tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6024362150000709892024-03-19T06:59:38.628+01:00Christopher's Expat AdventureAn American expat adventure in Brno, Czech Republic.Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.comBlogger2094125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-87573499465219047192023-03-25T20:36:00.248+01:002024-03-18T19:56:20.449+01:002023 World Happiness Report<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvLMVT8C9hsq6cRfQqPUVM73xmkiZg6kr4iHPJ5eAM7wejwWg64sXWwXar38ufZoTzK5K0IetLyIjVgOQvefDjgpTVBNVFED_QNXceVmwzDKt_N3cLg4bMOsZ86WYJ3mEweIsr0XMkOobw9Wtxfvi4mo17gZkxAW-u4lR3cKxCy7QVro4_LszNKfo6Y5_/s243/WHR%202023.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="208" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvLMVT8C9hsq6cRfQqPUVM73xmkiZg6kr4iHPJ5eAM7wejwWg64sXWwXar38ufZoTzK5K0IetLyIjVgOQvefDjgpTVBNVFED_QNXceVmwzDKt_N3cLg4bMOsZ86WYJ3mEweIsr0XMkOobw9Wtxfvi4mo17gZkxAW-u4lR3cKxCy7QVro4_LszNKfo6Y5_/w171-h200/WHR%202023.jpeg" width="171" /></a>This year's <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2019/03/2019-world-happiness-report.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">World Happiness Report</span></a> is in and just like <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2022/11/2022-world-happiness-report.html" target="_blank">last year</a> </span>Europe continues to be the happiest place to be with <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/06/state-of-israel.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Israel</span></a> and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2016/05/new-zealand.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">New Zealand</span></a> being the only non-European countries to crack the top 10.</p><p><a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/03/republic-of-finland.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Finland</span></a> came in first place for the sixth year in row. This year's top ten countries are the same as last year.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2dbB491kqzSAnFZ2yaTgYe1SvQpJexiA-C3CYBUukq53EjuxdTERRKveAO-u0HI3h6IQdc6QxO-SFSAXi_I3x9OxsT3uTeSKFBpHG3hybvD24x0gf3Un4O_QhTPUriLDVzIqyUZ3shd9ARkZISgPQHWH8X4PIbO0GH--DeahmGbz1wSYFa05Gh5H6JU3v/s2000/finland-happiest-country.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2dbB491kqzSAnFZ2yaTgYe1SvQpJexiA-C3CYBUukq53EjuxdTERRKveAO-u0HI3h6IQdc6QxO-SFSAXi_I3x9OxsT3uTeSKFBpHG3hybvD24x0gf3Un4O_QhTPUriLDVzIqyUZ3shd9ARkZISgPQHWH8X4PIbO0GH--DeahmGbz1wSYFa05Gh5H6JU3v/w400-h266/finland-happiest-country.webp" width="400" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgDthj7-Fvz8Dwa6kHXeyfqXrlU0Do7P59QKrE1p0EyxamXLYsQmKo77ohWqBi1vK75aArxkQ-R69mmnZ4jn5k2yTBBb3Y2h-9z9tfj38ROEL90yXyPG03MYVUY2C0xGK-SXKs6pKHEAffprnQJchv2W4RUy4gplzH_NeOA3e0pxc7VT1s2kjnKHQiBFA/s225/Nordics.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgDthj7-Fvz8Dwa6kHXeyfqXrlU0Do7P59QKrE1p0EyxamXLYsQmKo77ohWqBi1vK75aArxkQ-R69mmnZ4jn5k2yTBBb3Y2h-9z9tfj38ROEL90yXyPG03MYVUY2C0xGK-SXKs6pKHEAffprnQJchv2W4RUy4gplzH_NeOA3e0pxc7VT1s2kjnKHQiBFA/w178-h178/Nordics.jpeg" width="178" /></a>The five Nordic / <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/03/scandinavia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Scandinavian countries</span></a> all placed in the top seven with Finland #1, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/03/kingdom-of-denmark_07.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Denmark</span></a> #2, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/02/republic-of-iceland.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Iceland</span></a> #3, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/03/kingdom-of-sweden.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Sweden</span></a> #6, and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/10/kingdom-of-norway.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Norway</span></a> #7.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZA46fS1G1MNSJHt7vC801Uiz594CICBCn8ygTlicMjQP-eIlA6uR5vmyIhGJXhLMNL366f_2GhXMWpvftPtwF0VKqHDFFduqZ8Q4wVfSkVbqFkaNCsKnGKtW-bD2U2S_OxoIkClL-_RwCrZ_UjXzwNw7H2jGXZGw2uPLDe_Dlrc-KZheYJjQ45ZGDb1B/s1000/1000_F_100746343_nZKcIaFheGdsfH8E14QZkhucN3x20old.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="1000" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZA46fS1G1MNSJHt7vC801Uiz594CICBCn8ygTlicMjQP-eIlA6uR5vmyIhGJXhLMNL366f_2GhXMWpvftPtwF0VKqHDFFduqZ8Q4wVfSkVbqFkaNCsKnGKtW-bD2U2S_OxoIkClL-_RwCrZ_UjXzwNw7H2jGXZGw2uPLDe_Dlrc-KZheYJjQ45ZGDb1B/w186-h64/1000_F_100746343_nZKcIaFheGdsfH8E14QZkhucN3x20old.jpg" width="186" /></a>The <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/10/benelux.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">BeNeLux</span></a> countries did well again too. The <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/08/kingdom-of-netherlands.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Netherlands</span></a> came in at #5, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/10/grand-duchy-of-luxembourg.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Luxembourg</span></a> was #9, and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/10/kingdom-of-belgium.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Belgium</span></a> was #17.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt25_Uek4XjPYj9TYgXZ7vjvgEVFtrj0Oyl7cczdnNUGkzruHsASXPoFsVUepmGGLr8uBM0etpIfkAkQH3RaLllPjzGdAtqBr3TqrVjtGWEvT-JV0yzeKSL3lVfdajX-uQG8sVl0dEZzb1lL2vF05TSZHrdtKIYZL_LxlqJAeFJI-VYEQEKyeTDi24vHmY/s369/Screenshot%202024-03-18%20at%2018.36.33.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="369" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt25_Uek4XjPYj9TYgXZ7vjvgEVFtrj0Oyl7cczdnNUGkzruHsASXPoFsVUepmGGLr8uBM0etpIfkAkQH3RaLllPjzGdAtqBr3TqrVjtGWEvT-JV0yzeKSL3lVfdajX-uQG8sVl0dEZzb1lL2vF05TSZHrdtKIYZL_LxlqJAeFJI-VYEQEKyeTDi24vHmY/w155-h132/Screenshot%202024-03-18%20at%2018.36.33.png" width="155" /></a>Czechland again was the highest ranked of the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/10/visegrad-group.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Visegrád</span></a> countries. Half of <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2019/08/central-europe.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Central Europe</span></a> placed in the top 20.</p><p><a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/04/switzerland.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Switzerland</span></a> #8, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/04/republic-of-austria.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Austria</span></a> #11, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/05/federal-republic-of-germany.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Germany</span></a> #16, Czechland #18, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/09/republic-of-slovenia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Slovenia</span></a> #22, <a href="http://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/07/slovak-republic.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Slovakia</span></a> #29, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/08/republic-of-poland.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Poland</span></a> #39, and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/02/hungary.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Hungary</span></a> #51.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZp8ktvptkKgboY9NklYQzCxjRYRBvf6SeXUfNd0JoSOMNO-OW6d3J7tNixHljC003pXybnwoCqgHiy9cltjWuUzUee6nhnUHrqV59XaUaBmDCL3BtLBb3XnqRWdJFTQ2MXSDZTUyxEIbN9dJk0rcOTEYyFJQibisyWTp166prEqy3f419-Uy4eMpJX_g/s422/Screenshot%202024-03-18%20at%2018.35.17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="422" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZp8ktvptkKgboY9NklYQzCxjRYRBvf6SeXUfNd0JoSOMNO-OW6d3J7tNixHljC003pXybnwoCqgHiy9cltjWuUzUee6nhnUHrqV59XaUaBmDCL3BtLBb3XnqRWdJFTQ2MXSDZTUyxEIbN9dJk0rcOTEYyFJQibisyWTp166prEqy3f419-Uy4eMpJX_g/w400-h293/Screenshot%202024-03-18%20at%2018.35.17.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAihyphenhyphenHl_7qnPBHpQdqiBH1IFqmZBK-amMt_1OJcPVMeJ7loF2cHyvCBaBBwYMoG3nEhm5BF6U_dEf53W_ztrUj8gjO7lGY0NCfiXYh58sixAiWkISyR4PwMjPUuk2Tx-ajTbvg8TwXU2_wZmbcx_glGZCrs49RdXGYoXCm99EPYP_Uv1u_aSrMjOciNgLj/s540/360_F_157037937_5Rqx7UMM5oJmWG4xJh0x8sgliG8nwmor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="540" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAihyphenhyphenHl_7qnPBHpQdqiBH1IFqmZBK-amMt_1OJcPVMeJ7loF2cHyvCBaBBwYMoG3nEhm5BF6U_dEf53W_ztrUj8gjO7lGY0NCfiXYh58sixAiWkISyR4PwMjPUuk2Tx-ajTbvg8TwXU2_wZmbcx_glGZCrs49RdXGYoXCm99EPYP_Uv1u_aSrMjOciNgLj/w152-h101/360_F_157037937_5Rqx7UMM5oJmWG4xJh0x8sgliG8nwmor.jpg" width="152" /></a>Czechland kept its #18 place from last year. The USA moved up to #15 from #16.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWu5o1Y9ZBpsr-ocZ172XqQ_FlExwVntZL0EVsa5WvPZ3Ppj6EVCmKPjWv9kHgAwGbG6XCS_bFWN6dUnx2IsO5yYvbzJ6DWGocK9Um64Zf-MC55E2rMZgYN-4FT9yylUU9z69j3ZJw9ij2t2pMweR_HpCoEEVt8fZPLM6DswxbSk8eGKTYK6Q1C-aXwUDX/s547/Screenshot%202024-03-18%20at%2019.07.59.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="547" height="87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWu5o1Y9ZBpsr-ocZ172XqQ_FlExwVntZL0EVsa5WvPZ3Ppj6EVCmKPjWv9kHgAwGbG6XCS_bFWN6dUnx2IsO5yYvbzJ6DWGocK9Um64Zf-MC55E2rMZgYN-4FT9yylUU9z69j3ZJw9ij2t2pMweR_HpCoEEVt8fZPLM6DswxbSk8eGKTYK6Q1C-aXwUDX/w129-h87/Screenshot%202024-03-18%20at%2019.07.59.png" width="129" /></a>This year <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/02/republic-of-lithuania.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Lithuania</span></a> #20 cracked the top 20; bumping <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/06/french-republic.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">France</span></a> from #20 to #21.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's a short CBS News video I found out on YouTube.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dymgfhmOMGkqR92JVCXMMHL7buy4hNfSNFk-sRna_GhEA2QHc3smyAkd3U7bBI6B3buFXIIXZkFS2YH5px2MQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©CBS News</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWSqiq1wPGL3gA9uqOFyRX87TsY0wTuZu9rAuwsLh6ZO4QNlJxKFIVVGDA-0NMLj3b8tFfgbX3Cefn0-MOTJVy37E4cLOd7OU4JffF3UIcW2x7UeC5WWt_2Bg75ThQlrwOs3sRe_7S80vmM5IcZ9-vO65mrTvFvP3da8dx_BSu2IB0u426wbvkpAyJbAF/s318/images-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWSqiq1wPGL3gA9uqOFyRX87TsY0wTuZu9rAuwsLh6ZO4QNlJxKFIVVGDA-0NMLj3b8tFfgbX3Cefn0-MOTJVy37E4cLOd7OU4JffF3UIcW2x7UeC5WWt_2Bg75ThQlrwOs3sRe_7S80vmM5IcZ9-vO65mrTvFvP3da8dx_BSu2IB0u426wbvkpAyJbAF/w144-h72/images-2.jpeg" width="144" /></a>Given <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/602436215000070989/1026968900144872337#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Russia's invasion of Ukraine</span></a>, it's no wonder that neither country ranks as happy. <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/03/russian-federation.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Russia</span></a> came in at #70 and <a href="http://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.cz/2015/02/ukraine.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ukraine</span></a> ranked #92.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3666px;">Я за Україну. </b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3666px;">Я за Україною. Слава Україні Stojím za Ukrajinou! I stand with Ukraine. </b><span class="x3nfvp2 x1j61x8r x1fcty0u xdj266r xhhsvwb xat24cr xgzva0m xxymvpz xlup9mm x1kky2od" face="system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; display: inline-flex; font-size: 15px; height: 16px; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 16px;"><img alt="🇺🇦" height="16" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tf2/1/16/1f1fa_1f1e6.png" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 4px;" width="16" /></span></p></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Europe54.5259614 15.255118726.215727563821154 -19.9011313 82.836195236178838 50.4113687tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-1001982299925742722023-03-21T21:35:00.128+01:002024-03-18T15:30:02.596+01:00Kleopatra<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Zm9vrGFzX8eMYHlevP5jR5T_9uxHZ_o2qA1GnaSAR4aXGkL0In_DLy_tDbfIOMLDuqNLC_gn3xpOVNcUdUxUada3gEblDrB-hK-8kUkn3RCkJaf0Py5GgRGs-eDktJu7gAHhc1BcasKoD6ZU6Quf0fXVSa33YyZy-8rahY_jxabrfxjKFkk_qeCUBwLu/s360/Screenshot%202024-03-18%20at%2015.03.15.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="277" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Zm9vrGFzX8eMYHlevP5jR5T_9uxHZ_o2qA1GnaSAR4aXGkL0In_DLy_tDbfIOMLDuqNLC_gn3xpOVNcUdUxUada3gEblDrB-hK-8kUkn3RCkJaf0Py5GgRGs-eDktJu7gAHhc1BcasKoD6ZU6Quf0fXVSa33YyZy-8rahY_jxabrfxjKFkk_qeCUBwLu/w154-h200/Screenshot%202024-03-18%20at%2015.03.15.png" width="154" /></a>On Saturday, I got to experience another first. Kája surprised me with tickets to <i>Kleopatra</i>, my first Czech language musical. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hVaU5rT_ktAfWeqhl53rksBZnxnMNzxX8kYbDN1xi6u50_xXvS3lszLNP1duKs5UugOUbom1fMnNIcg_oqxINuOerhLMIF3b6eXUK-CR1XKAVVmDZ7pkq1wa4yuGLKeW0_CY1FiKva-WEt9JpuTNGsETYohSiEZypBhyS2LJ8PnoIxNbLeeYMf4Zhxfp/s4032/IMG_5608.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hVaU5rT_ktAfWeqhl53rksBZnxnMNzxX8kYbDN1xi6u50_xXvS3lszLNP1duKs5UugOUbom1fMnNIcg_oqxINuOerhLMIF3b6eXUK-CR1XKAVVmDZ7pkq1wa4yuGLKeW0_CY1FiKva-WEt9JpuTNGsETYohSiEZypBhyS2LJ8PnoIxNbLeeYMf4Zhxfp/w200-h150/IMG_5608.jpeg" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Saturday's performance featured Kamila Nývltová in the lead role as Cleopatra and Daniel Hůlka as Caesar.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwXtieSinOT1UlFsPXUsWtnMiIbZTXFViHEDBS8rr_NyOTerKeeBSTXsUTLXie3oicxeZ5uXfsiB1611vo9HJ862khbVZ2M2FwlERPh2qwK2PJrFZapMS8QcEmNc1EWj7i_0hq7IUGftl43nUG0d0HfV6W-ytVp6s73KegGyndadD-YhIc7kviXb71Ia-/s3088/IMG_5601.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwXtieSinOT1UlFsPXUsWtnMiIbZTXFViHEDBS8rr_NyOTerKeeBSTXsUTLXie3oicxeZ5uXfsiB1611vo9HJ862khbVZ2M2FwlERPh2qwK2PJrFZapMS8QcEmNc1EWj7i_0hq7IUGftl43nUG0d0HfV6W-ytVp6s73KegGyndadD-YhIc7kviXb71Ia-/w150-h200/IMG_5601.jpeg" width="150" /></a></p><p><br /></p>I didn't understand everything because it was entirely in Czech but it was still an excellent show and I enjoyed it.<p></p><p>I found this video, back from 2010, out on YouTube os scenes from the musical with Kamila Nývltová as Cleopatra. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyxFWbdOfo_B4eK3wxG3qEGXRELIbUL7NTNvVcGLimMq7Bocdoen01GcGVmO303P8mL542uOcUI-1i_igf8nA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©musicalcz</div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Brno, Czechia49.1950602 16.606837120.884826363821155 -18.5494129 77.505294036178839 51.7630871tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-69878596494033441382023-03-21T21:34:00.000+01:002024-03-17T14:31:35.852+01:00Türkiye Trip Summary 2023<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcX21uEAisRse3R4UWK5tQ4mzuiVKNb8h-KJDh35kbgpNZwQyRC5pxc48f2Zsrt8vgcwmEWrIna3HzZUPrEMn5bEgqZpOwhKD1tgyswXHlMr02vw-9gc-QDjZBOE9x_PpLkUS8wq5kgo9yT3eYyJ3WZc9qbzR1p99nja2z32HOCCLpWuao1CzcU7x4gLMN/s4032/IMG_4143.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: left; float: left; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcX21uEAisRse3R4UWK5tQ4mzuiVKNb8h-KJDh35kbgpNZwQyRC5pxc48f2Zsrt8vgcwmEWrIna3HzZUPrEMn5bEgqZpOwhKD1tgyswXHlMr02vw-9gc-QDjZBOE9x_PpLkUS8wq5kgo9yT3eYyJ3WZc9qbzR1p99nja2z32HOCCLpWuao1CzcU7x4gLMN/w150-h200/IMG_4143.HEIC" width="150" /></a>We had a great week in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/11/republic-of-turkey-is-eurasian-country.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Türkiye</span></a> and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/kusadasi-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kuşadasi</span></a> was the perfect home base for adventures.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxdeLGJTduB4wWKw4CtSRAI7kZUfKtaM4G6tKQBHeXHW-dHraiteKEpBVA_-_l8p2ZICRSW3vYc53oi-5_YA8jXKDj5ifTINaQfX-rTIU3fofDAwWL8ulK0Ap2oWTPML7xMbWn4DATHWw_JMiDKZg0vu9ozQRZGyWM7-W_Bxo5GE9ZYVV8ViLtKKQan4-/s4032/IMG_3880.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxdeLGJTduB4wWKw4CtSRAI7kZUfKtaM4G6tKQBHeXHW-dHraiteKEpBVA_-_l8p2ZICRSW3vYc53oi-5_YA8jXKDj5ifTINaQfX-rTIU3fofDAwWL8ulK0Ap2oWTPML7xMbWn4DATHWw_JMiDKZg0vu9ozQRZGyWM7-W_Bxo5GE9ZYVV8ViLtKKQan4-/w200-h150/IMG_3880.HEIC" width="200" /></a>We started right off with an airport adventure. We flew to from <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2009/12/1st-visit-to-vienna.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Vienna</span></a> to <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/11/istanbul-turkey.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Istanbul</span></a>, went through immigration, and caught our connecting flight to Kuşadasi. </p><p>We were the last two passengers waiting for our bags but they didn't show up. Someone from the airport had to take us from the domestic arrivals to the international arrivals terminal where our bags were waiting because they hadn't gone through customs in Istanbul. At least we had our bags.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtf6WhyphenhyphenjyTIPNP6iL5pAp2xwPyMWcncnOdRx0PQmRnhpDPfyJM8Ar-oTPo0O9qbPg5hTNo7itwXnf57r9pX0c47q757d5NGLpcnAATnF7V9t4FBernNPNqklwZhahyphenhyphen-Ph6I-CGD_UaaZQMZACWyUEe-NVXVji0c_JIwMc56RMxhgNSWGuy_dwmidgdKJqh/s4032/IMG_4152.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtf6WhyphenhyphenjyTIPNP6iL5pAp2xwPyMWcncnOdRx0PQmRnhpDPfyJM8Ar-oTPo0O9qbPg5hTNo7itwXnf57r9pX0c47q757d5NGLpcnAATnF7V9t4FBernNPNqklwZhahyphenhyphen-Ph6I-CGD_UaaZQMZACWyUEe-NVXVji0c_JIwMc56RMxhgNSWGuy_dwmidgdKJqh/w320-h240/IMG_4152.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Pd07JHwMxAq3f4Tn-Dq8i8wuWIZPOCIBseXk5dWGkz3MHqGYS-_2Av6AvuYBQmUpW2XMY3n5STC4E-2ONXviBtbwktRAwrA83gzwVkjj1q_fU1PutPJQEKGMrf1P2QN95U9nlo1tW9TaQ-SV05cnw28lscQdbfJHHnLg_12sf9LbkHvDQzce6KNkXnxQ/s4032/IMG_4098.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Pd07JHwMxAq3f4Tn-Dq8i8wuWIZPOCIBseXk5dWGkz3MHqGYS-_2Av6AvuYBQmUpW2XMY3n5STC4E-2ONXviBtbwktRAwrA83gzwVkjj1q_fU1PutPJQEKGMrf1P2QN95U9nlo1tW9TaQ-SV05cnw28lscQdbfJHHnLg_12sf9LbkHvDQzce6KNkXnxQ/w200-h150/IMG_4098.HEIC" width="200" /></a>Throughout the week we took a number of day trips. Our first was to <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/sirince-turkey.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Şirince</span></a> which is known as Türkiye's <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/11/2011-tuscan-road-trip-summary.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tuscany</span></a>.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLyfwAgit6283IWhHple05pR9vYVFhbybOZATS6r_o56KBcGOGdec4gJWlY2t0LDrnfXzy_aKYLaunYArwIVEB_Lhjw7GXV_C8SkrwqCbjm5fJuUoYkmUzJh5a54US4yw9p37blXUmvx-g8MbG-PZmw57h4XTAW53knX4g6nnIBT3LXIgQcTK9JBicgyi/s2048/b34d8379-3771-4410-8a29-2fff00719d7c.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLyfwAgit6283IWhHple05pR9vYVFhbybOZATS6r_o56KBcGOGdec4gJWlY2t0LDrnfXzy_aKYLaunYArwIVEB_Lhjw7GXV_C8SkrwqCbjm5fJuUoYkmUzJh5a54US4yw9p37blXUmvx-g8MbG-PZmw57h4XTAW53knX4g6nnIBT3LXIgQcTK9JBicgyi/w150-h200/b34d8379-3771-4410-8a29-2fff00719d7c.JPG" width="150" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>On we visited the House of the Virgin Mary and toured <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/best-of-ephesus-tour-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ephesus</span></a>. My first visit to one of the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/02/seven-wonders-of-world.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Seven Wonders of the Ancient World</span></a>.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Rt3-XStfidwsEsoma2RFJzBhOC6-0MQFlUKmEohAKhPcJJ8Ejd-fadBWab0l8LfPc-45dEknZWojw64mWfNq8wxOD7PR23RzER2SdKfj-lwKXQ8HkWM0JS1E22c_qbXktRxXXkyK4FwWGnXT3elnlGRFWssesa_TDOi6fIyeH3M48o1XueusJyAdtzMD/s4032/IMG_4731.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Rt3-XStfidwsEsoma2RFJzBhOC6-0MQFlUKmEohAKhPcJJ8Ejd-fadBWab0l8LfPc-45dEknZWojw64mWfNq8wxOD7PR23RzER2SdKfj-lwKXQ8HkWM0JS1E22c_qbXktRxXXkyK4FwWGnXT3elnlGRFWssesa_TDOi6fIyeH3M48o1XueusJyAdtzMD/w200-h150/IMG_4731.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Another day, we went with Mesut to <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/izmir-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Izmir</span></a> for the day. <p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Yn2URZkflzat_1ieYuCHN_6GS-YIarTISYneUZUPyXZpsqgZMbTLWGtyySLL4jcFbDyMdrfmJ7pV1vbS_aCVT_8pxwkG5y1mJFbZ2ldXnxf5d09KHXrdW89N0BdCcUnMw2ZWV_hyYVxfvt-mMQPfxe2k2HJ-GJ6CTXpeems1280RwW9gpBmHVPzKTnm9/s4032/IMG_4917.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Yn2URZkflzat_1ieYuCHN_6GS-YIarTISYneUZUPyXZpsqgZMbTLWGtyySLL4jcFbDyMdrfmJ7pV1vbS_aCVT_8pxwkG5y1mJFbZ2ldXnxf5d09KHXrdW89N0BdCcUnMw2ZWV_hyYVxfvt-mMQPfxe2k2HJ-GJ6CTXpeems1280RwW9gpBmHVPzKTnm9/w150-h200/IMG_4917.HEIC" width="150" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>On the way back we stopped by a traditional carpet factory. Unfortunately, none of them were magic flying carpets.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzs0wCDLGMhlw5pqS1TyAWr0vnQYd7JhAEqiahClTzTTKTxFyIvtQdXTCeZGx3XABbBl56S6qahH0V5wRSdV4cTggj040t9b9gEMBlbmENhe34btGFtLfjMyVELISOg1JDXKIk7ujozgE0UoZvs-KbLP-LJYIHypRpHEKUo2ytOKx6s5gxPWJKSU4d5Oy7/s4032/IMG_5150.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzs0wCDLGMhlw5pqS1TyAWr0vnQYd7JhAEqiahClTzTTKTxFyIvtQdXTCeZGx3XABbBl56S6qahH0V5wRSdV4cTggj040t9b9gEMBlbmENhe34btGFtLfjMyVELISOg1JDXKIk7ujozgE0UoZvs-KbLP-LJYIHypRpHEKUo2ytOKx6s5gxPWJKSU4d5Oy7/w200-h150/IMG_5150.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Our trip to <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/pamukkale-and-hierapolis-tour-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Pamukkale</span></a> was fantastic. <p></p><p>Especially the paragliding. </p><p>I'm still not comfortable at all with heights but this was absolutely brilliant. I'm so ready to do it again.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lgW8UqSyB6J0abKaFl3zsmvZ2PxAq3o7cEsLAU15a398Tc76XdRKSGhkBaSVcTshOMhQfB0eT_DlVyCcEMC4InltyxW9pMeXbGHhF1WYL_p0NPddrO0VqxAw2o_ke2ORMbJ061TeQHC97Fxr5idwxlfSO9E0iyjjDBJpGhfEX2G-vbyhLkujli0JJR_3/s5184/G0019298.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lgW8UqSyB6J0abKaFl3zsmvZ2PxAq3o7cEsLAU15a398Tc76XdRKSGhkBaSVcTshOMhQfB0eT_DlVyCcEMC4InltyxW9pMeXbGHhF1WYL_p0NPddrO0VqxAw2o_ke2ORMbJ061TeQHC97Fxr5idwxlfSO9E0iyjjDBJpGhfEX2G-vbyhLkujli0JJR_3/s320/G0019298.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kemjHnBYzIsb16XHjaF4PxgApaXtjEoUKiq7mbyC_j_QV6R4JPoG-yoaS4M4z1GWYqT5BM1A-8CTkZrWorPNg_sYOe01LLiFPee4d-GoAbsKZ58xzN3IYjg2aJ1AC2bfwMxFE9_XchwvngV0V6PyeFqkLcSMIbaNY8JIyHWAmfcMtGUmqwLjzXKpc0SB/s4032/IMG_4848.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kemjHnBYzIsb16XHjaF4PxgApaXtjEoUKiq7mbyC_j_QV6R4JPoG-yoaS4M4z1GWYqT5BM1A-8CTkZrWorPNg_sYOe01LLiFPee4d-GoAbsKZ58xzN3IYjg2aJ1AC2bfwMxFE9_XchwvngV0V6PyeFqkLcSMIbaNY8JIyHWAmfcMtGUmqwLjzXKpc0SB/w150-h200/IMG_4848.HEIC" width="150" /></a>One of the best things about visiting Türkiye is the food. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSDeyOlIeM_jC9hgR2xVRRezzvJQ5gISu8U6mX3jn8wpXfA9PnefTmQxuh5ceVkutxsxxZ97V6RvbqIspV89uESe2vEP_iRvQk21zEEyaQllyl3y2aGmULB48sZKjHWfsN-GsjgfpRe_OzEglKTNufRQwdpvXboMzSasGb8uILX2YR4m4OOvP96ZsCjyy/s4032/IMG_5458.heic" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSDeyOlIeM_jC9hgR2xVRRezzvJQ5gISu8U6mX3jn8wpXfA9PnefTmQxuh5ceVkutxsxxZ97V6RvbqIspV89uESe2vEP_iRvQk21zEEyaQllyl3y2aGmULB48sZKjHWfsN-GsjgfpRe_OzEglKTNufRQwdpvXboMzSasGb8uILX2YR4m4OOvP96ZsCjyy/w150-h200/IMG_5458.heic" width="150" /></a>Lots of meat, plus Turkish Delight, baklava, and copious amounts of tea and Turkish coffee.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgagJA9MpaJCN3ULY5iUiQ37O9OOCSOKfSFRhjYBKkS6i7AcgfCcdnfvJkcJShtBHLFhQ4fNXSJVUhk5by4F0jdcckrPos8ShjPCzqIGSRSK9yLW37_z3RVLsMU7ktaBJYMsRq6pxNH9V2IccZE7SWKeHOt78gMVEawfvM1I9DD7XAO3t0F_AuxjD0ITc/s4032/IMG_4567.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgagJA9MpaJCN3ULY5iUiQ37O9OOCSOKfSFRhjYBKkS6i7AcgfCcdnfvJkcJShtBHLFhQ4fNXSJVUhk5by4F0jdcckrPos8ShjPCzqIGSRSK9yLW37_z3RVLsMU7ktaBJYMsRq6pxNH9V2IccZE7SWKeHOt78gMVEawfvM1I9DD7XAO3t0F_AuxjD0ITc/w150-h200/IMG_4567.HEIC" width="150" /></a></p><p><br /></p>While in Türkiye, I wanted to visit a hamam for a Turkish bath but we never managed to fit it into our schedule. However, we did find time for a traditional shave and wax.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsrDvvz08m2cCSnuGG-V58EhGFMbiiovWDmImSne5gxtuSDq140SQzLxWkW6Du2-2RW1gzI48YkF-OVUMMW0Ro3A5vTMkm3c2UU7AyR8go0zWk-GLPHIgNCQ3VoOcbq27zHQHcuUAwlvcItS3HxllwxcdfZztBCnVk8dF9SvljMvmV8guhcLDl39ARvAz/s2048/CA7B8974-2E1D-497B-BDA6-75EB00F3196D.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsrDvvz08m2cCSnuGG-V58EhGFMbiiovWDmImSne5gxtuSDq140SQzLxWkW6Du2-2RW1gzI48YkF-OVUMMW0Ro3A5vTMkm3c2UU7AyR8go0zWk-GLPHIgNCQ3VoOcbq27zHQHcuUAwlvcItS3HxllwxcdfZztBCnVk8dF9SvljMvmV8guhcLDl39ARvAz/w200-h200/CA7B8974-2E1D-497B-BDA6-75EB00F3196D.JPG" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>There was a lot to see and do in Kuşadasi. Thanks to <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2022/12/atlas-obscura-david-hasselhoff-museum.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Atlas Obscura</span></a> we found a few off the beaten path sights nearby such the train museum, Cave of the Seven Sleepers and the Cave of Zeus.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitE4LGCiRQgL7wPgmZfNPaZKUKRtWUHTpZEM2iw3nU6ka8g6L6Z-kYZUBACdzv0XZSjOab6JgUsZoS5_NF5s-v_ci-nEco-DO3CTNuPArIhC71jm8qAaiGE8xFYU8m6wssr4qeH9NQMKXCNkw3vyrB1Sph4BwyA1ipRtIgBy0pw8VxHVl9QCXbpSMzUXoW/s4032/IMG_5560.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitE4LGCiRQgL7wPgmZfNPaZKUKRtWUHTpZEM2iw3nU6ka8g6L6Z-kYZUBACdzv0XZSjOab6JgUsZoS5_NF5s-v_ci-nEco-DO3CTNuPArIhC71jm8qAaiGE8xFYU8m6wssr4qeH9NQMKXCNkw3vyrB1Sph4BwyA1ipRtIgBy0pw8VxHVl9QCXbpSMzUXoW/w200-h150/IMG_5560.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p>I can see coming back here again for another visit. Highly recommended.<p></p>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Kuşadası, Aydın, Türkiye37.857913 27.2610159.547679163821158 -7.895235 66.168146836178849 62.417265tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-79970931559518562562023-03-20T20:07:00.529+01:002024-03-17T11:07:32.035+01:00Kuşadasi, Türkiye<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibatTVlUIZzovxqq-28ywW6UGXa9Bpzw4CWKZuhly3pP36kQ0BBct5WbJZu4n8S0nUsbeezpC90iY_dVlvbQ3h_49K3Txz-QKfakZKBBds3oi-qGbZdSQl2RMBO1W7H7dFHQAUnGkxVtTB7lKis1kncW-BfKMlMwnLjWkSMIx76-d_Rm4poJzwPf-VJM5e/s551/Screenshot%202023-08-29%20at%205.16.57.