Žižkov TV Tower

The Žižkov Television Tower was built in Prague between 1985 - 1992. It is a unique part of the Prague skyline. In fact, a lot of residents were against the tower when it was first built.

There are TV towers in several former iron curtain cities. There's one in East Berlin and in "Bratsville" (Bratislava). They were used to jam Radio Free Europe and keep western TV shows out of the communist states. Today, in addition to being used as a meteorological observatory, the tower is used to provide satelite TV and cellular phone service to the city. What a difference a couple of decades make.








The tower is made up of three concrete pillars that support the transmitter cabinets, three observation rooms, a restaurant and a cafe. From a distance, it looks like a rocket launchpad. It weighs 11,800 tons and is 216 meters (709 feet) tall. It's the highest tower in the ČR. The observation decks are 100 meters (328 feet) high and offer great views of the city.

In 2000, crawling baby sculptures were added temporarily to the tower by Czech artist David Černý. The babies were such a hit that they returned in 2001 as permanent fixtures.

John Lennon Wall

In Prague's Malá Strana district, near the Charles Bridge and almost across from the French Embassy, is the John Lennon Wall.
It was just a regular wall that in the 1980s began to be filled with John Lennon-inspired graffiti, poems and Beatles song lyrics. Durring communism, Czechs would add grievances to the wall, in addition to more Beatles-inspired material. I guess the wall was supposed to be a symbol for love and peace.

The government would clean the wall and the graffiti would be back up the next day. Even with guards posted over night, the graffiti would continue.

The current owners of the allow still allow graffiti to go up. The original John Lennon portrait is buried underneath who knows how many layers of paint. I had heard about the wall but had never seen it before. I've got to admit it was kind of a let down. To me it just looks like another wall filled with graffiti.

Petřín Hill

Petřín Hill is a network of parks in Prague. The hill is 318 meters (1,043 feet) high. You can walk to the top or take the funicular. We rode the funicular. There is a beautiful rose garden as soon as you reach the top.

By the 18th century, most of the 12th century vineyards were converted to gardens. You can follow different walking paths as you pass various memorials. One of the paths leads you over to the castle.

The Hunger Wall goes around the park. It was built from 1360 – 1362 and was part of the city’s fortifications at the time. It got its name because as a way to employ people, the workers received food, instead of money, to build the wall.



In 1891, the Petřín Hill Observatory Tower was built for the Old Jubilee Exhibition. I have no idea what the exhibition was but the tower was built for it.

The tower is a model of Eiffel Tower. At 60 meters (~197 feet) tall, the tower is a quarter of the size of the original in Paris. The view from the top of the tower is awesome as you overlook the entire city.

Jan Hus Day Again

July 6th is Jan Hus Day and it is a public holiday in the ČR. I wrote about it last year.  But it meant more to me this year because I actually got the day off. Last year, it was a holiday but it didn't do anything for me because I hadn't started work yet. My first day was the 7th. 

In the center of Prague's Old Town Square is a big Jan Hus statue. It was erected in 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of his death. 

The statue shows the moral Jan Hus who gave up his life instead of surrendering his beliefs and a young mother that symbolizes the rebirth of the nation.

St. Cyril and St. Methodius Day

Den slovanských věrozvěstů Cyrila a Metoděje, “Slavic Missionaries Cyril and Methodius Day”, is a public holiday here. Not quite the 4th of July, but I’ll take the day off. The day commemorates St. Cyril and St. Methodius. They were two Byzantine Greek brothers who brought Christianity to the Great Moravian Empire in 863. They translated the Bible in to the Slavic language of the 9th century.

They created the Glagolitic alphabet which was the first used to transcribe the Old Church Slavonic language. Later the alphabet was simplified and became known as Cyrillic – the “Russian” alphabet used in Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Bosnian, etc.

In 1980, Pope John Paul II declared them co-patrons of Europe. The holiday is celebrated on July 5th in countries with a Roman Catholic tradition and on May 24th in countries observing the Eastern Orthodox tradition.

I was just happy that this year the holiday fell on a Monday so we got a long weekend. In the U.S., if a holiday falls on a weekend then you are off on either Friday or Monday. In the ČR, if a holiday falls on a weekend then you lose the day because you’re already off.

