Happy Name Day, Oskar! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Yesterday we honored Oskar.  Happy belated name day, Oskar!

The name Oskar is a variant of Oscar, which is of Old English origin, and the meaning of Oskar is "spear of the Gods".

A very special shout out goes to Oskar de Praha.  Yes, he's a gnome.

Happy Name Day, Ignác! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Ignác.  Happy name day, Ignác.

The name Ignác is of Latin origin and means "ardent; burning".

Happy Belated Name Day, Bořivoj! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Yesterday we honored Bořivoj.  Happy belated name day, Bořivoj!

The name Bořivoj is a Slavic name that is derived from the Slavic elements bor "battle" and voi "soldier".

Happy Name Day, Marta! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Marta.  Happy Name Day, Marta!

The name Marta is a variant of Martha, which is of Aramaic origin and means "lady; mistress of the house".

Happy Name Day, Viktor! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Viktor.  Happy Name Day, Viktor!

The name Viktor is a variant of Victor, which is of Latin origin and means "champion".

Happy Belated Name Day, Věroslav! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Yesterday we honored Věroslav.  Happy belated name day, Věroslav!

The name Věroslav is a Czech name of Slavic origin, meaning "fame, glory".

Happy Name Day, Anna! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Anna.  Happy Name Day, Anna!

The name Anna is of Hebrew origin and a form of Hannah.  Anna means "gracious; merciful".

Happy Name Day, Jakub! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Jakub.  Happy Name Day, Jakub!

The name Jakub is the Czech form of Jacob, which is of Latin origin and manes "he who supplants".

House Insignia of the Day Revealed

How did I let so many weeks go by before revealing where this is and what it symbolizes?  Oh yes, it's summer.  I loooovvveee summer and try to enjoy every minute of it, sometimes at the expense of my blog.  Please forgive this beach bum.

So, any one out there recall seeing this during one of your strolls through Prague?

This is The Golden Stag located at Tomášská 4 in Mala Strana (Lesser Quarter).  The work of Baroque sculptor Ferdinand Maxmilian Brokoff, the sculptor of the Visitation of St. Hubert, was commissioned by Jan Kaspar Friedrich, owner of the house at that time.  

Ferdinand Maxmilian Brokoff

According to legend, St. Hubert was an Aquitanian nobleman greatly devoted to the chase until one day his path was crossed by a stag with a gold cross between his antlers, at which point Hubert realized that it was a sign from God.  He turned from the material world to the spiritual, becoming a priest and later a bishop of  Liège in the Ardennes of Belgium.  Since then, St. Hubert has been traditionally regarded as the patron of foresters and hunters.

Familiar with this beverage?

Well, now you know what the logo references!

Tomášská 4

Happy Name Day, Kristýna! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor, Kristýna.  Happy Name Day, Kristýna!

The name Kristýna is widely used in the Czech language.  It's a variant of Christina, which is of Latin origin and means "Christian woman".

Happy Name Day, Libor! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Libor. Happy Name Day, Libor!

The name Libor is primarily used in the Czech language and is of Latin origin, meaning "free".

Happy Name Day, Magdaléna! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Magdaléna.  Happy Name Day, Magdaléna!

The name Magdaléna is the Czech form of Madeline/Magdalene.  It's of Greek origin and means "woman from Magdala".

Happy Name Day, Vítězslav! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Vítězslav.  Happy Name Day, Vítězslav!

Vítězslav is a Czech name of Slavonic origin, and means "glorious knight".

Happy Name Day, Ilja! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Ilja.  Happy Name Day, Ilja!

The name Ilja is of Hebrew origin and means "my God is Yahweh".

Happy Name Day, Čeněk! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Čeněk.  Happy Name Day, Čeněk!

The name Čeněk is the pet form of Czech Vincenc, meaning "conquering".

Happy Belated Name Day, Jindřich, Luboš, Martina & Drahomira! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Happy Belated Name Day to the following people:

July 15th

Happy Name Day, Jindřich!

The name Jindřich is used mainly in Czech and is derived from Germanic origins.  Jindřich is the Czech form of Henry, which is an English name of Germanic origin, and means "house owner; lord of the manor".

