Environment – Page 4 – Czech the Flip

Kouřim: Remnants of an “It” Town

Published on June 18, 2012 by Grace9 Comments

Kouřim is a historical city located 45kms east of Prague. During the 13th to the 16th century, it used to be one of the most important cities in Bohemia. The first 300 years of existence of Kouřim as a city experienced bloom and prosperity that was seriously untouched even by the Hussite wars. In 1421, it surrendered without a fight to the approaching troops to remain spared. The end of the Hussite wars and the subsequent secularization of church property brought a huge economic boost to the city. At the turn of the 15th and 16th century, Kouřim stood in the zenith of power and wealth.

The first harbinger of the end of the “golden age” of the city was the year 1547, when Kouřim actively participated in the rebellion against the Emperor Ferdinand I of Habsburg. But that was suppressed and the town suffered severe punishment in the form of economic sanctions, especially the confiscation of almost all of its landed property. Horrible disasters followed including the Thirty Years War where the city was repeatedly looted by passing troops. Although in 1648 the Peace of Westphalia ends the greatest horrors, it is unfortunate that at the end of the 16th century, it was further decimated by religious oppression, plague and a series of fires.

Today, Kouřim stands as a favorite destination for history lovers.

Relative to the size of the city, it has a pretty big town square. In it is found the Statue of the Virgin Mary which was built in 1850.

Also found in the square is a huge rock, called Prokopu Velikemu to commemorate the battle of Lipan.

(Rickard, J. (12 October 2000), Battle of Lipan, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_lipan.html)

But perhaps the biggest attraction in Kouřim is the Church of St. Stephen, which has a unique Romanesque Gothic style, and is one of the oldest churches in Europe, built sometime during the 13th century.

So if you are visiting the Czech Republic and would love to know more about its history, Kouřim is definitely a “must see” spot for you.

Sources: Mesto Kouřim, Wikipedia

A Year Wiser

Published on June 3, 2012 by Grace9 Comments

I celebrated a significant milestone yesterday. I turned a year older.

The powers-that-be knows it because the sun was shining brightly and everyone was out and about.

As we were walking through the town square, we saw a marching band.

I can’t remember the last time I saw one of this. It only brings me back memories of my highschool years in the Philippines.

I’m not sure if it was a rehearsal for a bigger event, but these girls did pretty well with their performance.

It looked like there were other groups too.

This little darling looks so cute in her majorette outfit. Too bad we missed her performance.

Meanwhile, as we walked through the other side of town, this is what we saw.

I remember the last time I saw a stunt like this was 5 years ago on Venice beach. Gee, I’m old.

But I love my little town. It has a its small old town feel that brings me back pleasant memories of years past.

I really did turn a year wiser!

Let’s drink to that. Na Zdravi!

First Year Musings

Published on June 1, 2012 by Grace4 Comments

Today we mark our first year in the Czech Republic. What a move it had been! Here are a few realizations I’ve had from the length of time I am here.

1. When it comes to environmental initiatives, I applaud the Czech Republic, or maybe Europe in general for the steps it has taken to save mother earth. From small appliances, to small cars, to bagging your own groceries to building eco-friendly homes, it is the best I’ve ever seen. Details on a previous post can be found here.

2. When it comes to alcoholic drinks, Czechs are not to be outdone. They really DO know how to drink. The variety of alcoholic drinks are the most interesting I’ve ever seen.

3. When it comes to safety, the safety measures around here are not as sophisticated as the US. I guess this is one area that needs to be improved.

4. When it comes to hobbies, Czechs are so into the outdoors. Most of the Czechs that I know like to spend their weekends in a cottage by the woods.

5. When it comes to making friends, Czech people are not the friendliest kind at first meeting. But once you become their friend, you are friends for life!

I know there’s still a lot more to come. But with all the things we’ve seen and experienced, I think we have finally “Czeched In.”