3rd Prague Visit

July 5th and 6th are public holidays in the ČR. So Claudia’s parents and sister drove down from Berlin and we all spent a long weekend together in Prague. This was a nice, relaxing visit and it felt good to get away for a few days. This was my third visit to Prague and they have all been in the last six months so I was hoping to visit some of the sights I hadn’t seen before. The castle is great but I didn't need a third tour.

We started out on Friday night with a dinner cruise on the Vltava. The Vltava (Moldova) is the longest river in the country. The trip started with a 30-minute shuttle ride to the boat and the tour guide talked about the sights along the way. Claudia’s parents only speak German so we purchased tickets for the German language version. But the guide kept switching back and forth between English and German, so by the time she got around to speaking German we had already passed what she wanted to point out. We then spent three hours going up and down the river while having dinner and then we sat up on top of the boat listening to the accordion player. It was nice to see the city from a different perspective.

On Saturday, we toured old town and walked on the Charles Bridge. Of course, being with four Germans, we had to go watch the World Cup since it was between Germany vs. Argentina for a spot in the finals. We watched the match at an English pub which was interesting. The English don’t really care for Argentina (Falkland Islands War) and Germany knocked the UK out of the competition. So you could never really tell who they wanted to lose more. But there were lots of happy Germans in old town, all chanting away, once they made it in to the final four.

The last time Claudia’s dad was in Prague was sometime around 1965 – 1968. The last time he was there he went to a pub he liked and wanted to go back again. This year, Prague opened up its first Hooters restaurant so I suggested that we tell him this was how much the pub had changed in +40 years. At least I thought it would be funny. But believe it or not, we found the place and it is still going strong.




U Fleků was founded in 1499 and is considered the oldest brewery in Prague. Now I know that Europe has a long, rich history. But this brewery is older than my country. The pub was founded in 1499 and Columbus discovered the New World in 1492. This place has been brewing beer for +500 years!

We visited Petřín and the observation tower which is a small replica of the Eiffel Tower. We also checked out the John Lennon Wall, the Memorial to the victims of Communism, the Museum of Communism, the TV tower and the Jewish Quarter. More on all of these later so stay tuned for future posts.

U.S. Embassy in Prague

I needed extra visa pages added to my passport. Normally, you have to mail in your passport but since I’m required to carry my passport here I have the option of visiting a local embassy. Since I was going to be in Prague this weekend anyway, I made an appointment on Friday to visit the U.S. Embassy.

The American Embassy is in the Schoenborn Palace in Prague’s Malá Strana district. It was built from 1643 – 1656. It sits in four wings around three courtyards. The U.S. Government purchased the palace in 1925 for $117,000.

Like most embassies, security is tightly controlled. Before you can drive on the street, Czech police require you to get out of your car. You also have to open your hood and truck and a mirror is passed under your vehicle.

I showed my passport to get in to the building, went through security and had to check my backpack. Cameras and cell phones aren’t allowed inside so those got checked as well.

You even get art while you wait in the consular services section. Back in 2001, Renaissance-era ceiling paintings were discovered under some drop ceilings. After several years, the ceilings have been restored and they contain ornate images. Too bad I wasn’t allowed to have a camera with me. But here’s a picture I found on the Internet.

There was a guy there who lives in Prague and had his passport stolen. His problem was that he lost his passport in 2008, had it stolen in 2009 and again in 2010. Apparently U.S. law requires that his new passport will only be good for one year. If he can make it the full year then he can apply again for the normal 10-year passport. Poor guy. Let’s hope that I don’t ever have to go through that.

OK, back to me. I filled out the required paperwork in advance and brought it with me. I dropped off my passport and was told to come back in four hours to pick it up. I made sure to be on time because the embassy takes off for both U.S. and Czech holidays. If I didn’t make it there by the time they closed then I would have to go back to Prague the next week. No problems at all and I only spent a little over an hour in the embassy. The best part is that there was no fee to add blank pages to a valid passport.

I also solved a mystery of sorts. When you’re at the Prague Castle and looking towards Petřín, you see some sort of park or something and this huge American flag. I’ve never been able to figure out if it’s some kind of park or memorial or what. It’s part of the embassy. Behind the palace there is a terraced garden and orchard on seven acres that extends up the hillside. The Glorietta is the garden pavilion where the flag flies.

