Header photo – Amsterdam harbor on the IJ looking east past the cruise port / Border photo – Stuðlaberg, columnar basalt, Iceland
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Category Archives: Eastern Europe
Strahov Monastery libraries
Taking baby steps to get back into blogging… Fans of BBC Musketeers should recognize these places. In that series, these two rooms play parts of King Louis’s palace. In reality, both are libraries or ‘halls’ at Strahov Monastery in Prague, … Continue reading
Posted in All Suzanne's travel essays, All Suzanne's travels, Czech Republic, Eastern Europe, European art, European museums, Prague travel
Tagged Musketeers at Strahov, Musketeers in Prague, Philosophical Hall Strahov, Prague art, Prague churches, Prague travel, Strahov Monastery, Theological Hall Strahov
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A charming evening in Radovljica, Slovenia
In the spirit of hoping to please some of you who are bored rigid with the steady diet of nothing but London Tube closures, I finally completed this post from a couple of years ago to keep you interested until … Continue reading
Pilsen, Czech Republic – a European Capital of Culture 2015
From Prague Post. A roundup of events in 2015 to celebrate this European Capital of Culture. Early May will see a celebration of the liberation of Pilsen (Plzeň) 70 years ago. The city’s festival website shows what’s going on and … Continue reading
news from Prague – summer 2014
Here are a bunch of interesting tidbits with info on what’s going on in and around Prague – for those who don’t click on my Prague HOT LINK!! Some originally noted in Prague Post. Leave it to the Czechs to … Continue reading
Posted in Czech Republic, Eastern Europe, Europe food & wine, European art, European festivals, General magpie travel, News from Europe, Prague travel
Tagged Czech UNESCO, Letní Letna, Prague food tours, Prague hippos, Prague Signal festival, Prague Zoo, Terracotta Warriors Prague, Whisky Live Prague
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travel and food news roundup for Prague – spring and beyond 2014
From London Independent – a new 48 hours for Prague. The rest of these come from Prague Post. Take an interesting tour and get to know local food. Or visit Martin’s bistro for lunch, in Prague 3. And now, reappearing at … Continue reading
Posted in Czech Republic, Eastern Europe, Europe food & wine, European festivals, News from Europe, Prague travel
Tagged Charles of Bohemia, Gothic Garden Prague, John of Nepomuk, Karlovy Vary film fest, Martin's bistro Prague, Olšany Cemetery, Prague travel, Strings of Autumn, Theatre Cinema Cafe Royal, U Pinkasů, Winged Lion memorial Prague
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Alfresco dining in Grešna Gorica, Croatia
The final adventure of my Slovenia/Croatia tour a couple of years ago was dinner at Grešna Gorica, a Croatian “agriturismo” in the Zagorje region. After a visit to Kumrovec, Tito’s restored home town (see previous post), our bus took a small … Continue reading
Roma restau opens in Slovenia
From France 24. A new coffeehouse featuring Roma (aka “gypsy”) food has opened in Maribor, in northeast Slovenia. Their motto is enticing – “Come hungry and with an open heart”. photo by Jure Makovec on Yahoo, so you’ll recognize the place. … Continue reading
Major art exhibit planned for Prague Castle in 2015
From Prague Post. A major art exhibition of Titian’s works is being planned for Prague Castle. It’s more than a year away, but if Prague is on your list, keep this event in mind, maybe even do as I do … Continue reading
Dvořák Festival in Prague
From Prague Post. The program for September’s Dvořák Festival in Prague is shaping up. Start making plans and get your tickets now!
A Czech destination beyond Prague
From Prague Post. A look at Český Šternberk, a place I’d not heard about before now. An interesting add-on possibility outside Prague. The end of the article mentions two different buses to get you there but, since it’s only 30 … Continue reading
Czech National Gallery to return monastic artwork
From Prague Post. Several extremely valuable and important paintings that have been living in the Czech National Gallery will be returned to their monastic owners according to restitution law. However, they won’t be going anywhere for at least ten years … Continue reading
Cold War era bunker opened at Prague hotel
From Prague Post. Prague’s Jalta Hotel has opened its top-secret Communist-era bunker to interested visitors two days each week. Admission is €3. Pre-booking is required. This should be on the list for your/my next visit. Join the queue!
