Czech Immigrants Who Came Through Ellis Island

I am thinking of all those Moravian, Slovak, and Czech immigrants who came through Ellis Island. Those who came before us, and how so many of them are simply forgotten. Due to the ravages of time, many of the stories of these immigrants will remain mysteries forever. Not only the people, but their entire lives....

Bohemians, History, Movies

August 16, 2022

Elvis Presley in the Czech Republic

Today is August 16th, the day Elvis Presley died in 1977. I cannot believe it has been 45 years. Like so many others, I know exactly where I was the day Elvis died. I was in the car with my mother, in Redondo Beach, California. The radio was playing and suddenly the music was interrupted...

ENTERTAINMENT, Movies

August 13, 2022

Papa Bear George Halas and the NFL

Have you ever wondered how professional football and the NFL got started? How about the merger of the NFL with the competing American Football League? After all, it was this that helped to create the ultimate televised sporting event on fall Sundays and Monday nights, eventually boosting the value of franchises into the hundreds of...

Bohemians, Books, NOSTALGIA, PEOPLE

August 12, 2022

Warrior of God: Jan Žižka and the Hussite Revolution

I just finished a very interesting book, Warrior of God: Jan Zizka and the Hussite Revolution by Victor Verney with Foreword by David Muhlena. Jan Žižka (1370–1424) belongs to the elite group of leaders who never lost a battle. He was a formidable figure whose life and military career was set amidst the whirlwind of...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT, History

August 10, 2022

The Czech Man Who Fell from the Sky

Petr Horák was born on May 7, 1943 in Nusle (Prague) to Štěpánka and Oldřich Horák. As a young boy, Peter swam competitively and played water polo. He enjoyed skiing, riding a bike, playing table tennis, ice hockey, and soccer. At the age of ten, however, the doctor forbade Peter to partake in anymore sports...

Bohemians, ENTERTAINMENT, Movies

August 5, 2022

Czech Couture by Oldřich Rosenbaum aka Oldric Royce

Today’s post tells the extraordinary story of the leading Prague tailor, couturier and clothing designer Oldřich (Ulrich) Rosenbaum (1896–1991), who for more than seventy years created an elegant and highly fashionable style of clothing for wealthy clients in Czechoslovakia and then in the USA. A renowned New York fashion designer of Prague, Czech origin who...

Art and Design, Bohemians, Fashion, LIFESTYLE

The Gray Man Showcases Prague as World Locations

August 2, 2022

The Gray Man Film Showcases Prague

The Gray Man is reportedly Netflix’s biggest budget original film, with a budget of $250 million. It debuted on Netflix on July 22, 2022. The film is a cinematic adaptation of Mark Greaney’s novel of the same name and features stunning footage throughout Prague. Filming in Prague began on June 27, 2021, and ended on...

ENTERTAINMENT, Movies, Prague

July 31, 2022

Czech Pork with Plum Sauce Recipe

Today I am sharing a Czech pork with plum sauce recipe. In Czech this is known as vepřové se švestkovou omáčkou and it is a rather easy recipe which gives a wonderful flavor. I am preparing it with Czech style boiled potatoes on the side, for which the recipe is also below. You can also...

Food, LIFESTYLE, Recipes

July 28, 2022

Dog Breeds from the Czech Republic

The bond between owner and pet is like no other—they’re our companions, always along for the ride no matter what ups and downs life brings. They show us joy and make us laugh, and even listen to us like they know exactly what we’re saying. As the expression goes, a dog is a man’s best friend—and...

LIFESTYLE

July 25, 2022

Zika & Lida Ascher Czech Textile Innovators

This is the story of Zika and Lída Ascher, famous Czech textile innovators who were entrepreneurs, artists and the United Kingdom’s hottest designer couple. They left Czechoslovakia before the break of World War II and built a textile business empire in the United Kingdom. The tale of Zika and Lida Ascher is one of survival,...

Art and Design, Bohemians, CULTURE

July 22, 2022

Czechs and Their Poppy Seeds

Poppy seeds or mák, as Czechs call them. Delicious tiny little seeds of pure blue gold. Czechs grow up in an environment where poppy seeds are commonly eaten. They are sprinkled over buns and kolache are stuffed with poppy seed filling. There are poppy seed cakes, strudels, rolls, and Bundt cakes. Breads and rolls are...

Food, LIFESTYLE

July 21, 2022

Czech, Moravian and Slovak Folklore Festival 2022

Today we are looking at lovely photographs from the 10th Czech, Moravian and Slovak Folklore Festival put on by the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International. This years festival took place May 14, 2022 in La Mesa, California and from the look of these beautiful photographs by Gabi Dibos (contact info at bottom), it was a success....

CULTURE, Fashion

July 16, 2022

Most—The Story of the Bridge Film

Want to watch a 30 minute Czech film (with subtitles) that will literally change your life? That is the gift I am bringing you today. The film Most (The Bridge) is so touching, it is perhaps the most poetic, powerful and brilliant piece of film making I have seen in recent memory. I guarantee you...

ENTERTAINMENT, Movies

July 12, 2022

Czech Queen of the Steering Wheel

Today we meet a Czech woman named Eliška Junková (aka Elizabetta or Elizabeth Junek), a pioneer in the history of motor racing. Known as the “Queen of the Steering Wheel,” Junková competed during the 1920s against Europe’s top drivers, and in 1927 became the first woman ever to win a Grand Prix race. She was...

History, PEOPLE, Women

July 7, 2022

100 Years of Trams on Wenceslas Square

Today we are taking a trip through history and looking at trams on Wenceslas Square. Why a trip through history? Because these days, you only see two trams at the square, and they act as a café, mainly for the tourists. The two historic Křižík trams serving as a cafe have been located roughly in...

History, NOSTALGIA

July 3, 2022

Czech Fruit Sponge Cake Recipe

Today I am sharing a recipe for Czech fruit sponge cake, or bublanina z piškotového těsta, as its known in Czech. I used a jar of imported Polish sour cherries, and it turned out perfectly. So delicious, in fact, I’ve decided to share the recipe here with you today. Ingredients 6 eggs, separated 1 1/8...

LIFESTYLE, Recipes