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="551" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibatTVlUIZzovxqq-28ywW6UGXa9Bpzw4CWKZuhly3pP36kQ0BBct5WbJZu4n8S0nUsbeezpC90iY_dVlvbQ3h_49K3Txz-QKfakZKBBds3oi-qGbZdSQl2RMBO1W7H7dFHQAUnGkxVtTB7lKis1kncW-BfKMlMwnLjWkSMIx76-d_Rm4poJzwPf-VJM5e/w200-h134/Screenshot%202023-08-29%20at%205.16.57.png" width="200" /></a><b>Kuşadasi</b> is a beach resort on the west coast of <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/11/republic-of-turkey-is-eurasian-country.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Türkiye</span></a>, about 95 km (59 miles) south of <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/izmir-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Izmir</span></a>. With a population of almost 114.000 people it is the 117th biggest city in the country. However, during the tourist season, which kicks off in about another week, the population reaches almost 2 million people.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJ_r6TiP8ejwFkBDAfvZAo7HL4-qkNE-Jw8AqjQLZNsCNSBNPAFN7h2eeFE-BdjIFEat93MuneFprYMfdFH6S_uJTmx3jo9mzPgr0EOrR2anc45Igawxit8iD_Eu8eIIkIxzgcoiN8kURq_h0TN3BlpAxRx93lvwHuR9-01H8PUhbxFSteaLM3YmUddJJ/s4032/IMG_3943.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJ_r6TiP8ejwFkBDAfvZAo7HL4-qkNE-Jw8AqjQLZNsCNSBNPAFN7h2eeFE-BdjIFEat93MuneFprYMfdFH6S_uJTmx3jo9mzPgr0EOrR2anc45Igawxit8iD_Eu8eIIkIxzgcoiN8kURq_h0TN3BlpAxRx93lvwHuR9-01H8PUhbxFSteaLM3YmUddJJ/w320-h240/IMG_3943.HEIC" width="320" /></a>Big cruises ships arrive daily with many tourists opting for a tour of <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/best-of-ephesus-tour-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ephesus</span></a>. Others come to enjoy the 25 km (15,5 miles) miles of beach along the Aegean.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5Ruwzbl1V0X05aCgZ0qw4B358p-0pOtmQuVolr5shF5Ep_qZ9xlysJo3E9nBOR5E4x_umS9YYr_2KScD0ViALaOlVS54vxr6w1a7BWcxKrm6OqDRljp6IOJXafHN2uSAWo5Qm5253s12SWPrUWWrM3069w4I0kL38QfalPt2tfgF-pjSmowVKabfvEA2/s1514/Kus%CC%A7adas%C4%B1_Belediyesi_logo.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1514" data-original-width="1024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5Ruwzbl1V0X05aCgZ0qw4B358p-0pOtmQuVolr5shF5Ep_qZ9xlysJo3E9nBOR5E4x_umS9YYr_2KScD0ViALaOlVS54vxr6w1a7BWcxKrm6OqDRljp6IOJXafHN2uSAWo5Qm5253s12SWPrUWWrM3069w4I0kL38QfalPt2tfgF-pjSmowVKabfvEA2/w135-h200/Kus%CC%A7adas%C4%B1_Belediyesi_logo.png" width="135" /></a></p><p>Kuşadasi is old and many of the locals refer to the town as <b><i>Ada</i></b>. The earliest settlements in the area date back to around 3000 BC. Over the centuries it has been part of the Persian Empire, the Roman Empire, and the Byzantine Empire. In 1413, it became part of the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-ottoman-empire.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ottoman Empire</span></a>. After WWI, it was controlled by <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/10/greece.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Greece</span></a> until it became part of Türkiye in 1922. In 1923, the local Greek population was exchanged for Turks as part of the population exchange under the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/izmir-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Lausanne Treaty</span></a>.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYplq2N4TqVZK8aZaXlVZgwU9ebf1qhPlFdt_bot5mapBcP16LvJ2MbOyVLP65tbdlW75M0BEl3r2glldzjYzdQrkZCDvMW2IUNHuOYcw1egdqmyKxzu0g0xrl7cpTI2-T0o0Fm99UDh8CALarzUi9iygUUhqSu97JkoSU1Xk6t5lpa5c5ksO1ztnmZ9J/s2048/442b3430-0a64-4cfa-910c-4ddad717f934.JPG" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: right; float: right; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYplq2N4TqVZK8aZaXlVZgwU9ebf1qhPlFdt_bot5mapBcP16LvJ2MbOyVLP65tbdlW75M0BEl3r2glldzjYzdQrkZCDvMW2IUNHuOYcw1egdqmyKxzu0g0xrl7cpTI2-T0o0Fm99UDh8CALarzUi9iygUUhqSu97JkoSU1Xk6t5lpa5c5ksO1ztnmZ9J/w200-h150/442b3430-0a64-4cfa-910c-4ddad717f934.JPG" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p>Güvercinada, "Pigeon Island" is an island connected to the city by a 350 metre (1.150 foot) causeway.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59I-GAgALBjo6vvCmquBN9IkmT2RbFul8J4wyGqtTADavFxu_EyYqy0VCqd3lXhDnSr2apvW5rCCob6Ib7tWN7LfGReM9B_Z_szAKNdzvbcHaCV-YQYW9O93cTAXeKk1HhbncdZUiZiliMiccYiRpf6WJJbAiEHXwZHoLK-6d8EK-2E_M_NoC4040lOqf/s4032/IMG_3992.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: left; float: left; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59I-GAgALBjo6vvCmquBN9IkmT2RbFul8J4wyGqtTADavFxu_EyYqy0VCqd3lXhDnSr2apvW5rCCob6Ib7tWN7LfGReM9B_Z_szAKNdzvbcHaCV-YQYW9O93cTAXeKk1HhbncdZUiZiliMiccYiRpf6WJJbAiEHXwZHoLK-6d8EK-2E_M_NoC4040lOqf/w200-h150/IMG_3992.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The island has a castle which was built back in the 1770s. In 2020 the castle became a tentative <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/03/unesco.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">UNESCO World Heritage Site</span></a>. <p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwYEd4zzcsqACtw6yOrACubVEJWm7xghcmIW_k4aw3qm3-P2Lh-26WRuM2nI17uvOkcGRl9dNWdcjHNdEyrpl6J3mYqsdw5YLlMkyMwfld4ycheW_w5IzbbJBqVJsyrcxn_4O3poUAEJbE-AZDd2FMirPfbckR5TXadCeYrR5zwW_65S7i24BQhGVVYgs/s4032/IMG_4932.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwYEd4zzcsqACtw6yOrACubVEJWm7xghcmIW_k4aw3qm3-P2Lh-26WRuM2nI17uvOkcGRl9dNWdcjHNdEyrpl6J3mYqsdw5YLlMkyMwfld4ycheW_w5IzbbJBqVJsyrcxn_4O3poUAEJbE-AZDd2FMirPfbckR5TXadCeYrR5zwW_65S7i24BQhGVVYgs/w200-h150/IMG_4932.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p>Near the harbour is the Öküz Mehmed Pasha Caravanserai that was built from 1615 - 1618. It was a safe place for merchants to stay with their goods and later as a customshouse. In 1968 it opened as a hotel and in 2022 the last hotel owner ceased operations.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4Ydhjkf3sYC2ATDk6oOlcgTWv-AQ91gn-LATISYaK7LxDd81YwTtO0AKq80Jj5PUZme7z8hvnLYolwj-KezAWPgSgAuoNCZpXHP1x91R-qqESQtq_N-RCpTiXhN5iixu91ydVmfI4YmOx-6Dh_hj3fL8n6nFmBad7GmSwHJJFfwme_I0XZTa9Eov09tK/s4032/IMG_3901.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4Ydhjkf3sYC2ATDk6oOlcgTWv-AQ91gn-LATISYaK7LxDd81YwTtO0AKq80Jj5PUZme7z8hvnLYolwj-KezAWPgSgAuoNCZpXHP1x91R-qqESQtq_N-RCpTiXhN5iixu91ydVmfI4YmOx-6Dh_hj3fL8n6nFmBad7GmSwHJJFfwme_I0XZTa9Eov09tK/w150-h200/IMG_3901.HEIC" width="150" /></a></p><p><br /></p>Kale Kapisi, the Castel Gate, was part of the city walls built in the 17th century. The upper floor was once used as a police station but there is now some kind of micro miniature art centre.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Hhlqv2U54_3WM8jc1Tf-n4SZmn_C3ujdy7RPjwZIaVJ2duvgCwxQKglInzcV_KlrdT_dGX3Y3RigDNjLG4utu0P0M1DYAbeynZJbaLYyIkt-CMeF5D7608K_HU_zzebjGN_8m4NBZnr4uTTZIfC02iRp-7h5Xhw37WLoW2GBeihwyugU6SpwO7JBdjzo/s4032/IMG_3916.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Hhlqv2U54_3WM8jc1Tf-n4SZmn_C3ujdy7RPjwZIaVJ2duvgCwxQKglInzcV_KlrdT_dGX3Y3RigDNjLG4utu0P0M1DYAbeynZJbaLYyIkt-CMeF5D7608K_HU_zzebjGN_8m4NBZnr4uTTZIfC02iRp-7h5Xhw37WLoW2GBeihwyugU6SpwO7JBdjzo/w200-h150/IMG_3916.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Kaleiçi Mosque is the old town mosque, in the middle of the bazaar area that was built back in 1618.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWk8M1aYOiQgtIrcpAB0jdZndNXVtMbHBmognZlxccfQUui17qrG5GPhcLI58GClXBTW6etZ66lPgNq2fPFWRjPWxtz8FR8lJEnB_guPpXcaPKCLiIt3_0C06V9R4dqDpgOxQApkdJ6hKufcQ-qKumsOvlAODxSVBlZV_y33ORAdhFEDifAZoTl8IqlBm-/s4032/IMG_3980.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWk8M1aYOiQgtIrcpAB0jdZndNXVtMbHBmognZlxccfQUui17qrG5GPhcLI58GClXBTW6etZ66lPgNq2fPFWRjPWxtz8FR8lJEnB_guPpXcaPKCLiIt3_0C06V9R4dqDpgOxQApkdJ6hKufcQ-qKumsOvlAODxSVBlZV_y33ORAdhFEDifAZoTl8IqlBm-/w150-h200/IMG_3980.HEIC" width="150" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The clock tower was built in 1996.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4b3xtKSo0APJIgT6Dyfn9zuPfA60zhiZsKPNNKLk4UgGj4z_z-8ZH4G1LjN3u7mshw3PXQDW5TaBLTeluSmibL0Gykg8blnRTJn8wk-vShrz2r85PRMOYaGuJZoHMToHr-vPunvFJxaeGVYhOdhFy66Iqnlvj1o-SzuwLCYvh50sY1sbjVbjNTmeNARG/s4032/IMG_3970.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4b3xtKSo0APJIgT6Dyfn9zuPfA60zhiZsKPNNKLk4UgGj4z_z-8ZH4G1LjN3u7mshw3PXQDW5TaBLTeluSmibL0Gykg8blnRTJn8wk-vShrz2r85PRMOYaGuJZoHMToHr-vPunvFJxaeGVYhOdhFy66Iqnlvj1o-SzuwLCYvh50sY1sbjVbjNTmeNARG/w200-h150/IMG_3970.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Ibramaki Art Gallery originally opened as a hospital at the end of the 19th century. In 2009, the local municipality restored the building and turned it into a gallery.<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW75eaqC-mSmiue0payE0mYUhiaK2RxicDR2Owu30YuqqCBiWrTk-prSQL12myR_AVppe1Hh-2un_m7NOhyaHvp9RCJtUrhuuD0RE21HAm2XEUXaDXWMHCkRcrq1ME8isdBbj0smtsm8lE_wZP52nRJEZUIBampO8bHIqYlMSFgEvpBaXq_jzlFzjHMbMh/s4032/IMG_5450.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW75eaqC-mSmiue0payE0mYUhiaK2RxicDR2Owu30YuqqCBiWrTk-prSQL12myR_AVppe1Hh-2un_m7NOhyaHvp9RCJtUrhuuD0RE21HAm2XEUXaDXWMHCkRcrq1ME8isdBbj0smtsm8lE_wZP52nRJEZUIBampO8bHIqYlMSFgEvpBaXq_jzlFzjHMbMh/w150-h200/IMG_5450.HEIC" width="150" /></a>The old cemetery has graves from the 1700-1800's.<br /><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkpbyMk30WoJdZdgSloSePdzjtoa_OtjY-IJqa0vCP7M6O65SzJGankWrJIOqavGtRjnISs0S1GNebbQ-uuwW6n23jwpdByd0fP35a-nY4aAkdBljwRK8y4FPGlckOgbx4dtujYJF-PlIHCHRbhLsdJApsnkkIVlFa-jmk6Fzpksybbo-szv3ILPrrbKn/s4032/IMG_3891.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkpbyMk30WoJdZdgSloSePdzjtoa_OtjY-IJqa0vCP7M6O65SzJGankWrJIOqavGtRjnISs0S1GNebbQ-uuwW6n23jwpdByd0fP35a-nY4aAkdBljwRK8y4FPGlckOgbx4dtujYJF-PlIHCHRbhLsdJApsnkkIVlFa-jmk6Fzpksybbo-szv3ILPrrbKn/w200-h150/IMG_3891.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>More than 400 homes of the Tepe neighbourhood are being revitalised under the city's "Let's Colour" programme with homes pained in various shades of pink, yellow, blue, orange, green and purple.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmicCHhyphenhyphensjJoHmnbWgvMFh1eakjGzSYruklDhph11VZrtVcSd4vd0IT60-lxmeBRraXiiWRQ0YBuiD6WK6XaGDXOkH2c9VhS_tP2A733djdwlMkK23jdrOZAHFvMMIcY1tK9_tpwPsr7-KeX3WkOrpuHYzcpStUFRw8pisAigvh4e9v34M9D0lulmQMhz-/s4032/IMG_3974.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmicCHhyphenhyphensjJoHmnbWgvMFh1eakjGzSYruklDhph11VZrtVcSd4vd0IT60-lxmeBRraXiiWRQ0YBuiD6WK6XaGDXOkH2c9VhS_tP2A733djdwlMkK23jdrOZAHFvMMIcY1tK9_tpwPsr7-KeX3WkOrpuHYzcpStUFRw8pisAigvh4e9v34M9D0lulmQMhz-/w200-h150/IMG_3974.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p>At the port, there are daily 1,5 hour ferries between Kuşadasi and the Greek island Samos. We wanted to check it out but the ferries only run from April to October.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhDwaTjuhEEEjqRg5WyVC0x8XPQMWMpEstsNBS57TSl9eyigrnw8A3XSs30LcaYqV0Hs2wtySmF06ZyVrYomNWVmhjZhCKM_mGWZ8FeKNZd7QAtba5_ggIT4WMGvOp-b1-zUs1thtyTTjsJIEZPQYn0wuc3zIUSJU1W-iMgQw5WI_fS0Hp4je994iE0fD/s4032/IMG_5397.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhDwaTjuhEEEjqRg5WyVC0x8XPQMWMpEstsNBS57TSl9eyigrnw8A3XSs30LcaYqV0Hs2wtySmF06ZyVrYomNWVmhjZhCKM_mGWZ8FeKNZd7QAtba5_ggIT4WMGvOp-b1-zUs1thtyTTjsJIEZPQYn0wuc3zIUSJU1W-iMgQw5WI_fS0Hp4je994iE0fD/w200-h150/IMG_5397.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p>About 30 km (19 miles) south of the city is the Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park. There are dense forests, hiking trails, and beach, plus wild boars running around.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4cCZfDpNYXniL33alS9Yin3KIZEhukXdi7QdyEFZJx-cRF2J8H409Gclr_72wlZzxTejcQvBv25a8LNmN_uNIjPXng0e1DHrncUDVS-UI9RvRhPP-4VOhUpCOQCcskLK7zwYutiVhOW286QG1bVxLRcWJQf2XPwB2zX9Y8jTkw1C2XiVUGM36e5avyHx/s4032/IMG_5406.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4cCZfDpNYXniL33alS9Yin3KIZEhukXdi7QdyEFZJx-cRF2J8H409Gclr_72wlZzxTejcQvBv25a8LNmN_uNIjPXng0e1DHrncUDVS-UI9RvRhPP-4VOhUpCOQCcskLK7zwYutiVhOW286QG1bVxLRcWJQf2XPwB2zX9Y8jTkw1C2XiVUGM36e5avyHx/w150-h200/IMG_5406.HEIC" width="150" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>It was still just a wee bit too cold to lie out on the sand but it felt good to at least be at the beach.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WezV5HaIJkaJm0vD97ypXJYJe87B9YGQTHGGuyjVM3unniElU4Bp3fUW9LcfXK67HkvfLzYgcrxVsfZ9Ger7LcXRPA-U6YxTKGcBLGZF0oJNeWRaOKblATVFubZsOqJUNK_mTTXGo2jhEQhLG-ACXxpcUpEQI7EF0MOBXFSbtVy5cAKCoq3TrX5w43MX/s4032/IMG_5365.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WezV5HaIJkaJm0vD97ypXJYJe87B9YGQTHGGuyjVM3unniElU4Bp3fUW9LcfXK67HkvfLzYgcrxVsfZ9Ger7LcXRPA-U6YxTKGcBLGZF0oJNeWRaOKblATVFubZsOqJUNK_mTTXGo2jhEQhLG-ACXxpcUpEQI7EF0MOBXFSbtVy5cAKCoq3TrX5w43MX/w150-h200/IMG_5365.HEIC" width="150" /></a>Near the national park is the Cave of Zeus. </p><p>There is a 10 metre (33 feet) deep pool that is off limits to swim in. Legend has it that this is where Zeus would take refuge whenever his brother Poseidon would whip up a deadly storm.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhfl0BA8Bt26LDXQgtxPN-COaldbJc8ioGunJdkxgbXD5PdUK7yo5ZxewDGZ6owuPy30cQ2fMwdhRBXAvo-jl_PtL3xD_Q6AwKmS-ujQt7DTpXHZcwpskiBLYpNn8zlunx3-KwKQS24K6iF8G7h484WHzxEcRQkusgp452A80Ebie3quGFoKfI-2-p3vs/s4032/IMG_5368.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhfl0BA8Bt26LDXQgtxPN-COaldbJc8ioGunJdkxgbXD5PdUK7yo5ZxewDGZ6owuPy30cQ2fMwdhRBXAvo-jl_PtL3xD_Q6AwKmS-ujQt7DTpXHZcwpskiBLYpNn8zlunx3-KwKQS24K6iF8G7h484WHzxEcRQkusgp452A80Ebie3quGFoKfI-2-p3vs/w200-h150/IMG_5368.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p>Another story goes that Zeus would slip away here, from Mount Olympus and his wife Hera, to swim with local girls.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4IivpJ2KHa1dFeH9eMTGOYFdZpBonFLQwy4IqkJtf4T3W7PF7qff37HZr8KAQCm7CQpFApAC2mIpf9YeB6qj44uAlRzGSms8bH9pys35YjrGCIbHRXLfvYN0hqfn3vXOG11Z1UJM4xkBpTdga0a6v39iRx6muZpvM2vq8VIHW93b-H6sVhx2nDdXD8Rd/s4032/IMG_5231.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4IivpJ2KHa1dFeH9eMTGOYFdZpBonFLQwy4IqkJtf4T3W7PF7qff37HZr8KAQCm7CQpFApAC2mIpf9YeB6qj44uAlRzGSms8bH9pys35YjrGCIbHRXLfvYN0hqfn3vXOG11Z1UJM4xkBpTdga0a6v39iRx6muZpvM2vq8VIHW93b-H6sVhx2nDdXD8Rd/w200-h150/IMG_5231.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Yedi Uyurlar Mağarası is the Cave of the Seven Sleepers. The story is that in 250 AD, the Roman Emperor ordered everyone to perform a sacrifice to dedicate themselves to the empire and to the Roman gods, or be executed. Seven Christians refused and hid in the cave. Romans found the young men asleep in the cave and sealed them in. <p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PwztQrTPiNQhMjKyQZEqds9NqHi6Yc6ISUX2Cbc32x7RFlDKBr9OdvxK5lC3ATqYkGpEEBn0eJKlayfzBgxCyfet3vV1tbUKNAgfAIQEoXvuvAah24Qbafaru1gJ_QW9iXLBspHTVEaTlIfk_deXnRXALLExvL8XJKtE_o1YuNlmLppE9-pAClXc6BUO/s4032/IMG_5230.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PwztQrTPiNQhMjKyQZEqds9NqHi6Yc6ISUX2Cbc32x7RFlDKBr9OdvxK5lC3ATqYkGpEEBn0eJKlayfzBgxCyfet3vV1tbUKNAgfAIQEoXvuvAah24Qbafaru1gJ_QW9iXLBspHTVEaTlIfk_deXnRXALLExvL8XJKtE_o1YuNlmLppE9-pAClXc6BUO/w150-h200/IMG_5230.HEIC" width="150" /></a>One day a farmer opened the cave and found the men asleep. When they awoke, they pooled their money to buy food but when they tried to pay they discovered their money was over 150 years old. The cave, located outside of <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/best-of-ephesus-tour-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ephesus</span></a> was excited in the 1920s and found a number of Christian games from the 5th and 6th centuries. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JTHribKZeUR0sfHBpU1tACPIfs-MD5OsjFgVCF3sARqlKKS507pVa6rAwnaCieVMLs_IO5t1hWcYDge1ZQ4A308L-xLgDWiWv-fwf_Zpap3cbzMn2whYRXMUWzSwxQirjC18cqPsxKUNSgoRkIh_pP05csueKWod6I8sfKDpEj-6hWBJB462Le9gq7eJ/s4032/IMG_5287.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JTHribKZeUR0sfHBpU1tACPIfs-MD5OsjFgVCF3sARqlKKS507pVa6rAwnaCieVMLs_IO5t1hWcYDge1ZQ4A308L-xLgDWiWv-fwf_Zpap3cbzMn2whYRXMUWzSwxQirjC18cqPsxKUNSgoRkIh_pP05csueKWod6I8sfKDpEj-6hWBJB462Le9gq7eJ/w200-h150/IMG_5287.HEIC" width="200" /></a>The Çamlik Railway Museum is home to one of the largest largest collection of steam locomotives, with more than 30, from 1891 to 1951. The outdoor museum isn't well known but thanks to <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2022/12/atlas-obscura-david-hasselhoff-museum.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Atlas Obscura</span></a> we went to have a look at it was well worth the visit.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTokvhwH2UC4qWExVx3nqhHbjMlFi7HbZeZgri2p0N2VBdfH8u39PSxq28dMiFMbNq8kP21BPDN-OWtUJiiQhpV33w9W220wi_XlxJylpb_VgKs_HbBzGRX2KufYiBbG4aG9lJc429WePpIVwYISf9PxASZbONhhLG_2Ss3K8ZbhcCR1LJj47ioo09rmm2/s4032/IMG_3956.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTokvhwH2UC4qWExVx3nqhHbjMlFi7HbZeZgri2p0N2VBdfH8u39PSxq28dMiFMbNq8kP21BPDN-OWtUJiiQhpV33w9W220wi_XlxJylpb_VgKs_HbBzGRX2KufYiBbG4aG9lJc429WePpIVwYISf9PxASZbONhhLG_2Ss3K8ZbhcCR1LJj47ioo09rmm2/w200-h150/IMG_3956.HEIC" width="200" /></a>We really enjoyed our week in Kuşadasi. It's definitely worth a visit with lots of places to explore. I wish the weather would have been just a little warmer but I'm quite glad that we managed to visit before all of the tourists rush in.</p><p>Here's a short Rick Steves video I found out on YouTube.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzCgUuJHF6E2beYj2mj-5-ZAB4oEXEC5Lt7ed86fOMzcYkfLNpaK3xOnZ794fHfZj7Ph95pCV9AGo7ydNhNYg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©Rick Steves</div></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Kuşadası, Aydın, Türkiye37.857913 27.2610159.547679163821158 -7.895235 66.168146836178849 62.417265tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-82035275408732236862023-03-19T21:36:00.231+01:002024-03-16T15:18:48.715+01:00Pamukkale and Hierapolis Tour, Türkiye<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLivZ_BkhtL7xh4MHwmvvCsrgp7sb51RxHC4J8BnfJrnsH-gYfH1lTA0V_Sf2Lt5rYwkSf6JOq7K-VO0nFL5zmGNm08jft6jgjBR-Kk0BNgNdknZ3iGw3qRQh6W71q8zrJPM8ukKRldcgBnhv366zxZX7zGSuUQElxLl50g6hZ5mIeJcucSq3O-cbzp5fs/s545/Pamukale%20map%20Screenshot%202023-08-29%20at%205.18.11.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="545" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLivZ_BkhtL7xh4MHwmvvCsrgp7sb51RxHC4J8BnfJrnsH-gYfH1lTA0V_Sf2Lt5rYwkSf6JOq7K-VO0nFL5zmGNm08jft6jgjBR-Kk0BNgNdknZ3iGw3qRQh6W71q8zrJPM8ukKRldcgBnhv366zxZX7zGSuUQElxLl50g6hZ5mIeJcucSq3O-cbzp5fs/w217-h167/Pamukale%20map%20Screenshot%202023-08-29%20at%205.18.11.png" width="217" /></a>On Wednesday we had a tour to Pamukkale and Hierapolis. It's still a couple of weeks before the tourist season really starts so we got lucky that our group tour ended up just being the two of us so we basically had a private tour.</p><p>We were met by our guide Umut and our driver Ali who drove us, from <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/kusadasi-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kuşadasi</span></a>, on the 200 km (125 miles) to Pamukkale which took about 2,5 hours.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8Pz-3Bu0CiB7biqtI8ZPtFHFz2IAPIntzD7P7cEETqCprWBP5KzbfHa4cisZ79Z99zEtcWiYxJHwTCWycLRqUo5goV04QP-mNsOsqr9gzfv5BMj-ANtU_fOLWeYTY8prn7cX76U70o43oqQszqHbXoXxK1eD8aQrMQzZ1fVOLz3Dgm8t0IoFyhQ5ho7A/s4032/IMG_4946.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8Pz-3Bu0CiB7biqtI8ZPtFHFz2IAPIntzD7P7cEETqCprWBP5KzbfHa4cisZ79Z99zEtcWiYxJHwTCWycLRqUo5goV04QP-mNsOsqr9gzfv5BMj-ANtU_fOLWeYTY8prn7cX76U70o43oqQszqHbXoXxK1eD8aQrMQzZ1fVOLz3Dgm8t0IoFyhQ5ho7A/w200-h150/IMG_4946.HEIC" width="200" /></a><b>Pamukkale</b>, in southwestern Türkiye, means "cotton castle" and it is famous for the carbonate mineral residue from thermal springs which at a distance looks like snow covered mountains.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxM2GJkJp0vsjLOs-22wX4tIS16n0cgWb4r44MIE-Sc0PhwmXZGxhy29cE3m3-6flMQ0twr3qtzO6gwahbwbb11qjJ8kgnO9_XtUy8lTlFOoXQGi_a8JPg2bys-pL0ZeidJhsqMyZuegL4JgmXaU81Ps7IaB_WiwhmdzptY8zK2WMNrshgQRAu3lG-4oaY/s4032/IMG_5049.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxM2GJkJp0vsjLOs-22wX4tIS16n0cgWb4r44MIE-Sc0PhwmXZGxhy29cE3m3-6flMQ0twr3qtzO6gwahbwbb11qjJ8kgnO9_XtUy8lTlFOoXQGi_a8JPg2bys-pL0ZeidJhsqMyZuegL4JgmXaU81Ps7IaB_WiwhmdzptY8zK2WMNrshgQRAu3lG-4oaY/w200-h150/IMG_5049.HEIC" width="200" /></a>The Ancient Greek city of <b>Hierapolis</b> was founded in 2nd century BC. In 133 BC, Hierapolis became part of the Roman Empire but it and it was destroyed by an earthquake in 17 AD. The Apostle Philip lived the last years of his life here and he was crucified here in 80 AD. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1joUiXncmBShBn_74bSybpPd5cQqXA_cx8FIxCiYbe_l39c2nxHEVlZ4NleHJtmtq7XicRTVDGXg3bd_z6G91w5YiC9zUMpXIPDVjjkYKusyG5c7ZciRAzyX_OQsfFc5ZXiGJ98s9hfJxEjKECIbj1OIEX_TJMCTGhuNaouf9F5CmWgZ5SufeDi7mLgJ8/s4032/IMG_5024.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1joUiXncmBShBn_74bSybpPd5cQqXA_cx8FIxCiYbe_l39c2nxHEVlZ4NleHJtmtq7XicRTVDGXg3bd_z6G91w5YiC9zUMpXIPDVjjkYKusyG5c7ZciRAzyX_OQsfFc5ZXiGJ98s9hfJxEjKECIbj1OIEX_TJMCTGhuNaouf9F5CmWgZ5SufeDi7mLgJ8/w200-h150/IMG_5024.HEIC" width="200" /></a>There are lots of Greek ruins, a necropolis, theatre, temples, and a museum that are all easy to explore by walking around.</p><p>In 1988, Hierapolis and Pamukkale was added as a <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/03/unesco.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">UNESCO World Heritage Site</span></a>.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6otJqoZ_rIH2ZlE4zYppjxQ_lEHqgPB5hKhSxbXi48D7BEeqgW_jozvMBFLTKD2KfswQOMMs4-qUg5N0xsH9blGb0DjEjyUiAuLWIMI0Msi3cM8ixsF2vAhw_upFZ2PJWI1RcIr1s8f2btLdj4ouo3Q2DHxW6l5XSMmZw6Y1V2JDbicsEWn5Gd1_fXe7N/s4032/IMG_5102.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6otJqoZ_rIH2ZlE4zYppjxQ_lEHqgPB5hKhSxbXi48D7BEeqgW_jozvMBFLTKD2KfswQOMMs4-qUg5N0xsH9blGb0DjEjyUiAuLWIMI0Msi3cM8ixsF2vAhw_upFZ2PJWI1RcIr1s8f2btLdj4ouo3Q2DHxW6l5XSMmZw6Y1V2JDbicsEWn5Gd1_fXe7N/w400-h300/IMG_5102.HEIC" width="400" /></a></p><p>There are 17 hot springs in the area and they range in temperature from 35℃ to 100℃ (95℉ - 212℉). The most famous one is Cleopatra's Pool. It's said that the waters have curative properties and you get to swim around ancient ruins. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4lDHTORIk7ug5Wr9p1P9EbKhXxeLH-H6tVnYUv9sJVGMJ04jKcQtSqV0pjGHwSu7n_Vk9FNiNYf0DIjTENf19TMISULtvU7Q_E3Htnvdv_xuPBnmhJLgrldPVs9PK42gB9anS-p__9B3RY37Ej1MjBduJq-9VYu5_03HYdpLQdIujxVMGezSa6XXYjHW/s4032/IMG_5043.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4lDHTORIk7ug5Wr9p1P9EbKhXxeLH-H6tVnYUv9sJVGMJ04jKcQtSqV0pjGHwSu7n_Vk9FNiNYf0DIjTENf19TMISULtvU7Q_E3Htnvdv_xuPBnmhJLgrldPVs9PK42gB9anS-p__9B3RY37Ej1MjBduJq-9VYu5_03HYdpLQdIujxVMGezSa6XXYjHW/w400-h300/IMG_5043.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>I'm still not sure why it's called Cleopatra's pool because she never swam here. The plan was originally to go swimming but Kája was fighting a bit of a cold so we decided to skip the swim here. Although we did wade out a bit in one of the springs overlooking the valley.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-sBCQLJe5a-DYWDyXUHlkWpqZ_OjhYxXOD1YU7co7iSFYzJxucn5FHHAbv794Nxdtgv7a3r9y-kIjz8sfExDGPk3CBQENsRHJNYqQIbzLjxhpfbWa6yB6qJ6vA8JetKLPJkJKZNtHnPU4jfW2dwegrAthBi6KcSFwgRr9FLM1uSJqu-QTAZRos4-zs_W/s4032/IMG_5150.HEIC" style="font-size: 13px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-sBCQLJe5a-DYWDyXUHlkWpqZ_OjhYxXOD1YU7co7iSFYzJxucn5FHHAbv794Nxdtgv7a3r9y-kIjz8sfExDGPk3CBQENsRHJNYqQIbzLjxhpfbWa6yB6qJ6vA8JetKLPJkJKZNtHnPU4jfW2dwegrAthBi6KcSFwgRr9FLM1uSJqu-QTAZRos4-zs_W/w400-h300/IMG_5150.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>The big draw here is still the travertine terrace formations formed from mineral-rich waters cascading down the mountain side for hundreds of years.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPLKDZFFsYTIysJPyoozIJmIYQwjyL6mHJmh-D0-G91jUq4VdbkEnP0V27cpOQw3sxe2_ItJyAwkVhvpkmlHFJRPak9lbxyYDkzDUg9VdfEZPWXgQnmWZjskd3eELRtLvdKkplt1qNRwTnGlBWqmZxrCFa46Oi6FrldZLAKDfp_MCm0S1TL5JZY4CYFLs/s4032/IMG_4978.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPLKDZFFsYTIysJPyoozIJmIYQwjyL6mHJmh-D0-G91jUq4VdbkEnP0V27cpOQw3sxe2_ItJyAwkVhvpkmlHFJRPak9lbxyYDkzDUg9VdfEZPWXgQnmWZjskd3eELRtLvdKkplt1qNRwTnGlBWqmZxrCFa46Oi6FrldZLAKDfp_MCm0S1TL5JZY4CYFLs/w400-h300/IMG_4978.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZNjmmjmZc8afO3soyR5QDHuLDKt0FNnZNzwXD8_GTJxO-JpZ5z1iwupeLMYe_AfU8l2dSeqJB9G5C4uVLgAnNj9erHHPVwbfnzEUA0W7llZ8nLoUHhTBHvbGZWG1iYpuJ8vjMnnvgUHW0_wxmqo6U46GdmWl5c5glls3WCdTILbI-GQvkVlfKRx-6dab/s11668/IMG_4982.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3736" data-original-width="11668" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZNjmmjmZc8afO3soyR5QDHuLDKt0FNnZNzwXD8_GTJxO-JpZ5z1iwupeLMYe_AfU8l2dSeqJB9G5C4uVLgAnNj9erHHPVwbfnzEUA0W7llZ8nLoUHhTBHvbGZWG1iYpuJ8vjMnnvgUHW0_wxmqo6U46GdmWl5c5glls3WCdTILbI-GQvkVlfKRx-6dab/w400-h127/IMG_4982.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Here's a Rick Steves video I found out on YouTube.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwc87OTsPM4CA8l9h3AZOn8XyYMq-3WXVgaGTNGa9CmM2s1RbFgopAGCQAVH2bXLfVrPIDKdiCoWmAShAXjzA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">©Rick Steves</span></div></div><p style="text-align: left;">One of the cool things to do here is go paragliding. I am still not a fan of heights but for some reason I had it in my head that I needed to do it. I have no idea why but I did it. <b>It was brilliant!!</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPShYA92p_8RDOKLxDcMJNRDYi3bPsDwR1L4gzdJqgaoPo6V_J8VStw8iot2ToW-eFG-QHin6MIJsQki4x3Vz6ZNb9KF7FT3G2i4AEwd0djhtHmHYzllMO24aVvAXpcaw-IO8zccGUC9qJS0Ho1xFYhsGFd9mg30XcLzud9MoBo8YSnLkrO-poYeQ7bthM/s5184/G0019306.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPShYA92p_8RDOKLxDcMJNRDYi3bPsDwR1L4gzdJqgaoPo6V_J8VStw8iot2ToW-eFG-QHin6MIJsQki4x3Vz6ZNb9KF7FT3G2i4AEwd0djhtHmHYzllMO24aVvAXpcaw-IO8zccGUC9qJS0Ho1xFYhsGFd9mg30XcLzud9MoBo8YSnLkrO-poYeQ7bthM/w400-h300/G0019306.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVlnSOiumd_7GC-pzMow0Zk7qeYMvTrh7Edq7Ib8MPen2QLUquszzC2irkZw2ar6CELMTFEeBthruMvXPWfBu4DqNiYpXR2rL5uv411_ZmewNmNwTzQcqXnb4mqjjJ6Iot1LIm_1HPy0HAuBVQr5qt2KTlWWIbL0ZKDeyCxjv_I1V0fUeLQHxTiB4NGMf/s5184/G0029341.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVlnSOiumd_7GC-pzMow0Zk7qeYMvTrh7Edq7Ib8MPen2QLUquszzC2irkZw2ar6CELMTFEeBthruMvXPWfBu4DqNiYpXR2rL5uv411_ZmewNmNwTzQcqXnb4mqjjJ6Iot1LIm_1HPy0HAuBVQr5qt2KTlWWIbL0ZKDeyCxjv_I1V0fUeLQHxTiB4NGMf/w400-h300/G0029341.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">It was a tandem run and my pilot Gökhan was great. Here's a bit of the video he took with my iPhone.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyx6MTX-SCJdXaDkIVVgZmSkrRlCXByr-xKDu7a1AIVy3TlQRS6o2XjF8tNOBDu4UTGy4Xz6GhSXkTXS-DJtA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZsgqq2wtTgobGGJiGGloBpuyF4LGjCL0zTp6Xdck1bXUXxxHJgVX1aLDOM2PKk6pDQOOxYxkbS2JQMZ35-ybiIc2FaTao-5RqiIIDuREC02a9k2ND7Uv_6qmwd-7ARbuz_tqdhNqNxMcs0I7yZCJu8fCKpbvlYHwlbn6Gn2eIedFwliF5l405M50qCnC/s4032/IMG_5196.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZsgqq2wtTgobGGJiGGloBpuyF4LGjCL0zTp6Xdck1bXUXxxHJgVX1aLDOM2PKk6pDQOOxYxkbS2JQMZ35-ybiIc2FaTao-5RqiIIDuREC02a9k2ND7Uv_6qmwd-7ARbuz_tqdhNqNxMcs0I7yZCJu8fCKpbvlYHwlbn6Gn2eIedFwliF5l405M50qCnC/s320/IMG_5196.