Tuesday 22 July 2014

It's elemental

We fear the dark - somewhere deep in our unconscious ancient brain, we know that darkness is to be avoided. So all the more joy then, when a candle is lit and the darknesses is cursed.

How much joy is there when 10,000 candles are lit all at once? The highlight (pun not intended) for me during Bled Nights and Bled Days was Saturday night. (To add even more significance it was also Dawn and my 31st wedding anniversary.) 

We stood - thousands of us - on the ground or sat on the benches around the lake. Others were punted on the lake by a clutch of pletnas, more watched from the far shore and the castle, did some fly over?. A slight breeze - warm, but not as hot as the day had been. Earth, wind, fire, water. Elemental.



There was a stillness: yes there was a band or two playing in the background, but even they gave up when the 10,000 candles floating on eggshells spread across Lake Bled. One report said that there were 15,000. but who was counting?

Then a test firework to gauge the speed and direction of the breeze. then the fireworks.

We walked back to our apartment through the crowds who had come from around the world. The litter baskets were stuffed, yet although in the darkness I could see no litter. 10 hours later I was walking back into town, and there was no, none, zero litter from the night before. Congratulations to the organisers and the spectators. 

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