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Operation Anthropoid Events, Prague, Czech Republic June 17th and 18th 2017 – review

18 Sunday Jun 2017

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Operation Anthropoid was the code name for the assassination of SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei Reinhard Heydrich.

I previously wrote about the events to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Operation Anthropoid in Prague on May 27th. I then wrote about my visit to the event. I thought that was it as the date had passed. But then another group organised an event this weekend of Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th of June.

We aimed to visit Karlovo náměstí at 15:00 to see shots fired from a canon at 15:10. But we missed the tram and arrived at 15:12. I don’t think the canon shots were that loud as we weren’t far away and didn’t hear anything.

We then walked around what the organisers call:
A period camp of the Czechoslovak Brigade in Great Britain showcasing a number of period techniques and historical artifacts.

 

This man looked like a Nazi spy using a futuristic communication device:

Past the camp were some vintage military vehicles:

And some people in costume:

But there weren’t many people in civilian costume as the previous Anthropoid event, the majority were soldiers.

There were a few tents selling beer (slightly over-priced at 40Kc and food:

It was all interesting enough, but really only took 20 minutes to look around and we were ready for the 15:40 – Rehearsal for attack on Heydrich’s car. This wasn’t a reconstruction of the actual attack, but a demonstration of how the soldiers trained for various scenarios; shooting, grenade.

The first attempt was reasonably successful, although one soldier’s gun didn’t fire:

The second attempt was a complete fail when the grenade failed to explode:

The event continues today and you still have time to see:

12:40 – Rehearsal for attack on Heydrich’s car – hopefully more successful than yesterday!
14:00 – 16:00 training demonstrations
15:10 – shots fired from a canon
15:40 – Rehearsal for attack on Heydrich’s car – last chance

All events are free.

Church and Museum Nights in Prague, Czech Republic – 9th and 10th June 2017

09 Friday Jun 2017

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Prague churches and museums open their doors this weekend.

Church Night Friday 9th June: Almost 3,000 places of Christian worship will be open in Prague and Central Bohemia. Some 145 are in Prague and range from St Vitus’ Cathedral at Prague Castle to small chapels and rotundas. Most churches also arrange a concert evening. Admission is free. More information: https://www.nockostelu.cz/index.php?pg=aktuality&id=712

Museum Night Saturday 10th June: 49 museums, galleries and other cultural institutions in 79 buildings will be open. Many have entertainment programs or tours. There is free admission to all museums except the Vyšehrad National Cultural Monument which will charge a symbolic entrance fee of 1Kč. More information: http://www.prazskamuzejninoc.cz/2017/index.php?l=en

There are also free buses on Saturday 10th June between 18:30 and 01:00:

1 Staroměstská – Vítkov – Staroměstská

2 Staroměstská – Troja – Staroměstská

3 Staroměstská – Muzeum – Vyšehrad – Staroměstská

4 Staroměstská – Hradčanské náměstí – Staroměstská

5 Staroměstská – Švandovo divadlo – Malostranské náměstí – Staroměstská

6 Staroměstská – Letecké muzeum – Ctěnice – Staroměstská

7 Staroměstská – Malostranská – Muzejní – Staroměstská

8 Staroměstská – Dejvická – Obora Hvězda – Dejvická – Staroměstská

9 Staroměstská – Výtoň – Albertov – I. P. Pavlova – Florenc – Staroměstská

10 Smíchovské nádraží – MeetFactory – Smíchovské nádraží

and the Prague metro runs until 01:00.

The popular places often have long queues. My advice is to avoid places that you can normally access anyway for a fee and visit unusual places or those that are only open for Museum Night.

Lavička Restaurant, Prague, Czech Republic

03 Saturday Jun 2017

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Lavička is on a busy street in Prague’s Žižkov area. The Žižkov has a reputation for being a bit rough with plenty of late-night bars. But the area has undergone urban renewal and isn’t really rough – although there are plenty of late-night bars.

