Canned sardines have it good. They’re packed tightly together—but at least they’re lying down. People on the No. 11 tram on their way to or from the 16th Dresden Castle Night can’t compare: the trains are more than full, and after midnight they’re even more than packed—at the witching hour, the No. 11 was the only public transit feeder service for the Castle Night still running only every half hour. It took a lot of courage to squeeze in there—but people in good spirits take it in stride at the witching hour. Unless, that is, they fell victim to ticket inspections unlike any I’ve ever seen: on the way there, amusingly enough, they were already taking place at the Waldschlösschen Bridge, with a massive contingent—but without any rhyme or reason. You can do that, but you don’t have to.
But just like with a sandwich or a hamburger: the true pleasure lies between the two outer layers of the experience, and on this summer night—which was perfect in terms of weather—it couldn’t have been better. Here’s the thing about the weather: either it pours every now and then, so you sneak through the night feeling damp—but end up huddling together in a helpless search for a dry spot under an arched bridge, and that’s how you meet nice people (that’s exactly how it was at the “Elf” on the way home, by the way: surrounded by out-of-towners, some with bottles from Schloss Proschwitz as provisions, but everyone very relaxed). Sometimes it’s too hot—at 40 degrees under the heat dome, you wouldn’t even chase a heat-loving lizard out the door before sunset. But this time: everything’s perfect.
