Tag: www.czechtourism.com

Countries, Culture, Europe

Bye, bye baby – Cerny’s Prague

funtime65

No, I haven’t been on the weed in one of the many shops selling by the Castle in Prague – I really do have a baby climbing the TV Tower above my head.

I’m noticing the baby doesn’t seem to be held on too well to the surface.

Nor is he wearing a nappy – I fear an accident.

David Cerny’s ‘Climbing Babies’ have become a symbol of modern Prague.

With my new pal Elise

One of many wonderfully irreverent, but never irrelevant, symbols of how today’s Czechs cock a snook at perceived taste, and authority.

Leave baby outside

The Climbing Babies (there are 13) are thought to be inspired by ET’s desire to get home.

What a shower. www.wikipedia.org

But Cerny never reveals the meaning of his sculptures so you can put your own interpretation on it.

We have a hot chocolare halfway up the 216m TV Tower in the Oblaca Bar (it means clouds).

Where we are told we can see a baby out of the window.

When we can’t I ask our ever-obliging guide Jirina if she will hang out the window for me.

Read all about it: Myself, Jirina and some light reading

Perhaps not a good idea though in a city where they have a history of throwing people out of windows…

And over the King Charles Bridge… if they don’t agree with them.

I have come across Cerny’s handiwork before.

Things are looking up: Other tall towers

On my last visit Hope springs eternal to Prague and the Czech Republic.

Sittin’ around

Which comes as little surprise.

Lie back and think of the Vatican

Countries, Culture, Europe

Thirteen years an Irishman – five top cities

funtime65

For fear of causing an international diplomatic incident, here’s five more of my favourite cities.

In Northern Europe although, in truth, they stand comparison with any in the world.

So let’s get started with some of that rock’n’roll music… and…

Hamburger city

Hamburg (https://www.hamburg.com/visitors/): The Rieperbahn obviously but also the Elbphilormonie, or Elbe https://www.elbphilharmonie.de/en/… it’s not just for the stuffed shirts.

Then there’s Stefanie Hempell’s Early Beatles-Tour, her infectious smile, Der Fab Four anecdotes and songs on her ukulele… http://www.hempels-musictour.de

And, of course, eating hamburgers like a local in Dulf’s Burger https://m.facebook.com/dulfsburger/. Hamburgers and ships.

And a model railway museum which could seriously turn me… Why German trains always run on time.

I Amsterdam

Pictures everywhere

Amsterdam: Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Breughel, the tulip museum and the story of the world’s best flower… and cheese, and a cheese not a cheesy museum.

The Ann Frank Museum and a stirring reminder of how we need to remain vigilant against racism.

Canals, narrow bars and Middle Eastern food… who even needs to visit the Red Light District.

Visit www.iamsterdam.com and read Pictures of Amsterdam and George Clooney and Amal’s Amsterdam hotel.

Prague springs

Give peace a chance

Prague: Lennon’s wall and the Astronomical Church, obviously, but also the Castle which is really a district.

The Charles Bridge with its sculptures and jazz musicians.

The world’s second ugliest attraction, from Communist days, and they’re very proud of it. And one of my favourite statues ‘Piss’.

Visit https://discover-prague.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuJH_8KCz5wIVRrTtCh0ofAEHEAAYAyAAEgKhOvD_BwE and https://www.czechtourism.com/home/. And read Holiday Snaps – Prague for under €100.

Bergen’s charms

A lager is how much?

Bergen: The old wharf and traditional Norwegian buildings of Bryggen where you can always find a wooden (or real) troll.

The Floyen mountain with funicular and breathtaking views of the fjord and your ship.

And the Kode museum http://www.kodebergen.no with its Munch and Dahl (the landscape artist whose paintings drew the first 19th century cruises) exhibitions.

Visit https://en.visitbergen.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiM-726Wz5wIVSrDtCh3vLQROEAAYASAAEgJIZvD_BwE and The call of the fjords.

Uncategorized

Hungry and Thursday – Biscuits

funtime65

They are one of life’s little treats – the moreish morsel that’s not just for Elevenses… the humble biscuit.

Or, maybe not so humble.

Take the Garibaldi which has a heroic place in history.

It’s no exaggeration to say that without the currant baked sandwich there would be no Modern Italian state.

The great Italian Nationalist Giuseppe Garibaldi marched his revolutionaries south to Rome on the stomachs of his men.

In the Risorgimento in the 19th century.

Garibaldi’s soldiers were poor peasants and refuelled on sandwiches with currants.

The legend travelled with Garibaldi when he visited the north-east of England.

Walk this way

It’s a different package holiday, I grant you, but gorgeous landscape. And there they marketed the biscuit and it took off.

I was energised with Garibaldi biscuits on my heroic march into Rome on my Via Francigena, my 100km pilgrimage from Viterbo… Small roads lead to Rome.

Of course I didn’t know the country as well as Garibaldi.

And while I had planned to mark my entry into Rome with a paper cup of Chianti and a couple of Garibaldi buscuits atop one of the Seven Hills…

It didn’t go to plan as I hit a small wood and by the time I clambered my way out I was in the old Olympic Stadium.

But I did get to sit on the plinth of a Roman God… well, it’s the kind of company I deserve to keep.