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me and Gökhan</div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Pamukkale, 20190 Pamukkale/Denizli, Türkiye37.9136957 29.11870979.6034618638211526 -6.0375403 66.223929536178844 64.2749597tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-56968738174266868852023-03-18T20:45:00.450+01:002024-02-18T18:06:31.923+01:00İzmir, Türkiye<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZE6-LBGdNIxb4SpbmF8dzcjAD8AH7oKwpa7p_P76dBv0FnNubyLkROBZwHjKrNgvUOwo3T1VytpTckHITWTkRQkSKDFzXkngCmrT9wcXKwn_a5JVT1XAntMs3LTFPMz_Ent7qBZNUrwIkZPRQ9WU2eB6J2TGu9qGh2Y3tpo0I9fB-GdptuZxVI34u5w1/s552/Izmir%20map%20Screenshot%202023-08-29%20at%205.19.11.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="552" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZE6-LBGdNIxb4SpbmF8dzcjAD8AH7oKwpa7p_P76dBv0FnNubyLkROBZwHjKrNgvUOwo3T1VytpTckHITWTkRQkSKDFzXkngCmrT9wcXKwn_a5JVT1XAntMs3LTFPMz_Ent7qBZNUrwIkZPRQ9WU2eB6J2TGu9qGh2Y3tpo0I9fB-GdptuZxVI34u5w1/w200-h134/Izmir%20map%20Screenshot%202023-08-29%20at%205.19.11.png" width="200" /></a></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>İzmir</b> is home to almost 3 million people making it the 3rd largest city in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/11/republic-of-turkey-is-eurasian-country.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Türkiye</span></a>. It's an old city with more than 3000 years of recorded history but the area had been settled since the Neolithic period over 8000 years ago.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiskuCkaNg3fv9B9WkCEcCRrgDYBlPbs98LUYSWjVOQ2d_dswIpOoOHc-3h2fXwP5sru2HdzQZhFJ5rpzL7kZqTck81-UWOjzWzngbvR417fMYSLSfoWHRe2hTFnAKqm3HtweYA7_NbsHAMAGdbXCjKAtVsqyy_tiR-3K8cH0nufFYfuLi4xPn_oRhjf-L/s4032/IMG_4793.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiskuCkaNg3fv9B9WkCEcCRrgDYBlPbs98LUYSWjVOQ2d_dswIpOoOHc-3h2fXwP5sru2HdzQZhFJ5rpzL7kZqTck81-UWOjzWzngbvR417fMYSLSfoWHRe2hTFnAKqm3HtweYA7_NbsHAMAGdbXCjKAtVsqyy_tiR-3K8cH0nufFYfuLi4xPn_oRhjf-L/w200-h150/IMG_4793.HEIC" width="200" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>It's almost 100 km from Kusadasi which takes a little over an hour by car.<br />Prior to 1930, the city was known by its Greek name Smyrna (<span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;">Σμύρνη</span>).</div><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsODnASdtj9Xy1lX0iBebj1vPWOjK971Jz1abSEWj_6NpnDxLLHTew_bQXSTbN8RVH1m670zTPgiQ96wlf8upv__ZgWe0ZvWTGXbR1Ho3QN_Vw_1tHmRJH79oYQF65EUzqJC15NXBf2ObL0Fkx6yZm7h6TX0ZsoTFo491hyRgtY62752RVXEOiny2Y93E/s4032/IMG_4670.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsODnASdtj9Xy1lX0iBebj1vPWOjK971Jz1abSEWj_6NpnDxLLHTew_bQXSTbN8RVH1m670zTPgiQ96wlf8upv__ZgWe0ZvWTGXbR1Ho3QN_Vw_1tHmRJH79oYQF65EUzqJC15NXBf2ObL0Fkx6yZm7h6TX0ZsoTFo491hyRgtY62752RVXEOiny2Y93E/w200-h150/IMG_4670.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p>Konak Pier is a seaside pier that was converted to a modern shopping, dining, and cinema complex.<p></p><div style="text-align: left;">Konak Square, designed by Gustave Eiffel, the same architect that designed the Eiffel Tour in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/10/paris-france.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Paris</span></a>, is home to a few of the city's landmarks.</div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcMve6QPG-VWfZ9QAuyS-OQ6VZEdbBEk-Ql0aV7ARKNkYPDFixjixypY88Ft-7FdC8KGa7rlaTgI8inTyYgh3ASIuupjYihIK_4SQ6gMHRThJ94AolT_xCIslss8hELeCiJBYoc_fTkNruOWlv3qUfHnFHtXaC-lCHE_DsXXLj4sxumRaMlzaHE1_9sza/s4032/IMG_4692.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcMve6QPG-VWfZ9QAuyS-OQ6VZEdbBEk-Ql0aV7ARKNkYPDFixjixypY88Ft-7FdC8KGa7rlaTgI8inTyYgh3ASIuupjYihIK_4SQ6gMHRThJ94AolT_xCIslss8hELeCiJBYoc_fTkNruOWlv3qUfHnFHtXaC-lCHE_DsXXLj4sxumRaMlzaHE1_9sza/w150-h200/IMG_4692.HEIC" width="150" /></a>Konak Mosque, also known as Yali Mosque, was built in 1755. It's known for its distinctive octagonal shape. It was last renovated in 1964.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kXjQzhqhSyRb-eC5tFGiYvMq9lDiTg4Zbo7PgboYyGGKOkkxhUM4UT0eoN_86Pq4ZxFyxqQdeq2SAtVo0gW2uNFTS1KDfBxIytuB6c8EvVeD5vatytMN7R-Zwldbjzc2Qxx14M_hHDVRgpnWDUx7V_uyi1MpxTqg90ObkPPvmuGiYCr79cNjku7CWae6/s4032/IMG_4696.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kXjQzhqhSyRb-eC5tFGiYvMq9lDiTg4Zbo7PgboYyGGKOkkxhUM4UT0eoN_86Pq4ZxFyxqQdeq2SAtVo0gW2uNFTS1KDfBxIytuB6c8EvVeD5vatytMN7R-Zwldbjzc2Qxx14M_hHDVRgpnWDUx7V_uyi1MpxTqg90ObkPPvmuGiYCr79cNjku7CWae6/w200-h150/IMG_4696.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;">The clock tower was built in 1901 to honour the 25th anniversary of Abdülhamid II, becoming Sultan of the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-ottoman-empire.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ottoman Empire</span></a>.</div><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkVPnpeb8GnnHYqObKwgKj_GtSTs-9DrrF98JBn6t_Vqy3bTmeE5oGdrHaB7EbkAUcfmqCMREshLOxvaSS1Z-WRlFIgK6abv13c67uAZ6ntRzSibgxWpQ8OpKdb0TUmf13bBihsFi7nASrtwGv0-OsIRAgIXPhAEVuOIcxIL_HqZw4oWriiPavp6ViaDN/s4032/IMG_4711.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkVPnpeb8GnnHYqObKwgKj_GtSTs-9DrrF98JBn6t_Vqy3bTmeE5oGdrHaB7EbkAUcfmqCMREshLOxvaSS1Z-WRlFIgK6abv13c67uAZ6ntRzSibgxWpQ8OpKdb0TUmf13bBihsFi7nASrtwGv0-OsIRAgIXPhAEVuOIcxIL_HqZw4oWriiPavp6ViaDN/w150-h200/IMG_4711.HEIC" width="150" /></a><span style="text-align: center;"></span></p><p><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">The First Bullet Monument is dedicated to the 1919 memory of a journalist and martyrs.</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8rnlU6aPEIXfv80lVGPqtEQWmS-FzfkOGRI-1Yf7BJTIFeHIWsoPkez1ikR57C09GLFkUu62fAtDoNVb11Wb9nTkcKbUwQIv4nTWKAsw8M0U6Xxk3cFnsDmfuAgkKGA4aRaFmdGf9BBdftPxKwFJaNlQmhSKD2vH-f7MDfY2mbUjyjHt9zVX0Ax75rrP/s4032/IMG_4699.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8rnlU6aPEIXfv80lVGPqtEQWmS-FzfkOGRI-1Yf7BJTIFeHIWsoPkez1ikR57C09GLFkUu62fAtDoNVb11Wb9nTkcKbUwQIv4nTWKAsw8M0U6Xxk3cFnsDmfuAgkKGA4aRaFmdGf9BBdftPxKwFJaNlQmhSKD2vH-f7MDfY2mbUjyjHt9zVX0Ax75rrP/w200-h150/IMG_4699.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">The city's first government office was located in the square but was demolished in 1869-1872. They burned down in 1970 and were rebuilt according to the original plans.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzQMUOMO37CTNhe1SMWpWK9HrCIWs4OSlmdfp261FQ8YzxNQNfhsaq_719DATBlJoD4YLV77PbDca6tt1BsKEh0lyoLF1DOYRS0NAY7GyH6PLmj43e52xEkcFqlN0DiIFJFMXULU5junXTapQOdpsC6Pxx7Mfll4JDxT6oP9jnPvXg5xtsdS1t3TJ9E77/s4032/IMG_4751.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzQMUOMO37CTNhe1SMWpWK9HrCIWs4OSlmdfp261FQ8YzxNQNfhsaq_719DATBlJoD4YLV77PbDca6tt1BsKEh0lyoLF1DOYRS0NAY7GyH6PLmj43e52xEkcFqlN0DiIFJFMXULU5junXTapQOdpsC6Pxx7Mfll4JDxT6oP9jnPvXg5xtsdS1t3TJ9E77/w200-h150/IMG_4751.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>The Izmir Archaeology Museum was established in 1924 on the site of an abandoned church. It opened to the public in 1927.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYF8vD-n3E77p4stdXVZ2mAOmIL7OkyvGBKEqcA8qBeHewxlx0_8LpJSYGITYYIUi1IvAjYbFbU2BuF9uKxt_myRGjwWeqsjaX6TsAifkXe7X-pr-mG_lv96zjmUynJ3G9jQQn8Orr8fLiVcoXTOPKnXaRX1eeuMKUWiWsxtqGJPzfeQbXA8wHQIiFaGn4/s4032/IMG_4770.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYF8vD-n3E77p4stdXVZ2mAOmIL7OkyvGBKEqcA8qBeHewxlx0_8LpJSYGITYYIUi1IvAjYbFbU2BuF9uKxt_myRGjwWeqsjaX6TsAifkXe7X-pr-mG_lv96zjmUynJ3G9jQQn8Orr8fLiVcoXTOPKnXaRX1eeuMKUWiWsxtqGJPzfeQbXA8wHQIiFaGn4/w150-h200/IMG_4770.HEIC" width="150" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;">The Izmir Ethnography Museum is currently closed for renovation. The stone building dates back to 1831 when it was originally built as part of a hospital.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3fsQAlCZqLalZlb2VvhhvhyphenhyphenWbdK9Jho0icq4LWAl08GK2qIvU4EbuQVDMSzbkW7pdIULJKeW5V3s9GBnN7gtRSHbDOeRhIZHxcmb3PJogKBOBsJoHYe7E_L-Wi_tooSTSr1o-n42LjLvoslqSOiKmvERpY5fnHPwIT0xZhm33oaXaAYmwMcrQ1D_XduE/s4032/IMG_4858.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3fsQAlCZqLalZlb2VvhhvhyphenhyphenWbdK9Jho0icq4LWAl08GK2qIvU4EbuQVDMSzbkW7pdIULJKeW5V3s9GBnN7gtRSHbDOeRhIZHxcmb3PJogKBOBsJoHYe7E_L-Wi_tooSTSr1o-n42LjLvoslqSOiKmvERpY5fnHPwIT0xZhm33oaXaAYmwMcrQ1D_XduE/w200-h150/IMG_4858.HEIC" width="200" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>The 19th-century Church St Polycarp is the city's oldest functioning Christian church. I understand the the church walls are adorned with frescoes but unfortunately the church was closed so we missed out getting to see them.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT1uIEGvc1GSyi9hxp2vk-_bg1R7z9dW0wmRQrUx4de8u3p5aX95xFEtv5DV6d1LKQisYvPqkRYPtou3cerRvEnq8pJr87Vv16-Gdmv5tyZss-1Qh7eMbsFft-C7jDH4asJfju4YauSyQce2A3VXHvVxagj1yqbkrRUPgkBusjD5g-cxWq_KRNr3-qv3Y/s4032/IMG_4787.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT1uIEGvc1GSyi9hxp2vk-_bg1R7z9dW0wmRQrUx4de8u3p5aX95xFEtv5DV6d1LKQisYvPqkRYPtou3cerRvEnq8pJr87Vv16-Gdmv5tyZss-1Qh7eMbsFft-C7jDH4asJfju4YauSyQce2A3VXHvVxagj1yqbkrRUPgkBusjD5g-cxWq_KRNr3-qv3Y/w150-h200/IMG_4787.HEIC" width="150" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>The Asansör is a public level street elevator that was built in 1907. Prior to the elevator, residents needed to walk a long way and climb 155 stairs to reach the upper part of the town. There are cafés at the top with nice views of the coastline.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DeqqXALbu87YeJYPa0YyPToCL6eB9y3wFA_KXVQByFRXFMqHdy8Uyj5M_iAzzM_9dNBdGpZ40cbYRHxdAolAR2r5BE4Ff7PBsn2iP6OxEdtKOpiGIozYj1whJW_ZP4IkrkP8Q2GhI7dJ7_ktcyeiWGW-rVsG6_NNMrpnLxH3YWcTi2yVfxqWoIFrLXl8/s4032/IMG_4840.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DeqqXALbu87YeJYPa0YyPToCL6eB9y3wFA_KXVQByFRXFMqHdy8Uyj5M_iAzzM_9dNBdGpZ40cbYRHxdAolAR2r5BE4Ff7PBsn2iP6OxEdtKOpiGIozYj1whJW_ZP4IkrkP8Q2GhI7dJ7_ktcyeiWGW-rVsG6_NNMrpnLxH3YWcTi2yVfxqWoIFrLXl8/w200-h150/IMG_4840.HEIC" width="200" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>The Hisar Mosque is one of the biggest in the city centre. Construction began in 1592 and opened in 1598.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Izmir had a sizeable Greek population until 1923 where there was a population exchange between <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/10/greece.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Greece</span></a> and Türkiye.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In 1923, following a seven-month conference, the Lausanne treaty was signed that recognised new Turkish state following the end of the Ottoman Empire after WWI. The treaty provided for the protection of the Christian minority in Türkiye and the Muslim minority in Greece. I had never heard of the forced population exchange before but here's a short video I found about it on YouTube.</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div><p></p></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwVd52RkbTeluJJMlxnPclUalt3LG6AgEMnrdi622dPdE5Tr0RIgQRJX5GguFyuoZA6aTOJFjFQS_FaOQMydw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©Choices Program</div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0İzmir, Türkiye38.423734 27.14282610.113500163821158 -8.013424 66.733967836178849 62.299076tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-75310069005649480022023-03-17T05:44:01.195+01:002024-03-16T15:18:17.820+01:00Best of Ephesus Tour, Türkiye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7HzBf-E-BeppDyk-vXNWu8_I_DsUMnH5FhgrsevAQ35Ghzzqiw9zSYFIiibI7E9xtn7VxqfeqoX1H_GUGaWujth8-p2g_2zjmheDc9rMHyy9aqnpTta7weRLgLAzvfSN73Ivlwao7GOWokC5vIKHD122kpqiaqxt69ibSLJ0TF2Li4JkyY04W_wEt5_p/s734/Ephesus.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="734" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7HzBf-E-BeppDyk-vXNWu8_I_DsUMnH5FhgrsevAQ35Ghzzqiw9zSYFIiibI7E9xtn7VxqfeqoX1H_GUGaWujth8-p2g_2zjmheDc9rMHyy9aqnpTta7weRLgLAzvfSN73Ivlwao7GOWokC5vIKHD122kpqiaqxt69ibSLJ0TF2Li4JkyY04W_wEt5_p/w400-h203/Ephesus.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>We had booked the Best of Ephesus Tour for Monday which was great. We were the only two who had booked so we actually ended up on a private tour with our guide Mehmet. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFNh07Lvct2ShRQ9FUSlZV3xxV5n48RunRsVzHBTdeEiffGzssj7jv-CmPtj5EY85P_leRGQzrcSYLC5DqDiW8HfOLFSMxKYh-eszPfBuipl1qfI9g6pwr53T0v7nt7tupn8DbYiS2d_YTehb74wD1IA1fznesYsCKCnCaYHcq16R8Ac5e7M0gGFFr8UR/s4032/IMG_4178%202.HEIC" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); clear: left; float: left; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFNh07Lvct2ShRQ9FUSlZV3xxV5n48RunRsVzHBTdeEiffGzssj7jv-CmPtj5EY85P_leRGQzrcSYLC5DqDiW8HfOLFSMxKYh-eszPfBuipl1qfI9g6pwr53T0v7nt7tupn8DbYiS2d_YTehb74wD1IA1fznesYsCKCnCaYHcq16R8Ac5e7M0gGFFr8UR/w150-h200/IMG_4178%202.HEIC" width="150" /></a>Our first stop was at a big statue of the Virgin Mary. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Gdu5EWD2AJgULmGqcoWmikFOkz8V3HC6UU3VHi_NUyy7kKfPnWM4Z-o_MSMhpxzmvGCg3-hAjm2CoyZtJub0JMUcdeoq-eKgdAADK5x4qkOF1b7aaWqDqoMzB-fElIueMmfhn-uKP3_TyIA5obUUEuPqnYqaIjVkluPp258o6geKM3oc_6Cva-Ju1rB8/s4032/IMG_4204%202.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Gdu5EWD2AJgULmGqcoWmikFOkz8V3HC6UU3VHi_NUyy7kKfPnWM4Z-o_MSMhpxzmvGCg3-hAjm2CoyZtJub0JMUcdeoq-eKgdAADK5x4qkOF1b7aaWqDqoMzB-fElIueMmfhn-uKP3_TyIA5obUUEuPqnYqaIjVkluPp258o6geKM3oc_6Cva-Ju1rB8/w200-h150/IMG_4204%202.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFg9Xm7hdedIeRRLDK4PtndV07nPoeuB8ACoZgNRO4dTgE5dzlivcqXiUZJro5Q9zxzKDjuqyZzikkOmj_UtVXlf_X5sIOjzRxctVh1hUuNrBiTMTlM6658O8xHUwBIC0se0s8KJMeSgkTS2_q5Q-_UAt-qKqKCvfpyK8891_LBukBO4BUbtoAv5GMuVlF/s4032/IMG_4220.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFg9Xm7hdedIeRRLDK4PtndV07nPoeuB8ACoZgNRO4dTgE5dzlivcqXiUZJro5Q9zxzKDjuqyZzikkOmj_UtVXlf_X5sIOjzRxctVh1hUuNrBiTMTlM6658O8xHUwBIC0se0s8KJMeSgkTS2_q5Q-_UAt-qKqKCvfpyK8891_LBukBO4BUbtoAv5GMuVlF/w150-h200/IMG_4220.HEIC" width="150" /></a>After that we headed to Meryemana, the House of the Virgin Mary, which is about 6 km (3.7 miles) from Ephesus and 17 km (11 miles) from <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/sirince-turkey.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Şirince</span></a>. The house is surrounded by pine and olive trees. It's a Catholic shrine and a <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/03/unesco.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">UNESCO World Heritage Site</span></a>.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSS_Ga0sdUyA0nBjLHdIS7BYY3kabnqhd4MpaDfrcSJtngakL-nMPQA1zHRircDC2NdIZkvGkYQgLbJI7VXUuzcaQT0ssoanoJbT_0Yl3EYSav1J_F9v0toqrVVL3rqy6qm1wZ7luEA0YtltehZvRLLvk_2Rgf5275ar8aNETyhCS1sUrSvl07sYLo01Ff/s4032/IMG_4225%202.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSS_Ga0sdUyA0nBjLHdIS7BYY3kabnqhd4MpaDfrcSJtngakL-nMPQA1zHRircDC2NdIZkvGkYQgLbJI7VXUuzcaQT0ssoanoJbT_0Yl3EYSav1J_F9v0toqrVVL3rqy6qm1wZ7luEA0YtltehZvRLLvk_2Rgf5275ar8aNETyhCS1sUrSvl07sYLo01Ff/w200-h150/IMG_4225%202.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>A bedridden Augustinian nun in Germany, named Anne Catherine Emmerich, had visions, about the Virgin Mary. One was a description of the house that the Apostle John had built for the Virgin Mary where she lived out the rest of her life. An author spent five years transcribing the nun's visions, before she passed away, and a book was published in 1852.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhwWiavA_MMnmsVwWgeOziiFVRqHAmF6DJZLFqPapsmwjSdIs4sjYiHYZtMbWktcNuafqzS2SjhwIjZmDas2ovdI-QaAgZId0LErJg7it58gIjr1j_i07kncJbSRTL0EWy7SnTIYui44fdaZt24V9M7jy_BUCx2GiuUAqaWqil-GawBsxC7RazZOhgQhG/s885/Anna_Katharina_Emmerick_Saint_Visionary.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhwWiavA_MMnmsVwWgeOziiFVRqHAmF6DJZLFqPapsmwjSdIs4sjYiHYZtMbWktcNuafqzS2SjhwIjZmDas2ovdI-QaAgZId0LErJg7it58gIjr1j_i07kncJbSRTL0EWy7SnTIYui44fdaZt24V9M7jy_BUCx2GiuUAqaWqil-GawBsxC7RazZOhgQhG/w136-h200/Anna_Katharina_Emmerick_Saint_Visionary.jpeg" width="136" /></a>Two expeditions completed in 1891, discovering the match between the location and the nun's visions. While the Roman Catholic Church has never officially proclaimed the validity of the site, multiple popes have given blessings and visited the house. Each year on 15 August, pilgrims come to celebrate Mary's Assumption. In 2004, Pope John Paul II beatified Anne Catherine Emmerich.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvPScsDmRvVJq-QF-mPVCCKPyBycGHMriLcgNm0JV8kOc5Vg3WieBdjkr_V-vkhLIwzpq4_w5GMi8QeD4OSFVdm2mnZsfz3k2j3o-CKRi2Aq_OBLBBtotjWAvUyc1EjwRyJbeofVzBO4ldqwcRflLo7UryXb3sTqZDQh3SedTjf-gx06XU4YhmJa4MDbf/s4032/IMG_4208%202.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvPScsDmRvVJq-QF-mPVCCKPyBycGHMriLcgNm0JV8kOc5Vg3WieBdjkr_V-vkhLIwzpq4_w5GMi8QeD4OSFVdm2mnZsfz3k2j3o-CKRi2Aq_OBLBBtotjWAvUyc1EjwRyJbeofVzBO4ldqwcRflLo7UryXb3sTqZDQh3SedTjf-gx06XU4YhmJa4MDbf/w150-h200/IMG_4208%202.HEIC" width="150" /></a>On the way to the shrine, you pass a key hole-shaped baptismal pool.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vbzZXjfXnZKBsOtj4xLh1SC-R-705K_lsm5EcWJdkF0mmzEDBSNO-DsM1u22CFcorRoN4l1DOPd60FishzGYLe4UGAnq-wbeZX10e83ZHsw77SyoL1Gzy_JGkl1nxzfT5ZjSGtV7HIL9AtG_05PNAAlquLhf1hry9eBUdXxMxT-4G4fb9F6hxFSyRpgu/s4032/IMG_4242.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vbzZXjfXnZKBsOtj4xLh1SC-R-705K_lsm5EcWJdkF0mmzEDBSNO-DsM1u22CFcorRoN4l1DOPd60FishzGYLe4UGAnq-wbeZX10e83ZHsw77SyoL1Gzy_JGkl1nxzfT5ZjSGtV7HIL9AtG_05PNAAlquLhf1hry9eBUdXxMxT-4G4fb9F6hxFSyRpgu/w200-h150/IMG_4242.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Outside of the house is a "wishing wall" where people write their wishes on paper or fabric.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTj3hY4orCSLQkOJuFLiYlp-g3mhYJ7l0R9Sgcuifqy5jhgihVPPVeir3si9IcgGMs60fIINslSgjxHpE_P3DU5bubigx8Ya6BtszQa0dDfIqKKlPUuhOLC27hSZ8Vwl2ZD0W6-UqInAAnE29MdJTVR3V15bt7EtsPQ6QOa89SyMQyBP1cYdlMdDGxQgkO/s4032/IMG_4237%202.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTj3hY4orCSLQkOJuFLiYlp-g3mhYJ7l0R9Sgcuifqy5jhgihVPPVeir3si9IcgGMs60fIINslSgjxHpE_P3DU5bubigx8Ya6BtszQa0dDfIqKKlPUuhOLC27hSZ8Vwl2ZD0W6-UqInAAnE29MdJTVR3V15bt7EtsPQ6QOa89SyMQyBP1cYdlMdDGxQgkO/w200-h150/IMG_4237%202.HEIC" width="200" /></a>There is a spring under the house which pilgrims believe to have healing properties. There are fountains that people can drink from. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7C3LBb7qlHdaQluMu3ytSzJMv7R9bLRd8tmyMwBbn_W4HbFUdVXAMeOYs1mDpoeaBZS_sI1C5rdRer-wnbQxXFWR6uWaSrqVJbLAfHHkjVzBDgs-ikU7xkMcKh0p_Ue8FU_uwpYdAORUhjWjQTv0wMuaEdoeMatNJH6q0NTG2NOvHSH-q9vQLrc103Hal/s4032/IMG_4222%202.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7C3LBb7qlHdaQluMu3ytSzJMv7R9bLRd8tmyMwBbn_W4HbFUdVXAMeOYs1mDpoeaBZS_sI1C5rdRer-wnbQxXFWR6uWaSrqVJbLAfHHkjVzBDgs-ikU7xkMcKh0p_Ue8FU_uwpYdAORUhjWjQTv0wMuaEdoeMatNJH6q0NTG2NOvHSH-q9vQLrc103Hal/w150-h200/IMG_4222%202.HEIC" width="150" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>I had to make sure to light a candle for <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/03/gram-1919-2011.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">my grandmother</span></a>. She would have loved that I came here. <p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyUKi5_zFbYvDQjBSnPhL5BOkNdfuIIhAlnaz12A1EacHiCNfOs03H3nk_9gBa-h9I2FV9bwR_elutMImZqKpuYGag2MIyu-et6f9i59WtgTaaHKTv5S14R4zeN-JayiVKxUR8K3iFVv0SSXItPGI30k2iMyMt-qRWl5WxZhwSKnALB0F20JbAv9ZcmZp/s4032/IMG_4262.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyUKi5_zFbYvDQjBSnPhL5BOkNdfuIIhAlnaz12A1EacHiCNfOs03H3nk_9gBa-h9I2FV9bwR_elutMImZqKpuYGag2MIyu-et6f9i59WtgTaaHKTv5S14R4zeN-JayiVKxUR8K3iFVv0SSXItPGI30k2iMyMt-qRWl5WxZhwSKnALB0F20JbAv9ZcmZp/w200-h150/IMG_4262.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>It was then on to Ephesus which was a city in Ancient Greece located 3 km (2 miles) southwest of Selçuk, 8 km from Şirince, 20 km (12.5 miles) north of <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/kusadasi-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kuşadasi</span></a>, and 70 km (44 miles) south of <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/izmir-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Izmir</span></a>.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4giXhzlFjFg_mOH2CgljRso3lzOvj8kOBnGqZUEsJvLPYG6LUE8mZsARB9OlmIHmmVeYBRY2ZVwPLhKAiXwEfQEk8-Z4PH-xS63pNScWy_rNQCxjVUvdW8w1bsyZ9VtBrP4Mq_VC36w1xVsn9bOGfMcZFYFfTGj5hQgs8O5Oq9iWBgUf3exg1SRHLR2_Y/s2048/a4dd7b7f-b3ee-467b-a2f4-3cc4c421ea9c.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4giXhzlFjFg_mOH2CgljRso3lzOvj8kOBnGqZUEsJvLPYG6LUE8mZsARB9OlmIHmmVeYBRY2ZVwPLhKAiXwEfQEk8-Z4PH-xS63pNScWy_rNQCxjVUvdW8w1bsyZ9VtBrP4Mq_VC36w1xVsn9bOGfMcZFYFfTGj5hQgs8O5Oq9iWBgUf3exg1SRHLR2_Y/w200-h150/a4dd7b7f-b3ee-467b-a2f4-3cc4c421ea9c.JPG" width="200" /></a>Ephesus was built in the 10th century BC. It was one of the 12-member cities of the Ionian League and became part of the Roman Republic in 129 BC. It's believed that the Gospel of St. John may have been written here. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLs1bqMcbzDQrZyPT-MWS7O4vbV2u2hNbkAfVYnHi9vvXXvYe_-cyZiTC3z3rSRiwGFG2hpKYGnQaq3xG_tCrdOtBFQNhWYjLZbRBbLQLqX_6coW2TxhPE0xqn9fiSvz4ICbkMAPqSaGTygFdVPsYvQJ4rsyJk8kVNXkSMYjwPl-hGNYA6jgEChSO3ZXqo/s4032/IMG_4300%202.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLs1bqMcbzDQrZyPT-MWS7O4vbV2u2hNbkAfVYnHi9vvXXvYe_-cyZiTC3z3rSRiwGFG2hpKYGnQaq3xG_tCrdOtBFQNhWYjLZbRBbLQLqX_6coW2TxhPE0xqn9fiSvz4ICbkMAPqSaGTygFdVPsYvQJ4rsyJk8kVNXkSMYjwPl-hGNYA6jgEChSO3ZXqo/w150-h200/IMG_4300%202.HEIC" width="150" /></a>The city was conquered by numerous empires over the centuries and it was completely abandoned by the 15th century. Ephesus is home to one of the largest Roman archaeological sites in the Eastern Mediterranean and the ruins were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALaPebylgKwEACNebGshiGiRX4ztDiQQLyLHar4rcvAQ-huPhXCL4DAaVGqMniMXYrnNM4P-rpQGKfsjHjT7R35wLscJlh2h81Pz8RvVvMayIw3pBdy3nuxKOzfTxPQHsCqyBjvfM1TJzLI_S6_GzX_a4UQlcS0ahNvnlRhFJ0Mi0Q8tJBCZnzoeAo7hp/s11804/IMG_4295.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3762" data-original-width="11804" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALaPebylgKwEACNebGshiGiRX4ztDiQQLyLHar4rcvAQ-huPhXCL4DAaVGqMniMXYrnNM4P-rpQGKfsjHjT7R35wLscJlh2h81Pz8RvVvMayIw3pBdy3nuxKOzfTxPQHsCqyBjvfM1TJzLI_S6_GzX_a4UQlcS0ahNvnlRhFJ0Mi0Q8tJBCZnzoeAo7hp/w400-h127/IMG_4295.HEIC" width="400" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhccuK019IWnp7MYnR3FH0-AeKbIzA2slqEGgDzlmKu5JHIOgRmuPdfvSWPSR_jvFf74CjvU9HV72VC9QkKsJ0hiAAmLYCsJjeLSNHMZ8kXD4PL74QZu9xT2-uYYsHAEQzwSIwjGXaNCsZTIPTwz6m4yATM0BXIm2f1qri7RIArkooKBoFDKF5VQQgJntT/s4032/IMG_4330%202.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhccuK019IWnp7MYnR3FH0-AeKbIzA2slqEGgDzlmKu5JHIOgRmuPdfvSWPSR_jvFf74CjvU9HV72VC9QkKsJ0hiAAmLYCsJjeLSNHMZ8kXD4PL74QZu9xT2-uYYsHAEQzwSIwjGXaNCsZTIPTwz6m4yATM0BXIm2f1qri7RIArkooKBoFDKF5VQQgJntT/w200-h150/IMG_4330%202.HEIC" width="200" /></a>The most impressive ruin has to be the Library of Celsius. It was built in around 125 AD in memory of Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus who served as governor of Roman Asia. He paid for the library from his own money and he is buried in a sarcophagus beneath it. The library was the third-largest in the Greco-Roman world and was home to 12.000 scrolls. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLQhZADLa3B6MGtTrcLUIeZPNu-4F1kXUIC-0gq3gF_JLyg9M060gO8IGOM9TnKeCj74JSLNdeOrErvsM7WTCijVtJ5q2MgTF7EsQsOiVuJtVpyhJasaKG7e4fg3FL1dBznz9OKmtX1qmeGzp6aHXPAXX4CAcVyERjBmHx35BVbFqRvaTc4w4KpmPV9QD/s4032/IMG_4363%202.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLQhZADLa3B6MGtTrcLUIeZPNu-4F1kXUIC-0gq3gF_JLyg9M060gO8IGOM9TnKeCj74JSLNdeOrErvsM7WTCijVtJ5q2MgTF7EsQsOiVuJtVpyhJasaKG7e4fg3FL1dBznz9OKmtX1qmeGzp6aHXPAXX4CAcVyERjBmHx35BVbFqRvaTc4w4KpmPV9QD/w150-h200/IMG_4363%202.HEIC" width="150" /></a>The library was no longer in use after 400 AD. The facade was damaged by an earthquake in the 10th or 11th century but archaeologists re-erected it from 1970 to 1978.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaio2iRL_nwMsGSL17vI94_JyR_c3qx5RDLgFKdPzpJQY4zsuf318rKqd7LoGY46A5p4NkRqdYoSUbSum1-UiXGeHpgy3qTT0eGiYGWbbY-b4rnKv9p-ibSyg3yhsh30PEzfdZ3xcu17Z9xZhVVfS-APRA16M3mtzWzeYTWJsIBYHXdLf5t_ZhP-xej9H/s4032/IMG_4404%202.HEIC" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: left; float: left; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaio2iRL_nwMsGSL17vI94_JyR_c3qx5RDLgFKdPzpJQY4zsuf318rKqd7LoGY46A5p4NkRqdYoSUbSum1-UiXGeHpgy3qTT0eGiYGWbbY-b4rnKv9p-ibSyg3yhsh30PEzfdZ3xcu17Z9xZhVVfS-APRA16M3mtzWzeYTWJsIBYHXdLf5t_ZhP-xej9H/w200-h150/IMG_4404%202.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Great Theatre could hold an estimated 25.000 spectators and dates back to the Hellenistic period (3rd-1st century BC) with extensive renovation during the Roman period. It's believed to have been the the largest theatre in the in the ancient world.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Z7BOFS9WO228TqmZXDOPuJvJDQPPcB-UqelKFEIc876El3GKkxtXhOmPSjJG-EKqV5x6YyVZBPX1M3-QnlbChucIGClHEYyw3fljtNe6BXaJ6Uky4tIOZkzy_AsJg-_kq9jbZe6g3JH5UlhK14yakp0etJM4Xd_URNMsOealFc10_Qt8A9Qo6DXK4Xh3/s4032/IMG_4338.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Z7BOFS9WO228TqmZXDOPuJvJDQPPcB-UqelKFEIc876El3GKkxtXhOmPSjJG-EKqV5x6YyVZBPX1M3-QnlbChucIGClHEYyw3fljtNe6BXaJ6Uky4tIOZkzy_AsJg-_kq9jbZe6g3JH5UlhK14yakp0etJM4Xd_URNMsOealFc10_Qt8A9Qo6DXK4Xh3/w200-h150/IMG_4338.HEIC" width="200" /></a>As it was just the two of us, our guide Mehmet used the opportunity to show us everything in great detail. It would never have been possible with a larger group.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePuh95rF3ZJf-yy-qLnMV812rRzE9lYHdrVN8ralu6BmHDn6ulzcRnYL-T7c331hlqIY72nMwV0EGEjCADwIr89tzPCZIACgfqFdaeiJsYoivYHtOwaMEWpMMXxPREr6aJKgjGkoRZK3wN6tmkvcc1y_FvduZ42Df_ZNuf8OaEHUe1NNBxyKdbHopU1vF/s2048/71ad0c94-0d50-450d-a032-e3a1b4beed6a.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePuh95rF3ZJf-yy-qLnMV812rRzE9lYHdrVN8ralu6BmHDn6ulzcRnYL-T7c331hlqIY72nMwV0EGEjCADwIr89tzPCZIACgfqFdaeiJsYoivYHtOwaMEWpMMXxPREr6aJKgjGkoRZK3wN6tmkvcc1y_FvduZ42Df_ZNuf8OaEHUe1NNBxyKdbHopU1vF/w150-h200/71ad0c94-0d50-450d-a032-e3a1b4beed6a.JPG" width="150" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Ephesus was famous for the Temple of Artemis which was nearby. The temple was completed around 550 BC and it was one of the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/02/seven-wonders-of-world.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Seven Wonders of the Ancient World</span></a>. The temple was destroyed by 401 AD. The only thing left of the temple is a single pillar.<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VBtleluGIz3r1qEvkPPTyeR1E36j_-MRE_TiMoiC0pn1gBIOhH7BQK9TP0kuwxtsva2Om-3VBq9DC5auMlOsvwypcExfw2VR6LJc1nEKWZiEG6gza75yzWQ363GlS2PBngRaU3wKVyv9GAft1j-vk0ZbxJbysaVk9IZ_8IjoTdbGpfSlTqrk58fNW19o/s4032/IMG_4444.