Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Pete Best signed the Lennon Wall yesterday!

From The Prague Daily Monitor
Prague, June 29 (CTK) - Pete Best, former drummer of The Beatles, signed the John Lennon Wall on Kampa island in Prague's historical centre Tuesday.
Later on Tuesday, Best had a concert with his current band in the Czech Music Museum in Prague that was held within the "Beatlemania" exhibition.
He said he came to Prague to add his signature on the Lennon Wall and to support the link between Prague and Liverpool because many Czechs visit Britain but do not go to Liverpool.
After John Lennon was murdered in 1980, people started writing love and peace slogans and making pictures on a wall in Prague centre dedicated to him. Czech communist police damaged the inscriptions and pictures regularly in the 1980s, however, Lennon's fans always renewed them again.
Best recalled the days when he played with the legendary band. He said The Beatles had undergone the crucial change during a four-month stay in Hamburg, Germany, where they played six to seven hours almost every day.
Best said he was not angry at the other players anymore for making him leave the band but that his relations with the rest of the Beatles ended due to his departure.
He said he was in no contact with Paul McCartney and that he last talked to Ringo Starr in 1962.
Ringo Starr replaced Best behind the drums in 1962.
Pete Best, now 68, played with the Beatles in 1960-1962. He was the most popular member of the band among the fans, especially the girls. As the real reason of his departure is not known, there are many theories why he was made to leave the band.

Happy Name Day, Šárka! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Šárka.  Happy Name Day, Šárka!
Šárka is variant of Sarah, which is of Hebrew origin and means "princess".
In Czech legend, Šárka was a maiden who joined other women in declaring war upon men.  She tricked the men by having herself tied to a tree, and, after they came to her rescue, offering them mead laced with a sleeping potion.  After the men fell asleep the other women slay them.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Happy Name Day, Petr & Pavel! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Petr and Pavel.  Happy Name Day, Petr and Pavel!
Petr is the Czech form of Peter, which is of Greek origin and means "rock".
Pavel is the Czech form of Paul, which is of Latin origin and means "small".

Monday, June 28, 2010

Summertime Fun!


Summertime, and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin', and the cotton is high
Your Daddy's rich, and your Mama is good lookin'
So, hush, little baby don't you cry

One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singin'
You're gonna spread your wings and take to the sky, take to the sky
But until that mornin' there's nothin' that can harm you
With Daddy and Mommy standin' by

Summertime
Yes, it's the time, I'm talking about summertime
And the livin', summer living, the livin' is so fine
Fish are jumpin, and the cotton is high
Your Daddy's rich, he's rich, your Daddy's filthy rich
And your Mama, hot mama, your Mama's so good lookin'
So, hush, little baby don't you cry

Listen to "Summertime" here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3xkf7rkwIY


Summertime is a glorious time in the Czech Republic!  Although we don't have a coastline, we love the water and travel to the sea.  Croatia's my favorite place and I'll bring you with me this summer.  Lots of us have either a chata (cabin) or chalupa (cottage) in the country and we'll go pretty much every weekend.  But for those of us who don't have a country home to escape to, there's still a ton to do just outside of Prague, as well as right in here in the city!

Fishing under the Charles Bridge
(not sure what he's catching, perhaps Water Sprites?!)


Boating
Take a boat cruise along the Vltava River





Dining ...or just relaxing 
With a glass of wine or a cold beer, kick back at one of the many cafes/restaurants overlooking the Vltava

My hot mama knows hot to relax on a hot summer day!


Paddleboating
How about seeing the city from your very own paddleboat?


Sports
Sometimes you just want to watch sports, and Prague's big on soccer and ice hockey...the EuroCup is shown in Old Town Square


Horseback Riding
See my post from April 27th...Favory Stables


Music
The city is alive with music during the summer...

Concerts
"Music in the Park".  In 2007, Lauryn Hill performed, along with several other great bands


Strolling
Prague is a beautiful city to stroll through!  While you're at it, stop to feed the swans that call the Vltava their home





Wine
There are lots of wine festivals to attend...so leave the car at home and indulge!






Bike riding 
A popular activity and there are many parks in Prague to do so, as well as organized trips throughout the country



Castles
The Czech Republic is packed with castles and chateaux.  You can spend every day of the summer visiting a different one...heck you can spend well over a year trying to see them all!  Here I am with Nadia at  Karlštejn.  


The Czech Grand Canyon
Velká Amerika (Grand America) and Malá Amerika (Little America)
"Amerika" is the name for a system of long abandoned limestone pit quarries situated in the vicinity of  Karlštejn.  I've only walked around looking down, but some folks find there way down to swim in the clear lagoons.


Be careful though...here you can see where the stone gave way



Prague Zoo and Troja
Because who doesn't love animals?


And right next door to the zoo we have the romantic Troja chateau, which is also home to my favorite wine cellar (if you can find it!)


Jet Skiing
We launched our skis nearby the zoo and Troja, and had a blast on the Vltava!







Kayaking
Český Krumlov ...just go.  This medieval town is situated in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic and is worth the trip.  It's a charming city along the Vltava (yes, the same Vltava that flows through Prague!)