 July 16th

Happy Name Day,  Luboš!

The name Luboš is of Slavic origin and the short from of  Lubomír, which means "love and peace".

July 17th

Happy Name Day, Martina!

The name Martina is of Latin origin and means "dedicated to Mars".  

July 18th

Happy Name Day, Drahomira!

The name Drahomíra is of Slavonic origin and is primarily used in Czech.  Drahomíra means "beloved peace".

Happy Name Day, Karolína! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Karolína.  Happy Name Day, Karolína!

The name Karolína is of Slavic origin and a variant of Caroline.  Karolína means "little & womanly".

A very special name day wish goes out to this Karolína...

Where Am I?

Ever see this while strolling the streets of Prague?  Know where it is or what it symbolizes?

Prague the 14th Most Expensive City in Europe for Expats

I would never have guessed it but Prague is apparently the 14th most expensive city in Europe for expats, and the 47th most expensive in the world.  

The world's most expensive city for expats is Luanda, Angola

The second most expensive city is Tokyo

And the third is N'Djamena, Chad

For more, check out this article: http://aktualne.centrum.cz/czechnews/clanek.phtml?id=707094

Happy Name Day, Markéta! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Markéta.  Happy Name Day, Markéta!

The name Markéta is the Czech and Slovak form of Margaret, which is of Greek origin and means "pearl".

Happy Name Day, Borek! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Borek.  Happy Name Day, Borek!

Happy Name Day, Olga! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Olga.  Happy Name Day, Olga!

The name Olga is of Old Norse and Scandinavian origin, and the meaning of Olga is "blessed, holy; successful".

Happy Belated Name Day, Drahoslava, Libuše & Amálie! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

On Saturday, July 9th, we honored Drahoslava.  Happy Belated Name Day, Drahoslava!

The name Drahoslava is the feminine form of Drahoslav, which is derived from the Slavic elements dorgu meaning "precious" and slav meaning "glory".

On Sunday, July 10th, we honored Libuše & Amálie. Happy Belated Name Day, Libuše & Amálie!

The name Amálie is a variant of Amelia, which is a blend of two medieval names:  the Latin Emelia and the Latin-German Amalia.  Its meaning is "industrious, striving; work".   

 The name Libuše is an Old Czech name that is derived from the adjective libý, the base of which is Slavonic ljub meaning "love; lovable".

Happy Name Day, Nora! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Nora.  Happy Name Day, Nora!

The name Nora is of English origin.  It's the short form of Eleanora, which is of Greek origin and means "light", and Honora, which is of Latin origin and means "woman of honor".  It's also used as an independent name.

Summertime and the livin' is easy

Play Summertime on YouTube prior to and while reading on...to get that full summertime feelin'

Go to:  http://youtu.be/i3xkf7rkwIY

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

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 go-to summertime spot and I hope you have the chance to visit.  Pretty much every Czech has either a chata (cabin) or chalupa (cottage) in the country and they'll head out of the city almost every weekend.  But for those of you 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 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

Or along Čertovka (Devil's Stream)

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

Paddleboating

How about seeing the city from your very own paddleboat?

Horseback Riding

Music

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

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

Biking

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!  

Jemnice

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.  Walk or jog around...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 also houses a fabulous wine cellar/shop (if you can find it!)

Jet Skiing

Launch your skis nearby the zoo and Troja, and have 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, one that even leads 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....if you so desire) 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 beers.  Live concerts take place as well throughout the summer.

Lakes

There are a lot of lakes in the Czech Republic, and Lhota is a personal favorite because of its sandy bottom (it reminds me of being on a beach at the ocean).  Lhota (u Staré Boleslavi) is a man-made lake about 20 km outside of Prague.  There's a large sandy beach (perfect for sand castles), food and drinks, restrooms, 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.  Enjoy 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 and Dirt Bike Riding

Because boys will be boys!

Spa Towns

Spa Towns are a wonderful way to relax.

Lázně Poděbrady

Mariánské Lázně

 

Karlovy Vary

Beer

I hope you enjoy all this wonderful country has to offer this summer.  Whatever you do this summer, don't forget the cold beer... because nothing's better in the heat of summer than an ice cold pivo!