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VBtleluGIz3r1qEvkPPTyeR1E36j_-MRE_TiMoiC0pn1gBIOhH7BQK9TP0kuwxtsva2Om-3VBq9DC5auMlOsvwypcExfw2VR6LJc1nEKWZiEG6gza75yzWQ363GlS2PBngRaU3wKVyv9GAft1j-vk0ZbxJbysaVk9IZ_8IjoTdbGpfSlTqrk58fNW19o/w200-h150/IMG_4444.HEIC" width="200" /></a>The Basilica of St. John, or rather what's left of it, sits on the slope of Ayasluğ Hill, in Selçuk, about 3,5 km (2.2 miles) from Ephesus. It was built in the 6th century but was damaged when Turks invaded in 1090.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnP5GavjuRg3wUhfDhAlAwMYTh6_PhRmW5h3L9ApW1xlQ4ED8tuLqmVbd_M51ooUhkai3OuQuE8XrSFmfNolJNTqiRdjI5hGaeZ6krcZjddr4tCUBce8GDW6eSZZf76kCPtomKg3qR5B7EkaQcs9Yw2-CO13D1hldG856UvxJV5u2Hhqrvtjpx1qe2fPL0/s4032/IMG_4466%202.HEIC" style="background-color: white; clear: left; float: left; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnP5GavjuRg3wUhfDhAlAwMYTh6_PhRmW5h3L9ApW1xlQ4ED8tuLqmVbd_M51ooUhkai3OuQuE8XrSFmfNolJNTqiRdjI5hGaeZ6krcZjddr4tCUBce8GDW6eSZZf76kCPtomKg3qR5B7EkaQcs9Yw2-CO13D1hldG856UvxJV5u2Hhqrvtjpx1qe2fPL0/w200-h150/IMG_4466%202.HEIC" width="200" /></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Many believe that the basilica was built on the tomb of the apostle. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjePhFfprghZzBJbcNdvd1bNZ931W7vHf2MfsYPga0bZde9cOTrSL-CP0lxkNUTfXe09OqguwHsY2d2AAP0tfaumfcKDEvM8RVT8ix4MRNf1ADIi5OlMRw3vqH9KY3Y2Aq9zdlCANQt6yKDB32x16Mx3ZI6BuwHFG0KVK6ICWsn3QfefDjX-h7qJC1C-a/s4032/IMG_4473%202.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjePhFfprghZzBJbcNdvd1bNZ931W7vHf2MfsYPga0bZde9cOTrSL-CP0lxkNUTfXe09OqguwHsY2d2AAP0tfaumfcKDEvM8RVT8ix4MRNf1ADIi5OlMRw3vqH9KY3Y2Aq9zdlCANQt6yKDB32x16Mx3ZI6BuwHFG0KVK6ICWsn3QfefDjX-h7qJC1C-a/w200-h150/IMG_4473%202.HEIC" width="200" /></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>There's a fortress on the hill above the cathedral but we didn't visit it.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqEUT7YFDsSFkY5k_Le53S2ZfrnfCwPTv5XZ6XIt9J8OSzWIlgwef5m9JuV1-JnhQ3hTcmQqFFjbRxr4QyAHEOrFN-jUQfAGKIA6bJnWR5syQoiU1EQgk5Osvnu3m3PM2FW_uhiOXuR1xbvw8WrXvdMPlENH6qruwW9PHEAEnVLa71b6no4ZSqWok7_z5/s4032/IMG_4511.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqEUT7YFDsSFkY5k_Le53S2ZfrnfCwPTv5XZ6XIt9J8OSzWIlgwef5m9JuV1-JnhQ3hTcmQqFFjbRxr4QyAHEOrFN-jUQfAGKIA6bJnWR5syQoiU1EQgk5Osvnu3m3PM2FW_uhiOXuR1xbvw8WrXvdMPlENH6qruwW9PHEAEnVLa71b6no4ZSqWok7_z5/w200-h150/IMG_4511.HEIC" width="200" /></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>From the basilica you can see the İsa Bey Mosque. The mosque was built from 1374-1375. Unfortunately it is currently closed for renovation so we only got to view it at a distance.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYen7Uliis_8-SH3KSihRTGBuQt_JcW8d7gYihoLcgLRJ3VF3CxBBhYOQ9JYb2B45STGRGVpwbJLMPAKVN-RAMCnZ9DpoiiSXPo7Z5Xz9jmw0YrY9wH_wOmWaezArntvIi2gkPVuBQaj0XRpOTtkN1tR1udp8B4o-hfQU7PSqMl9Yp64WiPw5knQDie_j/s4032/IMG_4533%202.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYen7Uliis_8-SH3KSihRTGBuQt_JcW8d7gYihoLcgLRJ3VF3CxBBhYOQ9JYb2B45STGRGVpwbJLMPAKVN-RAMCnZ9DpoiiSXPo7Z5Xz9jmw0YrY9wH_wOmWaezArntvIi2gkPVuBQaj0XRpOTtkN1tR1udp8B4o-hfQU7PSqMl9Yp64WiPw5knQDie_j/w400-h300/IMG_4533%202.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple, mosque, basilica, and fortress</td></tr></tbody></table>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0XCCP+94 Selçuk/İzmir, Türkiye37.9709901 27.435302837.537774522648618 26.88598639375 38.404205677351385 27.98461920625tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-47553552364301521462023-03-16T05:09:00.455+01:002024-03-16T15:17:00.769+01:00Şirince, Türkiye<p>Saturday was a full travel day to <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/kusadasi-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kuşadasi</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/11/republic-of-turkey-is-eurasian-country.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Türkiye</span></a>. On Sunday we set out to explore the city. While checking out the sites, we hired a local taxi driver to take show us around his home village of Şirince.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Frhw_PCGHOH3fNHkb9yGI4_aWiOsVShqd3lR6BLWOIBwLv5mys1JfxU9xFb9QmXS4tzZ1DLjb-abfITZ4U9bqyIFh6fQagdRkv40EFoVVFtY3JIu-B6MEhbza_s24XvmZ6bmtTZT_8ZeCx0IliXdp9R8GgsCm5g90qKkPS6DpVd6vlNV76Rth6M_3FUg/s1024/turquie-carte-ephesus-1024x563.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1024" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Frhw_PCGHOH3fNHkb9yGI4_aWiOsVShqd3lR6BLWOIBwLv5mys1JfxU9xFb9QmXS4tzZ1DLjb-abfITZ4U9bqyIFh6fQagdRkv40EFoVVFtY3JIu-B6MEhbza_s24XvmZ6bmtTZT_8ZeCx0IliXdp9R8GgsCm5g90qKkPS6DpVd6vlNV76Rth6M_3FUg/s320/turquie-carte-ephesus-1024x563.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikV1p6yVjYZHA_NFvXHq87dBBfz1CsgQyR6wfsGaVlQSpqHwBi8D_k2-VN9_CyWpIQmu1732UWWS97IWQuykxkqopWQq-zocfVTSdusyPrxTmQ_bMy594GBCteJatDYUs26byUPkJ2rMkybDs28-q3J_-kinWZRsHS9wdmRAOv2iEyM0bglzsGsJJq9Wft/s4032/IMG_4108.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikV1p6yVjYZHA_NFvXHq87dBBfz1CsgQyR6wfsGaVlQSpqHwBi8D_k2-VN9_CyWpIQmu1732UWWS97IWQuykxkqopWQq-zocfVTSdusyPrxTmQ_bMy594GBCteJatDYUs26byUPkJ2rMkybDs28-q3J_-kinWZRsHS9wdmRAOv2iEyM0bglzsGsJJq9Wft/w200-h150/IMG_4108.HEIC" width="200" /></a><b>Şirince</b> is a small hillside village of about 600 people. It's about 8 km (5 miles) from <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/best-of-ephesus-tour-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ephesus</span></a>, and 26 km (16 miles) northeast from Kuşadasi. It used to be a Greek village and the local area dates back to the Hellenistic period from 323-31 BC. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXddmZWkV13-rk3ACSFiCD4Iv2-1OlPwfnSoV6hxgJ5H0jIMkzAtkemxi2f-ctkRToO9YRzNgPxKNs_LEhv1j3De1L2nIOs7pBudaFW8Xfdi3VrlyevBoFLR9sz4Q2mXRff_an4HfTxwhUgFe_ShVDBVDHvVj7b_co_N6_M8FB2YThtSP9KCtwKJjvmh3/s4032/IMG_4059.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXddmZWkV13-rk3ACSFiCD4Iv2-1OlPwfnSoV6hxgJ5H0jIMkzAtkemxi2f-ctkRToO9YRzNgPxKNs_LEhv1j3De1L2nIOs7pBudaFW8Xfdi3VrlyevBoFLR9sz4Q2mXRff_an4HfTxwhUgFe_ShVDBVDHvVj7b_co_N6_M8FB2YThtSP9KCtwKJjvmh3/w200-h150/IMG_4059.HEIC" width="200" /></a>In 1923, after the fall of the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-ottoman-empire.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ottoman Empire</span></a>, and the end of the Turkish War of Independence, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/10/greece.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Greece</span></a> and Türkiye agreed on a population exchange. The Greeks living in Türkiye went to Greece and the Turks in Greece went to Turkey. Şirince was populated by the Turks who were living in northern Greece. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kU28M7Mj1x--uvk2UGBk120Mka-mRRJgLOMITRkgMnli6gFZ3jAnZ-jwK4Awu6vEvCJxssy_pepeyCt2pBABwoopnTZEcHEw3YskOHM7EzVoHEO-CEyuWSn7m9aU7AzM3gcD7MZB8cS1TITGXo5ptOJE_N-7w_2lvUHHPJ-FgR-rmPQ05nF41gJLxHhq/s4032/IMG_4039.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kU28M7Mj1x--uvk2UGBk120Mka-mRRJgLOMITRkgMnli6gFZ3jAnZ-jwK4Awu6vEvCJxssy_pepeyCt2pBABwoopnTZEcHEw3YskOHM7EzVoHEO-CEyuWSn7m9aU7AzM3gcD7MZB8cS1TITGXo5ptOJE_N-7w_2lvUHHPJ-FgR-rmPQ05nF41gJLxHhq/w150-h200/IMG_4039.HEIC" width="150" /></a><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6o3dNNgMX7I3f-R1sGD05FeYicz8M4XlI61R29wKAqqhDKT5BGu3aL1cf82mLmZn1Tqt-XwnFGiBBbMrK1x7q1wKU5wjh7KuFHZYU5NwjvcBrN-0g-VF-aFPjHJ6yMlrkX3o6H81TFaDehf2jLIccnq9_8fhz-IjMXNnoc08uo_ffG_K95HHHB8ortOs/s4032/IMG_4050.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6o3dNNgMX7I3f-R1sGD05FeYicz8M4XlI61R29wKAqqhDKT5BGu3aL1cf82mLmZn1Tqt-XwnFGiBBbMrK1x7q1wKU5wjh7KuFHZYU5NwjvcBrN-0g-VF-aFPjHJ6yMlrkX3o6H81TFaDehf2jLIccnq9_8fhz-IjMXNnoc08uo_ffG_K95HHHB8ortOs/w150-h200/IMG_4050.HEIC" width="150" /></a>Şirince means "pleasant" in Turkish. Prior to 1926, it was known as Çirkince which means "ugly." The story goes that the village had been settled by freed Greek slaves who wanted to deter others from coming here. I guess it's the same as how <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/02/republic-of-iceland.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Iceland</span></a> is nice while Greenland is cold. Regardless, it's a nice little tourist village. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqdbsj_AXHdPX7sbb-jbjChHFcY0VP4k7excvZ-z-upTyQMqqO48aTRFP2Od4FyX4MgD-ay5gFqOoZIjzhXv9bSe83UPV6ZJBh-aLWOjsAZzlLjT_lWlAAJ9KRXR9KWmb0nybDpFBBzVXh0EN8-d1611PkM-tRv6sV0neQQRZdMz4F5n5DViQHgS4TrZ4/s4032/IMG_4058.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqdbsj_AXHdPX7sbb-jbjChHFcY0VP4k7excvZ-z-upTyQMqqO48aTRFP2Od4FyX4MgD-ay5gFqOoZIjzhXv9bSe83UPV6ZJBh-aLWOjsAZzlLjT_lWlAAJ9KRXR9KWmb0nybDpFBBzVXh0EN8-d1611PkM-tRv6sV0neQQRZdMz4F5n5DViQHgS4TrZ4/s4032/IMG_4058.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqdbsj_AXHdPX7sbb-jbjChHFcY0VP4k7excvZ-z-upTyQMqqO48aTRFP2Od4FyX4MgD-ay5gFqOoZIjzhXv9bSe83UPV6ZJBh-aLWOjsAZzlLjT_lWlAAJ9KRXR9KWmb0nybDpFBBzVXh0EN8-d1611PkM-tRv6sV0neQQRZdMz4F5n5DViQHgS4TrZ4/w200-h150/IMG_4058.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>The Church of St. Dimitrios was built in the 19th century. There's been some restoration but quite a bit more is needed. There are a number of frescoes inside worth seeing. Outside of the church are nice views of the area.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRD2NXuUYRdb_w9NDsHNXdA8lmGHFW3Hiaz2PgtubJeP9shJxjAddbfOBWqBVQqKnRtkuw4amxFv_66Ye4Bmp0y_tu-0eB8BRor__YmHn2kdkD1qIAqgfW8-X6PmJ8fivx3lXqKVVvazCM9bnQfPIljUOY-rLLpsgSm7eq0biNEqNT3LGsaZV-QMoXIiel/s4032/IMG_4082.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRD2NXuUYRdb_w9NDsHNXdA8lmGHFW3Hiaz2PgtubJeP9shJxjAddbfOBWqBVQqKnRtkuw4amxFv_66Ye4Bmp0y_tu-0eB8BRor__YmHn2kdkD1qIAqgfW8-X6PmJ8fivx3lXqKVVvazCM9bnQfPIljUOY-rLLpsgSm7eq0biNEqNT3LGsaZV-QMoXIiel/w200-h150/IMG_4082.HEIC" width="200" /></a>The Church of St. John the Baptist was built in 1805. This church has has undergone more restoration than St. Dimitrios. There was a photography exhibit going on when we visited.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cGpQHZXH2AwDI5dtiDholAeM6gYmo512_78cPfBesXdZwmkGjLfTrfIt5LviYKeKDIVKbUwleHIQxbVrWME1_UorcmvfktpQD0sB3-Ic1Fc14U3hqFTr24vkPkbQzniLR74seB4uerbNHJGw1gAEaKWzdjFs7NMyCYZ_dqy9NdRQXTKXRP1kbX6caIl7/s4032/IMG_4101.heic" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cGpQHZXH2AwDI5dtiDholAeM6gYmo512_78cPfBesXdZwmkGjLfTrfIt5LviYKeKDIVKbUwleHIQxbVrWME1_UorcmvfktpQD0sB3-Ic1Fc14U3hqFTr24vkPkbQzniLR74seB4uerbNHJGw1gAEaKWzdjFs7NMyCYZ_dqy9NdRQXTKXRP1kbX6caIl7/w200-h150/IMG_4101.heic" width="200" /></a>Besides olive oil, the village known for its fruit wine. Almost every flavour is available - apple, apricot, blackberry, mulberry, melon, orange, peach, quince, cherry, strawberry. Some were just too sweet for me but the pomegranate wine was nice.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGGS5ObILlN2a3BJOOuasxXSAvv8Ot-JwUnq7-I4IZwzgX0NR3tP1FR90hp039QGS7dmV_hA2DHisnhJKnlJhKwEjq8NDZ-1ZQ302l9JSJ8BLEvd6QmRogT6N0REHoJNEwoG2NlfSQZbnCI9guyuLcBXG6YjNASFiuO7Hg6LvUcxEIMWLxtaR6pQUpSvP/s1350/d09ff547-676e-4372-a39c-6403f1f05dbb.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGGS5ObILlN2a3BJOOuasxXSAvv8Ot-JwUnq7-I4IZwzgX0NR3tP1FR90hp039QGS7dmV_hA2DHisnhJKnlJhKwEjq8NDZ-1ZQ302l9JSJ8BLEvd6QmRogT6N0REHoJNEwoG2NlfSQZbnCI9guyuLcBXG6YjNASFiuO7Hg6LvUcxEIMWLxtaR6pQUpSvP/w160-h200/d09ff547-676e-4372-a39c-6403f1f05dbb.JPG" width="160" /></a><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: left;">In front of a cafe is a wishing well topped with a statue of the Virgin Mary. You're supposed to drop a coin in the water and hope that it falls in a certain spot in order to get your wish. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our guide Mesut used to work at the cafe, where his brother and cousin work, and introduced us to some good Turkish coffee. The coffee was prepared in hot sand and served with <i>lokum</i> which is Turkish delight. The coffee was good and here's a short video I took.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzFS4wRu2f0rn7pGZqfI9Dj2PuX2peQb410GqoI2LfE0i1p9B1MxJ_jQg9zXidIXx0f6Iw0W5gYgKbDcILBiQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakUyRg6kS3krNwoOK8LL6rPS6CwNkM0_0gfyevgXPv3IcPL6utNKSbUewZEU4D6AEcCJuGNHFVeUCicq9QIUYo7llfi8FKbROs51QbGM8fNG40d15l8lmg6bSH6OBLmQyPa3LyKHtuzsy6_EkjWgqPHhtpl_3ennYZzCfs6gvEqVOjVU12wnQiK7Ar2yK/s4032/IMG_4119.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakUyRg6kS3krNwoOK8LL6rPS6CwNkM0_0gfyevgXPv3IcPL6utNKSbUewZEU4D6AEcCJuGNHFVeUCicq9QIUYo7llfi8FKbROs51QbGM8fNG40d15l8lmg6bSH6OBLmQyPa3LyKHtuzsy6_EkjWgqPHhtpl_3ennYZzCfs6gvEqVOjVU12wnQiK7Ar2yK/w200-h150/IMG_4119.HEIC" width="200" /></a>We enjoyed our visit to Şirince and then headed back to Kuşadasi to check out some more of the local sights.</div><p></p></div></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Şirince, 35920 Selçuk/İzmir, Türkiye37.944101 27.4316259.6338671638211579 -7.724625 66.254334836178856 62.587875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-1746252993988237592023-03-15T23:10:00.317+01:002023-08-28T06:44:34.257+02:00Tchibo<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Am2L8wZLvI91B2clf56OPQ70kvOUoa7zGqETJ--tBLPOsrhGM89I8K25gNoXshm-JpBoMXcOpwxlEYLgI3_98-m0_bSGRlxS9UxQegvHrAH0bReMzF152M48jbOXIb-rwqwmM4eCJLqXXboqPf5FekMwY_WFN8t-wtEyKAj21MnhCxa-SlpPEM8f6OT5/s224/Tchibo%20logo.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="224" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Am2L8wZLvI91B2clf56OPQ70kvOUoa7zGqETJ--tBLPOsrhGM89I8K25gNoXshm-JpBoMXcOpwxlEYLgI3_98-m0_bSGRlxS9UxQegvHrAH0bReMzF152M48jbOXIb-rwqwmM4eCJLqXXboqPf5FekMwY_WFN8t-wtEyKAj21MnhCxa-SlpPEM8f6OT5/w181-h181/Tchibo%20logo.png" width="181" /></a><b>Tchibo</b>, pronounced CHEE BO, is one of Germany's largest retail chains. The stores are interesting. It's a café where you can get a good cup of coffee and something sweet. Of course, you can also purchase coffee beans and accessories. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1iP560_hKpEjdoKj3R6JfdctaVlXaZWzkno4SYP7MIIl5_4mDtyBn12Kgy8I2COrur5vd89sXm_zDvgAhwy_0PcPPxiSQzdp_PiqnoDk2n-_cbte_ZPX117SAh7-7zv3dw3jgcLxDwURqPR8Fpk46FmEIKCxVy-9Uuyz8g20iH1319KmdY7JT6H61Dfl/s512/Tchibo3.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="512" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1iP560_hKpEjdoKj3R6JfdctaVlXaZWzkno4SYP7MIIl5_4mDtyBn12Kgy8I2COrur5vd89sXm_zDvgAhwy_0PcPPxiSQzdp_PiqnoDk2n-_cbte_ZPX117SAh7-7zv3dw3jgcLxDwURqPR8Fpk46FmEIKCxVy-9Uuyz8g20iH1319KmdY7JT6H61Dfl/w200-h154/Tchibo3.jpeg" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>Then there is everything else that you can buy there such as clothing, household items, electronics, appliances, and sometimes even furniture. You never know just quite what they will have when you go there because the non-coffee products change weekly. In <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/05/federal-republic-of-germany.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Germany</span></a>, the company's slogan is <i>Jede Woche eine neue Welt, "Every week a new world". </i>In Czecland, it's <i>každý týden nový svět</i>. </p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUA_Y6X_Tbwk1tKpT_8wo2PrT0Uz1g89ofSL7rDqyyE2JTWF1nlbf56Kx9GzLW2qkQEKYWYg88ldjKy-HKmZTZu7bqy575k9wsWKQvSAMvIa5onlO8OBp9Txw3j6I-AosvWpEk_JCH7SV5yLOg-lVHEHSKQqTfL8W_eIQyCDqCkMggjVnTPfj6hMZttjb/s290/Tchibo%20Coffee.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="290" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUA_Y6X_Tbwk1tKpT_8wo2PrT0Uz1g89ofSL7rDqyyE2JTWF1nlbf56Kx9GzLW2qkQEKYWYg88ldjKy-HKmZTZu7bqy575k9wsWKQvSAMvIa5onlO8OBp9Txw3j6I-AosvWpEk_JCH7SV5yLOg-lVHEHSKQqTfL8W_eIQyCDqCkMggjVnTPfj6hMZttjb/w200-h120/Tchibo%20Coffee.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Today is the 70th anniversary of the Tchibo Coffee Company. It was founded in 19149 in Hamburg where it still maintains its headquarters. The company founders were Max Herz and Carl Tchilinghiryan and the name Tchibo came from the abbreviation of <b>Tch</b>ilinghiryan and<b> </b><i><b>Bo</b>hnen (coffee beans)</i>, The company started off as a mail-order service for roasted coffee beans.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_KsU-dNcWnRSt774HZ7UR_I6Ji_mLNSxCAChkM7pvR-wruwuFh8awiS3G6dwybajjlqbFxCrMJ0c7yiWk8iaWgm7A8698X_Zo1vc-7RPrpSv-Uu46nghAvGKc3140Q33B0M2OqrH116cW6ovB6Yf1_zfsUzRTc1vqqTrA3L3jtJ7Szale1AjD1qsEFYq/s4032/IMG_0612.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_KsU-dNcWnRSt774HZ7UR_I6Ji_mLNSxCAChkM7pvR-wruwuFh8awiS3G6dwybajjlqbFxCrMJ0c7yiWk8iaWgm7A8698X_Zo1vc-7RPrpSv-Uu46nghAvGKc3140Q33B0M2OqrH116cW6ovB6Yf1_zfsUzRTc1vqqTrA3L3jtJ7Szale1AjD1qsEFYq/w150-h200/IMG_0612.HEIC" width="150" /></a>In the early 1990's the company started to expand outside of Germany. There are about 550 stores in Germany and over 300 stores in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/04/republic-of-austria.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Austria</span></a>, Czechia, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/02/hungary.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Hungary</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/08/republic-of-poland.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Poland</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/07/slovak-republic.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Slovakia</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/04/switzerland.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Switzerland</span></a>, and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/11/republic-of-turkey-is-eurasian-country.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Türkiye</span></a>. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixUv7Kxal0wNCYE2JYYeuzNKU-NbtNU8NuqFcPQObs5NP46JrASc09DEZJ9hxt4F8FPx5d8JqUChWQEy8O0_Lo34G1PyKmoXj6yGuM8zNheCGENfVpTu9W9Lbp4vHVCIs8haK_NwTcYUY-swB_9CrsND8Gyx7SqVtoujWb-gWqAXsLa0c3Vpz6z8YW-qf/s2048/Tchibo%20store.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2048" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixUv7Kxal0wNCYE2JYYeuzNKU-NbtNU8NuqFcPQObs5NP46JrASc09DEZJ9hxt4F8FPx5d8JqUChWQEy8O0_Lo34G1PyKmoXj6yGuM8zNheCGENfVpTu9W9Lbp4vHVCIs8haK_NwTcYUY-swB_9CrsND8Gyx7SqVtoujWb-gWqAXsLa0c3Vpz6z8YW-qf/w200-h149/Tchibo%20store.jpeg" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The company also operates "depots" in various supermarkets have a Tchibo section of shelves selling its coffee alongside non-food items such as clothing, sporting and household goods.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7y_D_-i2W7kEpbfmbm7TiXoj3d9ZWcpZa6sb9QYmahD1y89zmv_s83i8lLVDGDjkk19Se1AcNkCT_t3-BfzO5oWOjw3NG_PmGnjzPaAU8A8J4axpj0_OPk6J9yu97HcJxXDKcVAdU92olCmX-dcnarvtZrPzkVOPU3qFEcxc39HrUXpidYnJMBuku_ALP/s514/Cheb%20map.jpeg" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 41, 47); clear: right; float: right; font-family: Interstate, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="514" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7y_D_-i2W7kEpbfmbm7TiXoj3d9ZWcpZa6sb9QYmahD1y89zmv_s83i8lLVDGDjkk19Se1AcNkCT_t3-BfzO5oWOjw3NG_PmGnjzPaAU8A8J4axpj0_OPk6J9yu97HcJxXDKcVAdU92olCmX-dcnarvtZrPzkVOPU3qFEcxc39HrUXpidYnJMBuku_ALP/w200-h151/Cheb%20map.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Tchibo Praha, spol. s.r.o., was established in 1991 and today there are 38 stores in Czechland. In 2021, the company expanded its distribution facility in Cheb, near the German border. The new facility is over 102.000 sq.m. (+1 million square feet) and services seven European countries. </p><p>Here are a couple of Czech television commercials from about five years ago that I found out on YouTube.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyt4mlgteiThrkTu4hivuDPWykvCzNAGkdPqJJoymtcZ5pQAoUfPw0ucfZkuDu6SEvjufVKHB5SG9wj0_toYw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">©Tchibo Česká republika</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxsL9AVze7epRgoBMk69lrDKsiaNBwhxXGPafcMo5fesJ_ySY1_NQQvmdx-CbU2MFjdpZmzNC2dc8wUOSrfMw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">©Tchibo Česká republika</div></div><p style="text-align: left;">Here's also a short, three-minute video I found that talks about the history of the company. It's only in German but it's still pretty easy to follow the story.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzYTZg0yQf1EcPVy7Pg71oduadY6_TeQEbSfDeid0joKSCCsXEnE7rWgZtzBSYwpDtJ3AeGH9qqwuEE2AcNcg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">©Irgendwas mit ARTE und Kultur</div></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Czechia49.817491999999987 15.47296221.507258163821142 -19.683287999999997 78.127725836178826 50.629212tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-49795713977104443012023-03-13T22:25:00.001+01:002023-08-06T11:21:54.843+02:002023 Academy Awards<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6GHBWb31bHhd0Y9bhkCY5EbCeDLT7zadWCqhv330pa0zk8crgyqx5xZla2LP8WIiwO2eJ4efT2fCLq0wS73DMyKWnFRGKJy7LRmB7UmjJwRco_d92t_Pd0tjRzcE9Apv_rYqU-t9MZA2uNOddYrfFemIbd8lAUucFPH-t3wRDHcHl_Q8UUBGOjHuyVW5/s1034/All%20Quiet.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6GHBWb31bHhd0Y9bhkCY5EbCeDLT7zadWCqhv330pa0zk8crgyqx5xZla2LP8WIiwO2eJ4efT2fCLq0wS73DMyKWnFRGKJy7LRmB7UmjJwRco_d92t_Pd0tjRzcE9Apv_rYqU-t9MZA2uNOddYrfFemIbd8lAUucFPH-t3wRDHcHl_Q8UUBGOjHuyVW5/w136-h200/All%20Quiet.jpeg" width="136" /></a>At this year's 95th Academy Awards, <i>All Quiet on the Western Front</i> had nine nominations for an Oscar. The 2022 German film, <i>Im Westen nights Neues</i>, cost $20 million dollars to make but it wasn't made in Germany.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFhwgSsNUEX84C7Vmuqml6JQSoYuoH8bCArzwA_b2vLo9tasehzzZLLlP5SHxnP4tGaUVz4QBTRs07Z3TmzxdfgTOVoiPoaLr3IOw7DIse-Tw_iFOq23XiQAcThOEPtqMS23tSJI2rSGaVUWBJj-vwVVBJRgfPC2gkQSVIAX4yHFBDVTvJ7Fh54gYceX2/s630/Im-Westen-nichts-Neues_Poster.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="450" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFhwgSsNUEX84C7Vmuqml6JQSoYuoH8bCArzwA_b2vLo9tasehzzZLLlP5SHxnP4tGaUVz4QBTRs07Z3TmzxdfgTOVoiPoaLr3IOw7DIse-Tw_iFOq23XiQAcThOEPtqMS23tSJI2rSGaVUWBJj-vwVVBJRgfPC2gkQSVIAX4yHFBDVTvJ7Fh54gYceX2/w143-h200/Im-Westen-nichts-Neues_Poster.jpeg" width="143" /></a>It was filmed in 2021 in Czechland. All of the movie's extras, stunt people and technical crew were all Czech. Their hard work paid off because it won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film.</p><p>Four Czechs received nominations but unfortunately none of them won. However, what an honour to be nominated for an Oscar.</p><p>Linda Eisenhamerová - Best Makeup and Hairstyling</p><p>Viktor Prášil - Best Sound</p><p>Kamil Jafar and Viktor Müller - Best Visual Effects</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mvUZ3KasmWODAcHOAUVoL7Y0qDq_Zf5Qeb58iNw25NBQwDl-3KSyYDsIBq_HKZLuFz3zf-sn8zFZDIkHmivfg-BM8_LbQNwlrTTdo75Z8XF317KZo6Aw1gjG9iFzUO14pJbDgeOfaOXWiUaLeKsWzzBYHoJKkKj83TD6WimZvDnvQPM3jypjpYIiw2B9/s1536/Kolaz_Interview-1536x1536.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mvUZ3KasmWODAcHOAUVoL7Y0qDq_Zf5Qeb58iNw25NBQwDl-3KSyYDsIBq_HKZLuFz3zf-sn8zFZDIkHmivfg-BM8_LbQNwlrTTdo75Z8XF317KZo6Aw1gjG9iFzUO14pJbDgeOfaOXWiUaLeKsWzzBYHoJKkKj83TD6WimZvDnvQPM3jypjpYIiw2B9/s320/Kolaz_Interview-1536x1536.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the top left corner to the right: Viktor Müller, Viktor Prášil, Linda Eisenhamerová, Kamil Jafar</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Here's the film's trailer.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz1ZtlpI-J-bisWMlLD8oTRB4dFVGS-tChlbx8ZXddsdvhuYKoGcBolJMrHHuxGKjPLOxDSKhiLIXOF0gpIVA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©Netflix</div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowU4n_Kf3V1XX-ZiSPNtirYaB0wCjJclSUbieJKGaF41ZctnXcMuohSdeDrraVUuGC0lRLHAAqzFr3v-FjEvQGOKRs5P8ms70XS9rZ9kMoIXBBv-CBPfUU09fgp3gjIpMflTV7Tjvr9MOuaqeeBACOt0HY5w1vRO_q1Ant-eRfagpf8AGmxkEUvYAK6ZW/s546/MV5BNTg2ZWMwMmItOTM0Zi00MWQ5LTgyOTAtYWFhODY4MzUxMThkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzIwNDY4NDI@._V1_.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="357" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowU4n_Kf3V1XX-ZiSPNtirYaB0wCjJclSUbieJKGaF41ZctnXcMuohSdeDrraVUuGC0lRLHAAqzFr3v-FjEvQGOKRs5P8ms70XS9rZ9kMoIXBBv-CBPfUU09fgp3gjIpMflTV7Tjvr9MOuaqeeBACOt0HY5w1vRO_q1Ant-eRfagpf8AGmxkEUvYAK6ZW/w131-h200/MV5BNTg2ZWMwMmItOTM0Zi00MWQ5LTgyOTAtYWFhODY4MzUxMThkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzIwNDY4NDI@._V1_.jpeg" width="131" /></a>The first Czech (/Slovak) film ever to win an Oscar was <i>Obchod na korze</i>, (<i>The Shop on Main Street</i>). The 1965 film won Best Foreign Film for <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/01/czechoslovakia_24.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Czechoslovakia</span></a>. I haven't seen the film yet but I think I need to be on the look out for it. </p><p>Here's the film's trailer that I found out on YouTube.</p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyNhY6k-3Z-704Rwta6joDis_zvGPdle0QdcUcrk_LTv2SU03MiUHXO0JiO1vPjQqAuDMtLepkmVyRpnveY5w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©POVCineclub</div></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Czechia49.817491999999987 15.47296221.507258163821142 -19.683287999999997 78.127725836178826 50.629212tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-48291556709647029292023-03-08T22:13:00.064+01:002023-08-06T08:55:28.855+02:002023 International Women's Day<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6RsKgsTLEUvsPf6cyyVgQOk3IY-AKMA68a5ACYE28aXlWyugfGcglxGvP6G-3PiFEfVrhX0xudAma6SbKTNs5aqqz-PfQgX6ETU9snPoWG7Xhl1BbmU0eUp6eWRwofpaXOdxgAHnJnTjZG9RvvdHJaY2PzKQuDZOZkdvlBFz34talCWDQjJoYcKfuv9y/s690/IWD-2023-690x489-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="690" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6RsKgsTLEUvsPf6cyyVgQOk3IY-AKMA68a5ACYE28aXlWyugfGcglxGvP6G-3PiFEfVrhX0xudAma6SbKTNs5aqqz-PfQgX6ETU9snPoWG7Xhl1BbmU0eUp6eWRwofpaXOdxgAHnJnTjZG9RvvdHJaY2PzKQuDZOZkdvlBFz34talCWDQjJoYcKfuv9y/w200-h142/IWD-2023-690x489-1.jpeg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/03/international-womens-day.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">International Women's Day</span></a> isn't a <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/07/czech-holidays.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">public holiday</span></a> here in Czechland but it is a <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2021/01/significant-days.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">significant day</span></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYR4VAfxvbZxfymGAGSbnA3VpNVNOPXplWQFQ-oKFJuLy9gamWvhAGe-_AwdS83LeIKO95oPda1joMfa-YwHgXygezknXcshR-MrS0lDsEr20U31M4R426RgvRqI4Cx1-909JdPVzc3XEdi9vyTJkqN8jhjHtUUTtQl4EIOIDWlLZF7eBqGiymq84jhe-/s468/Screenshot%202023-08-06%20at%208.52.47.