FrancigenaWays http://www.francigenaways.com offers six nights’ 112km self-guided trip April to October, from €570.

Biscuits are my cup of tea, or coffee, but mostly tea. Or best of all una ciocolatta di calda densa, a thick hot chocolate.

I’ve shared with you this week the tale of the Stramberk Ears from Moravia in the Czech Republic… https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/2019/10/09/the-czech-republic-wish-you-were-ear/

And how the Moravians took to baking their honey-flavoured biscuits.

After finding bagfuls of Christian ears at the bottom of invading Mongolians’ stash. Visit http://www.czechtourism.com.

And now that I’ve let the biscuit out of the tin… I’ll dig out other timeless biscuit tales, of Anzac biscuits, Scottish shortbread, jammie dodgers….

Off to do some digging. And dunking.

Uncategorized

It’s The Czech Republic… wish you were ear

funtime65

Most people bring back a mug, a bottle opener or a fridge magnet from their travels… the Mongolians, well they had a penchant for ears.

Yes, you read that right. And, no, they were not ornamental ears, if such a thing even exists, but actual ears.

And they were pretty precise about which ears too… they liked Christian ones.

Which went down like earache to the God-fearing Moravians in what is today the eastern Czech Republic.

And so, a tip to what to do when confronted with a Mongolian tourist.

Dig a pond and flood him out… well it worked for the Moravians at Kotouc Hill in 1241.

And when the waters abated the Moravians found that beside the Mongols were bags of Christian ears which they had been stashing like scalps.

To mark that victory the Moravians have been baking Stramberk honey-flavoured ears ever since.

Stramberk, or Little Bethlehem, has continued to keep God on side since with the Feast of the Ascension the highpoint of the biccy-making…

I nibbled on an ear or two when my Czech friends came a-calling to the Royal Hibernian Club on St Stephen’s Green this week… http://www.czechtourism.com.

They’re tasty… and even tastier with Czech beer, Moravian wine or Becherovka, the Czech tipple which was first dispensed by the chemist.

The Czechs have many myths, mores and customs which I discovered ahead of my trip to Prague and the Spa Triangle a couple of years back… https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/2019/06/24/czech-it-out-2/

The Triangle consists of the wonderful, wacky and life-affirming towns of Karlovy Vary, Marianske Lazne, below, Frantiskovy Lazne and Jachymov.

Where visitors and locals fill their sippy cup beakers with lukewarm and salty spring water which i turn cures a whole range of ailments.

The story goes that King Charles IV, the then Holy Roman Emperor had a hunting accident in Karlovy Vary.

But found a spring which magically cured his wounds.

I’d have diagnosed Czech beer myself which I swear could cure anything.

I find out something new every time I catch up with my Czech pals.

And it helps me set a new challenge for the next time I visit.

Such as bathing in beer while drinking more beer through a hose.

Now how many cans will I need. I’m off to draw a bath.

Nostravia!

Uncategorized

Give us this Day – The First Protestants (of Prague)

funtime65

In fairness, Martin Luther never billed himself as the Father of Protestantism, or the Reformation, when he nailed his Ninety Five Theses to the door of the All Saints Church in Wittenburg in 1517.

He was the pious, monk type, rather than the self-publicising kind.

And iconoclasm was the very thing he was railing against… that and the sale of indulgences by the Catholic Church to ease your path from Purgatory to Heaven.

Another reason why he wouldn’t have claimed that he was launching a new, and rival, branch of the Christian church is because he must have known he wasn’t.

OK, it just looks like I’m sainted. In Marianske Lazne

The First Protestants (and who can really say?) were the Bohemians.

Some 100 years previously.

I stumbled upon the First Protestants while making my way back to my hotel in Prague… I often get waylaid.

In truth, I’m always drawn to places of worship and often hang in doorways contemplating on going in.

I always do.

Broadening horizons: Prague

It was a basic prayer meeting house with no pictures to distract you from the pastor.

Who was preaching in his native tongue.

He also had his back to us at the start and was playing the organ.

Maybe it’s a thing.

Huis arrest

Whether Jan Huis did the same in 1412 I guess we’ll never know, and to be fair, this is a pretty general sketch of what he might have been like.

What we do know though is that he challenged the authority of the Papacy by asserting that Christ was the Supreme Judge and that worshippers should appeal directly to him.

A challenge that cost Huis his life.

Thankfully times have changed and it is not at all dangerous spending an afternoon in worship with the locals in Prague.

Although many in the Czech capital swear by another religion Urquell Pilsener…

Read my review https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/2019/06/24/czech-it-out-2/ And visit http://www.czechtourism.com.

Uncategorized

The writing is on the wall in Prague

funtime65

Prague is pretty much the centre of Europe and it has been central to changes in Europe for centuries.

And again these proud people who have been occupied and reoccupied by invaders and hostile political forces on countless occasions have risen up against their rulers to claim back their country for themselves.

About 250,000 people gathered in Prague over the weekend to direct anger at prime minister Andrej Babiš, who has been labelled a threat to democracy.

In Communist times they gathered at the Lennon Wall where their graffiti sent out a message to the outside world that they are central to Europe and they should be central to our thoughts.

I visited the Czech Republic at the time of a special anniversary which celebrated a beloved king and father figure to all Czechs. Read it at https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/prague-springs/(opens in a new tab)