Reenacting Napoleonic battles
From Deutsche Welle. The Napoleonic Battle of Leipzig, aka the Battle of Nations, was fought again 200 years after the first go-round. It was the bloodiest battle prior to WWI, with almost one-sixth of those fighting being killed. Although this battle … Continue reading
Wine is back on the bill in nation of Georgia; Russia to upgrade its rail system
From France 24. Russia banned Georgian wine for a while beginning in 2008 but it’s baaaack! From Deutsche Welle. Russia is planning to pour pots of money into modernizing its rail system, including the Asian portion. Makes me wonder what … Continue reading
A visit to Kumrovec, Croatia – Tito’s hometown
The last day of the Croatia-Slovenia tour I took in Sept 2012 included an excursion to Kumrovec, Croatia. Located in northern Croatia about 40 miles from Zagreb, it sits practically on the border with Slovenia. There is a modern town … Continue reading
New Year’s fun in Prague for 2012-2013
From Prague Post. From Cecilia Bartoli to 6pm fireworks on New Years Day to free sledding and celebratory simulcasts from other places in Europe – Prague is becoming a great place to see in the New Year! And the AvantGarde … Continue reading
Tempting tourists with Serbian vampires
From France 24. The town of Zarozje, Serbia near the border with Bosnia, is reviving an old vampire story and hoping to make some money from it. Perfect (Twilight) timing so good luck to them.
Doorways of Ljubljana
I often find myself drawn to architectural details in my travels. I’m not sure why; maybe it’s just that they often provide the most visual interest. In Ljubljana, Slovenia this past autumn, doors and doorways caught my attention. Here are … Continue reading
Fruit-flavored Czech beer? Really?
From Prague Post. OK. I could see a lime wedge on your summer beer (did you know this was not for flavor but to keep the flippin’ flies away?) And I sampled some kriek (cherry flavored beer) last time I … Continue reading
Sweden’s parachuting teddy bears over Belarus
This story is already weeks old, but I had to paste this photo from Deutsche Welle‘s newsmail. The Belarus government is fuming over the dropped teddy bears, an event sponsored by some Swedes. The Belarus brass claims international interference in … Continue reading
Some interesting tours through Croatia and Slovenia
Croatia travel has a bunch of different tours for Croatia, Slovenia and some include Venice. I’m considering the Dalmatian Sunshine tour. At first I thought it was a boat tour with a couple of inland bus excursions. It’s all on … Continue reading
replacing Malev airline in Hungary; 48 hours in Venice
Malev is out, everybody else is pushing to get in; from Prague Post 2 days in Venice by Simon Calder; from London Independent
Prague Christmas market album
Christmas in Prague – a magical-sounding phrase. Prague was the third of four European cities with Christmas markets I visited in December. The weather was seasonal, colder than we had in the northeastern U.S. at the time; no snow on … Continue reading
Renaming Prague’s airport
from Prague Post… 60,000 signatures have been collected and the name Václav Havel airport has been trademarked in hopes it will be the new name of Prague’s Ruzyně airport.
Posted in Czech Republic, Eastern Europe, General magpie travel
Tagged Czech Republic, eastern europe travel
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Welcome, we’re Maribor, Slovenia
from Deutsche Welle… Maribor, Slovenia is preparing for its closeup as a European Capital of Culture in 2012.
Czech Christmas wouldn’t be the same without a carp for the holiday meal
Czech carp farming going strong. Sorry, folks. The closest I came to consuming any oversized goldfish was to buy and eat a couple of fishy-shaped gingerbread from a stall at the Prague Christmas market.
Even large Czech breweries struggle to improve sales
Specialty beers are coming to even the large Czech breweries (from Prague Post)
Posted in Czech Republic, Eastern Europe, General magpie travel
Tagged Czech Republic, eastern europe travel
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travel ideas for Bohemia beyond Prague
Prague is a terrific base for getting to know other Bohemian towns (from Prague Post)
Posted in Czech Republic, Eastern Europe, General magpie travel
Tagged Czech Republic, eastern europe travel
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A day trip to Tallinn, Estonia
Last summer, I visited Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It’s just 50 miles across the Baltic Sea from Helsinki, Finland and only 90 minutes by hydrofoil. The buildings in Tallinn’s old town are older than most of what survives in Helsinki by several … Continue reading
Posted in All Suzanne's travels, Eastern Europe, Estonia
Tagged eastern europe travel, estonia travel
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