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="332" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYR4VAfxvbZxfymGAGSbnA3VpNVNOPXplWQFQ-oKFJuLy9gamWvhAGe-_AwdS83LeIKO95oPda1joMfa-YwHgXygezknXcshR-MrS0lDsEr20U31M4R426RgvRqI4Cx1-909JdPVzc3XEdi9vyTJkqN8jhjHtUUTtQl4EIOIDWlLZF7eBqGiymq84jhe-/w142-h200/Screenshot%202023-08-06%20at%208.52.47.png" width="142" /></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>This year's campaign theme is #EmbraceEquity and the goal is to get the world talking about <i>Why equal opportunities aren't enough </i>because people start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging requires equitable action.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQZt3KrnCPhSBv7N1t15FDu3PXUHyNVzWmuSQqcAJBb6AooxUhaL-VnBM_Rler2VerhHlnJrqLOVuLTzW6F3nmlBj9Of7-5zRxIUu5oRSw5_YRrrzUEK09A90XEZZ_FTTIJ7_YP0qF7xIy_y-RKdCf75X6np3DKByHqMkk-SOwYyid-PjheXFnB9eqx0i/s4032/IMG_3842.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQZt3KrnCPhSBv7N1t15FDu3PXUHyNVzWmuSQqcAJBb6AooxUhaL-VnBM_Rler2VerhHlnJrqLOVuLTzW6F3nmlBj9Of7-5zRxIUu5oRSw5_YRrrzUEK09A90XEZZ_FTTIJ7_YP0qF7xIy_y-RKdCf75X6np3DKByHqMkk-SOwYyid-PjheXFnB9eqx0i/w200-h150/IMG_3842.HEIC" width="200" /></a><div><br /></div>It's traditional here in Czechland to give flowers on IWD. Thanks to some of the ladies that help keep me on track every day.</div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Brno, Czechia49.1950602 16.606837120.884826363821155 -18.5494129 77.505294036178839 51.7630871tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-10269689001448723372023-03-05T05:01:00.428+01:002023-08-06T07:27:50.749+02:00The Russian Empire<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2fZMoQusS6XV8777pEjwriU5uXvrSCGR6jsyeNILXUR_G8nu8WtAvlu9sHyBDxaUgd3xnB-v5FC-9zYXJkzVMD-ci3tF1Bdx9RzyDeQO7jDC0QCi5jDF3a8aN1mN5PqsX2VNiH-D6dxnFM-kwYUkniJHqc7DjZDmpCYezvfyy3lC5krhDXNxGIIcWp2q/s105/Gerb_rossii2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="105" data-original-width="85" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2fZMoQusS6XV8777pEjwriU5uXvrSCGR6jsyeNILXUR_G8nu8WtAvlu9sHyBDxaUgd3xnB-v5FC-9zYXJkzVMD-ci3tF1Bdx9RzyDeQO7jDC0QCi5jDF3a8aN1mN5PqsX2VNiH-D6dxnFM-kwYUkniJHqc7DjZDmpCYezvfyy3lC5krhDXNxGIIcWp2q/w162-h200/Gerb_rossii2.png" width="162" /></a>The Russian Empire was founded in 1721 by Czar Peter I, also known as Peter the Great. It lasted until 1917, almost two hundred years, and stretched from <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2019/08/central-europe.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Central/Eastern Europe</span></a> to Siberia, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-stans.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Central Asia</span></a> and even Alaska. It was the third largest empire in history, only behind the the Mongol Empire and British Empire.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClguaAuTWCfb1jXPA2dKtcndjgezC-AklXy7av-4IbQd9PDJj3CLqLDt3_7fcG2vkexeQSPcfpK_1f19qGaOLN34reecgviyloXLId-zq-Q5SCaGFeksnZJL76MOvNo1gAwyfjPZ-9N5Ssyx33EtvS6cKB0-NrebV4V0r9VrQLsfEcBmYV-wsHnb7evcZ/s275/Peter%20the%20Great.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClguaAuTWCfb1jXPA2dKtcndjgezC-AklXy7av-4IbQd9PDJj3CLqLDt3_7fcG2vkexeQSPcfpK_1f19qGaOLN34reecgviyloXLId-zq-Q5SCaGFeksnZJL76MOvNo1gAwyfjPZ-9N5Ssyx33EtvS6cKB0-NrebV4V0r9VrQLsfEcBmYV-wsHnb7evcZ/w200-h133/Peter%20the%20Great.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Peter the Great, a member of the Romanov dynasty, wanted to transform Russia into a modern European state. Here's a ten minute video I found on YouTube on Peter the Great and the Russian Empire with a bit of background on Russia prior to the Russian Empire.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzaoJ9QS9WMWgM1FcsjQxxBDXF7hP3uMMsdGtc4F12JNGfbllqZVbzN9Ah-1vW5ASkXzQZyktIsz2hP9K9C0g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©History Matters</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLnKRW19rEqk_TMmjpufDQoeeGx8yhW3O7EJ3xCpiiHcZ6YD1qZ0kmnDGMdGef8Y9DzBl2H5NzXyY4lZte0QzGWtn-TJtZ_s0Z-F48AfwcL4M8xm_F8JyJRlRO4coFmUkyhbFNGYjXWKOqzLtCKS0vqnWry-nBW3njEJjzjMqCmidTsiyL-kKD_tb3-d6/s225/Catherine%20the%20Great.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLnKRW19rEqk_TMmjpufDQoeeGx8yhW3O7EJ3xCpiiHcZ6YD1qZ0kmnDGMdGef8Y9DzBl2H5NzXyY4lZte0QzGWtn-TJtZ_s0Z-F48AfwcL4M8xm_F8JyJRlRO4coFmUkyhbFNGYjXWKOqzLtCKS0vqnWry-nBW3njEJjzjMqCmidTsiyL-kKD_tb3-d6/w178-h178/Catherine%20the%20Great.jpeg" width="178" /></a>Following Peter the Great's death, there came a number of Romanov czars and czarinas but the next great ruler wasn't until 1762, with Catherine II, known as Catherine the Great became empress. </div><div><br /></div><div>Following defeats of the the Ottoman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in a number of wars, the Russian Empire's borders expanded into Crimea, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2016/03/republic-of-belarus.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Belarus</span></a>, Central Ukraine, and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/02/republic-of-lithuania.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Lithuania</span></a>. Catherine the Great ensured the empire's status as one of the great European powers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Catherine the Great ruled from 1762 to 1796. Here's a short video about her.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyUuicZkLxwAv5hrZqT3fo6ky8RkgbcUfNZlJnXfLqFJEgtgQqehsEP9Thz0UE7R9DLxQC_Z9Hu5dnAcu7-kw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©Biography</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJhwT1_UT13k4bGHENExhkr8ZefGLGHc9XwyglDKULqqKtYxZkg2rHczKKSY--m_kMhJjNzRBdcqZOcV3qrubPmZAHRwfkcdskTEpv28K63JIlDbraS7U970P-Htr69h-32Pk3ZvoMkKTSW6de-mvYfdPGy9w6Zy1Q5lDG0umEBZf70KnkLfzovvmJ1V3/s255/Alexander%20II.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="197" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJhwT1_UT13k4bGHENExhkr8ZefGLGHc9XwyglDKULqqKtYxZkg2rHczKKSY--m_kMhJjNzRBdcqZOcV3qrubPmZAHRwfkcdskTEpv28K63JIlDbraS7U970P-Htr69h-32Pk3ZvoMkKTSW6de-mvYfdPGy9w6Zy1Q5lDG0umEBZf70KnkLfzovvmJ1V3/w155-h200/Alexander%20II.jpeg" width="155" /></a>Alexander II was czar from 1855 to 1881. Almost half of the people living in the empire were serfs, peasant labourers tied to particular parcels of land they worked or to the Russian nobleman who owned it. In 1861 he emancipated all 23 million serfs. The newly freed serfs received 2/3rds of the land they had worked but in return had to pay annual compensation to the state. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In 1867, he sold Alaska and the Aleutian Islands to the United States for $7.2 million.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNA_He217Pt5wHsvHOQKtofTxVoXwZ_QD6PIc_kqeE0IenGboSRv9UaE2UAa1QYpzZDbBNMgNAjn2BZibaIOy1WBdBzM_-ZelV6Al0jjWPv_S0-V3FdzcbQhr_-mypXeGKQxZITZyDgpx1_CnIoH5O5v1fdHNd3nH40gXF6Ww8cmCcm-wThlKfNyYPk1L1/s268/Nicholas%20II.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="188" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNA_He217Pt5wHsvHOQKtofTxVoXwZ_QD6PIc_kqeE0IenGboSRv9UaE2UAa1QYpzZDbBNMgNAjn2BZibaIOy1WBdBzM_-ZelV6Al0jjWPv_S0-V3FdzcbQhr_-mypXeGKQxZITZyDgpx1_CnIoH5O5v1fdHNd3nH40gXF6Ww8cmCcm-wThlKfNyYPk1L1/w140-h200/Nicholas%20II.jpeg" width="140" /></a>Nicholas II took the throne in 1894 and was the last Romanov czar. In 1917 the Russian Revolution took place which overthrew the czarist government and the Bolsheviks under Vladimir Lenin took control in the October Revolution. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">During the 19th century, the empire was multilingual and multireligious with only about half of the population native Russian speakers and Russian <a href="http://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/01/merry-orthodox-christmas.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Orthodox</span></a>. Russia had fought on the side of the allies in WWI. In 1918 they exited WWI and gave up <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/03/republic-of-finland.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Finland</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/08/republic-of-poland.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Poland</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/02/republic-of-latvia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Latvia</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/03/republic-of-estonia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Estonia</span></a>, and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/02/ukraine.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ukraine</span></a>. Later that same year, Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks and the Russian civil war broke out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's a short video about why Nicholas II wasn't able to flee Russia after his abdication and his eventual execution.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxQbUpW_S85ggC56eahDj2ZI_8SZL_YLiYXVum40CxVyIRfYDcaAtNWJdMKOdidFR38PGs-BgsRweE0B0BVAg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©History Matters</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The civil war ended in 1922 and the Soviet Union was established which was one of the world's superpowers almost until the end of the twentieth century. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Russian President Vladimir Putin has lamented that the breakup of the Soviet Union was the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century". Putin has compared the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2022/02/blog-post.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">invasion of Ukraine</span></a> to the conquests of Peter the Great. I think that it is safe to say that things have not gone to plan.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Putin expected to take over Ukraine in a few days. He got that one way wrong. But this also has an impact on his goal of either creating a new Russian Empire or just returning to the days of the Soviet Union as more <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2021/07/former-soviet-republics.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">former Soviet republics</span></a> distance themselves from <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/03/russian-federation.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Russia</span></a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Russia has lost tens of thousands of troops in Ukraine. The blow to the prestige of the Russian military can not be underestimated.</li><li>Russia has been a peacekeeper between <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/04/republic-of-armenia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Armenia</span></a> and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/04/republic-of-azerbaijan.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Azerbaijan</span></a> by maintaining a large military presence in Armenia. Due to the war in Ukraine, Russia isn't able to maintain the peace and Armenia is reconsidering its relations with Russia.</li><li>Since the invasion, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/03/republic-of-kazakhstan.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kazakhstan</span></a> is strengthening its ties with <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2017/04/peoples-republic-of-china.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">China</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/11/republic-of-turkey-is-eurasian-country.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Turkey</span></a>, the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/05/10-years-in-eu.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">EU</span></a> and the USA. The country is also questioning its membership in the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2021/07/collective-security-treaty-organization.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">CSTO</span></a>.</li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3666px;">Я за Україну. </b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3666px;">Я за Україною. Слава Україні Stojím za Ukrajinou! I stand with Ukraine. </b><span class="x3nfvp2 x1j61x8r x1fcty0u xdj266r xhhsvwb xat24cr xgzva0m xxymvpz xlup9mm x1kky2od" face="system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; display: inline-flex; font-size: 15px; height: 16px; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 16px;"><img alt="🇺🇦" height="16" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tf2/1/16/1f1fa_1f1e6.png" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 4px;" width="16" /></span></div></div></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Russia61.52401 105.31875633.213776163821151 70.162506 89.834243836178842 140.475006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-39602601889361257362023-03-02T04:47:00.066+01:002023-07-15T00:46:17.010+02:00Meetup in Prague<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlO9vM1hlk9CLyxCkspEGZZfkFCy4_kLXuVmkF8fjJwTRIOq8gdJV16EsFs3LYx7kbRAvr6rYkTu2uz_NMhtpQtAB1on-hXmhugro8oVh4k4W_cfdXoaX0AA2aDn83PeA4sgkS7Sdket0LmR0kAsEEo3Q0ZGK4BiQpSwmqmIjnboxkDHILv7ukl-neP-T/s1303/Screenshot%202023-02-28%20at%205.04.17.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1303" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlO9vM1hlk9CLyxCkspEGZZfkFCy4_kLXuVmkF8fjJwTRIOq8gdJV16EsFs3LYx7kbRAvr6rYkTu2uz_NMhtpQtAB1on-hXmhugro8oVh4k4W_cfdXoaX0AA2aDn83PeA4sgkS7Sdket0LmR0kAsEEo3Q0ZGK4BiQpSwmqmIjnboxkDHILv7ukl-neP-T/w229-h112/Screenshot%202023-02-28%20at%205.04.17.PNG" width="229" /></a>Igor, one of my former colleagues now works for Riganti which is a software development and design firm in Prague. Late last year he invited me to speak at a Meetup event about agile project management at Microsoft's Prague office. </p><p>I agreed to it provided that I would present in English. There was no way that I would try to do it in Czech.</p><p>Public speaking isn't my favourite thing to do. I can do it but it's not my idea of a good time. Most people never believe that I'm an introvert who merely pretends to be an extrovert.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJ2hzcBZbPQDs2-e-I_iZ2CVJOKZrTYdtBCqAqbZ6PIvJmlsvJ63YEaPVVWoS9gEil12XPcKrgjcwQPeVdBiNhASdrOM53wX1pGB-7XpgSof9URkzsa5UCBmasHs8QMqoK039n5OsSfv8K6HAsvUlxaS4gUisl64-vhmdnBu89vwB6zHvDTXgp4hB66Ks/s758/Screenshot%202023-02-28%20at%205.05.52.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="758" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJ2hzcBZbPQDs2-e-I_iZ2CVJOKZrTYdtBCqAqbZ6PIvJmlsvJ63YEaPVVWoS9gEil12XPcKrgjcwQPeVdBiNhASdrOM53wX1pGB-7XpgSof9URkzsa5UCBmasHs8QMqoK039n5OsSfv8K6HAsvUlxaS4gUisl64-vhmdnBu89vwB6zHvDTXgp4hB66Ks/w400-h201/Screenshot%202023-02-28%20at%205.05.52.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0O5tjZwZj7uaQ4geE6XSSJdXgP5AFRPe6-rP8lLTQNkKsyZgQ8wjBC5vO2dfmt9DjCfOXEsH8gFZFUxHuITBbn9qPGUU6Zkhl0KMFFNuWmDvciatA0EgYgwLsmxDXEo9q4UXZxc0URYPgorwlANuToWfVsA-RKPHKCDsNLAclm5-M2rj7OKZufbL8hgh/s2048/7f43ab50-948c-4b9b-b259-5ce27e3113da.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0O5tjZwZj7uaQ4geE6XSSJdXgP5AFRPe6-rP8lLTQNkKsyZgQ8wjBC5vO2dfmt9DjCfOXEsH8gFZFUxHuITBbn9qPGUU6Zkhl0KMFFNuWmDvciatA0EgYgwLsmxDXEo9q4UXZxc0URYPgorwlANuToWfVsA-RKPHKCDsNLAclm5-M2rj7OKZufbL8hgh/w150-h200/7f43ab50-948c-4b9b-b259-5ce27e3113da.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jakob, me, and Igor</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Overall it was a nice experience. Big thanks to Igor and Riganti for inviting me to participate. Apparently, my presentation will be online but I don't know when I'll get a chance to look at it. </p><p>My first assistant, Jakob, was in the area so he came by to catch the presentation. It was great to be able to catch up with the guys.</p>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Prague, Czechia50.0755381 14.437800521.765304263821157 -20.7184495 78.385771936178855 49.5940505tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-79824425499334539662023-02-25T17:00:00.357+01:002023-07-14T01:53:27.052+02:002023 Czech Eurovision Entry<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0h9XCrISc4HcscjephfpNIPWRDGlnj3TGCZxvHstpy9WUtB5BwjmBvdRZHb97stPmjh-UuUwp_zH_0YyBMtPJft8fy6gv_9suA3BSk2tM33GflqQWqnZFkyXTHceoe34WSNWkp-pZExEOEIhvE081yJfj_LTd2A9AL8-zBHBhy1pY9oqCBaGvmksRcH8z/s1080/czech-republic-escz-2023.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: left; float: left; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="1080" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0h9XCrISc4HcscjephfpNIPWRDGlnj3TGCZxvHstpy9WUtB5BwjmBvdRZHb97stPmjh-UuUwp_zH_0YyBMtPJft8fy6gv_9suA3BSk2tM33GflqQWqnZFkyXTHceoe34WSNWkp-pZExEOEIhvE081yJfj_LTd2A9AL8-zBHBhy1pY9oqCBaGvmksRcH8z/w200-h100/czech-republic-escz-2023.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Česká televize recently decided on this year's entry for <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/04/eurovision.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Eurovision</span></a>. From 2 November to 8 December 2022, artists could submit their entry for 2023. There were 170 entries received and the field was narrowed down to five which were announced in January.</p><p>The rules were that solo artists had to have Czech citizenship. For group entires, the maximum number of members was six and at least one of the lead vocalists had to have Czech citizenship. This citizenship requirement was a Czech thing because there's no Eurovision rule that says a contestant must be a citizen of the country being represented. For example, Céline Dion won in 1988 competing form <a href="http://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.cz/2012/04/switzerland.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Switzerland</span></a> even though she is Canadian.</p><p>This is the first year that the country will compete at Eurovision as <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2016/04/czechia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Czechia</span></a> instead of as Czech Republic. This is also the first time that Czech TV organised a live broadcast to determine who would be selected by audience vote. The vote was weighted as 70% for international voting and 30% by local Czech voting. </p><p>Here are the five entries that battled it out on TV.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4Id70Oj-9cCom8qsFctP2Cnp8yZdyCkIo9ZSfbPh4EtUf7qf29tQZtSZ5K-vizQcJkyEfMxpwZ7B-udaDANk9CbWHgPJJKVPAP45YF_6wL2PqleOTofuiBiQD9Pe3t1OUKrqBeBzey25KVHnlcKZkvh4yQT2X3gEohIot6LPOR-uaDdhWIcUTYpPYPAw/s225/Maella.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: left; float: left; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4Id70Oj-9cCom8qsFctP2Cnp8yZdyCkIo9ZSfbPh4EtUf7qf29tQZtSZ5K-vizQcJkyEfMxpwZ7B-udaDANk9CbWHgPJJKVPAP45YF_6wL2PqleOTofuiBiQD9Pe3t1OUKrqBeBzey25KVHnlcKZkvh4yQT2X3gEohIot6LPOR-uaDdhWIcUTYpPYPAw/w180-h180/Maella.jpeg" width="180" /></a></p><p><br /></p>Up first was <b>Maella</b> with her song <i>Flood</i>. The daughter of a jazz musician, she grew up in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2009/12/1st-visit-to-prague.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Prague</span></a> but has been living in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/03/london-england.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">London</span></a> for several years where she studied songwriting.<p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwQlyfQO3Jd-b2yP7guzDhk22aUl0TXZoESqAiUVK0ZS3siyqKp5mIjBdW6rO2u6CEqAFOPcLq2yXpeEIIFBA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">©Česká televize</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0fIT06t_hFr0SCt7UFWQOOE957qDIfnqEcd3WoP9Y6i_mwPv-UPILbAfLM2-Ea_rNru7VCOVhLjONHLtjnHjOGvefYiAnaNGYpbE-cEJzerl6WXi2pn9f0SzrFPzq3WnT9eABZ4kk6bj57G7-ol4tenpl6Upx6CdZ0DHkHRtsDuoiIAJ487j6OXA_PQ-/s225/Pam%20Rabbit.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: right; float: right; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 1.08px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0fIT06t_hFr0SCt7UFWQOOE957qDIfnqEcd3WoP9Y6i_mwPv-UPILbAfLM2-Ea_rNru7VCOVhLjONHLtjnHjOGvefYiAnaNGYpbE-cEJzerl6WXi2pn9f0SzrFPzq3WnT9eABZ4kk6bj57G7-ol4tenpl6Upx6CdZ0DHkHRtsDuoiIAJ487j6OXA_PQ-/w186-h186/Pam%20Rabbit.jpeg" width="186" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Up next was <b>Pam Rabbit</b> with her song <i>Ghosting</i>. She is Czech with Armenian roots and she competed at the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/05/2018-eurovision-final-results.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">2018 Eurovision</span></a> contest as a backup singer for <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/02/mikolas-josef.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Mikolas Josef</span></a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzvvzANjsGK5vO9JWCaSO8Q6juP_lEW76kM_LkpeCUNKxhp-Yz-qTDuETRIWHqMtYstLO_a75oohQdxwfQwEg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: 400; text-align: center;">©Česká televize</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAqNTPIgUkmE5aKoMfbKg87cC45v3FWP66yyoU5O1VWtaiZpKfGv39BuZ6ku3XA9Z6yr5tTzCAiSl3Mi_xJ6vZzl0s1CgVTW7f6qBW6ulRDb8VFQs_ZZk-bCLq72iWtD_bkYSF0sJr45TU8oI_YlbsdowAs2bViRi4YA863GRZ_gHC3AsFDAOJfTrwwcC/s275/Marke%CC%81ta%20Irglova%CC%81.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: left; float: left; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAqNTPIgUkmE5aKoMfbKg87cC45v3FWP66yyoU5O1VWtaiZpKfGv39BuZ6ku3XA9Z6yr5tTzCAiSl3Mi_xJ6vZzl0s1CgVTW7f6qBW6ulRDb8VFQs_ZZk-bCLq72iWtD_bkYSF0sJr45TU8oI_YlbsdowAs2bViRi4YA863GRZ_gHC3AsFDAOJfTrwwcC/w194-h129/Marke%CC%81ta%20Irglova%CC%81.jpeg" width="194" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="border-color: currentcolor; border-image: none; border-style: none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: inherit;"><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></span><span style="font-style: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Up third was </span>Markéta Irglová<span style="font-weight: 400;"> with her song </span></span><i style="font-weight: 400;">Happy</i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. She's from Valašské Meziříčí and has lived in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/02/republic-of-ireland.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ireland</span></a>, the USA, and now in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/02/republic-of-iceland.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Iceland</span></a>. She won an Academy Award in 2008 for Best Original Song, </span><i style="font-weight: 400;">Falling Slowly</i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, for the film </span><i style="font-weight: 400;">Once</i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw7HcBt7ReMM5-OP-8Q1bt_cd99SWl9OHwnc7avm0WCu-_Wi6wfcYEjPK1oXaUIZllXWCt8ScH9PhUBz5vcdQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">©Česká televize</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotnejP2NjhHHWyidl1Ryq8-Sx17F-PIPFzl0-z8xU9dttKsyGVMO6bZk1UC284Uf4HntNRnCZijxj0MCArj2azoPaoYpIjWASNwLe6_LxqHU2_fbinHYViHT1MhSgW7WmukMfc1F4E9-SXYYtRKSjsGyvkj5neq7jSwYFtOM-2axokEo6OmBGQubcOkmn/s667/Vesna.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: right; float: right; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="667" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotnejP2NjhHHWyidl1Ryq8-Sx17F-PIPFzl0-z8xU9dttKsyGVMO6bZk1UC284Uf4HntNRnCZijxj0MCArj2azoPaoYpIjWASNwLe6_LxqHU2_fbinHYViHT1MhSgW7WmukMfc1F4E9-SXYYtRKSjsGyvkj5neq7jSwYFtOM-2axokEo6OmBGQubcOkmn/w200-h149/Vesna.jpeg" width="200" /></a><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong>Vesna<span style="font-weight: 400;"> performed fourth with their song <i>My Sister's Crown</i>. Three of the six members of the group are Czech, with a Bulgarian, a Slovak, and a Russian. Their song is about empowerment and pan-Slavic sisterhood with the lyrics in English, Czech, Ukrainian, and Bulgarian. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzNXJlPiO7sdll7PVNuIhLeL0OH0Ys2tsyFnLvIWO70Etv7brYymE9fcv9D_0i5SQHsnCSqA1m6fp8XF8dUTQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">©Česká televize</span></div></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKhbDXzP7iEs_PfTAfZHqC_HwfwS5schSSQ-tntHUOe8H4tvR69lq0r1O0RxblFFbzRO_EE3KEOX5_LvjA4jVQcOrUAYet1fxyqfIQUdMUQKXceOfh4lNDgn22PlNIFRi8gLU-Fho3ycGrQXPB2Yj0WIli6lRKetR2D9iqvdiLPBOwMmo4Pp5pqsljWjR/s640/Rodan.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: left; float: left; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKhbDXzP7iEs_PfTAfZHqC_HwfwS5schSSQ-tntHUOe8H4tvR69lq0r1O0RxblFFbzRO_EE3KEOX5_LvjA4jVQcOrUAYet1fxyqfIQUdMUQKXceOfh4lNDgn22PlNIFRi8gLU-Fho3ycGrQXPB2Yj0WIli6lRKetR2D9iqvdiLPBOwMmo4Pp5pqsljWjR/w200-h200/Rodan.jpeg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><span style="border-color: currentcolor; border-image: none; border-style: none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: 400;">The final performer was </span><b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;">Rodan</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"> with his song </span></span><i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: 400;">Introvert Party Club</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;">. In 2021 he was nominated for </span></span><i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: 400;">Discovery of the Year 2021</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"> and the music magazine </span></span><i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: 400;">Headliner</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"> included him amongst the 50 </span></span>hopefuls<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"> of </span></span>Czech<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"> music.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyensPrJypodoGo3biyW9fx8FRabOdQGDm3qrkN07jFy1SLhwC7jAQV4kNaNW_0Vo38OvPBeHfdCD9xBEuHxw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©Česká televize</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;">A few weeks ago the results were in and Vesna won by a landslide. Here are the results:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Vesna - 10.584 points</li><li>Pam Rabbit - 4.217 points</li><li>Rodan - 1.995 points</li><li>Markéta Irglová - 1.009 points</li><li>Maella - 599 points</li></ol></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Czechland will compete in the first semi-final on 9 May. Vesna will perform in the second half of the show. <b><i>Good luck Vesna!</i></b></div></span></div></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Czechia49.817491999999987 15.47296221.507258163821142 -19.683287999999997 78.127725836178826 50.629212tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-42846185151240091582023-02-22T05:16:00.001+01:002023-07-10T23:46:05.304+02:00International Mother Language Day<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUZWctxZNaRx-FSiFrRs9H-4A-zL47qH2gdfbgen7Wy9PLlaNTPQMfnG0YGPPvuuS822HX81mNMRQavHgYOD0z96pPmxGs9RBjmBB4oRtSjvnXt9URheJ7gqZtVX0gVDhYMw8XUKZq0hz9GuqyLs45wyi2c41mg9-1fBN1L99IK5b7ZS2EG-gtyy3FZXV/s380/International-Mother-Language-Day-2023-380x214.