Lavička isn’t a late-night bar, but instead quite a decent pub restaurant, with a large garden at the rear. They actually call themselves ‘Lavička Zahradní Restaurace’ – Lavička Garden Restaurant. It’s just a short walk down the hill from the tram stop Lipanska (5, 9, 15, 26).

There’s quite a big restaurant inside with a corridor leading to a conservatory:

Beyond the conservatory is a large garden, but only a small part of that has tables:

There weren’t any bugs flying around and I was able to eat outside.

The menu is a mixture of Czech classics, some pasta and a few ambitious dishes.

I had a Bacon Cheeseburger with onion rings, coleslaw and fries (230Kc) and a couple of half litres of Bernard beer (38Kc per). It was decent burger and beer – just what I needed before I went to a nearby late-night pub (Vlkova 26) with plenty of drinks and no food.

Service was friendly enough, maybe a little slow but they were quite busy. I wouldn’t make a special trip, but if you find yourself in the Žižkov then you’ll be okay here.

Seifertova 77,
Praha 3 – 130 00

Open daily: 11.00 – 23.00

+420 222 221 350

http://www.restaurace-lavicka.cz/en/

More Operation Anthropoid Events in Prague – 17th and 18th June

31 Wednesday May 2017

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Operation Anthropoid was the code name for the assassination of SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei Reinhard Heydrich.

I previously wrote about the events to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Operation Anthropoid in Prague on May 27th. I then wrote about my visit to the event. I thought that was it as the date had passed. But now it looks like another group are organising an event on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th of June.

The location is Karlovo náměstí – the largest square in the Czech Republic. Karlovo náměstí is in Prague 2, but is really close to the centre. There are plenty of trams running through and also a metro station.

The organisers call themselves ‘Czechoslovak Legionnaire and Rota Nazdar’ – they have a Facebook page (in Czech). They describe the event as follows:
A period camp of the Czechoslovak Brigade in Great Britain showcasing a number of period techniques and historical artifacts. One of the demonstrations will be devoted to training for possible variants of attacks on Reinhard Heydrich’s moving car.

The schedule is as follows:

Saturday 17. 6. 2017
9:30 – camp opens
10:00 – 12:00 training demonstrations
11:10 – shots fired from a canon
11:40 – Rehearsal for attack on Heydrich’s car
13:00 – 14:00 – Unveiling of a plaque on nearby Resslově street
15:10 – shots fired from a canon
15:40 – Rehearsal for attack on Heydrich’s car

Sunday 18. 6. 2017
9:00 – camp opens
11:30 – opening ceremony
11:45 – artillery training
11:50 – shots fired from a canon
12:00 – 13:00 training demonstrations
12:40 – Rehearsal for attack on Heydrich’s car
14:00 – 16:00 training demonstrations
15:10 – shots fired from a canon
15:40 – Rehearsal for attack on Heydrich’s car

All events are free.

In the evening of both days, you can watch a series of movies about Operation Anthropoid at the nearby MAT cinema for just 99 Kč admission:

Saturday 17. 6.2017
18:15 Anthropoid (2016, 120 minutes, directed by Sean Ellis)
20:30 ATENTÁT (1964, 100 minutes, directed by Jiří Sequens)

Sunday 18. 6.2017
16:00 VYŠŠÍ PRINCIP (1960, 102 minutes, directed by Jiří Krejčík)
18:00 Lidice (2011, 126 minutes, directed by Petr Nikolaev)
20:30 SMRTIHLAV (2017, 119 minutes, directed by Cédric Jimenez)

Anthropoid is the only English language film although that might be dubbed into Czech. The Facebook page isn’t clear about languages and sub-titles.

Restaurace V Ruthardce, Kutná Hora, Czech Republic

30 Tuesday May 2017

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Kutná Hora is famous for Sedlec Ossuary (known as The Church of Bones) – a small Roman Catholic chapel, located beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints in Sedlec, a suburb of Kutná Hora. The ossuary is estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people, whose bones have, in many cases, been artistically arranged to form decorations and furnishings for the chapel. The ossuary is among the most visited tourist attractions of the Czech Republic – attracting over 200,000 visitors annually.

