Strasburg's Night

by Igor Zenin

A black cat has the whole of old Strasbourg to itself tonight — cobblestones slick with rain, half-timbered facades glowing amber against a sky the moon has just fought clear of clouds. It's the kind of empty-street hour that turns superstition into atmosphere: nobody's crossing paths with this cat except the camera, and even that feels like an accident it allowed. The city looks exactly as old as it is — a version of Strasbourg that doesn't hold still for long.