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="380" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUZWctxZNaRx-FSiFrRs9H-4A-zL47qH2gdfbgen7Wy9PLlaNTPQMfnG0YGPPvuuS822HX81mNMRQavHgYOD0z96pPmxGs9RBjmBB4oRtSjvnXt9URheJ7gqZtVX0gVDhYMw8XUKZq0hz9GuqyLs45wyi2c41mg9-1fBN1L99IK5b7ZS2EG-gtyy3FZXV/w200-h113/International-Mother-Language-Day-2023-380x214.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Today is International Mother Language Day. It was first announced in 1999 by <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/03/unesco.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">UNESCO</span></a> and it has been observed across the globe since 2000. </p><p>The goal is to support multilingualism and the use of mother tongues which allows one to better understand one's own identity. It also gives one a greater appreciation for cultural diversity.</p><p>I've had to adapt to <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/02/when-czechs-learn-english-they-learn.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">British English</span></a> since moving here to Euroland. So in honour of International Mother Language Day, here's a 5,5 minute video I found on YouTube that illustrates the American accents in each of the 50 states.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwfe7U5aNVu3rlp0XZ_5oGEB7EKocMvzaNjvBFWXFB4sS0BP4uHKBlup9FYb7zdkf2QCCCdDcTWZYsaUdQ-Qw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©Condé Nast Traveler</div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0United States37.09024 -95.7128918.780006163821156 -130.869141 65.400473836178847 -60.556641tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-29318602480406644532023-02-17T06:17:00.001+01:002023-07-10T23:26:57.830+02:00Consumer Protection Changes<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheiP5SYGsTcK-800xu1NEwG4EiC7p6pfzcZc2XZ12UuBIjkDabSS06G_3MoPpuYsbkTruxvO14bWH-wOAiWkzFZnn5xwHYtn7G3l003ojgDRiHBu8Gc2jpl_R7vhjEGI8c3BqMZQoP3smKXX2DZbq9gEw3McWYpwz6WzS2TcXWNSOgLwoWu7ejbCw7kq97/s400/EU%20Consumers.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheiP5SYGsTcK-800xu1NEwG4EiC7p6pfzcZc2XZ12UuBIjkDabSS06G_3MoPpuYsbkTruxvO14bWH-wOAiWkzFZnn5xwHYtn7G3l003ojgDRiHBu8Gc2jpl_R7vhjEGI8c3BqMZQoP3smKXX2DZbq9gEw3McWYpwz6WzS2TcXWNSOgLwoWu7ejbCw7kq97/w175-h175/EU%20Consumers.png" width="175" /></a>Within the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/05/10-years-in-eu.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">EU</span></a>, there has been a greater push for consumer protection, especially between member countries whose own consumer protection laws may differ. </p><p>Here's a short, English-language video from the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-european-commission.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">European Commission</span></a> that talks about five important consumer rights. However, the video is at least nine years old.</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxeLNK4HdYqmWML-TDRoPWxeGvT8601ihv-J1L6BTKP98eZgVnrAA3X4-J-WK-RDM2DgiasAuDdgf3_1eS5xg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">©European Commission</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiIbeMFeua1t0M5ZZHSpgBzCXhTxA0yAG49MFMOlSY-mBgrnGMHmF49-XKu3xxSqbevK2vzmGVoY9N-dK0Iaw7EDt7OOO2dNw9Uip6NA6uPp2QVCa75lPQN8UnUsO2ZgepBvjq2F6o1TCs7UBTPyG3eZsS6_SHTIsM164zWJbko9ojRnjnfs4aT3YvZoQ/s1254/iStock-1070418964-1.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="836" data-original-width="1254" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiIbeMFeua1t0M5ZZHSpgBzCXhTxA0yAG49MFMOlSY-mBgrnGMHmF49-XKu3xxSqbevK2vzmGVoY9N-dK0Iaw7EDt7OOO2dNw9Uip6NA6uPp2QVCa75lPQN8UnUsO2ZgepBvjq2F6o1TCs7UBTPyG3eZsS6_SHTIsM164zWJbko9ojRnjnfs4aT3YvZoQ/w200-h133/iStock-1070418964-1.jpeg" width="200" /></a>On 6 January 2023, a new amendment to the Consumer Protection Act and the Civil Code came into effect. The Czech law was updated to be in synch with EU laws.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEraF_FLiqwV2z1fYSRN9I7rK9-tOI9ihj679R3IthQ3wPSbPX7wvpXmPTh2geOBM31jyEiqa1S7ek5Z0wBcbG8Eg_tW9Xt2rhLoVZ1bKjTXp5mk6rO-FhfWVGraPLp0pm5KSldTmAtx3KMS2Eb2j_OzssWSm1GVFGEst3ubdA-GSODDZgINUsAHY9BVc/s1200/return-refund-laws-europe.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="1200" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEraF_FLiqwV2z1fYSRN9I7rK9-tOI9ihj679R3IthQ3wPSbPX7wvpXmPTh2geOBM31jyEiqa1S7ek5Z0wBcbG8Eg_tW9Xt2rhLoVZ1bKjTXp5mk6rO-FhfWVGraPLp0pm5KSldTmAtx3KMS2Eb2j_OzssWSm1GVFGEst3ubdA-GSODDZgINUsAHY9BVc/w200-h108/return-refund-laws-europe.webp" width="200" /></a><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Exercising the right to withdraw from a contract will be more precise.</li><li>Unless the consumer and the business mutually agree to different terms, the goods must be delivered to the consumer no later than 30 days after concluding the contract.</li><li>Information that a business must provide to the consumer before concluding the contract is now specified.</li><li>Consumers are not protected from fake reviews and less-than transparent online transactions.</li><li>Consumers have the right to withdraw from a contract made online within 30 days.</li><li>Consumers will be protected from prices being artificially raised prior to discount events as the seller must inform the consumer about the lowest prices the goods were sold for during the last 30 days. So a company can't raise the price of something 20% only to then immediately offer it on sale at a 20% discount.</li><li>Sellers online are not allowed to use "pre-ticked" boxes which would require a consumer to make additional or future payments.</li><li>If a consumer has been the victim of unfair business practices then they have the right to withdraw from the contract within 90 days.</li><li>Consumers have the right to claim for defective products within two years.</li><li>Dual quality goods are now forbidden. If a retailer sells goods in Czechland, as identical to goods in other countries, but with ingredients, parts or features which are significantly different then the seller can be fined.</li></ul>The amendment to the Czech consumer protection act falls under the jurisdiction of the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/02/ministry-of-industry-and-trade.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ministry of Industry and Trade</span></a> and is policed by the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/02/czech-trade-inspection-authority.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Czech Trade Inspection Authority</span></a>. I believe that the failing to comply with the law will result in fines up to 5 million Kč (€200.000; ~$231,000).</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxaMWCiKn5XbECpmzIb8Rms7fSTQS9XV8DPuJjXOsbdLyuwJCAsua4OVm1540UJqZhpghf8op6OG7rTr98xE4iAvRoI12Lp_Q2WJyokUzlffzekm9M--NZ372XYLrfpI3TMUxpWfxbS3xr5CfO9iQxvat0nHG3bHR8--X9O0pbbA7OaFz5z0DeBUdYOUn9/s1280/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxaMWCiKn5XbECpmzIb8Rms7fSTQS9XV8DPuJjXOsbdLyuwJCAsua4OVm1540UJqZhpghf8op6OG7rTr98xE4iAvRoI12Lp_Q2WJyokUzlffzekm9M--NZ372XYLrfpI3TMUxpWfxbS3xr5CfO9iQxvat0nHG3bHR8--X9O0pbbA7OaFz5z0DeBUdYOUn9/w200-h113/maxresdefault.jpg" width="200" /></a>A few weeks ago I ordered a new router online from <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/02/datart.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Datart</span></a> but when it arrived I realised that I ordered the wrong thing. I immediately ordered the correct item but needed to take the wrong item back to the store. I thought that I needed to do this within 14 days but now that the law has changed I could have waited an extra two weeks before returning it. This was my first product return I've had since living in Czechland. It was simple enough. I took the router and the receipt to the store. They inspected the product and issued me a refund. I assumed that they would have just credited the credit card I used to make the purchase online but they gave me cash.<br /></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-49064517532971738512023-02-12T23:56:00.087+01:002023-07-10T01:44:01.052+02:00Czech Trade Inspection Authority<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwL59nUe8d0T4zofoGccfRm1jR4rnTP3cA5eErvX9584cbKkuZnaJYvy04D6FbqPAuxn3DP_-DljNtOwA-E99ysGraXyB5BiUhAwQBSjIIHsHSTGeScs6Dl69cBEO2zU5-6UYHekwNNGGrjwlTAzV6d0kuSHtb0OWbh5yXTb-5C1EYjXjV1z9rj3XlN4UR/s1000/coi_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="1000" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwL59nUe8d0T4zofoGccfRm1jR4rnTP3cA5eErvX9584cbKkuZnaJYvy04D6FbqPAuxn3DP_-DljNtOwA-E99ysGraXyB5BiUhAwQBSjIIHsHSTGeScs6Dl69cBEO2zU5-6UYHekwNNGGrjwlTAzV6d0kuSHtb0OWbh5yXTb-5C1EYjXjV1z9rj3XlN4UR/w223-h100/coi_logo.png" width="223" /></a><b><i>Česka obchodní inspekce (ČOI)</i></b> is the Czech Trade Inspection Authority (CTIA) and it falls under the jurisdiction of the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/02/ministry-of-industry-and-trade.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ministry of Industry and Trade</span></a>. It's basically an enforcement agency. </p><p>The ČOI monitors and inspects both businesses and individuals who supply goods or sells goods and services in Czechland. It doesn't inspect the qualify of food as that is regulated by the Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority. However, it does regulate health and safety, storage, transport, and the sale of such products.</p><p>It can ban the sale of certain products in the country if they do not comply with Czech regulations.</p><p>For minor violations, ČOI inspectors may impose immediate fines of up to 5000 Kč ($230). For major violations, fines up to 50 million Kč (~$2.3 million) may be imposed.</p>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Czechia49.817491999999987 15.47296221.507258163821142 -19.683287999999997 78.127725836178826 50.629212tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-47085688125184699872023-02-12T00:15:00.096+01:002023-07-10T00:55:49.830+02:00Ministry of Industry and Trade<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaT7_WWasS-cF1oqxHOdQnFWXNabr-9mkPXUbo1SleeHIxGWmrgfQF1oUd3eumsvYviYUA61ffhKOl-tYvZEsxv-egpgqnDzam1j3hBqvDnbAusI0-UaT-u3UwBc3A4hl5YSCfq31DefLp4koxq_4CHx4DhS-vdoX01bbM-8GzmWtJeLHCQRsi7I4dCI5O/s170/logo_MPO_CZ_170x99.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="99" data-original-width="170" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaT7_WWasS-cF1oqxHOdQnFWXNabr-9mkPXUbo1SleeHIxGWmrgfQF1oUd3eumsvYviYUA61ffhKOl-tYvZEsxv-egpgqnDzam1j3hBqvDnbAusI0-UaT-u3UwBc3A4hl5YSCfq31DefLp4koxq_4CHx4DhS-vdoX01bbM-8GzmWtJeLHCQRsi7I4dCI5O/w200-h117/logo_MPO_CZ_170x99.png" width="200" /></a><b><i>Ministerstvo průmyslu a obchodu</i></b> is the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade which was established in 1992. In short, the ministry is in charge of industry, energy and trade policy, business and investment promotion, internal trade and consumer protection. </p><p>That's a pretty big purview. It also includes the use of European funds, the promotion of small and medium-sized companies, technical standardisation and quality control, industrial research, engineering and technology development, electronic communication and postal services, as well as being responsible for commodity exchange with the exception for issues under the Ministry of Agriculture.</p><p>Here's a short video, in English, that I found out on YouTube from the ministry highlighting Czechland.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzMpBbt5bATwm3zDDqwZfJzxctIP2M5xa1w_x0UD4vyCWN4tpwrR0tikxSVS3lQl57Pyp8dyw-vJ9jvnytd-g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©Ministerstvo průmyslu a obchodu ČR</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Part of the ministry is housed at Petschek Palace, a neoclassicist building in <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/602436215000070989/7636599154314635298#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Prague</span></a> that dates back to 1929. It was a very modern building for 1929 with air-conditioning, a tube post, and a <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2017/02/paternoster-lift.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">paternoster lift</span></a>. During the war, the Nazis used it as Gestapo headquarters for the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2022/09/protectorate-of-bohemia-and-moravia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia</span></a>. In 1989, the building became a National Cultural Monument. Here's a short video about the building. I think I'll have to try to check it out the next time that I go to Prague.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxTqUv2PXShf9l_AKU1OKkbTGC0pAmi08_BrNsYHQkUERg-4QjnY8AT5RICjPqeAErdHRb3Tv9YWRZ8vUBJOg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©Ministerstvo průmyslu a obchodu ČR</div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Czechia49.817491999999987 15.47296221.507258163821142 -19.683287999999997 78.127725836178826 50.629212tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-61650143412867872852023-02-11T01:51:00.091+01:002023-07-05T16:01:53.453+02:00Datart<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dyaIU9V1P0_tEe6TLtdNuQHBGR1K9LUPZKxFA5sbdv0PF1yV7d7QNuobNGuFSdjOeDx9r98finrWT5ZcalapSTBKKLNfvVu4JDesD3H41xQBHGoaNGAjmaHB5U7r9z-6QOUtjFn1Ic1wPskZjbHPk3bgjNYlOKUWN2LNHRUrCafnD8TjEBiMDkH57OSL/s277/Screenshot%202023-07-03%20at%207.52.41.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="94" data-original-width="277" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dyaIU9V1P0_tEe6TLtdNuQHBGR1K9LUPZKxFA5sbdv0PF1yV7d7QNuobNGuFSdjOeDx9r98finrWT5ZcalapSTBKKLNfvVu4JDesD3H41xQBHGoaNGAjmaHB5U7r9z-6QOUtjFn1Ic1wPskZjbHPk3bgjNYlOKUWN2LNHRUrCafnD8TjEBiMDkH57OSL/w200-h68/Screenshot%202023-07-03%20at%207.52.41.png" width="200" /></a>Datart is a consumer electronics store with shops across Czechia and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/07/slovak-republic.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Slovakia</span></a>. </p><p>The company was founded in Prague in 1990 and they opened their first stone in 1992. In 2019 they opened the 100th store in Czechland. </p><p>This is the place to go for home appliances, computers, cameras, kitchenware, music systems, mobile phones, and accessories. If there's something that I need though I tend to order online. </p><p><i>I always had a problem with how to pronounce it. I first thought it was "Data-Art" but is it actually "Data-rt" or "Dat-art?"</i></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ozEFJCkvGLVLY2MygoE0Qqn-gvmZZAIvCCnvZGk0ZWgM5UILnWyUWVTKULHKG0FwD8nRdoopQir2I1XxvtL1Zx0fvE2YLv9vKMyN-QjEb0tJzjfn1VzMnzMFwjUl-tWctcWTOdAy7AL_RNezzdTcOB4VqbVIKWa9YVMMSsa1BDLXd-n3soSpUWJpFf7M/s450/HP%20Tronic.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="450" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ozEFJCkvGLVLY2MygoE0Qqn-gvmZZAIvCCnvZGk0ZWgM5UILnWyUWVTKULHKG0FwD8nRdoopQir2I1XxvtL1Zx0fvE2YLv9vKMyN-QjEb0tJzjfn1VzMnzMFwjUl-tWctcWTOdAy7AL_RNezzdTcOB4VqbVIKWa9YVMMSsa1BDLXd-n3soSpUWJpFf7M/w126-h95/HP%20Tronic.jpeg" width="126" /></a>Back in 2017, they were acquired by HP Tronic Group for an undisclosed amount.</p><p>Here's a commercial for Datart that I found out on YouTube. It's at least a couple of years old.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzkcV7WhC_eB_YcK5Ph2aLG7hh58cqK5zM0bFf0jHjqG75XI89sYype_pCXOFLVr7ugQcsaQYjJm2XyPKntlw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">©Datart.cz</div></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Czechia49.817491999999987 15.47296221.507258163821142 -19.683287999999997 78.127725836178826 50.629212tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-27686651040748196862023-02-09T21:18:00.453+01:002024-03-16T15:16:27.456+01:00The Ottoman Empire<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-monOT40NRnk5vbtxULWO_1ii4yQ-E6_ASdkQCp5obc7OJWWmBtXvTkhEM2MQ587E_AwLXtTg7xJJEphojws_NVAf04Pcqzzn9EvLA64xNuqH0jh-8ftSM023KGHqLcIkRVFYPvbk-2-aHndbZb22-gCBIAIeh5j6nfa0IQUriPUyCTqwGNBDCEvck1Xb/s724/Screenshot%202023-06-29%20at%205.09.30.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="724" height="99" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-monOT40NRnk5vbtxULWO_1ii4yQ-E6_ASdkQCp5obc7OJWWmBtXvTkhEM2MQ587E_AwLXtTg7xJJEphojws_NVAf04Pcqzzn9EvLA64xNuqH0jh-8ftSM023KGHqLcIkRVFYPvbk-2-aHndbZb22-gCBIAIeh5j6nfa0IQUriPUyCTqwGNBDCEvck1Xb/w200-h99/Screenshot%202023-06-29%20at%205.09.30.png" width="200" /></a>In a few weeks we're headed to <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/kusadasi-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kuşadasi</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/11/republic-of-turkey-is-eurasian-country.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Turkey</span></a>. Or rather, I should get used to saying <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2022/06/turkey-is-now-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Türkiye</span></a>. Either way I am so ready for a week away.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ3C1fDj8YBE2suyhnL1xun63PweVUfJMtIjm4XnFMW0P4RBwtqvil8cyqqvkOZUKNyNGbWY62zwJ12iLeV5R90vpAqxKzB1RqjGsQaUGDCmt0CVz-CtlskyFhDN5BpO5NsQUC2Z_4D_9iiuxlQDl6vqpiVpzBmoiicypRsqi_NrKIwGsY4yi1b-DywpPM/s2560/Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire_(1844%E2%80%931922).png" style="caret-color: rgb(26, 26, 26); clear: right; float: right; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1707" data-original-width="2560" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ3C1fDj8YBE2suyhnL1xun63PweVUfJMtIjm4XnFMW0P4RBwtqvil8cyqqvkOZUKNyNGbWY62zwJ12iLeV5R90vpAqxKzB1RqjGsQaUGDCmt0CVz-CtlskyFhDN5BpO5NsQUC2Z_4D_9iiuxlQDl6vqpiVpzBmoiicypRsqi_NrKIwGsY4yi1b-DywpPM/w200-h133/Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire_(1844%E2%80%931922).png" width="200" /></a>I know that modern Türkiye came about after the end of WWI and the fall of the Ottoman Empire. What I didn't know was just how vast the Ottoman Empire was.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ti2HiphuuA8f-aEpa-CZlzZo--VwOVp1EbTcuLOrv0Fllt4O7pfGcdIlvFwjIy5KuN-tkKosbNgbH67wBIWyFRINXwW6_ePffTzygTJ04oxYnhndC9XoRKbHEa3KVd52B9h6jFz4jYUEkI2oPoBlCABjOr_S5sCyU8aWnsccbICCZIzZTnRU2kMXGi6G/s348/I_Osman.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="220" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ti2HiphuuA8f-aEpa-CZlzZo--VwOVp1EbTcuLOrv0Fllt4O7pfGcdIlvFwjIy5KuN-tkKosbNgbH67wBIWyFRINXwW6_ePffTzygTJ04oxYnhndC9XoRKbHEa3KVd52B9h6jFz4jYUEkI2oPoBlCABjOr_S5sCyU8aWnsccbICCZIzZTnRU2kMXGi6G/w126-h200/I_Osman.jpg" width="126" /></a></p><p><br /></p>The Ottoman Empire was actually one of the world's most powerful states during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was an Islamic superpower founded by Osman I around 1299 and it lasted more than 600 years, only coming to an end back in 1922. <p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyefU-vjXQm-CVXu6UOCahKJW6GXkfqyp2cky4WgNp4K2I6pE6RcwbXYaRkKV-l3AgSxtlRKOgRrzupu2quhCuCTiXsEqdiJY6mr0rvG2naeaZAeQJ1pJw4oHE-y_cOZHzXLSwmG6kPJ6MSv8EQBgfAWlBQxSc8LgeThqJ6vVKA0nCoXK4EYxCvKkm3b38/s1000/file-20221027-21-fz1v6m.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1000" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyefU-vjXQm-CVXu6UOCahKJW6GXkfqyp2cky4WgNp4K2I6pE6RcwbXYaRkKV-l3AgSxtlRKOgRrzupu2quhCuCTiXsEqdiJY6mr0rvG2naeaZAeQJ1pJw4oHE-y_cOZHzXLSwmG6kPJ6MSv8EQBgfAWlBQxSc8LgeThqJ6vVKA0nCoXK4EYxCvKkm3b38/w200-h169/file-20221027-21-fz1v6m.webp" width="200" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Covering about 2 million square miles with 15 million people, it was huge! At its height, the Ottoman Empire stretched all the way to the gates of <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2009/12/1st-visit-to-vienna.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Vienna</span></a>. Today, it would be made up of Türkiye, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/10/greece.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Greece</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/10/cyprus.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Cyprus</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/10/republic-of-bulgaria.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Bulgaria</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/01/arab-republic-of-egypt.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Egypt</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/02/hungary.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Hungary</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/10/republic-of-macedonia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">North Macedonia</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/06/montenegro.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Montenegro</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/04/bosnia-and-herzegovina.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Bosnia and Herzegovina</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/10/republic-of-albania.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Albania</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/04/serbia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Serbia</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/10/republic-of-kosovo.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kosovo</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/07/romania.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Romania</span></a>, <span><span><a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/07/republic-of-moldova.html" style="color: #2b00fe;" target="_blank">Moldova</a>, </span><a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-hashemite-kingdom-of-jordan.html" style="color: #2b00fe;" target="_blank"> Jordan</a></span>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/06/state-of-israel.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Israel</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/02/state-of-palestine.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Palestine</span></a>, Lebanon, Syria, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/06/state-of-qatar.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Qatar</span></a>, plus parts of Saudi Arabia, Libya, Algeria, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/04/republic-of-armenia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Armenia</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/04/republic-of-azerbaijan.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Azerbaijan</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/02/ukraine.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ukraine</span></a>, and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/03/russian-federation.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Russia</span></a>. <p></p><p>Here's a short YouTube video about the rise of the Ottoman Empire.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzpfzbynRht9ygHz-OMW5XVjgg3k1NjUu0t3Z4_1yABl22lkTdjEEVe8oY6vB7rEoojq_ZTKISM2DOEePiuVw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">©Seeker</div></div><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheT_sxNGDZmZvSwr1p2GFgedtQsTz_Q4K_tw2QptRuc_Nd7g9pU3-JyGB72upgmasosC8f0Dgu53UUD7fIt7X07OQfCIhCIpyuph-ZMttA4mIEjQw0aJGq6mfETFbgVx72gQDwp4VBkjtQNb6cPEbDyyI9Q6Nnjqwyk8TkQdZKUhHaNN5EcRNFpw3zq9YQ/s1523/Coat_of_arms_of_the_Ottoman_Empire_(1882%E2%80%931922).png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1523" data-original-width="1280" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheT_sxNGDZmZvSwr1p2GFgedtQsTz_Q4K_tw2QptRuc_Nd7g9pU3-JyGB72upgmasosC8f0Dgu53UUD7fIt7X07OQfCIhCIpyuph-ZMttA4mIEjQw0aJGq6mfETFbgVx72gQDwp4VBkjtQNb6cPEbDyyI9Q6Nnjqwyk8TkQdZKUhHaNN5EcRNFpw3zq9YQ/w152-h181/Coat_of_arms_of_the_Ottoman_Empire_(1882%E2%80%931922).png" width="152" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>The Ottoman Empire is known for its achievements in art, architecture, science, and medicine. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;">But nothing lasts forever. Here's another short video but this one is about the decline of the empire.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz1lhsc2h_FkadSRPQRd-S2PgWBAYMkqi8Ilj1elfjZ7cbobebJnw-ejOodygk5YmEJ8YjSCVWbYXUAigzghw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">©Seeker</div></span></div><p style="text-align: left;">The darkest legacy of the Ottoman Empire is the Armenian genocide where up to approximately 1,5 million Armenian Christians living in the empire were killed from spring 1915 through autumn 1916 . It is often called the first genocide of the 20th century and I still remember visiting the Armenian Genocide memorial in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/05/yerevan-armenia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Yerevan</span></a>.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Türkiye still denies that genocide occurred. However, the Catholic Church, the United Nations, the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-european-parliament.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">European Parliament</span></a>, and the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2019/09/council-of-europe.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Council of Europe</span></a> have all recognised it as genocide.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In 2017, the Czech Parliament approved a resolution condemning the Armenian genocide and in 2020 the Czech Senate unanimously adopted a resolution recognising the Armenian genocide.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In 2019, the U.S. Congress affirmed the Armenian genocide and the Senate unanimously recognised the genocide. Of course then-President Trump did not support the resolution but in 2021 President Biden officially recognised the Armenian genocide.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68HKTTzSEBuy-kngB91-FtsSz6foVs8BtP8rS-2-wQtCrhDbFXnn_P70ikuVjhNxy52K2Fcb3nxWgC3SSQnQGihDFVWFbQj9ugIeCdfb-GLX6bCXbBxeG_l-fha5avO2YyNT3RjcNfqXzExQI-kdEhm_vqQtbgN5BqGIpLqTgFz8ASxepi8BowhFEIkpt/s408/B5D16B16-9AAD-4C8A-9817-AAA1CD02FF31_w408_r0_s.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="408" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68HKTTzSEBuy-kngB91-FtsSz6foVs8BtP8rS-2-wQtCrhDbFXnn_P70ikuVjhNxy52K2Fcb3nxWgC3SSQnQGihDFVWFbQj9ugIeCdfb-GLX6bCXbBxeG_l-fha5avO2YyNT3RjcNfqXzExQI-kdEhm_vqQtbgN5BqGIpLqTgFz8ASxepi8BowhFEIkpt/w400-h400/B5D16B16-9AAD-4C8A-9817-AAA1CD02FF31_w408_r0_s.png" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">The Ottoman Empire made the fatal decision to side with the Central Powers in WWI. Here's a short four-minute video about why they chose to fight alongside Germany.