Update: I’m really glad that I had pages added when I did. Starting mid-July, the U.S. Government is raising prices for passports, renewals, etc. Having pages added was free and next week the fee will be $82. I would not have been happy if I had missed out on free.

One Year Down

So I made it!! It’s been a full year since I packed my bags and moved to the Czech Republic. Sometimes it feels like I just got off the airplane and sometimes it feels like I’ve been here for years. I remember my first few days and not knowing if I had made one huge mistake by coming here. I didn't know a soul, could not speak the language, didn't know where anything was, had no mobile or Internet access, felt isolated in the temporary flat I was renting, and wasn't due to start work for a few days. But I did survive.

Thank the Lord for the Internet! There is absolutely no way I could have done this whole expat thing without the Google. Having the Internet, e-mail, my blog, Skype and Facebook has helped fight the homesickness. In fact, I’m in contact with some folks more now than I was when I was still in Atlanta.

Czechs can take bureaucracy to a whole new level. I think it’s a holdover from communism when everyone had to have a job. Now it means you have to jump through all kinds of hoops in order to get things done. I am glad that I moved here but there are days when I just wonder “WTF!?!?!”. Especially with that logic that only makes sense to Czechs. I call it “loczech”, but more on that later.

After a few months over here I met a couple of Americans in “Bratsville”. That’s what I call Bratislava. And it’s funny because I’ve even got Slovaks calling it that now. Anyway, it was great knowing that Janelle and Marcus were only 1.5 hours away and we were able to get together for some wonderful adventures, including Thanksgiving. We were like a support group as we tried to fit in over here. But life goes on and they have both gone back to the U.S. Dang them! Marcus is back in Atlanta and doing well. Janelle got married in Dominica and is back in New York. I still can’t believe that she’s a married woman now. She sent me some wedding photos on Facebook and she looked so beautiful.

The care packages help a lot. Hint! Hint! Especially the ones which Steven & Michael have personally delivered to me. Twice. Thanks boys!

I still miss good restaurant service and being able to just turn on the TV and understand what’s going on. I’m getting better with the metric system but it still isn’t second nature yet. I love the emphasis here on quality of life and I rather enjoy all of the vacation time I now receive. I’ll probably end up visiting 12 different countries this year.

I miss having an actual out, gay community like you find in any major metropolitan area back in the U.S. The majority of people I’ve met who are actually out tend to be in their early to mid-twenties. I find it sad that the gay people here, around my age, are actually married and in the closet because they didn’t have the option to come out twenty years ago. But it’s not like I’m living in Tehran where gays are executed so I’ll just count my blessings.

I understand that Czech is the official language here and I always try Czech first. As an American, I’m used to hearing English spoken with all kinds of accents and can pretty much understand anyone. Czechs are not used to hearing foreigners speak their language. So if you slightly mispronounce something then they can’t (or won’t) do the mental gymnastics to figure it out or meet you half way.

My Czech language classes have gone a long way towards feeling more at home here. I’m making my way through the grammar and I find myself relying less on subtitles when I watch a Czech movie. But it gets incredibly frustrating at times when I’m speaking and don’t have the vocabulary at the tip of my tongue. But that’s something which just takes time. I’m going to be screwed at the end of September when my Czech tutor, Jitka, moves to Germany. She’s completing her Ph.D. and is off to Bavaria to teach at university. Now the hunt is on to try to find another private teacher. She has set the bar so high that I wonder if I’ll be able to find someone half as good as her.

Obviously I still miss my family, my friends, and my dogs. People here and back there ask me all the time when am I going back to visit. The answer is that I don’t know. During my first six months, it was easy to say that I had just arrived so a trip was out of the question. And this year I’m taking advantage of Brno’s central European location to see as much as I can of Europe. Many Czechs go to Egypt, Tunisia, or Croatia for beach holidays. Egypt and Tunisia are far cheaper because you can stay at all-inclusive resorts. I’m going to Croatia because, again, this year I want to see as much of Europe as I can. So it looks like I may try to visit the U.S. in 2011 or 2012. The problem with going to the U.S. is that it is so far away. In order to make the trip worth it I will need to go for at least 2 – 3 weeks, which will eat up over half of my vacation time. I lived in Atlanta for 13 years so that is (or at least was) home to me. But all of my family is on the West Coast. I can’t go to one coast and not the other without getting in trouble with someone. And it’s a good 5 – 6 hour flight between the two so I can’t just bop between the two. So I guess I’ll have to fly in to Atlanta for a few days, make my way to L.A., and then fly back to Europe out of LAX. I’m going to have to cash in SkyMiles for this whirlwind visit because it will suck having to do it in coach. But it will be good to see everyone again. And it’s much cheaper for me to visit then it is for everyone to come over here.

