2012 Golden Sand Festival

Back in June, Náměstí Svobodý (Freedom Square) played host to the Golden Sand Festival.  Apparently this is the largest sand sculpture festival in Central Europe.  Five international artists competed for top honors.  Special sand from the Netherlands was used and the 3-meter (9 foot) sculptures will remain until the end of August. 

Lots of different sponsors.

A panel judges were to select the best sculpture on June 3rd.  And maybe they did.  But in July, I went with Claudia and Norbert to the square and we submitted our votes.  So perhaps there was a judges pick and a popular pick.  The website is only in Czech (and Slovak) and doesn't say who the winner was.



Martin Pokorný from Slovakia submitted "Climb Down".  This one wasn't my favorite.





Niels Vegter from the Netherlands submitted "The Dancer".




Ulrich Bäntsch from Germany submitted "All Walter World".  This piece is about individuals in different social situations and how we are all forced to deal with a society that surrounds us.


Radovan Živný from Czech Republic submitted "Uncertainty of Being".  Even though the artist is Czech he has been living in working in Portugal for the last 10 years.

The entry from Italy as my favorite.  Gianni Schiumarini submitted "Essence of Women".  The ball represents perfection and beauty.  The thorns are there to protect the fragile beauty of women.  Or something to this effect.  I just liked the look of the sculpture so it got my vote.

While not part of the competition there was also a sand sculpture for Brno's Kometa hockey team who recently won the Czech championships.

Note:  Click on each photo to get a better look at the details.

Republic of Poland

The first time I went to Poland was in 1998.  I was working for T.G.I. Friday's and they sent me there for a month to open a new restaurant in Gdańsk.  I absolutely loved it.  And not just because of the Żubrówka.  I knew that when I moved to the Czech Republic that I would be sure to find my way back to Poland.  In 2010, I went to Kraków and, in 2011, I went to Wrocław.  There are still lots of other places on my list of places to visit including Częstochowa, Katowice, Lublin, Łódź, Poznań, Szczecin, Białystok, Toruń and Karkonoksi National Park.  With Natalie leaving soon, we decided on a quick weekend trip to Warsaw.  So here's a little bit about the Republic of Poland.

Depending on how one looks at the map determines where Poland is.  Many people think of Eastern Europe but officially it is in Central Europe.  It is on the Baltic Sea and shares borders with Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.  Poland is the 9th largest country in Europe; slightly smaller than New Mexico.  With over 38.5 million people it is the 6th most populous country in the European Union.

Christianity was brought to the area in 966 AD and the Kingdom of Poland was formed in 1025.  In 1569, it became part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1795 when it was divided amongst Prussia, the Russian Empire and the Habsburg Empire.  At the end of WWI, in 1918, Poland regained its independence.

In 1939, WWII broke out when Nazi Germany invaded western Poland.  Two weeks later the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east.  The country was split in to two zones.  In the west, the Nazis set up six major concentration camps such as Auschwitz and Treblinka. In the east, the Soviet secret police executed thousands of Polish P.O.W.s, such as at Katyń.

Although occupied from the beginning of the war Poles fought against its invaders.  Polish forces stationed abroad made up the 4th largest allied force after the Soviets, British and Americans.  The Resistance in Poland was one of the largest and most organized underground resistance forces of the war.

Of all countries in WWII, Poland lost the highest percentage of people.  Nearly one-fifth of the population, over 6 million people, was killed.  Half of them were Polish Jews.  Poland didn't reach its prewar population levels until the 1970s.

At the end of the war, Poland lost 20% of its territory.  Its border shifted westward and absorbed part of Germany's territory while it lost land in the east to the Soviet Union.  Poland became a satellite of the USSR and the People's Republic of Poland was declared in 1952.

Despite the country's destruction in WWII, much of its cultural wealth was preserved.  Poland is home to 14 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The independent trade union, Solidarność (Solidarity), was formed during labor turmoil in 1980.  In 1981 martial law was declared for 1½ years.  Many people believe that martial law was declared in order to prevent the Soviets from invading like they did in Hungary in 1956 and in Czechoslovakia in 1968.  Others feel that the communists cracked down so that the ruling party maintained power.  Solidarity became a political force and was the beginning of the end for communist regimes in Europe.  In 1989, the country had its first free elections and Solidarity's Lech Wałesa became President in 1990.