Most visitors arrive by train to Kutná Hora main station and then walk for 10 minutes to Sedlec. It’s then 35-45 minutes walk to Kutná Hora town centre. The best option is to buy a ticket through to Kutná Hora město – jump off the train at the main station and onto the small local service that also stops in Kutná Hora – Sedlec (you have to press a small red button in the carriage to tell the driver to stop!), visit the church then back on the next train to Kutná Hora město.

Kutná Hora is a lovely small town to walk around. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from but we decided on V Ruthardce as it looked good and had a nice garden.

We ordered Kozel dark beers (28Kc for 05l), a cheeseburger (165Kc) and some chicken wings with bread (125Kc).

Both were pretty good for the price.

One wasp flew by me – I’m guessing there would be more around by late summer and I’d need to take my electronic fly zapping racket.

I’d definitely recommend a visit if you find yourself in Kutná Hora.

Restaurace V Ruthardce
Dačického náměstí 15/10
284 01 Kutná Hora

Monday to Thursday 12:00 – 23:00
Friday and Saturday 12:00 – 01:00
Sunday 12:00 – 23:00

+420 607 286 298
poukazy@vruthardce.cz

https://www.v-ruthardce.cz/

May 27th 2017 Events in Prague to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Operation Anthropoid – Review

28 Sunday May 2017

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31st May 2017 update: There is a new event planned for weekend of 17th and 18th June.

I previously wrote about the events to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Operation Anthropoid in Prague. Operation Anthropoid was the code name for the assassination of SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei Reinhard Heydrich.

I went on May 27th for the 14:15 sequence of events. I didn’t go for the morning plaque unveiling, nor the reconstruction of the military attack on Heydrich, although I did get off the tram at U kříže where the reconstruction occurred.

There was nothing at U kříže to show where to go. Luckily I was able to ask someone and they directed me.

The actual location was a small area in front of the Municipal Authority of Prague 8 building on U Meteoru 6. There was a stage area with audience seating; alongside that a few tents selling beer, noodles, cakes and Czech sausages. Behind the seating were several historic vehicles and a 1:1 replica of a Spitfire.

The Scottish bagpipe band performance started and although I wouldn’t listen to recorded bagpipe music, live bagpipes do add an atmosphere to military events.

Here’s the view from the other side of the stage, with an Austin 8 car and Spitfire plane in the foreground.

There was a board that could have been from 1945 or may have been produced for the event.

A Chevrolet C15 truck.

A Vauxhall staff Limousine.

What I think was a Jeep.

What I know was a Jeep.

There was a cameraman and presenter from the Czech news channel CT24. I asked if they’d filmed the recreation of the assassination and she said yes and that it would be online – I posted that near the end of this article.

Then there was a demonstration by the Čsl. Independent Armoured Brigade. It was all in Czech and so I wandered around and tried to find the reconstruction of street scenes of occupied Prague. The Operation Anthropoid poster promised; streets and buildings will be themed; posters, tailors shop, newsagent, post-raid civil defence office of auxiliary of the German Red Cross. I suppose I was expecting too much, having been on movie sets where the budget allows for an entire street to be themed; each building with a façade.

In reality, there were a few posters, a wooden kiosk made to look like a news/tobacco shop and an entrance with some red cross theming. Also directly in front of this was a modern car, covered in a brown tarpaulin – I’ve no idea why this wasn’t moved. I was pretty disappointed. However, there were lots of people in costume they really brought the place to life:

Just past the red cross was an SS Volkswagen Kubelwagen:

At 15:30 the costumed players began acting out scenes from life during the German occupation. There was a constant and, in my view unnecessary, commentary throughout – but the actors did a really good job:

You can see how that modern car completely trashes the scene. Here are two more videos – note that there is some simulated violence in both.