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzDqecHTt5nhHZeutPtfPvoSS7SjkUUKF5LUn-iAYBCcY1E13gR_TRYzzpuO9dNgtLGLis_-7ZRoM-B1aS-hw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">©History Matters</div></div><p style="text-align: left;">Following the end of the war, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk became the first president of the Republic of Turkey. Here's a bit about how the empire was carved up.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwoeOn9ligiX5N174YO4o2UZUFLq6egaX7nlDWNdScCkFEBKzbdTklGqz8n0WFz6AlmvPcMwPcLvxxiWtku-Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">©History Matters</div></span></div><p style="text-align: left;">Considering that the Ottoman Empire contained parts of the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-middle-east.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Middle East</span></a>, North <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/05/africa.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Africa</span></a>, the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-caucasus.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Caucasus</span></a> and the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/10/balkans.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Balkans</span></a>, it's not a big surprise that there have been multiple conflicts between countries there since the breakup of the empire. This map shows the borders of the Ottoman Empire in 1801in green. The red lines show wars that have been fought between countries. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsQrI66gcO5O3Gl7swmncxN11LcYQoFqSxeVp0fK3A2vDHG9RWKUdjHPM6CKjARyCpu34j-SbRvZRzJ7cLAgtzKqJ_5sIrdi891tzNrrV1pUj7da3XEXrr6IruxkhA4qU7g4UyMecXydHkB1_j0gdB3X1_L7VqNn9K7XSCxCBl5GmrpxEuQ-cszwnQ2bS/s602/main-qimg-d0da64aa781f5aea2bf834d69c72f392.webp" style="caret-color: rgb(26, 26, 26); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="602" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsQrI66gcO5O3Gl7swmncxN11LcYQoFqSxeVp0fK3A2vDHG9RWKUdjHPM6CKjARyCpu34j-SbRvZRzJ7cLAgtzKqJ_5sIrdi891tzNrrV1pUj7da3XEXrr6IruxkhA4qU7g4UyMecXydHkB1_j0gdB3X1_L7VqNn9K7XSCxCBl5GmrpxEuQ-cszwnQ2bS/s320/main-qimg-d0da64aa781f5aea2bf834d69c72f392.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">Fortunately, I'm not expecting any drama whilst on holiday in Kuşadasi. <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2021/04/fingers-crossed.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Fingers crossed</span></a>.</p>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Türkiye38.963745 35.24332210.653511163821157 0.08707199999999915 67.273978836178856 70.399572tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-66907608530344760222023-02-08T21:41:00.003+01:002024-03-16T15:15:54.635+01:00Seven Wonders of the World<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOmpf7t29c5J2Z3BUxsycJXtCtcRB0MgKm5hLexlw9qbPF5NMQLsvmvFFyXXWteoCfh4rkfpzEjthqTVr_k6gY3NYOLoZ5dYQLNZSfmoD5nsrvQOOwRLvEOY-Pbzg89BZnlVqbTrZ7Z8F_He3ZvimFvoyPam73b567BmPmv3XyMG5eaJf8rrbL3PVIVbn/s1500/the-seven-wonders-of-the-world-4147695_FINAL-9d082e2ae1964b87a8640e3a4cc3c601.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOmpf7t29c5J2Z3BUxsycJXtCtcRB0MgKm5hLexlw9qbPF5NMQLsvmvFFyXXWteoCfh4rkfpzEjthqTVr_k6gY3NYOLoZ5dYQLNZSfmoD5nsrvQOOwRLvEOY-Pbzg89BZnlVqbTrZ7Z8F_He3ZvimFvoyPam73b567BmPmv3XyMG5eaJf8rrbL3PVIVbn/w400-h266/the-seven-wonders-of-the-world-4147695_FINAL-9d082e2ae1964b87a8640e3a4cc3c601.png" width="400" /><br /></a>There have been a few versions of the "seven wonders of the world." The oldest list, known as the "classic" seven wonders were located around the Mediterranean and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-middle-east.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">the Middle East</span></a>. Of the classic wonders, only one, the Great Pyramid of Giza, still exists.</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Great Pyramid of Giza in El Giza, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/01/arab-republic-of-egypt.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Egypt</span></a>.<br />2. Colossus of Rhodes, was located in Rhodes, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/10/greece.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Greece</span></a>.<br />3. Hanging Gardens of Babylon, in Babylon, Iraq.<br />4. Lighthouse of Alexandria, in Alexandria, Egypt.<br />5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in present-day <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/11/republic-of-turkey-is-eurasian-country.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Turkey</span></a>.<br />6. Statue of Zeus in Olympia, Greece.<br />7. <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/best-of-ephesus-tour-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Temple of Artemis</span></a> in Ephesus, Turkey. </div><p style="text-align: left;">Next month, we're off to <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2023/03/kusadasi-turkiye.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kuşadasi</span></a> for a week and will visit Ephesus. I'll get to see what's left of the Temple of Artemis and will be the only item on the classic list I'll have seen.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxV8qyjDXiZ36OFKUkqTFaeuRLQGtR736UuDiWepxNcgBv0JIFtNeQPr4_BnNqyhkxEsUV7F4fSQe4WeVFiFmpOqZgMexrEvW4jbdyU7PryYFGo8yyoeVa2O56Z9t-JodHZLRTu5iqmQsOh1VllpeOSLDud-_-Mf9GSaGEkuKHbP0iK5Er76ZgmVdcnXf/s1280/7%20wonders%20of%20middle%20ages.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxV8qyjDXiZ36OFKUkqTFaeuRLQGtR736UuDiWepxNcgBv0JIFtNeQPr4_BnNqyhkxEsUV7F4fSQe4WeVFiFmpOqZgMexrEvW4jbdyU7PryYFGo8yyoeVa2O56Z9t-JodHZLRTu5iqmQsOh1VllpeOSLDud-_-Mf9GSaGEkuKHbP0iK5Er76ZgmVdcnXf/w400-h225/7%20wonders%20of%20middle%20ages.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages include:<br />1. Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa in Alexandria, Egypt.<br />2. Colosseum in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/09/rome-italy.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rome</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/02/italian-republic.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Italy</span></a>. <br />3. <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-great-wall-of-china-tour.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Great Wall of China</span></a>, in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2017/04/peoples-republic-of-china.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">China</span></a>.<br />4. <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/11/hagia-sophia_22.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Hagia Sophia</span></a> in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/11/istanbul-turkey.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Istanbul</span></a>, Turkey.<br />5. Leaning Tower of Pisa in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/06/pisa-italy.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Pisa</span></a>, Italy.<br />6. Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, in Nanjing, China.<br />7. Stonehenge in Wiltshire, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/02/england.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">England</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/02/united-kingdom-of-great-britain-and.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">UK</span></a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So far I've managed to see four of seven from this list. I missed out on going to Nanjing during my <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2019/09/shanghai-china.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Shanghai</span></a> trip <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2019/09/shanghai-taiwan-2019-trip-summary.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">due to rain</span></a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKCRlxiVtspi64yk2LmqxdFo1FOqK4OLkiz7FwKX4dvPngaqVK0lw-A2c2dUszj0N0SSO5HohLVkAE7g-A6LX_vSpcJ1N0DDvgpxrOVNaYH_6m0OdVhj0DUcAxCb_uB0Vlma01n86bhdLVqppOAwRPVzknQl6HIc9lvXuKYtZCz9_s58G-opjbnLAkkcN/s768/7%20wonders%20engineering.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKCRlxiVtspi64yk2LmqxdFo1FOqK4OLkiz7FwKX4dvPngaqVK0lw-A2c2dUszj0N0SSO5HohLVkAE7g-A6LX_vSpcJ1N0DDvgpxrOVNaYH_6m0OdVhj0DUcAxCb_uB0Vlma01n86bhdLVqppOAwRPVzknQl6HIc9lvXuKYtZCz9_s58G-opjbnLAkkcN/w400-h300/7%20wonders%20engineering.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers paid tribute to the what they thought were the greatest civil engineering achievements of the 20th century by releasing their list of Seven Wonders to the Modern World.</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Channel Tunnel, between the UK and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/06/french-republic.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">France</span></a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. CN Tower in Toronto, Canada.</div><div style="text-align: left;">3. Empire State Building in New York City, USA.</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/09/california.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">California</span></a>, USA.</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. Itaipú Dam between Brazil and Paraguay.</div><div style="text-align: left;">6. Delta and Zuiderzee Works in the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/08/kingdom-of-netherlands.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Netherlands</span></a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;">7. Panama Canal in Panama.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">From this list I've been to the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge. Toronto's been on my list of places to visit for years but who knows when I'll get a chance to visit Canada.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjxxgWJe_OVbD6uw6AXthbPTCBuzB6X3M4kVZz_ee791AwqrFv2zbx6o6j0WhppJ04qsV0x6IAyshiBr4cTz9ZDNqlXTCopcPcIPbwA9LJWc2k3mb-fceQweYrhqjByf4mQJ5KT7-R0jh9CtKIyv7gxDipFK_dkZ0NUYIZRz8toxxD3msMtD_qJ-Inuj0/s1000/7-Wonders-Of-The-World-(2).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="1000" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjxxgWJe_OVbD6uw6AXthbPTCBuzB6X3M4kVZz_ee791AwqrFv2zbx6o6j0WhppJ04qsV0x6IAyshiBr4cTz9ZDNqlXTCopcPcIPbwA9LJWc2k3mb-fceQweYrhqjByf4mQJ5KT7-R0jh9CtKIyv7gxDipFK_dkZ0NUYIZRz8toxxD3msMtD_qJ-Inuj0/w400-h188/7-Wonders-Of-The-World-(2).jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">In 2001, a New Seven Wonders of the World was released. The Great Pyramid of Giza didn't make the list but was added later as an honorary mention.</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Great Wall of China.</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/03/petra-tour-jordan.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Petra</span></a> in<a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-hashemite-kingdom-of-jordan.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> Jordan</span></a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;">3. <i>Christ the Redeemer</i> in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. Machu Picchu in Peru.</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. Chichén Itzá in Mexico.</div><div style="text-align: left;">6. Colosseum in Italy.</div><div style="text-align: left;">7. Taj Mahal in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/06/republic-of-india.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">India</span></a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">From this list I've been to the Great Wall, Petra, <i>Christ the Redeemer</i>, and the Colosseum. Back in 2007, Steven and I were getting our MBAs from Georgia State University. We did a two-week study abroad programme in Argentina and Brazil. One of my favourite memories is of us in a helicopter flying around Jesus's head in Rio.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ephesus for sure will be the next place from all of these lists that I'll see. Beyond that, who knows? The Taj Mahal and the Great Pyramid are both on my bucket list. Stonehenge would probably be the easiest to visit.</div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Europe54.5259614 15.255118726.215727563821154 -19.9011313 82.836195236178838 50.4113687tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-33555972899371886762023-02-06T22:30:00.876+01:002023-06-22T06:07:52.352+02:00Strážnice, Czech Republic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmQkdO5JQbwhN3Yxx3tcpVldGwBhLINSeyXl-U5RLXWaUzgwJXBo8Fc6u4cj4N1gFDYxnGt0uAvpn1xB2Y2JUQORXpHovlpkuVHBQa5P8c08kyA0FX5Wkw3DM5hO71HMSnwLNhi36FCNxepl5LhiBkukjyUwh4HxPLlJDZ6KGq9SckoXupMCqz2aoZw/s295/Stra%CC%81z%CC%8Cnice.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="295" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmQkdO5JQbwhN3Yxx3tcpVldGwBhLINSeyXl-U5RLXWaUzgwJXBo8Fc6u4cj4N1gFDYxnGt0uAvpn1xB2Y2JUQORXpHovlpkuVHBQa5P8c08kyA0FX5Wkw3DM5hO71HMSnwLNhi36FCNxepl5LhiBkukjyUwh4HxPLlJDZ6KGq9SckoXupMCqz2aoZw/w320-h186/Stra%CC%81z%CC%8Cnice.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">Kája and I spent the weekend in Strážnice which is about a two hour train ride from Brno. <br /><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUF9cjU141VcHmMulNrvvSr5ZNBS2d86U_fxGw0gFzTG84vLtFdobKpXi9ROv-75BJu5gklee2z2xb05d2mPmk8Lxi-nwItBYLrFX5uMmakTzYn-wnWoFfyY8F5zDaqMb8K0o5RwpwqyT8wMF-VEkI-gn0jRKzVl3m7yQ2lYSodeu3Drcmqg4USzZJA/s500/Straznice_HO_CZ_znak.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="500" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUF9cjU141VcHmMulNrvvSr5ZNBS2d86U_fxGw0gFzTG84vLtFdobKpXi9ROv-75BJu5gklee2z2xb05d2mPmk8Lxi-nwItBYLrFX5uMmakTzYn-wnWoFfyY8F5zDaqMb8K0o5RwpwqyT8wMF-VEkI-gn0jRKzVl3m7yQ2lYSodeu3Drcmqg4USzZJA/w168-h150/Straznice_HO_CZ_znak.png" width="168" /></a><b>Strážnice</b> is home to 5.400 people and is 65 km (40 miles) from Brno, close to the Slovak border. While Neolithic pottery has been found here, the it was first written mention of the town was in 1302. It was one of the most populated towns in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/06/moravia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Moravia</span></a> at the start of the 17th century.</div><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DUZxS-3UBi05S-3iWdRzGFVqtNOEcfMJovRSl_ACi9sY3U6aGDJDEGpaA2CjWM14aCJoG2b1W6aI5THYNVaByJjxmP3dddF0f6gHcW8U-LdRu0RiJj4HzJj2u5zH-riuP6H50hBQArt8fTWY_vGDxSvZ2Z1TY6QfKA0FC5_4a1z6tndjG7pqhmBJrw/s4032/IMG_3524.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DUZxS-3UBi05S-3iWdRzGFVqtNOEcfMJovRSl_ACi9sY3U6aGDJDEGpaA2CjWM14aCJoG2b1W6aI5THYNVaByJjxmP3dddF0f6gHcW8U-LdRu0RiJj4HzJj2u5zH-riuP6H50hBQArt8fTWY_vGDxSvZ2Z1TY6QfKA0FC5_4a1z6tndjG7pqhmBJrw/w200-h150/IMG_3524.HEIC" width="200" /></a>The old city gate bastions date back to the 16th century. They were used to protect the town from Turkish invasions.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCT-AJQ1BBNnsu8Bqfo0zbk0lUzcr5Lfa2TiY2LyVw8-HWlICsN4ubyzbq4_bclaDvxs2gtymEODgitRaAoxGfm80renvgkHEOqMIgutmK_fN_w2BaDve6Jrv-M-qynmTQfuX4QxReqxgdd2ZULqCZjFzK2TzkfXTTWu_B_0FBzN5bL0zws07BZisxVg/s4032/IMG_3528.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCT-AJQ1BBNnsu8Bqfo0zbk0lUzcr5Lfa2TiY2LyVw8-HWlICsN4ubyzbq4_bclaDvxs2gtymEODgitRaAoxGfm80renvgkHEOqMIgutmK_fN_w2BaDve6Jrv-M-qynmTQfuX4QxReqxgdd2ZULqCZjFzK2TzkfXTTWu_B_0FBzN5bL0zws07BZisxVg/w150-h200/IMG_3528.HEIC" width="150" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Behind these gates is a chapel that was consecrated in 1917. The story goes that it was built as thanks to the men who returned in good health from WWI.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglztJWppXvuZTOn7MGiK5fSv80EFnTRzsEcHpOkyaW6t6DOpb6tOl-H9hsZSBEK5QTvApBYi2YQl55BSJH2x78l2N5M7pDN7PQjmMoy3Fm83XalXnSe_SVUhw0qu4VD2dcrfoVVUOi24sndaxjkCx2CPy5RKotD1jcV4XmT_P1z-2zihjtIKdXwixVzA/s4032/IMG_3532.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglztJWppXvuZTOn7MGiK5fSv80EFnTRzsEcHpOkyaW6t6DOpb6tOl-H9hsZSBEK5QTvApBYi2YQl55BSJH2x78l2N5M7pDN7PQjmMoy3Fm83XalXnSe_SVUhw0qu4VD2dcrfoVVUOi24sndaxjkCx2CPy5RKotD1jcV4XmT_P1z-2zihjtIKdXwixVzA/w150-h200/IMG_3532.HEIC" width="150" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>The stone cross near the gate dates back to 1769. The baroque monument is one of the oldest in the town and marks one of the places that city executions used take place.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGB4X2CfUWCnXjaGKyzaE-QecqCrq9MCjgxfkwpyQ4Bx69LasxPl0OL6-7ypLdScmfUa_K-YgSaFwy5lmyHK1GhYywLijxmLWD86VHdyP4EAnlhA7wjX4Jz74imMPeUoEsi9FcCsJvGcSzc9Afz8HikwHQXpl1CR2xM6REcKFGuZSzwaRqyDpiULdmew/s4032/IMG_3545.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGB4X2CfUWCnXjaGKyzaE-QecqCrq9MCjgxfkwpyQ4Bx69LasxPl0OL6-7ypLdScmfUa_K-YgSaFwy5lmyHK1GhYywLijxmLWD86VHdyP4EAnlhA7wjX4Jz74imMPeUoEsi9FcCsJvGcSzc9Afz8HikwHQXpl1CR2xM6REcKFGuZSzwaRqyDpiULdmew/w200-h150/IMG_3545.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>The nearby city cemetery dates back to 1895.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEWS-hJCdo2lvUtZKdyd-wUCgz2DF83_HRR2MgTvYZojYKYAd8UF8mXJIfBwJKYtw3pB4EvQJWAvNxaaXJ1o7e3bjNKy3eJw9-Mxnx2c70kuUAwhoMerpXEoRA4OqY_MWq-NSHVt6yMalQZ7XZKYwVaOkTSY8qPlEXffO3KNmUGgaYobuWliqrDf8rA/s4032/IMG_3542.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEWS-hJCdo2lvUtZKdyd-wUCgz2DF83_HRR2MgTvYZojYKYAd8UF8mXJIfBwJKYtw3pB4EvQJWAvNxaaXJ1o7e3bjNKy3eJw9-Mxnx2c70kuUAwhoMerpXEoRA4OqY_MWq-NSHVt6yMalQZ7XZKYwVaOkTSY8qPlEXffO3KNmUGgaYobuWliqrDf8rA/w150-h200/IMG_3542.HEIC" width="150" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Inside the cemetery is a tombstone dedicated to the Red Army that liberated the city in April 1945.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8sypgSv9YEOM0YrfZjp1-mYocxfVyo0MybnGJRWlIEvn-LYDSPbRqp75lxmepcMfFKkyNWNgOFKSOD7vct5PDm4k2fvySu26kFpMFFo9H3-emJ79pUY1vL4Qz-zrLXj2DDylqLGOf_Tk7juN0Iy3aNoneSLVz15Jp2KDx9-AognelYlcQwKAORaT7g/s4032/IMG_3552.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8sypgSv9YEOM0YrfZjp1-mYocxfVyo0MybnGJRWlIEvn-LYDSPbRqp75lxmepcMfFKkyNWNgOFKSOD7vct5PDm4k2fvySu26kFpMFFo9H3-emJ79pUY1vL4Qz-zrLXj2DDylqLGOf_Tk7juN0Iy3aNoneSLVz15Jp2KDx9-AognelYlcQwKAORaT7g/w150-h200/IMG_3552.HEIC" width="150" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">February isn't the time of year to see storks but here's a stork nest for when the season comes. I'm told that nearby is one of the last places in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2019/08/central-europe.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Central Europe</span></a> where a forest colony of White Storks can still be seen.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrBuKvA9Y50DKwnDiPilW9lRX0bdHTZN3Cjvy29dcVfWJwkBLqw9t9S2k8H9nd7InQAvaS46M_D7NK8FRMykpUR1scIhljNwiI4Wme_97CNlSEZeGHj8hZbVzAZmyTCm_-8XBPf47Pzy9mRPNne3e4wClf0slqt3XoTeHo1FHQkB5GrGkiq8rkIXSVA/s4032/IMG_3558.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrBuKvA9Y50DKwnDiPilW9lRX0bdHTZN3Cjvy29dcVfWJwkBLqw9t9S2k8H9nd7InQAvaS46M_D7NK8FRMykpUR1scIhljNwiI4Wme_97CNlSEZeGHj8hZbVzAZmyTCm_-8XBPf47Pzy9mRPNne3e4wClf0slqt3XoTeHo1FHQkB5GrGkiq8rkIXSVA/w150-h200/IMG_3558.HEIC" width="150" /></a>The shrine at Radějovská street dates back to the first half of the 19th century.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXRGgK6km3rSp1sRFmVihNxt0aY9h3EaUwakJs2ks6CspmnnE7024mKVh4rtlFjUElK2CI_53vu8DNZ0N4K9usKT9WORoU5GLabsGMPN37GG0viT76ATwkkoPpy6THVCvMKS-YUSxldMkDGw2aFFBklyJTVa2JFxKxq8vKsBpSUlFQwZ_tvJHta6w0g/s4032/IMG_3648.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXRGgK6km3rSp1sRFmVihNxt0aY9h3EaUwakJs2ks6CspmnnE7024mKVh4rtlFjUElK2CI_53vu8DNZ0N4K9usKT9WORoU5GLabsGMPN37GG0viT76ATwkkoPpy6THVCvMKS-YUSxldMkDGw2aFFBklyJTVa2JFxKxq8vKsBpSUlFQwZ_tvJHta6w0g/w200-h150/IMG_3648.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">The town hall is a protected cultural monument that dates back to the 17th century.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ka2mQD2tB4L1cpz2UhIvFrE2Vd5MCvp6qxQ7yBhaVBvdPY3cvQ8X0jCJQS-soGCNEHsIpb1EehNF8Ja9Duydn-DqrN1jB_ntdRiPOrG-BeIh7hhq-1wzSrYaE59DQujLRPoslCHeFpYHD9hZQoz76zlzcdvk50f01QxiCTaih8w9bkW3eG0Mi7UHHQ/s4032/IMG_3622.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ka2mQD2tB4L1cpz2UhIvFrE2Vd5MCvp6qxQ7yBhaVBvdPY3cvQ8X0jCJQS-soGCNEHsIpb1EehNF8Ja9Duydn-DqrN1jB_ntdRiPOrG-BeIh7hhq-1wzSrYaE59DQujLRPoslCHeFpYHD9hZQoz76zlzcdvk50f01QxiCTaih8w9bkW3eG0Mi7UHHQ/w200-h150/IMG_3622.HEIC" width="200" /></a>The Strážnice Castle, is less castle and more chateau, is from the mid-19th century. The castle is home to the National Institute of Folk Culture and a library with over 13.000 books.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReJ_SbHh61upkrNA1B4Uv02o7JngVNmD8qnhfHoE9imMiaKsKAcoUxVGisQGVjnlBmG-EMHpB14-pVpl6TKOkSSll4bNg08eFPYJXrv7bbxchmgJo6z4nlcC6BSIuv7QzlT0MEW6xNJkzm89KmL23xd1sBoKB3XX-Mo3ENMBiYK5Uag8PVkQ5gkP2rw/s4032/IMG_3617.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReJ_SbHh61upkrNA1B4Uv02o7JngVNmD8qnhfHoE9imMiaKsKAcoUxVGisQGVjnlBmG-EMHpB14-pVpl6TKOkSSll4bNg08eFPYJXrv7bbxchmgJo6z4nlcC6BSIuv7QzlT0MEW6xNJkzm89KmL23xd1sBoKB3XX-Mo3ENMBiYK5Uag8PVkQ5gkP2rw/w150-h200/IMG_3617.HEIC" width="150" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>The castle is in the middle of a large park where there's an amphitheatre. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TdQ8HnAJDGpMFgfL812l7RulociUveZ0n10raArzzL_Bsfvj7vEJ1WbdU7iSOdZ2SfwJiiaQdIpIy7ZtgZbkSd45SUfIV4kRgmgNXK7qXjK7O_byrl4bIspqEtGORzs51z4oHlpNt9DVRzfbbCHmK9a3ceOkLQbIfu899-80M0fsu2KvOXk_rPeteg/s4032/IMG_3583.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TdQ8HnAJDGpMFgfL812l7RulociUveZ0n10raArzzL_Bsfvj7vEJ1WbdU7iSOdZ2SfwJiiaQdIpIy7ZtgZbkSd45SUfIV4kRgmgNXK7qXjK7O_byrl4bIspqEtGORzs51z4oHlpNt9DVRzfbbCHmK9a3ceOkLQbIfu899-80M0fsu2KvOXk_rPeteg/w200-h150/IMG_3583.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>The Parish Church of St. Martin was a Gothic church in the 15th century but it burnt down several times. In the 1720s it was renovated in the Baroque style. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ391lTbU-nzYjPtdTldSCvfgUhMh0CoFrmNwZ9-s6XRLyW8GLWOOjmuYZmsOgiB_erj3vL5pSrChU3GN41lRyjcen53eF7ASdXtYvB32kMuqHgi7JouYbG6X6Ija7Yk6NFNwHR3aARvqCfpBwTN_w2M6Ociih4kG4WTtjlFIi-LPSCee1c6a5XA08Cw/s4032/IMG_3607.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ391lTbU-nzYjPtdTldSCvfgUhMh0CoFrmNwZ9-s6XRLyW8GLWOOjmuYZmsOgiB_erj3vL5pSrChU3GN41lRyjcen53eF7ASdXtYvB32kMuqHgi7JouYbG6X6Ija7Yk6NFNwHR3aARvqCfpBwTN_w2M6Ociih4kG4WTtjlFIi-LPSCee1c6a5XA08Cw/w200-h150/IMG_3607.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>The Strážnice Museum of the Villages of South-East Moravia is an. open-air folk museum that opened in 1981. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yy_J-0vLYQhAwejh662wO9bL-UChGmqc3PdNHLFF_3CLuOrbJHiCGI01J_eqhBf-UaZHgmgkQq3iQVSwOUbFhgXQKDpe-bJIBL9zA7wpllSwXgeiQzK5mrL1GZPFd-5j09d4tpZVG0nRs9E-Mq3NZepwlFv_dti61nX_p3iFxitJ52uWp_J65Fos6A/s4032/IMG_3588.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yy_J-0vLYQhAwejh662wO9bL-UChGmqc3PdNHLFF_3CLuOrbJHiCGI01J_eqhBf-UaZHgmgkQq3iQVSwOUbFhgXQKDpe-bJIBL9zA7wpllSwXgeiQzK5mrL1GZPFd-5j09d4tpZVG0nRs9E-Mq3NZepwlFv_dti61nX_p3iFxitJ52uWp_J65Fos6A/w150-h200/IMG_3588.HEIC" width="150" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was built in 1747.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUv2o4hxB9HpR0bZ0DfK5zCfD_uNQx1xn-WAEYpCc9lJ2069QvR-rKYcc6E-V8iqTwHFcaVXu-NMwiIaX8-wIL26AsIkES337vX8LG0-ZysRjQ3FYOk_ThzgYkeylw5Ek2T2qH221OWRHnpgA4IgIB5XfN6BiVX134yNL-X5Phh_4DSMZHJmmzfBE-w/s4032/IMG_3631.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUv2o4hxB9HpR0bZ0DfK5zCfD_uNQx1xn-WAEYpCc9lJ2069QvR-rKYcc6E-V8iqTwHFcaVXu-NMwiIaX8-wIL26AsIkES337vX8LG0-ZysRjQ3FYOk_ThzgYkeylw5Ek2T2qH221OWRHnpgA4IgIB5XfN6BiVX134yNL-X5Phh_4DSMZHJmmzfBE-w/w200-h150/IMG_3631.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>The synagogue was built in 1804 and renovated in 1879. It was damaged in 1941 and it was then used as a warehouse. In 1991 it was returned to the Jewish community. Today, it is part of the Strážnice Museum.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FaCt2MkRc0Zt1IAmibUUs8U1LXFeLd4Ri-iD8aN3q0B1Oxcm49BuOfA-RPvyDm5YKE5_CeWJ86DHaZRrODzLBrE_nELw0cy4xkZJup78WFKTG55jW00541XNtqLN970jVQ_Yelojf_TEMMrtQz6wEQ7PaEUH0g8FK_sJi67d6J86V6uk0ps74zORXA/s4032/IMG_3638.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FaCt2MkRc0Zt1IAmibUUs8U1LXFeLd4Ri-iD8aN3q0B1Oxcm49BuOfA-RPvyDm5YKE5_CeWJ86DHaZRrODzLBrE_nELw0cy4xkZJup78WFKTG55jW00541XNtqLN970jVQ_Yelojf_TEMMrtQz6wEQ7PaEUH0g8FK_sJi67d6J86V6uk0ps74zORXA/w200-h150/IMG_3638.HEIC" width="200" /></a>Next to the synagogue is the Jewish cemetery which was founded in the mid-17th century. It is 5000m² (1.2 acres) with around 1500 gravestones.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qKZG-Pfi9Cj-JWIGCDupHnRgeZ-sSwWcUVKSXXOtzaDeHZedt9HaXj_gk8gkWeRKFjv1k3QL4cCWrd3estAz9ipi49K4KzL7Erl1tnXdInjp31Ib-qU0466jMABUmjXosDCAt-YDzgPwTZzrduwDcviqPOS4FQQHVhaEKOEahE7LSeqjlRbY9QVpPQ/s4032/IMG_3596.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qKZG-Pfi9Cj-JWIGCDupHnRgeZ-sSwWcUVKSXXOtzaDeHZedt9HaXj_gk8gkWeRKFjv1k3QL4cCWrd3estAz9ipi49K4KzL7Erl1tnXdInjp31Ib-qU0466jMABUmjXosDCAt-YDzgPwTZzrduwDcviqPOS4FQQHVhaEKOEahE7LSeqjlRbY9QVpPQ/w200-h150/IMG_3596.HEIC" width="200" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>The town is located on the Baťa Canal and it's possible to take boat rides during the summer.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEYmViWahQN4JH8G8QzjqpK2jMel30Laoxu9okDi7OvKDX3FJPRDYscfnZTOmn0vIwjh-yxqGFujkq13jxBQDcSR-5-O_OGLJdZX8mDzHoysZqLxbTeRn5Sivhrv7daCptkQB7sGafJcBHsicBygC7uAWEVh4V30i_XoYlZ0mW80CW6iyZjlWR5WjcA/s4032/IMG_3641.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEYmViWahQN4JH8G8QzjqpK2jMel30Laoxu9okDi7OvKDX3FJPRDYscfnZTOmn0vIwjh-yxqGFujkq13jxBQDcSR-5-O_OGLJdZX8mDzHoysZqLxbTeRn5Sivhrv7daCptkQB7sGafJcBHsicBygC7uAWEVh4V30i_XoYlZ0mW80CW6iyZjlWR5WjcA/w150-h200/IMG_3641.HEIC" width="150" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>In front of the city museum is a statue of the philosopher and educator <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/05/jan-amos-komensky.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Jan Amos Komenský</span></a>. He studied here in 1604-1605.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-H1K11EE_rvtzsBcHWJ8bKcUKGwQ4KCohCeqUBha9Da4C74G6vU6TDjEHU-0jRetQnAfYSjLafTsgI5pjkXp3gZItcUDnVqIQFffxkhnn3_niothwuzz9zAUPcI6gBnyd53zyMskM6brRkc6VgMptmUuDBcF-ceFkrDB0IQqJZCB5imQpoXb6_Phgw/s4032/IMG_3645.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-H1K11EE_rvtzsBcHWJ8bKcUKGwQ4KCohCeqUBha9Da4C74G6vU6TDjEHU-0jRetQnAfYSjLafTsgI5pjkXp3gZItcUDnVqIQFffxkhnn3_niothwuzz9zAUPcI6gBnyd53zyMskM6brRkc6VgMptmUuDBcF-ceFkrDB0IQqJZCB5imQpoXb6_Phgw/w150-h200/IMG_3645.HEIC" width="150" /></a>Of course no Czech town is complete without a statue of <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/01/tomas-garrigue-masaryk.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk</span></a>, the first president of <a href="http://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.cz/2018/01/czechoslovakia_24.