Prior to the war, Poland was religiously diverse with large Jewish, Protestant and Orthodox minorities.  Afterwards, the country became almost entirely Roman Catholic.  The communists definitely didn't have any success in trying to get rid of religion in Poland.  Almost 90% of the country is Catholic, with about 75% practicing, and it is one of the most devout countries in Europe.  Of course, Pope John Paul II being Polish probably didn't hurt.

Poland, along with Hungary and Czech Republic, joined NATO in 1999.  In 2004, all three also joined the EU.  In 2007, Poland joined the Schengen area.  Poland still uses the Złoty as its currency but it must eventually switch to the Euro.

Poland's policy to liberalize the economy since 1990 has made it a success story.  It was the only EU country to avoid a recession during the 2008-2009 economic downturn, even though its per capita GDP is way below the EU average.  In spite of the global financial crisis, the economy has not entered a recession.  Since joining the EU, many poles have gone to work in the UK, Germany and Ireland for higher wages.  There are around 20 million ethnic Poles abroad.  The largest number of ethnic Poles, outside of Poland, is in the USA.

Update 2025:  Here's a short video I found on YouTube about why Poland's borders changed so much following WWII.

©History Matters

Telč, Czech Republic

Telč, in southern Moravia, is halfway between Prague and Vienna.  It's 41 km (25 miles) from Třebíč.  The town was founded in the 13th century.  It is home to around 6,000 people.  Telč is one of the most beautiful towns in ČŘ.

Telč was on the crossroads of the merchant routes between Bohemia, Moravia and Austria.  In 1530 there was a huge fire that destroyed much of the town.


So rather than using using wood again, the town was rebuilt using stone.  Eventually, Telč was surrounded by walls.  Three large ponds were built that almost encircle the entire town.


The town's main square is famous for its 16th century houses.  Every house is distinctive.  North of the Alps, this is one of the best places to see Renaissance architecture.

Many of the houses did not have their own wells.  So until the mid-20th century, the pump, in the middle of the main square, was the main source of drinking water.

The plague column was built from 1716 to 1720.  The statue of St. Margaret was built at the end of the 17th century.


The Gothic castle was built at the end of the 14th century.  In 1550 it was renovated in to a Renaissance chateau.

The remains of the old steam mill are outside of the town.  It was first mentioned back in 1533.  In 1825 it became a dye-house, spinning and weaving mill.  In 1945, it was confiscated by the communist government and it became a grain mill until 1957 and then was used as a warehouse.  Since 2003, it has been on the list of endangered monuments in CŘ.

There is also a small Jewish cemetery outside of the town that was built in 1879 - 1880.  There are around 200 or so tombstones with inscriptions in Czech, German and Hebrew.  The cemetery was partly vandalized during and after the war.  The oldest tombstone dates back to the end of the 19th century.

In 1992, Telč's historic center was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Třebíč, Czech Republic

Today, Claudia and Norbert took Natalie, Katka and I on a little road trip to see Třebíč and Telč; both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Moravia.

 
Třebíč (pronounced T-rzh-eh-beach) dates back to 1101.  It is 65 km (40 miles) west of Brno in the Vysočina (Highland) region of Moravia.  Třebíč is a regional center with over 38,000 people.


Třebíč used to be a center of Jewish culture in Moravia.  Today, there are two synagogues and the old Jewish cemetery.  After WWII, there wasn't hardly any Jewish community left which is why, in the Jewish quarter, many of the building such as the town hall, rabbi's office, and hospital no longer serve their original purposes.  The Jewish quarter and the cemetery are the only Jewish monuments, outside of Israel, that are on the UNESCO list.



The "Back Synagogue" is in the middle of the Jewish quarter.  It was originally built in 1837 and renovated from 1987 to 1988.





It is now used for exhibitions and concerts.  Inside is an detailed exhibit on Jewish life in the town.

The "Front Synagogue" was built from 1639 - 1642.  In 1757 it had to be lowered because it was higher than other houses which bothered an earl who owned a nearby manor.

The Jewish Cemetery was established in the early 17th century behind the town.  The cemetery was extended in 1888.