I didn’t have the memory space on my phone to film the entire sequences – I planned to find the CT24 film and share it, but I couldn’t find it. I’ll update this page if I find something.

I did find a CT24 video of the reconstruction of the military attack on Heydrich at U kříže – again an unnecessary commentary throughout:

Here is a news video that tells the history:

Lastly a picture of the Rebel Pipers taking a break:

May 27th 2017 Events in Prague to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Operation Anthropoid

23 Tuesday May 2017

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31st May 2017 update: There is a new event planned for weekend of 17th and 18th June.

Operation Anthropoid was the code name for the assassination of Schutzstaffel (SS)-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei Reinhard Heydrich, head of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (Reich Main Security Office, RSHA), the combined security services of Nazi Germany, and acting Reichsprotektor of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The operation was performed in Prague on 27 May 1942 after having been prepared by the British Special Operations Executive with the approval of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile. Wounded in the attack, Heydrich died of his injuries on 4 June 1942. His death led to a wave of merciless reprisals by German SS troops, including the destruction of villages and the killing of civilians. Anthropoid was the only successful assassination of a senior Nazi leader during World War II.

Saturday 27th May 2017 is the 75th Anniversary of Operation Anthropoid and a whole day of events is planned in the Prague 8 district. All events are free.

09:30
Unveiling a commemorative plaque
Gabčíkova 1224/4 (nearest tram looks like Vychovatelna which is on the 24 route.

It’s about a 30 minute walk to the next venue (Tram stop U kříže). The 24 goes there but could be diverted because of the event. Nearest metro, I think is Palmovka and then a 10 minute walk.

From 10.25 to 10.45
Reconstruction of a military attack on Heydrich
The original location has been redeveloped, so the reconstruction will happen at the tram stop U kříže, which is similar to the original.

There will be some vintage trams and other vehicles to add authenticity.

11.30 to 19.00 – Program in front of the Municipal Authority of Prague 8, U Meteoru 6 – it’s only a five-minute walk to here from U kříže

12.15, 14:15 and 16:15
Scottish bagpipe band performance: The Rebel Pipers

12.30, 14:30 and 16:30
Training demo by the  Čsl. Independent Armoured Brigade

13.00, 15:00 and 17:00
Guided tour of Camp Democrat by RAF units. The Camp Democrat features:
Genuine Vauxhall staff Limousine 14hp 1939
Military Supplies Austin Tilly in 1943
Two small British trucks (Bedford)
Small staff car Austin 8 in RAF colours
Chevrolet C15 truck
Two American Jeeps
A 1:1 scale model of a Spitfire MK.IXc

 

13.30, 15:30 and 17:30
Reconstruction of street scenes of occupied Prague. Streets and buildings will be themed; posters, tailors shop, newsagent, post-raid civil defence office of auxiliary of the German Red Cross.

18.00 to 19.00 – concert by country-music band Taxmeni

May 26th at 21:00: There is also a free screening of the Czech movie ATENTÁT (1964, director Jiří Sequens) in the courtyard of Libeňského zámku, projekce Kinobusu Dopravního podniku – although I’d guess only in Czech and without subtitles.

Czech Republic Smoking Ban starts 31st May 2017

17 Friday Feb 2017

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A law banning smoking in restaurants and bars takes effect on May 31st 2017 – this to coincide with World Health Organisation No Tobacco Day. Similar bans are already in effect across the European Union. The Czech Republic is the last EU member to allow unrestricted smoking in restaurants.

The smoking ban will apply to all pubs, restaurants, cafes and bars. The ban will also apply to indoor entertainment facilities and spaces such as ballrooms, nightclubs, exhibition halls and concert venues.