Hiking
(and more boats)
There are a ton of places to hike in the Czech Republic, but one place that I find spectacular is České Švýcarsko National Park (Bohemian Switzerland National Park).  The park was created on June 1, 2000, and links to the Sächsische Schweiz (Saxonian Switzerland) National Park on the German side, which was established in 1990.  You can take several paths, but we took quite a long one that led us to a wonderfully relaxing boat ride. 


Žluté Lázně
Located on the bank of the Vltava River in Prague 4, this place is a great place to spend a hot summer day.  Activities include everything from swimming in the river (errr....) to beach volleyball to soccer...and so much more.  Food, cocktails, showers, restrooms, etc.  It's a great place to come and offers something for all ages. At night it's a great place to meet friends and enjoy a few cold drinks.  Live concerts take place as well throughout the summer.


Lakes
There are a lot of lakes in the Czech Republic, but this one is my favorite because of its sandy bottom (it reminds me of being on a beach at the ocean!).  Folks love to go to what I call the "Czech-version-of-a beach" to cool off  and enjoy the water.  Lhota (u Staré Boleslavi) is a man-made lake about 20 km outside of Prague.  I prefer the sea to lakes, but as far as lakes go, this one is great to wade and swim in because it has a sandy bottom rather than a murky one...and I know there's not much swimming around in it!  There's also a large sandy beach, food and drinks, and a few concession stands.  
 
 

Another really popular lake and recreation area is Slapy.  Lake Slapy is a multipurpose reservoir built on the Vltava River about 40 km south of Prague.  There are a lot of cabins and cottages around the lake that you can rent for a peaceful weekend away from the city.  Like sailing?  This is a great spot for it!

As I said, there are a ton of lakes throughout the Czech Republic...this is a random one in a village southeast of Prague...

4-Wheeling & Dirt Bike Riding





Beer
I hope you enjoy all this country has to offer this summer...and don't forget the cold beer, because nothing's better in the summer than an ice cold beer!


Happy Name Day, Lubomír! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Lubomír.  Happy Name Day Lubomír!
Lubomír is of Polish origin, and its meaning is "great love".

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Happy Name Day, Ladislav! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Ladislav.  Happy Name Day, Ladislav!
Ladislav is of Slavic origin and means "glorious rule"

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Happy Name Day, Adriana! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Adriana.  Happy Name Day, Adriana!
Adriana is a variant of Adrienne, which is of Latin origin and means "from Hadria".

Friday, June 25, 2010

Happy Name Day, Ivan! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Ivan.  Happy Name Day, Ivan!
Ivan is of Russian and Slavic origin, and is a variant of the name John, which is of Hebrew origin and means "God is gracious".
This was the name of six Russian rulers, including the 15th-century Ivan III the Great and 16th-century Ivan IV the Terrible, the first czar of Russia.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Happy Name Day, Ján! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor  Ján.  Happy Name Day,  Ján!
Ján is the Slovak form of Johannes and a variant of John, which is of Hebrew origin and means "God is gracious".

Today we remember a very special Ján who is dear to us all, and will be in our hearts forever...Ján Buls.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

"Idiom"

Remember a few days ago when I asked if anyone knows what this is?

Well, I have the answer for you...It's entitled "Idiom" and it's a tower of ....books!

Have you ever been to the Prague Municipal Library in Marianske Square?  If not, you should.  It's in the city center just off Old Town Square, and located inside is this magnificent sculpture by artist Matej Krén.  

Matej is actually a quite well-known artist who studied in both Bratislava and Prague.  He was born in 1958 Trenčín, then Czechoslovakia, today Slovakia.  Sine the early 90s, Matej has exhibited his works in museums and galleries throughout Europe, as well as overseas.  In 1998, this wonderful sculpture was placed in the Municipal Library.  By using mirrors, Matej created an unusual effect of infinity...but it's hard to describe and the picture doesn't do the sculpture justice.  You know how I'm afraid of heights right?  Well, let's just say that viewing this sculpture made me feel as though I was about to fall into an infinite abyss.

Matej Krén currently lives and works in Prague.

Happy Name Day, Zdeňka! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Zdenka.  Happy Name Day, Zdeňka!
Zdeňka is of Latin origin and is mainly used int he Czech language.  Zdeňka means "woman from Sidon" and is a form of the English name Sidney.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Happy Name Day, Pavla! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Pavla.  Happy name Day, Pavla!
Pavla is the Czech form of Paula, which is of Latin origin and means "small".

Monday, June 21, 2010

Happy Name Day, Alois! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Alois.  Happy Name Day, Alois!
Alois is the Czech form of Aloysius, which is of Old German origin and a form of Louis, which means "famous warrior".  The Czech nickname for Alois is Lojza.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

One of our own flying in the Red Bull Air Race in NYC

Flying at over 200 mph over New York's Hudson River, one of our own performed death-defying acts and flew his airplane with such precision and skill ...proving to us that he has what it takes to be the Red Bull Air Race champion.  Although not coming out on top in NYC, Martin Šonka will always be our #1!
(Please note, photos belong to and are taken by Martin Šonka)