Chleba: A Gauge for “Czechness”

Published on May 25, 2012 by Grace11 Comments

There are Czechs and there are “Czechs”. If you want to distinguish a true blue Czech, you have to be in the lookout for their bread preferences. A true Czech will always look for Chleba. Chleba is a sour dough rye bread, dark in color and moist. It has a distinct unique taste to it that is very different from any other bread.

Photo courtesy of ireceptar.cz

Through all those years that we have spent in the US, my husband never got satisfied with the kind of bread that was sold in the stores there. He was always saying that it is nothing like Chleba. Apparently, the same is true for some of the other Czechs that I know. My brother and sister in law, both Czechs, had to bake their own chleba from scratch when they lived in North Carolina. They missed it THAT much.

Well, I guess I know how it feels because in the many years that I lived outside of the Philippines, I still crave for rice. That is also our gauge for “Pinoy-ness.”

Three Years and Counting

Published on May 22, 2012 by Grace5 Comments

I can’t believe it’s only been 3 years. It seems like forever.

As I look at the photos of the time that we spent together prior to tying the knot, it always gives me a warm, happy feeling.

Hiking up to the delicate arch at Arches National Park in Utah.

Enjoying the beauty of the Monument Valley in Utah.

Skiing at Big Bear Mountains, California.

Enjoying a fun night out with friends in Venice, California.

Best of all, I cannot forget how you wrote my name on top of the highest mountain you’ve ever climbed – Mt. Whitney.

That day you won my heart. That day solidified my decision to move to the Czech Republic with you.

Thank you for being there. Thank you for giving me Jakub. Thank you for loving me.

I look forward to growing old with you.

Happy Anniversary, Muj Milacku!

Weekend in the Village

Published on May 8, 2012May 8, 2012 by Grace4 Comments

This past weekend was a national holiday in the Czech Republic. It is formally called “Den osvobození ” (Liberation Day). May 8, 1945 marked the end of the second world war and the end of the German occupation in Czech.

We did not participate in any special celebrations, but went to my husband’s village instead to visit my in-laws.

In their village, this is the main mode of public transport.

The beauty about life in the village is that everything is pretty slow and everybody knows everybody. It was interesting to note that even children are aware of this.

In the playground, the village children were checking out the “new kid in the block.”

During our trip, we also had the opportunity to visit my father-in-laws’ bestfriend and his family.

They had a very beautiful backyard and Jakub immensely enjoyed playing there with his grandpa.

After some time, the family princess came in with his daddy. Since she is the first female child in the family, everyone was all over her. Even Jakub wanted to carry her. They’re almost the same size but he seems to think that she’s a baby and he is significantly older than her.

This weekend’s trip went very well and it made us realize once more the value of strong family ties. I am glad that my husband shares my values. There is nothing else in the world that is more important than family.

On our way home, we still got a glimpse of the Liberation Day celebration since this is what we saw on the road.

That, and this….

A farmer in a horse-drawn carriage transporting hay.

Village life is so simple yet so full of color!

Anything to Drink?

Published on April 28, 2012 by Grace3 Comments

Other than wine and beer, I am not very familiar with the whole gamut of commercial alcoholic drinks. But eversince I came to the Czech Republic, my vocabulary of “drinks” has greatly increased. Here are a few of those unique drinks that I recently came upon.

They call this “egg liquor” because the base ingredient is egg. It has a sweet alcoholic kick with a distinct egg taste.

This one is wine made from honey. One of my favorites! The sweet taste of honey with a hint of alcohol is very interesting and unique.

This is “visnovice,” a spirit distilled from fermented cherries. They pretty much distill spirits from any fruit that has sugar. The most common of which is “slivovice,” a spirit distilled from plums.

I guess this one does not need further explanation, because its label is giving it away. It is beer with a hint of cannabis. I was surprised to see that is was regularly sold in a leading supermarket. But I guess it may not be “that” kind of cannabis.

