"People who love to eat are always the best people." - Julia Child

The 6th annual Foodparade is coming up - on Sept. 3 & 4, more than 20 of Prague's restaurants and chefs will offer their wares...so come hungry!

There is, of course, beer & wine.  We are Czechs after all.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at http://foodparade.cz/vstupenky/ OR http://www.ticketstream.cz/

Or even better yet, you can try to win tickets by answering the following question and emailing your answer to info@prague.tv by August 21st:

What's the value in CZK of the festivals currency "1 CHEF"?

Pssst...I'll give you a hint.  1 CHEF is 20 CZK.  Shhhh, don't tell anyone! And good luck.

Oh, and did I mention... this event is being held at Troja Chateau ...a stunning Baroque structure located in the city's suburbs.  Stunning views, vineyards, and the Prague Zoo is located right next door, thus you can make a day of your visit to Troja.

Romance is a Knight in Shining Armor

I am so bummed that I won't be able to attend this event.  Then again, how would I choose just one castle or chateau?

On August 27th, several castles and chateaus throughout the Czech Republic will open their doors at night for Hradozámecká noc.  AT NIGHT.  Meaning candlelight and classical music and knights in shining armor.  

One of the chataeus participating is Duchcov, where the stud Giacomo Casanova worked as a librarian in the late 1700's.  Perhaps, on this night his spirit will roam the building flirting with women as they pass by.  Will you be so lucky?

Duchcov Chateau

Read about the event here

Duchcov Chateau

Another participant is the baroque castle Žleby, which is particularly romantic in appearance.  

Zámek Žleby

Zámek Žleby

Zámek Žleby

I can picture it... candle lit rooms, music playing softly in the background, the click-clap of horse hooves as they pass by on the cobble-stoned paths, and the knights.  Oh, the knights...

Mozart in Prague

Why not taking a walking tour of Prague and follow in the footsteps of Wolfgang.  With its majestic charm, the city will surely take you back to days long ago...

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 

Here's a piece by the famous composer that made its debut in Prague in 1787:

Symphony No. 38 in D

Prague TV had a good article which will surely inspire you to explore Prague and visit the places that Mozart once did.

Following Mozart Through Prague

One of my favorite places associated with Mozart is the Estates Theatre.  It holds a special place in my heart because it is where my father introduced me to opera by taking me to see Le nozze de Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), which just happens to be composed by Mozart.

  Buy Tickets for Le nozze de Figaro at the Estates Theatre

The Estates Theatre 

The Estates Theatre, better known for the premiere of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, which was performed here on October 29, 1787  

Versatile Beer

Sometimes a girl just wants things.  

This time, this girl needs this:

Now that we have that out of the way...

I just read a great article on Prague.TV's website entitled, "BEER COUNTRY EATS, SLEEPS, BREATHES (AND BATHES) BEER"

Ahem... yes. Is true.

The article is genius!  Who knew that I can clean with beer, thus giving me even more reason to drink it throughout the day. 

(PS...I have highlighted parts that spoke to me)

The construction of the Charles Bridge started in the 14th century under Charles the IV. There are many different rumors about what was used instead of cement – and it wasn't just eggs. According to one website the secret ingredients that helped hold the bridge together include various organic products such as milk, blood, cottage cheese, wine and last but not least: beer.

Beer isn't just great for drinking and bridge-building; it has many amazing uses including beauty. Beer shampoo for one has many benefits that you can't find in your regular Head and Shoulders: it contains proteins and it guarantees a long-lasting shine. The only down side is the unappealing smell of beer that may linger after a wash.

Another way to reap the benefits but risk the smell is taking a beer bubble bath. Alternative of investing lots of money into aspa trip where your beer-soaking time is limited, buy a few bottles and enjoy the bubbles. The beer will soften your skin and give you a unique glow.

You can also use beer to make yourself beautiful from the inside out. Beer can be used to marinate meat because of it's acidic nature which makes the meat nice and tender. Unlike wine, beer won't alter the taste of the meat but will make leaner cuts less tough and more delicious. The marinated meat has to be left in the fridge ideally overnight – but keep in mind that you can NOT drink the marinade.

There are several other ways that you can use beer in the kitchen and not all of them require eating. The pots and pans won't clean themselves but luckily for you, just a few drops of beer will put a nice shine on anything metal. Don't forget to let it soak or sit before you start scrubbing!

Accidents can happen – it's not uncommon for beer to end up on the floor. If you're enjoying a beer outside, it may end up in the dirt. Apparently this has it's benefits too! Beer can not only help fix any brown spots in the grass but it can also eliminate various pests. The sugar in beer will help grass grow strong and you can use it to drown unwanted slugs who like beer almost as much as you do.

Spilling beer indoors isn't an issue either, especially when it comes to wooden floors. Not only does beer remove stains but it can also work to polish floors. Just make sure to dry it well and maybe use some soda or liquid cleaner after. This will keep your flat from reeking of stale beer.

Everyone knows that drinking alcohol can warm you up on a cold night. But there are other ways that beer can keep you stay warm without raising your alcohol level. If your heating system revolves around the temperature on a thermostat then all you need to do to heat things up is place a chilled beer on top of the box. This will trick an automatic thermostat into making things a little more toasty.

Next time you have an extra beer, don't let it just sit in your fridge: splash it in your hair, in your cooking pot and all over your household.

Czech Republic No More

Welcome to the Czech Republic

Welcome to Czechia

I don't like it.  What are your thoughts on the proposed new name change?

Actually, the more I say it and hear it, the more I absolutely loathe it. You?  

I am not opposed to change, not at all, but Czechia?  And using the excuse that Czechia is better for marketing is just ridiculous.  We are the Czech Republic... leave it be. Move on.  Focus on more important issues.

Czech Republic to be known as 'Czechia'