Museums Of Prague (1) – DOX

There is a lot of museums in Prague, some of them I like and visit, some of them are traditional. I will visit couple of them for you and I do not follow any special key, like the most famous one, the newest one or any other. I will choose just as the idea would cross my mind. As today morning, I’ve seen a picture of DOX museum somewhere on internet, and almost immediately I decided to visit it now. The museum is on my plan quite long time, but today was THE day.

DOX, former factory building.

To read more information about DOX museum follow this link. I will share more my feelings about the museum :-). To be honest, my main goal was the visit of Gulliver Airship and the cafe and the design shop. I did all three, but then I decided to visit the exhibitions as well (mainly because you have to pay the entrance fee for the Airship which includes the exhibitions, and then there was no reason to skip them).

Gulliver from the street.

I started with the shop and then the cafe. I love Czech design and Czech designers, therefore I enjoyed the shop a lot. I have seen a lot of familiar names and pieces, but also some new ones.

Qubus DOX design shop

Jizerská collection from SKUBB.

Then came the coffee (and pink wine) time.

Museum Cafe.

Museum Cafe.

As you can see there were a lot of books at the cafe. Old books. For sale. 10 Czech crown per one, what is something less then 50 cents! How many do you think I purchased? 5! And two more at the other part of the museum!

But they all were quite nice famous books, 5 of the 7 bought books were criminal stories for my husband, Graham Greene, Mika Waltari, just 2 were for me, one my favorite childhood book (I know I have it somewhere but I can’t find it) and a first part of Skalholt books by Gudmundur Kamban (the second one I just got from similar book shelf at the train station). They also had a lot of Czech classis bookf, for example from popular writer Alois Jirásek, but these are too big and heavy to carry.

On the roof.

After the coffee (and wine) we went to see the Airship on the roof of the former factory. As it is cold, there is no special action happening there, but from April through the warmer months you can go there for lecture or performance. I have loved it :-).

Up the stairs.

Inside.

One more.

And back to the warmer part of the museum.

There were currently three exhibitions on program, and you will see some installation lower, but I really enjoyed the overall space of the museum, the technical style of it.

The coridor.

Fishes.

Fishes.

From three exhibition I am choosing one author from them for this picture. You wouldn’t believe what it is. Take a olook ant think. The name of the author is Luboš Plný and he is (wait for it) certified Academic model! As he didn’t made to the Art school, he attended the lectures as a model for students, even made a thesis and finally he got the title.

What it can be?

Hard to write: the author took everything that grew up in his “umbilical whole in the navel” (I am not able to find the translation of this one, the left picture) and put it on the scheme (the middle picture) and wrote the notes, what he wore that day and other information, what can influence “the product” (right picture). Creepy. isn’t it?

Pictures form the current installations here:

Last picture from the cafe terrace.

Found on WordPress:

https://openartdoors.wordpress.com/2018/03/05/lubos-plny-viva-lubos-plny-dox-centre-for-contemporary-art-prague/

Winter Walks (4) – Vrsovice (2)

Second part of our Vrsovice freezing walk, first one here.

Balcony in front of Rangherka with view to the church and nice building of saving company.

Our walk went on to the church and the area behind it, as it looks like you went directly from the city to small village with homesteads from 19 century in Botic stream valley, under protection now, but currently not available to go closer or inside.

What’s-behind-the-church gallery

One more street art on new reconstructed building.

Nice glasses :-).

Finally we crossed the border of Vrsovice back to Vinohrady area to visit Havlickovy sady (Havlicek’s Gardens). I have visited these gardens (and vineyards) many times, but always from the Vinohrady side, to visit the popular vineyard gazebo or nice grotta(east part), but never been to the western part until now. Therefore I was nicely surprised by the architecture and views from here.

Garden building with balcony, secret stairs and hidden places.

Details in the gallery:

View to Nusle and Bohdalec.

After the walking on the freeze we needed to warm and have some more hot drinks, and we visited nice Cafe Kavárna Pavilon Grébovka for tea and coffee.

Pavilon Grébovka.

Lovely and sunny, but we decided to sit inside. 🙂

With the coffee we fulfilled our daily plan for walk and drink and took tram home, with enjoying more beautiful buildings around the Gardens.

New York in Prague 🙂 (you must look closer to the sign on the light green building).

U Havlickovych sadu street, beutiful living

Other Winter Walks you can find on these links:
1. Letná
2. Vyšehrad
3. Vršovice (1)
4. Vršovice (2)
5. Kampa

The series about Night Walks can be found here:
1. Prague Castle

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Rainbow Colors

For Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Rainbow Colors I take you to South Bohemia with its beautiful towns, fresh air, colorful nature, places I really love and visit often. BTW preparing this post made me want to go there immediately :-).

Colorful streets of České Budějovice

We will start in České Budějovice, city, which was founded in 1265 by famous Czech king Přemysl Otakar II. It is the biggest city in the region and it has a stunning old city center. I love the small craftshops there.

Patchwark cushions and colorful soaps

Pomlázka and spring flowers

Spring is the perfect time for visit, but you can go there anytime. In spring you can admire a local market with flowers and colorful “pomlázka”, the beautiful and colorful things at view. They are done from willow twigs and decorated with colorful ribbons. They are used on Easter Monday, when boys have to help girls to be fresh next year with beating them with “pomlázka”. And finally the boys are given with the easter decorated eggs.

Glass earings and pendants

Market at Třeboň square

Another ravishing town in South Bohemia is Třeboň. Třeboň is a spa town, with a small beautiful center, a brewery with the best beer, renaissance castle and ponds with big carp culture tradition.
Easter Markets are very colorful here as well, I love all the glass jewelery that can be found there. You can guess how many earing pairs I have … And after the visit of the center, castle, castle gardens, brewery and spa you can go to the pond Svět (= “World”) and make a tour in one hour around the World on the boat.
If this is not enough, you can go to visit gothic Schwarzenberg’s sepulchre and chapel, which are worth seeing. On your way back you should come along the Golden Canal,  which goes throught the whole pond region and supply the ponds with water.
For refreshement visit Regent brewery pub or Šupina restaurant on the ramparts.

Glass earings

Colors eye-catcher

Last but not least is Český Krumlov, a wonderful place written in UNESCO World Heritage List. The town is mighty placed at the Vltava river meandr, with big castle and cute city center, look at my previous post about the city here. Every time we are there we have to visit a music shop, where they sell our favorite Putumayo music with lovely colorful covers and harmonized music selections from all over the world. In small shops you can find here jeweleries with unique Czech Vltavín (Moldavite) stone, often combined with Czech Ruby. This region is also a seat of the color factory for colored crayons and all other color types for artist, the name of it is Koh-i-noor.

Putumayo covers