At almost 12,000 sq meters (~129,000 sq feet) it is one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in the ČR.  It is certainly one of the best preserved.  It's much more impressive than Prague's Jewish Cemetery.


There are around 11,000 people buried here in almost 3,000 graves.  The oldest tombstone dates back to 1625.



St. Procopius' Basilica was built in the 12th century.  Originally it was a Benedictine monastery.  The basilica, Jewish Quarter and cemetery are reminders that the Christian and Jewish cultures co-existed from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.  This is in part why the town was added to the UNESCO list in 2003.

2012 Olympics Opening Ceremonies

Last night was the opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics.  A few years ago, it became tradition to get together with friends to watch the Parade of Nations on TV.  Part of the tradition is to serve the local food of the host nation.  So I had a few friends over for dinner and TV.

Some places are easier than other.  For the Beijing games, there was Chinese food.  Not a big stretch of the imagination.  For the Athens games I served Greek food.  Again, not a big stretch.  Even for the Atlanta games there were fried green tomatoes and BBQ.  But what does one serve for English food?  Especially when one has to try to come up with English food in the Czech Republic.

Thanks to a few supplies from Nat's last trip to Bristol, I was able to pull it off.  Bangers and Mash (sausages with mashed potatoes), Chicken and Vegetable Pie, and Yorkshire Pudding and Onion Gravy.  There was even Fish 'n Chips.  Well, actually fish sticks and fries but sometimes you just have to get creative.  Nat also scored us a bottle of Pimm's Cup for cocktails.

Pimm's No. 1 Cup is a reddish, gin based spirit that has a spiced citrus taste to it.  We drank it "English-style", mixed with lemonade, and pieces of cucumber, apples and oranges.  Quite refreshing.

London is one hour behind Central European Time so the TV broadcast didn't begin until 9 PM.  Watching on Czech TV was OK but I really would have preferred English-language commentary.  Oh well.  The Brits put on one heck of a show.

One of the funniest things from the broadcast was when the Czech athletes came out during the Parade of Nations.  In keeping with Czech humor, the Czechs marched out in Wellies and carrying brollies.  British English - Wellingtons are rain boots and a brolly is an umbrella.

Good luck to all of the American and Czech athletes competing in the Olympics.  I love that when my parents watch the Olympics on TV, if an American isn't competing, then they always cheer for the Czechs.

Update:  Those Wellies were a big hit.  Apparently, they were so popular that they quickly sold out in London.  

Birthday Kometa Match

I've been wanting to see a Kometa hockey match since I move to Brno.  Getting tickets, however, is not an easy thing to do.

Kajot Arena

Brno's Kometa (Comet) hockey team is the 2nd most successful team in the country.  Kometa fans are extremely loyal.  Even when they aren't playing well, it is tough to get tickets.



For my birthday, Katka and Natalie scored me a couple of tickets to a preseason match last night against St. Petersburg.  Awesome!!  Thanks Chicas!!


The match was a lot of fun and we had great seats right in the center of the rink.  Normally, most people buy tickets in the standing section on either end of the rink.


It was a kick to listen to everyone get all fired up about their team and wave their blue Kometa scarves.  In the end Kometa won 2:1 over Russia in a shoot-out.

Here's a short video I took and posted out on YouTube.  Now I can't wait to see a regular season match.

Pipe Work

I don't know what exactly is going on.  But there is some major road work going on in my neighborhood.  It's been going on for the past few weeks and I have no idea on when it is scheduled to end.  I think that the city is maybe replacing water lines or sewage pipes or something.  Who knows?

My street has been a mess for a while now.  Normally it is a one way street but with the entrance closed off, everyone is going both ways and the congestion and parking is a bit of a problem.


Since I live near the city center, parking is normally an issue so with all of this going on I'm really glad that I don't have a car to deal with.  Thank goodness for public transportation.

Body Percussion

On Tuesday night the Alps team came up with another creative team building event – body percussion.  It lasted one hour and it only cost 100 Kč ($5).  It really was a lot of fun.  I don't think that many people knew what to expect; I sure didn't.  That and summer vacation schedules kept the turnout only to about seven people.

I wouldn't mind doing this again with a larger group of people.  With more people you can make even better rhythms and effects.

Here's a short video of our instructor giving us a demonstration.