Well...I guess this is enough babbling for now. The important thing is that I’ve survived my first expat year in the Czech Republic. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for me this second year.

Veveří Castle

On Sunday, I went with Kamila and Slávka out to Veveří Castle. It is about 15 km northwest of the city. Now that the cleanup effort has been completed at the dam, and there’s water again, you can take a boat out to the castle. It takes about 50 minutes and 170 Kč (~$8) to get out to the castle. Fortunately, with my tram pass I got a 50% discount. Woo-Hoo!
I tease my co-workers that the boats on the lake make up the Czech navy. The boats come around every 40 minutes and on a sunny day it is nice to just relax and look out at the scenery. Apparently there is a nude sunbathing area a couple of ferry stops from the dam. And no, I didn't take any pictures there.

Hrad Veveří (Squirrel Castle) is one of the largest Moravian castle sites. Originally, it was most likely a hunting lodge and probably built around the 12th century. 

The castle held up to the Hussite attacks but fell to the Swedes during the Thirty Years’ War. During WWII, the German army used it as barracks. 

In the 1950s it was used by a forestry school. There have been numerous property transfers and the place has fallen in to disrepair. 

Since 1999, it belongs to the Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments.

There’s not a lot to see there, when it comes to the castle, but it makes for a nice outing on a beautiful day.

Update:  In July 2023, Veveří Castle will be designated as a National Cultural Monument.

Brno Pride 2010

Pride marks the anniversary of the Stonewall riots which was the start of the gay rights movement in the U.S. Yesterday, was Brno's gay pride event. I've got to say that it was unlike any that I've seen before.

For example, in the U.S., Pride normally begins on Friday afternoon and lasts the entire weekend. You have THOUSANDS of people show up. There will sometimes be a few religious protesters but nothing to worry about. There are always lots of booths and vendors. Some great parties. And everyone searches for the perfect spot on Sunday morning to watch the parade.

Here, Pride was on a Saturday from 1 PM - 3 PM. There were about 600 people. There was one afterparty that began at 7 PM. Neo-Nazis showed up. And we were the parade. Again, very different. This must have been how it was like in Atlanta or Los Angeles back in the 70s and early 80s.

Czechs are the most liberal of the post-iron curtain countries. As a part of the EU, the ČR recognizes same-sex couples, complete with all of the financial benefits that straight couples receive. Except that gay couples can not adopt children here. So this country is ahead of the U.S. when it comes to equal rights.



But sometimes, to me, it feels like the 1950s around here. I think it has to do with the legacy of communism. Back then, people got married and started having kids quite young. Between 18 - 23. And having a family made it easier to get a government apartment. If you weren't married with kids then you were an old maid.

This is only the second Pride ever in Brno. The first one was in 2008 and was disrupted by protestors. They haven't even had one in Prague yet. I'm sure that the city didn't want a repeat of what happened in Bratislava last month. There were about 150 militants from the right-wing Národní odpor (National resistance) that showed up. But security was tight. Police were in full riot gear to keep the peace. There were canine units, police on horseback and a helicopter over the event the entire time.

Overall it was a very mellow event. Several speakers including Dzhamila Stehlíková, from the Government Council for Human Rights. A few disco songs, some more speakers and a 20-minute march around Freedom Square.

One guy near us did try to throw eggs and the cops had him slammed to the ground in about 2 seconds. Then during the parade, someone threw a smoke grenade. But there weren't any other problems that I saw. Seven people were arrested. The police were great and did an awesome job at keeping everyone safe.

I know a few people who did not go because I think they were afraid of what would happen or that maybe their picture will be in the newspaper. Hopefully, people will see that everything was OK and more will show up next year.