If you were a visitor in my home, I already have a whole array of “drinks” for you. So…. what would you like to drink?

Sleepless in Warsaw

Published on April 21, 2012 by Grace1 Comment

During our recent trip to Warsaw, it was the first time I was away from my son for more than a day. I was sleepless. The first night due to a bumpy train ride, the second night due to missing my son, but on the third night it was due to having so much fun.

Although not often mentioned as one of the “must see” places in Europe, Warsaw is one city that you should never miss. Its historical buildings with its beautiful architecture stands testament to a rich cultural past and the strength of its people. After a short trip to the old town square, I can almost never tell that it had once been flattened out during the 2nd world war.

Our journey began with an 8 hour train ride from Kolin to Warsaw. As mentioned in my previous post, I wanted to try the night sleeper train. This we did, and it was good. The train ride was not the most comfortable at all, but it was better than I expected.

The moment we got to Warsaw, the clouds were gray and it was raining slightly. However, this did not stop us from taking a short walk to view the city.

The next day was my friend’s wedding, so it was mostly spent indoors. The ceremony was held in the Zamkowy Palace and the reception in a quaint restaurant in the old town square.

When it comes to celebrations, the Poles are not to be outdone. The whole celebration started at 2pm and ended at 12am the next day. That meant eating the whole time save for the “disco breaks.” I prefer to call them “disco breaks” since the DJ mostly played “old” music pleasing to the ears of the “young once.” Since my husband and I were childless, we really made it a point to enjoy ourselves and danced the night away. Being the triggger-happy mamarazzi that I am, I never even managed to get a single shot of the reception. What, with all the good food, good wine, good music and the company of good friends, the night slipped by very quickly. And yes, I think it also involved a couple of vodka shots.

Saving Mother Earth, Saving Money

Published on April 16, 2012 by Grace5 Comments

One of the things I like about Czech is the conservative measures taken when it comes to usage of things. Recyling the trash, bringing shopping bags to the grocery store instead of using plastic, and using small cars which obviously consumes less fuel are only a few of those measures.

When I first got here, I hated the fact that whenever we go shopping I have to bring a shopping bag and bag my own groceries. Back in the Philippines, the bagger is a special position in the grocery store. For a small fee, you can even get your groceries brought by somebody to your vehicle. The same is true in the US. But here in Europe, it is common practice to bag your own groceries. And if you don’t bring a bag with you, you either take your groceries “naked” or you purchase a plastic bag .

Recycling is also strictly followed over here. You can choose not to recycle but you will end up with too much trash in your trash receptacles and get to live with it for a week. Not without saying that the trash receptacle is half the size of those in the US. Unlike the US where you get a special bin for recycled items, over here you have to bring your recycled items to a designated container . And there’s only one or two per street! If you live far from the recycling bins, it provides a good workout. My arms are already toned from this twice a week exercise.

But I guess the best earth saving practice over here is the use of everything small. From small vehicles to small appliances, you name it, they have it. I rarely see SUVs, hummers or limos. They do use vans, but mostly for delivery purposes.

In our own home, we have a small oven, dishwasher, washing machine, drier, etc. Even the fridge is small. Having a small fridge is an advantage though because I am forced to cook fresh stuff. From spring to fall, the farmer’s market is open Mondays to Saturdays. They only close on Sundays because everyone is out — in the woods, I guess. And in winter, who needs a freezer? Just leave your stuff outside and you’re good to go.

On our first trip to Prague, we went by public transport and used our son’s jogger instead of a stroller. We almost didn’t fit in the subway lift because the jogger was too long and too wide. We somehow managed to get in but it only accommodated us. It was also difficult to get it into the subway train or the tram because of its size. There was no other recourse but to walk. Now I know why Czechs are not afraid to eat calorie-loaded stuff. Through one’s daily task, you get to burn it off anyway.

The best part though is that through this earth saving measures you also get to save money. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone. Saving mother earth is saving money!

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