Many Prague pubs and restaurants are already non-smoking. All of these places that I’ve previously reviewed are non-smoking:

Buddha Café Norská

Cicala Trattoria

Yuniku Charcoal BBQ

Summa Cum Laude

Como Restaurant – although smoking is allowed on the outside terrace

Beckett’s Irish Pub – smoking allowed in the garden

Le Bouquet Wine Bar – smoking allowed on the few summer-month outside tables

Miky’s Food (Thai/Vietnamese)

Sansho

Mesy (Thai)

Wine O’clock Shop

Pizzeria Grosseto – although the summer garden has some smoking tables

James Joyce Irish Pub

U Tučňáků

U Emy Destinnové

The following have segregated smoking rooms:

Oliva by Amandine

Bernard Pub Bruselská – plus a large garden where smoking is allowed

Previous attempts to previously to ban smoking have failed because of amendments added to the bill. The last effort failed in May 2016 because it included a paragraph requiring pubs to have at least one non-alcoholic beverage cheaper than beer – a pretty difficult thing to do when beer is only 30Kc a half litre.

The Mazací tramvaj (Grease Tram) in Prague, Czech Republic – Christmas Makeover

21 Wednesday Dec 2016

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In January 2015, a special tram was launched in Prague. Red in colour with an ‘M’ on the front and the rear of the tram cut off – like a pick up truck.

The tram would appear at different times and on different lines. I started to wonder if there was more than one. I also wondered if the rear of the tram was supposed to carry goods or spare parts. Later I discovered that the tram’s purpose was to grease the tram lines and it was called Mazací tramvaj – there is only one.

I previously wrote about the Grease Tram here. Last Christmas the tram carried a Christmas Tree, with lights that you could control remotely and I wrote about that here.

The tram has been in the depot for months but has just emerged, with a large new canister fitted to the rear, plus Christmas Lights and an Angel.

A webcam has been added to the rear of the tram. You can see the lights and watch the tram’s progress via this site (sadly has a small advert before the live webcam). If you can’t see the video it means the tram is in the depot.

new-grease-tram

So thanks DPP for Christmas Mazací tramvaj!

 

OIiva by Amandine Restaurant, Prague, Czech Republic

07 Wednesday Dec 2016

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We’ve been visiting Oliva for several years. A couple of years ago the place was taken over by the people who run Café Amandine. The interior design and the menu are similar but a little better than before. It’s quite a cosy place and certainly feels like a restaurant rather than just tables and a kitchen.

oliva-01 oliva-02

The restaurant is a few streets away from Vyton tram stop. Oliva is probably the best restaurant in that area of town.

Nice bread and olive oil are always served and don’t appear on the bill. A carafe of tap water is 25Kc, which I think is pretty reasonable – not sure if that includes unlimited refills.

A bottle of decent ‘Hob Nob Merlot’ is 550Kc.

We like a starter-size portion of the Marinières de Provence mussels 300g for 165Kc – although on our last visit the waiter got confused and we had the full 600g (265Kc) each as a starter. So make sure you emphasise the starter portion if you order.

There’s a good selection of shellfish, fish and meat on the menu. I’d like to see more pasta dishes, especially as the ‘Linguine with octopus, Marinières de Provence mussels on white wine and herbs’ 235Kc is a bit samey if you have the mussels as a starter.

Service is friendly and professional, without being too formal.

Writing this review, I started to wonder why we don’t visit Oliva more often and I think it’s probably the price. You’ll probably spend around 1700Kc here. We tend to eat locally at around the 900-1200Kc price point and then splash out for a dinner in somewhere like Sansho. Oliva sits in between these two and so we tend to neglect it – too expensive for a Wednesday night, not amazing enough for a special occasion. If there was more pasta on the menu, we’d likely visit more often for perhaps a small bowl of mussels and a pasta.

Nonetheless, I’d recommend this place and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed with your visit.

Oliva by Amandine Restaurant
Plavecka 404/4, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic

Tel: +420 222 520 288
E-mail: info@olivarestaurant.cz

http://www.olivarestaurant.cz/en/

Monday – Saturday: 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
*kitchen is open until 10:30 p.m.