Around 70 kilometres from Prague sits Kutna Hora. From the 13th to 16th centuries this meeting point was an energetic city that profited from the local silver mining trade and its position in Central Bohemia. Today, the 20,000 permanent residents of Kutna Hora are outnumbered by the 200,000 tourists who arrive yearly to the suburbs of this Gothic city in order to visit the Sedlec Ossuary.

“Your mother only has one week to live.” This sentence came like a punch in the face. I looked over to my sister. She was looking at her feet, utterly defeated. I tried to reach out to her but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to, damn it. We were 14 and 13 at the time and in the midst of puberty.