic. (which is a good reason to
Archimedes yelled out “Eureka” when he
immersed himself into his bath water and realized
that the water level rose at the same time. A
Eureka moment may be listening to a song on
your itunes and something about that song relates
to an incident or a thought that profoundly inspires
you. I have two favourite Eureka moments.
My first “Eureka” involves the song Wooden
Ships, by Crosby Stills, Nash and Young, wherein
one of the lines is “You smile at me and I will
understand/cuz that is something everybody
everywhere does in the same language”. Well
when I first heard that, I realized that as an
inveterate traveller who only speaks English, there
is a masterful way of communicating with the
whole planet—and that is in the simple act of