Josef Sedlon @ Strahov 007

 Friday night. Teamed up with Brno guys and Pepa at my place. We ate roasted pork knuckle and played some vinyls. Warmup in Krymska street with our most favorite Radio 1 DJ Babe LN on vinyl decks! She killed it big time. Off to Strahov now.

Legendary Club 007 and his truly Josef Sedlon in the mix. 

  Top track - The Prodigy - Everybody in the Place

Often the crowd got really jumpy making the local CD decks skip.

Well.. nobody really cared much :)

 Our first keyword of this weekend is "Geňo" - a Slovak word for a festival package which consists of a hoodie, small bag and a plastic bottle with your DIY drink.

 

 Late night vibes

3AM - time for a little snack and a last track.

P.S.: The second keyword was a "fluffer" (google it :))

The Protest

presidential candidate Prof. Jiri Drahos signing the petition

March 5th thousands of Czech citizens protested on the Venceslas square. Zdenek Ondracek - an infamous former communist police officer who had brutally beaten students during the Velvet revolution in 1989 was ellected to a top position in Czech security forces.

Three days later Ondracek failed to withstand the public pressure and resigned.

The shot is taken from the same spot where Josef Koudelka took his famous picture of Soviet occupation armies in 1968.

Ice Skating

Normally Hamersky rybnik (pond) in Prague Zabehlice does not freeze. At least it does not get "skateable". But not this winter! Went there twice and it wasn't bad at all :)

It doesn't get more natural when it comes to ice hockey. You put your skates on, make goals of boots or backpacks and play a fair match. Watching them play was somehow satisfying. Unlike the game you see on TV, these guys don't wear any special gear which means they play nice and slow. And as a bonus you even see the puck!

Those two were playing shootouts against each other. The dad commented on his son's moves like a proper ice hockey speaker calling him Gretzky, Jagr or Hasek when the kid was playing goalie.

There is not so much you can do outdoors when it is freezing in the city but ice skating totally made my day. Anytime again :)

Backcountry Explorations in Sudeten

 

Late morning in the Jeseniky mountains. It's -12°C.

 Sometimes you just don't want to stay on the track. Especially when it's all covered in tree needles, bark and cones.

  Piles of fluffy powder snow. With xc ski on I'm climbing the top of the Bílý kámen hill (948m). The map shows something I do want to explore.

This site is often referred to as Skritecká gorge, but it is not a gorge in the true sense of the word. There are some remains of an ancient pit. Back home I found out people used to mine silver here in the 18th century and then used it for money forgery.

 

 However, the shaft has dropped over time and today there is just a gap deep up to 40 m.

 

 Going downhill was a nice reward.

 It's about time to get back to the car.

Vendula Chalankova - AU! @ Villa Pelle

 

Vendula's huge fans (as they officially introduced themselves) brought her three hyacinths.
In a home-made clay pot.
Nice!

Masopust in Roztoky u Prahy

   Carnival or Fat Tuesday is the day before Lent begins. Lent is the Christian season of fasting in preparation for Easter. Celebrated in many countries around the world, the Czech Republic has its own version of this day of feasting and indulging, which they call Masopust. Very well written Wikipedia, thank you! This year was the 21st carnival in Roztoky. In a cold and cloudy morning I almost decided not to show up. I'm very happy I did actualy! Some say it's wilder and wilder every year. Well then see you next year! Thanks Vendula, Lu, Robin, Pepa, Alex and Matt for a lovely gathering!

 ...a local version of the famous Techno Viking!

 

 

 

 ...

AVU - Zitchdogs

The main building by Vaclav Rostlapil (finished 1903)

Look, I had the very same pillow when I was a kid!

cactus pl. cacti :)

Zitchdog!

Holba

Padawan meets the Dark Side

Josef Sedlon @ 007 Strahov