Prague Unplugged

Hapu

At Hapu in Vinohrady with a beer and a shot of Russian Standard. Yum

Minna Pyyhkala is our fearless leader. She runs digital camera classes year round. I went for two months I think once a week. We went on a few field trips with the class and at the end we had an exhibition. Good fun all around and I even learned something.

Minna's website:

http://www.moimin.com/

Foundry

My American pal bought this foundry off the Czech state. Its in the same Pilsen complex that the Nazis made weapons in during WWII

. Also nearby is a Russian owned turbines for nuclear plants factory which by the way was sold by the Czech Government to the Ruskys at a suspiciously low price. Why would that be? Who said Klaus was a Russian agent?

Ghost Bridge

Was coming back from Pilsen with my digital photo class (you can see Minna the teacher in the last pic with her back to us) after shooting a friends Foundry. (Pics coming)
I was driving and decided to take them off the highway a bit to a really spooky place I found a few years ago. I was staying at a girlfriend's cottage on a small lake in a village about 15 Km from Pilsen when I was told about the place by one of her neighbours. He told me that down in the dip of the old Royal Pilsen Prague road (now disused as a new highway was built) is the remains of a 500 year old bridge. This is the bridge that the Royal carriages and everyone else would have to pass over to get from Germany to Prague. This is the place where the bandits would jump out and shout "Stand and Deliver" Apparently it was notorious. Also in that dip and bend of the road have been all sorts of horrible traffic accidents over the years including one where a schoolbus hit a fuel tanker and a whole bunch of kids and people went up in smoke. Spooky place. I was glad to get the hell out of there. Gave me the heeby geebies.

Czech Surfer

This is my pal Honza standing in front of the plaque to the revolution of Nov. 17th 1989. He was one of the students at the front clashing with the police to overthrow the communists. Honza got whacked with a billy club which not only broke his nose but also knocked him unconscious. He woke up with his head in a sewer grate in front of where this plaque now stands on Narodni St.

Back to Nature

I went for a drive in the mountains around Jachymov. Really nice country. This is west Bohemia and part of the Sudetenland.

More Jachymov

A few more shots of Jachymov

Jachymov

The town has fallen into a horrible state of disrepair. Such a shame because it is beautiful and really old. Also an importantly historic place.

Junk Shop

Found a little knick-knack shop in Jachymov. Germany is just over the mountain so all the good stuff gone long ago.

Commie-nomical Clock

This clock in Olomouc was severely damaged by the retreating Germans during the end of WWII. It was originally built in the 15th Century as an astronomical clock like the famous one in Prague. This one however was rebuilt in the 50s by the communists who got rid of the clerical figurines and replaced them with proletariat ones. It also rang out for special events such as Lenin's and Stalin's birthdays

Unknown ruin

This is an abandoned castle ruin overlooking the Vah river valley in between Martin and Ruzomberok. If I find out anything about it I will post.

OK, I found out it is called Stary and I even found a link:
http://www.slovakheritage.org/Castles/stary.htm

Fulla Gallery

This funky gallery of Ludovit Fulla's work was just behind our house. I went in to have a look around not long ago and found out that old Ludovit used to live there.

Check him out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%BDudov%C3%ADt_Fulla

This site has many pictures of his art:
http://www.ruzombercan.sk/clanky/galeria-ludovita-fullu-ludovit-fulla-foto-obrazy-20785.html

Stan Mikita

This is the block of flats where we lived for 17 months in 1979-80 in Ruzomberok, Slovakia. Also lived there were: Strands, Marks, Tinsleys, Kettners, Schumacher and of course, old pani Misurdova who was Stan Mikita's aunt. Stan was born not far from Ruzomberok in a village called Sokolce which is now flooded under Lake Mara

Karol and Fernet

You know what, I dont give a shit for weddings. There weren't even any single women to chat up at this one so fuck that. Here's Karol doin a shot of Fernet.