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Czechoslovakia</span></a>. Apparently he had studied here. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt6swcn6m1wzPp4lMKIQSVeZyoq1YddpxLMGL5hqZeedI9LBqQ-SFGODzjt7ore5O-95EIFdwWD0BJxa0PlMuvhJ9SqlQvzriRvmUt-7vUt6BnXljD62WB5OYVPtmqg3cU9Mkf2TobUJQ42ZpOr-CyOpNkV6jOLllko6x2pyB-rmtVAJ-AvGghYZ6u7qu/s870/sb_solene.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="533" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt6swcn6m1wzPp4lMKIQSVeZyoq1YddpxLMGL5hqZeedI9LBqQ-SFGODzjt7ore5O-95EIFdwWD0BJxa0PlMuvhJ9SqlQvzriRvmUt-7vUt6BnXljD62WB5OYVPtmqg3cU9Mkf2TobUJQ42ZpOr-CyOpNkV6jOLllko6x2pyB-rmtVAJ-AvGghYZ6u7qu/w114-h185/sb_solene.png" width="114" /></a>Strážnice is also the home of really good potato chips (crisps). </p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDSqiubY8AspnOXxtwKC2DlmW9KTr_poGl4T5kcSTvRr1OHRpEVyULVe6Lhpx9s1koLpdza3wxw1PvIHVwTJxQWwr12FLhmqkn5LrUS1ckUJqmqQlzIHWaaSKYziu0WLoimahY6L_HOXGgaX6AJm-abnhBBrR3Ch7ncNiFNVBGbLe-7gzc8u-_v6Pjg/s4032/IMG_3554.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDSqiubY8AspnOXxtwKC2DlmW9KTr_poGl4T5kcSTvRr1OHRpEVyULVe6Lhpx9s1koLpdza3wxw1PvIHVwTJxQWwr12FLhmqkn5LrUS1ckUJqmqQlzIHWaaSKYziu0WLoimahY6L_HOXGgaX6AJm-abnhBBrR3Ch7ncNiFNVBGbLe-7gzc8u-_v6Pjg/w200-h150/IMG_3554.HEIC" width="200" /></a>I hear that the factory is the town's biggest employer.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Here's a short video I found on YouTube showing the factory and how the crisps are made.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy0udqsh1L1NpgZF6-qA4ecLfmtCnZ2jbQ6DFibHTSf8bVKwBIqykClOuOrTN3pkZG4tYnTO03nwjXrOdUWBg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">©Strážnické brambůrky Hobža</div></div><p></p>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0696 62 Strážnice, Czechia48.9010174 17.316810220.590783563821155 -17.8394398 77.211251236178839 52.4730602tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-69349828732746598762023-02-04T08:34:00.226+01:002023-06-15T06:37:21.761+02:00Martina Navrátilová<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OgPVjcj4mzBH00BJRSX_8G9_JQ0aeQPaYsldSTS_u0JVSOW36ubM60bdczvaOVFkG90_9rlaj5rHRGtoUd5L5yr1WKv1Cb7PE7WGeWmL_YZ3Yvx09N_58E0yGLv2gn5yRL-ooXIMsEb3b-Su5aIU8hbmDryp6fxi3sxHo21a0hUN5LEYmuX4YxoRZA/s594/Martina-Navratilova.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="594" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OgPVjcj4mzBH00BJRSX_8G9_JQ0aeQPaYsldSTS_u0JVSOW36ubM60bdczvaOVFkG90_9rlaj5rHRGtoUd5L5yr1WKv1Cb7PE7WGeWmL_YZ3Yvx09N_58E0yGLv2gn5yRL-ooXIMsEb3b-Su5aIU8hbmDryp6fxi3sxHo21a0hUN5LEYmuX4YxoRZA/w200-h133/Martina-Navratilova.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Today is the second <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2021/01/significant-days.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">significant day</span></a> of the year. It is the <i><a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2021/02/day-of-czechs-abroad.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Day of Czechs Abroad</span></a></i> and it is meant to honour Czechs who emigrated. The USA is the country with the largest number of Czechs living abroad and one of the most famous emigres is <b>Martina Navrátilová</b>. </p><p>Martina Navratilova is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. She dominated women's tennis in the 1970s and 1980s and with 59 major titles. She won her first major title in 1974 and won her last major title in 2006, just before her 50th birthday. She'd been winning major tennis titles for 32 years. Wow! Here's the official trailer from YouTube for <i>Martina Navratilova: Unrivalled.</i></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzn5opyYTpZIfXijNElbahFLkZVBZ9nEMBHPGEJWBjfIUbBas0HbCU0TwZ4I7of__HOxbmbtRFlSMPG4ISCFw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">©US Open Tennis Championships</div></div><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwK0Y1uqaVJv6K5BW0LbX2FgnBsYCp260x6N_7ksI9ytL1EH1Fdgl-XH_elnF180iO61aacchwpiwRYOd5TcwzWyac6LIM6O4-ohbM1eQX6RUlyas4d3KW_yWdztH6EzEsjSzDXbC9jtzkmNOB4Zp4WrMdbW_4jx09K7M7Sfn1hfQcpiXwm5T4yH67Q/s518/Screenshot%202023-06-14%20at%2021.14.00.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="518" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwK0Y1uqaVJv6K5BW0LbX2FgnBsYCp260x6N_7ksI9ytL1EH1Fdgl-XH_elnF180iO61aacchwpiwRYOd5TcwzWyac6LIM6O4-ohbM1eQX6RUlyas4d3KW_yWdztH6EzEsjSzDXbC9jtzkmNOB4Zp4WrMdbW_4jx09K7M7Sfn1hfQcpiXwm5T4yH67Q/w200-h143/Screenshot%202023-06-14%20at%2021.14.00.png" width="200" /></a>She was born in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2009/12/1st-visit-to-prague.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Prague</span></a> in 1956. She started playing tennis at a young ago and she won the national tennis championship in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/01/czechoslovakia_24.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Czechoslovakia</span></a> when she was just 15. In 1975 she turned professional. While on tour in the USA in 1975, when she was 18 years old, she asked for political asylum and was given a green card. When she defected, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2021/10/the-communists-are-out.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">the communists</span></a> stripped her of her Czechoslovak citizenship. In 1981 she became an American citizen. After the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/11/25th-anniversary-of-velvet-revolution.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Velvet Revolution</span></a> and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-velvet-divorce.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Velvet Divorce</span></a>, she was able to gain Czech citizenship in 2008 and is now a dual citizen of the USA and Czechland. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><a class="image" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tennis_Nederland_tegen_Verenigde_Staten_in_Den_Haag_Navratilova_in_aktie,_Bestanddeelnr_930-9118_(cropped).jpg" style="background: 0% repeat rgb(248, 249, 250); caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); clear: left; color: #795cb2; float: left; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><img class="thumbimage" data-file-height="2250" data-file-width="1564" decoding="async" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Tennis_Nederland_tegen_Verenigde_Staten_in_Den_Haag_Navratilova_in_aktie%2C_Bestanddeelnr_930-9118_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-Tennis_Nederland_tegen_Verenigde_Staten_in_Den_Haag_Navratilova_in_aktie%2C_Bestanddeelnr_930-9118_%28cropped%29.jpg" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Tennis_Nederland_tegen_Verenigde_Staten_in_Den_Haag_Navratilova_in_aktie%2C_Bestanddeelnr_930-9118_%28cropped%29.jpg/330px-Tennis_Nederland_tegen_Verenigde_Staten_in_Den_Haag_Navratilova_in_aktie%2C_Bestanddeelnr_930-9118_%28cropped%29.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Tennis_Nederland_tegen_Verenigde_Staten_in_Den_Haag_Navratilova_in_aktie%2C_Bestanddeelnr_930-9118_%28cropped%29.jpg/440px-Tennis_Nederland_tegen_Verenigde_Staten_in_Den_Haag_Navratilova_in_aktie%2C_Bestanddeelnr_930-9118_%28cropped%29.jpg 2x" style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(200, 204, 209); vertical-align: middle;" width="139" /></a>Once she was an American citizen she came out of the closet and has been an active spokesperson and role model for the LGBT community. It's sad that she could not come out earlier but if she did then it could have disqualified her from gaining U.S. citizenship.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Here's a short video I found on YouTube that talks about her life and career.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwRhWefkFy0jHv_P9m2m-yOJZkX8zXzIbx8TbUQZk3qyUXh7TDlS9f4jdYqKumvBFXeDyVGIzpAdkE28S6M0A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">©Juana Chaves</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's a short video about the first time she returned to Czechoslovakia in 1986. This was the first time that she was able to see her parents since she defected. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx3QEpnOhiJbaDV2P9lD5SUMSQkz_wXFgxrGEg2oBHWWDjctw76NJFKKepQaHbwbwvmwpzaEsWjZLZxnJVUew' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">©Tennisfamer</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'll be honest. When I was moving to Czechland, if someone asked me to name a famous Czech I would have only been able to name <a href="http://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.cz/2011/12/vaclav-havel-rip.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Václav Havel</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/06/vera-caslavska.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Věra Čáslavská</span></a>, and Martina Navrátilová. Thanks to living here, now I know way more but I'd have to say that Martina is still the best well known.</div></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Czechia49.817491999999987 15.47296221.507258163821142 -19.683287999999997 78.127725836178826 50.629212tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-73232383885983472542023-02-03T19:13:00.231+01:002023-06-14T06:24:47.674+02:00Meet the Mayor 2023<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFE9xE2gOW2laRq9D35wA6NCLg_k9B4WfXk6k91iLjt5EXbTsekC1O5gpQ1IqUT4BvF1z1Q33yMRceU7P5Pkt2SaQWUK9-UhbkOTosT6nm-8RfDXPGvW-yalzmUeez3Ue6OkX8vpKOWojXibAA010p52JcQ6jTP2apm4fVNtKOP_icit66FqBCEQg9g/s4032/IMG_3467.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFE9xE2gOW2laRq9D35wA6NCLg_k9B4WfXk6k91iLjt5EXbTsekC1O5gpQ1IqUT4BvF1z1Q33yMRceU7P5Pkt2SaQWUK9-UhbkOTosT6nm-8RfDXPGvW-yalzmUeez3Ue6OkX8vpKOWojXibAA010p52JcQ6jTP2apm4fVNtKOP_icit66FqBCEQg9g/w200-h150/IMG_3467.HEIC" width="200" /></a>Yesterday I got to meet the mayor. The mayor's office wanted to hear from people about how to better meet the needs of foreigners as the city continues to grow as a centre for technology and innovation. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjTMjulJggdZxhDW5bJMRTbQ_eyCWVcwzLDlpKi8KqjMNpwiu2Fr_ko7lGd0i41pCq0yPFMRU2ZlzEy6efskjUzAodTEQOcUvqdGD0EICuKajx_RW1DULcFyEuKq_NZ7P4tTqQapHEjyJLqSsCX41FVNQel2Kg0luISr5U2n13vrivObqjyLp4ey67A/s82/70px-Brno_(znak).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="82" data-original-width="70" height="82" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjTMjulJggdZxhDW5bJMRTbQ_eyCWVcwzLDlpKi8KqjMNpwiu2Fr_ko7lGd0i41pCq0yPFMRU2ZlzEy6efskjUzAodTEQOcUvqdGD0EICuKajx_RW1DULcFyEuKq_NZ7P4tTqQapHEjyJLqSsCX41FVNQel2Kg0luISr5U2n13vrivObqjyLp4ey67A/s1600/70px-Brno_(znak).png" width="70" /></a>Kyndryl is the city's largest private employer with about 1700 foreigners working here in Brno. We were provided two tickets and I was lucky enough to be asked to go. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiTaEN49nAD0Cq8VlDwS20-CV-qhrbZYjJ4ZRw_Ku8zCJh27s5nmYLTvnfvwbflm8QQ0zE94acEQmVZFJU18WVtISW6YoknXKSdzXjKw10Re3i3uzlRSuWXpQ7KwmummEz_mEDwmcRdd3Rsc1i7bzbC1EM0ACf1YW9N8OsX1pXzxnF75V2RztfY4i8w/s4032/IMG_3471.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiTaEN49nAD0Cq8VlDwS20-CV-qhrbZYjJ4ZRw_Ku8zCJh27s5nmYLTvnfvwbflm8QQ0zE94acEQmVZFJU18WVtISW6YoknXKSdzXjKw10Re3i3uzlRSuWXpQ7KwmummEz_mEDwmcRdd3Rsc1i7bzbC1EM0ACf1YW9N8OsX1pXzxnF75V2RztfY4i8w/w150-h200/IMG_3471.HEIC" width="150" /></a>After work I showed up at the town tall for the event. This was my first time inside and I was floored. </p><p>Some of it has been recently renovated and I had no idea of just how beautiful it was.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOWmvehOcUhX2qmVfXdbut95uwHSKlywiAdgixBpQ8gTqMeCkmHIKkOQyMMepDt7_y51DotJt8e_igNvnsq0FNcCLuLRi0ZsyqWr_RBQ-OweHmha4lrb1NhZocNx4c9jbvlIiQpyzoUOOVcfx5cui5P5NuglbCg6bUdishuhTzGXqViJAKwOAvKHCvA/s4032/IMG_3476.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOWmvehOcUhX2qmVfXdbut95uwHSKlywiAdgixBpQ8gTqMeCkmHIKkOQyMMepDt7_y51DotJt8e_igNvnsq0FNcCLuLRi0ZsyqWr_RBQ-OweHmha4lrb1NhZocNx4c9jbvlIiQpyzoUOOVcfx5cui5P5NuglbCg6bUdishuhTzGXqViJAKwOAvKHCvA/w400-h300/IMG_3476.HEIC" width="400" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_73SGjKBnQD1hM8ispmZYclQnmo18iwniFf64KRNoVquxPqriPkkFI5gtqL00GB68YGVSWbSWTw1vBOoxQfO6dxD5HBf3-3iEYfrmSRQ-ds4zeIUkK6jQ9nDPbjvdVWhC5Qu5dPfCrFdQg3TZIDjLRVlSYB1uevUAGvWAJcpAqKcOLTtp_E3bxF6OSw/s4032/IMG_3494.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_73SGjKBnQD1hM8ispmZYclQnmo18iwniFf64KRNoVquxPqriPkkFI5gtqL00GB68YGVSWbSWTw1vBOoxQfO6dxD5HBf3-3iEYfrmSRQ-ds4zeIUkK6jQ9nDPbjvdVWhC5Qu5dPfCrFdQg3TZIDjLRVlSYB1uevUAGvWAJcpAqKcOLTtp_E3bxF6OSw/w150-h200/IMG_3494.HEIC" width="150" /></a>JUDr. Markéta Vańková has been Brno's mayor since 2018. Before she was mayor, she was a representative for the <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/06/jihomoravsky-kraj.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">South Moravian Region</span></a>.</p><p>One of the chaps from the <a href="https://www.brnoexpatcentre.eu" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Brno Expat Centre</span></a> knew me from my blog. That was a surprise but then later on I remembered that my blog had been <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2017/07/blog-mention.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">mentioned back in 2017</span></a>.</p><p>I was impressed with how the city is trying to bring in more highly-qualified expats, especially in the field of nanotechnology, and what the city can do to help people settle in.</p><p>There are foreigners from 149 countries registered in Brno. <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/07/slovak-republic.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Slovaks</span></a> don't have to register as foreigners in Czechland so their numbers aren't included. The largest number of foreigners in Brno are from <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/02/ukraine.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ukraine</span></a>, followed by Vietnam, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/03/russian-federation.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Russia</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2018/06/republic-of-india.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">India</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/07/romania.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Romania</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2010/11/republic-of-turkey-is-eurasian-country.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Turkey</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/03/republic-of-kazakhstan.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kazakhstan</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2011/10/republic-of-bulgaria.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Bulgaria</span></a>, Philippines, USA, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/08/republic-of-poland.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Poland</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2013/02/united-kingdom-of-great-britain-and.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">UK</span></a>, and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2016/03/republic-of-belarus.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Belarus</span></a>. </p><p>I was gobsmacked to find out that there are <b>629 Americans living in Brno</b>. I have no idea of where they are hiding because I don't know them. How are there more Americans here than Poles when Poland is next door? I honestly only know a few Americans here. I know way more people from <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/02/italian-republic.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Italy</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/06/french-republic.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">France</span></a>, <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/03/kingdom-of-spain.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Spain</span></a>, and <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2012/05/federal-republic-of-germany.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Germany</span></a> here in Brno and these countries aren't even on the list.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHx6Eo6HJzGYSm22nh1EmfGwfyAbW9FiJRmCIqOeddI57Vcu1U2rpkG3qLVrNyUCrsqmsFLjbv15GV1EAC54fVrN4h0Jg86LoaOp5j5wrAb3Rdg3ISYF25FTCJFtqwXMA4ydaivE1WyWdnAsJOhY7nBqYAuRjqQCKJ4_NaSGR8d-jOLqFeRs51Q2RknQ/s700/hlavni_skupiny_cizincu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 16px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="700" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHx6Eo6HJzGYSm22nh1EmfGwfyAbW9FiJRmCIqOeddI57Vcu1U2rpkG3qLVrNyUCrsqmsFLjbv15GV1EAC54fVrN4h0Jg86LoaOp5j5wrAb3Rdg3ISYF25FTCJFtqwXMA4ydaivE1WyWdnAsJOhY7nBqYAuRjqQCKJ4_NaSGR8d-jOLqFeRs51Q2RknQ/w400-h343/hlavni_skupiny_cizincu.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: right;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNtc9h0risFfszXd9LlqwmxRF2yR5rXMAQMa6EUnippBAkdLxOik8Heo3-r-hluQ44RmGG-6OSILgicgUdp0Hf8ruMWg5FB7TR2TYoi4-I765Cq__35Xvfx-oOYD9Rz69yAZKb0Q4DsvBAb46pi9UpLQLZcx2VneZ9BscZ3YZWHI-RXPqgty4dieCNw/s1500/pocet_cizincu_brno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1009" data-original-width="1500" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNtc9h0risFfszXd9LlqwmxRF2yR5rXMAQMa6EUnippBAkdLxOik8Heo3-r-hluQ44RmGG-6OSILgicgUdp0Hf8ruMWg5FB7TR2TYoi4-I765Cq__35Xvfx-oOYD9Rz69yAZKb0Q4DsvBAb46pi9UpLQLZcx2VneZ9BscZ3YZWHI-RXPqgty4dieCNw/w400-h269/pocet_cizincu_brno.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>There were maybe 50 or 75 people that were invited and I got the chance to meet up with a few friends from other companies that I haven't seen in a while. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXVaZXAqbJqiOEUq1bYEZE_17zLZCCdCbwpO_uN3XdhNQaYRSboHtn1IIRxaTDq_h8uuDiaERmar0PdMdVo5Pgj6U4Fapud1vnIhEtdJOtDgAoc7HVXYCgOHaGqZ7BS5PE8RL33M9l7ffODfdgpWsEu8yihSzncihDaOGdpWXPRx59qRebTQ7edot0w/s341/Screenshot%202023-06-14%20at%205.30.05.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="338" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXVaZXAqbJqiOEUq1bYEZE_17zLZCCdCbwpO_uN3XdhNQaYRSboHtn1IIRxaTDq_h8uuDiaERmar0PdMdVo5Pgj6U4Fapud1vnIhEtdJOtDgAoc7HVXYCgOHaGqZ7BS5PE8RL33M9l7ffODfdgpWsEu8yihSzncihDaOGdpWXPRx59qRebTQ7edot0w/w198-h200/Screenshot%202023-06-14%20at%205.30.05.png" width="198" /></a>It really was a great experience and I count myself very lucky to have had the chance to participate.</p><p>Now to figure out where are of these other Americans are.</p>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Brno, Czechia49.1950602 16.606837120.884826363821155 -18.5494129 77.505294036178839 51.7630871tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-602436215000070989.post-39971426457743253102023-02-02T05:27:00.295+01:002023-08-05T11:05:00.846+02:0080th Anniversary of the End of the Battle of Stalingrad<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTDTvwuyw3Nz0g7ZQpFBAB0pleKYweLvSJrd8SS1vK1mqsP8sW8TBHmhhZJCMlDKQXJeMLl12Re9Qe5x7FSG1hIEWwt9g6JPmaatvaGECte5HDWsIC7fiJLbQOVFFiWFan1dBcSp23wsakns5gmhWPEme31lExj0zS4D-1eDhA_-gy3dOI3GCX3N9kg/s1178/80th%20Stalingrad.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1178" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTDTvwuyw3Nz0g7ZQpFBAB0pleKYweLvSJrd8SS1vK1mqsP8sW8TBHmhhZJCMlDKQXJeMLl12Re9Qe5x7FSG1hIEWwt9g6JPmaatvaGECte5HDWsIC7fiJLbQOVFFiWFan1dBcSp23wsakns5gmhWPEme31lExj0zS4D-1eDhA_-gy3dOI3GCX3N9kg/w200-h179/80th%20Stalingrad.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Today is the 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad. It lasted from 23 August 1942 to 2 February 1943. The Battle of Stalingrad was the largest and deadliest battle ever known with approximately 2 million people killed on both sides. </p><p>The Battle of Stalingrad was the first major defeat for Hitler's army and is regarded as the turning point in the war in Europe.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucvE0891pxpLk9fFuQGtBCmjdEEEfxGJGzsDEcRN4BVByuQyRrf2_0E2c_R9qRHh-60us9L9ErePwbJOa70L0XBOR33qo0Y64NN6lEpFaxggSaCZynF9Cdu4LLlKrmzj3Rlrt_imXu24uWn5AJvjeBUXE9KTarLWM8A2PqvVpiSuPmMEiROfA9CaG2w/s1023/Volgorad%20map.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1023" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucvE0891pxpLk9fFuQGtBCmjdEEEfxGJGzsDEcRN4BVByuQyRrf2_0E2c_R9qRHh-60us9L9ErePwbJOa70L0XBOR33qo0Y64NN6lEpFaxggSaCZynF9Cdu4LLlKrmzj3Rlrt_imXu24uWn5AJvjeBUXE9KTarLWM8A2PqvVpiSuPmMEiROfA9CaG2w/w200-h113/Volgorad%20map.gif" width="200" /></a>In 1925, Tsaritsyn was renamed Stalingrad, after the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. In 1961, the city was renamed Volgograd.</p><p>Here's a five-minute YouTube video about the Battle of Stalingrad.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzwaWm3J6K9QkORhneW1mgngQQHp6rp-0KC3oJm0jwlJNOfIS8JZ2UnFnZqK3sJlhHF_oDOl6AFYwI9FXdTOw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">©Simple History</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6v3XTZ-ccV4_xbWuZLevAwvP7XouNNIR4L1hGc-DODJorOFH8w53rJWchAmznqgbsJABvd92IVkU4xkxHaezHgu1MMA-oXbV9c2iKFC1wYgvZwKwszm-dEehcV29C1hHRUY96houGg1crbfAvlZ4d6lDGm3DZfAQThWAjwbErDfmV-yii6u_D00ruQ/s475/Stalingrad%201993.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="293" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6v3XTZ-ccV4_xbWuZLevAwvP7XouNNIR4L1hGc-DODJorOFH8w53rJWchAmznqgbsJABvd92IVkU4xkxHaezHgu1MMA-oXbV9c2iKFC1wYgvZwKwszm-dEehcV29C1hHRUY96houGg1crbfAvlZ4d6lDGm3DZfAQThWAjwbErDfmV-yii6u_D00ruQ/w123-h200/Stalingrad%201993.jpeg" width="123" /></a>There have been a few movies about the Battle of Stalingrad. <i>Stalingrad</i> was a German language film released in 1993. It follows a platoon of German soldiers transferred to the Eastern Front in WWII and they find themselves fighting in Stalingrad. Here's the movie trailer with English subtitles.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy-GBEFZGH5QpWafwiaPHxpiz7HEj58H4psOVMqt9UNsitLyZoa0Xi1ZZqFJn7L4GglXDm2VSq52zZWbpbAkw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">©Strand Releasing</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4jcaSpT8WNq6UgpKccKMo4C-XU-nLQbav-ib5mdcH4O-Ko-sECkMCXNSsGRYnOQ76hY939k9d1CkgiLFyXdeQW0-PXdCQwI3JAqbugAL2KplPQX8Iurvyjv668pGaomWLjhtbfRtgdVjz0OgaWw0CEUh5JVBiz-fP8dessr4XluhpmCqvcdYlqyrog/s454/enemy_poster.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="303" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4jcaSpT8WNq6UgpKccKMo4C-XU-nLQbav-ib5mdcH4O-Ko-sECkMCXNSsGRYnOQ76hY939k9d1CkgiLFyXdeQW0-PXdCQwI3JAqbugAL2KplPQX8Iurvyjv668pGaomWLjhtbfRtgdVjz0OgaWw0CEUh5JVBiz-fP8dessr4XluhpmCqvcdYlqyrog/w134-h200/enemy_poster.jpeg" width="134" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Another well-known film is the 2001 release of <i>Enemy at the Gates</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It tells the story of Vasily Zaitsev, a young sniper who killed over 225 enemy soldiers. Here's the movie trailer. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzdHZoxtCylLLntWEJtTawhwuoPFdiCak0PHIz5QbOanTblCcYcEx1TKpDJFPuEz9b-L7v1vGmwoDlPA9qewQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©Paramount Pictures</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1Yp5JpYsY-w_H5c6iaox-hoN9IKhRDzGETzQ6BHyG0bmNyjUPs-QGUc_vZGgaQJ_9Iy9m85hefgjGipjuW8Ec8dNX7dHRBHBL38lWcOI6L526Y9fK9nXeLw3xmGP2QPMCbwCw3ZBv8KqV7jjHkXQ59D1BIZaU-FP5Cpy2ODsf2vxd_TVk5Wtm3YjGA/s1120/Vasily_Zaytsev.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1120" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1Yp5JpYsY-w_H5c6iaox-hoN9IKhRDzGETzQ6BHyG0bmNyjUPs-QGUc_vZGgaQJ_9Iy9m85hefgjGipjuW8Ec8dNX7dHRBHBL38lWcOI6L526Y9fK9nXeLw3xmGP2QPMCbwCw3ZBv8KqV7jjHkXQ59D1BIZaU-FP5Cpy2ODsf2vxd_TVk5Wtm3YjGA/w161-h200/Vasily_Zaytsev.jpeg" width="161" /></a>Vasily Zaitsev was a celebrated Hero of the Soviet Union for his service in WWII, which in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2014/03/russian-federation.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Russia</span></a> is known as "the Great Patriotic War". Following the war, he settled in <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2015/03/kyiv-ukraine.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kyiv</span></a> and lived there until he died in 1991, just 11 days before the Soviet Union broke apart. He was buried in Kyiv but he had wished to be be buried in Stalingrad so in January 2006 he was reburied in Volgograd.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Volgograd has been on my list of places to visit. At the Stalingrad Museum his sniper rifle is on display which I'd like to see one day. However, I don't think that it's going to be anytime soon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Apparently Russia is glamorising Stalin again and have put up a new bust of him in Volgograd. Although he was responsible for the deaths of 6-9 million people.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzBCpNyb2J5czVGzEMsqnJOUK_C_tgBfDVrulVFBnIDWRcEtpvQiocZ6swIkxx9zz56gZQvT6j17m0B9nIAXQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©EuroNews</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Who knows how Putin will try to spin the 80th anniversary into a propaganda event trying to further justify his <a href="https://chrisinbrnocr.blogspot.com/2022/02/blog-post.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">war in Ukraine</span></a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3666px;">Я за Україну. </b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3666px;">Я за Україною. Слава Україні Stojím za Ukrajinou! I stand with Ukraine. </b><span class="x3nfvp2 x1j61x8r x1fcty0u xdj266r xhhsvwb xat24cr xgzva0m xxymvpz xlup9mm x1kky2od" face="system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; display: inline-flex; font-size: 15px; height: 16px; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 16px;"><img alt="🇺🇦" height="16" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tf2/1/16/1f1fa_1f1e6.png" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 4px;" width="16" /></span><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;"></span></div><div><span class="x3nfvp2 x1j61x8r x1fcty0u xdj266r xhhsvwb xat24cr xgzva0m xxymvpz xlup9mm x1kky2od" face="system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; display: inline-flex; font-size: 15px; height: 16px; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: red;">Update:</span></b> Here's two minutes of CCTV coverage of the anniversary.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxSniJz1ayPymzjMqZiZJeIExjegls9q6XoCsTDsfuf8reqkTb3q-TQ0fKpqAHAcFdm8ZirpAVJ1se5mdrD1g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">©CCTV</div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00475533815607447957noreply@blogger.com0Volgograd, Volgograd Oblast, Russia48.708048 44.513303431.41870670394367 9.3570534000000052 65.997389296056326 79.669553399999984