Candlelight Conversations

Sitting at a table on a dark balcony overlooking the Danube , watching the reflection of passing headlights and the sound of a city slowing shutting down for the night. Our table is lit up by a few candles, which creates an atmosphere of gentle shadows. Conversation is lubricated thanks to the empty bottles of white wine.

We decide to explore the city and set out across the bridge. Neon glows of nightclubs lookng towards the parliament building.

We get a tram to nowhere in particular and quickly find out that not really knowing where we are going isn't going to yeald anything substancial. Hunger strikes and the only place that still has a light on is across the street. Arriving at the door we find the staff are closing up for the night. So we head back to the tram stop.

We both have a fondness of Jagermeister and Guiness so we get off the tram a stop early to head to an all night store. A myriad of backstreets and dark doorways later and the shop is in sight. Once we get inside though we find out that they stop selling alcohol at 10pm. It's already about 1.30am by this time so we decide to cut out losses and take a slow stroll back 'home'.


Wandering through the wooded paths of Margaret Island at this time of night is beautiful. There's no one around. No life, no sound, nothing. Just darkness and occassional streetlamps and us. She stops for a cigarrette. We turn back to face the way we have just walked and sit in the middle of the path with the Danube sliding past on our left hand side.

Getting back everyone else is already in bed. It's cold now, and all the candles are dead. We sit sharing a duvet and look out over the Danube again. There are hardly any headlights and almost total silence. The nearest thing to heat is the glow of half smoked cigerrettes. I say I like Bukowski, she says she does too. Her favourite is Hollywood, I say mine is Post Office or Women.

It's past 4am now and she needs to be up at 9.30. I have the luxury of an extra half hour in bed, although we also have to head into town to find an internet cafe with printer, otherwise we won't be able to get home. Quite a strong reason to make sure I'm up on time for once then.

Time to turn in. This is one of those nights that just make sense.