My Czech Republic Blog

Blog written by two Prague residents about life in the Czech Republic.

There’s a Number in My Seat!

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The other day I found myself gawking at a tram whose second car was stuffed with big red numbers from floor to roof. Then it dawned on me and I realized that this was a TV commercial brought into life, literally. I was amused and thought that this was pretty clever advertising.

Tram 77 is a two-car tram sponsored by Vodafone, which recently took over Oskar, the no. 3 mobile phone company in the Czech Republic. The number 77 represents the first two digits in a phone number that you’ll get if you sign up with the provider. The campaign is in conjuction with advertising on TV to promote the company’s offer of unlimited free minutes.

The tram covers a route between Náměstí bratří Synků in Nusle and Otakarova in Vršovice and runs through a good part of the city center, so you can catch it at I. P. Pavlova, on Wenceslas Square, Malostranské náměstí, Národní třída and elsewhere. The first car is for passengers and the ride is free.

The Tram 77 campaign started on November 21 and will run through December 4.

Tram 77 Sign     Oskar Vodafone Tram 77

Restoration Completed on Astronomical Clock in Prague

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The scaffolding has come down and the restored astronomical clock in Prague can now be seen. Once again, groups with gather and stare up at the revolving apostles on the hour. According to the City of Prague website, the work included overhauling the Mánes Calendar, repairing the astrolabe’s pointer mechanism and restoring the wooden sculptures. The total cost was estimated to run close to 2.5 million Czech crowns (100,000 USD – 85,000 EUR).

As I promised in a previous post, I have included before and after photos. I also show a close-up picture of one section of the orloj. The lighting in the photos it different, but it is still possible to see what a difference the restoration work has done to the appearance of the orloj.

Orloj Before
Before		 Orloj After
After
Orloj Before
Before		 Orloj Before
After

The Christmas Tree Is Up!

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The Christmas tree that is going to adorn Prague’s Old Town Square this year was transported to Prague yesterday. It started its journey in Rudolph’s Valley in the Krkonoše Mountains in Eastern Bohemia and arrived at the outskirts of Prague in the afternoon. The 20-meter tall tree was installed on the Old Town Square last night and was being decorated when we dropped by there this evening. Other work was going on in setting up the annual Christmas market that is scheduled to open this Saturday. The Old Town Square had an unusual look tonight – that of a construction site almost devoid of the typical mix of tourists and locals returning from work.

The Christmas tree will be lit at 6 p.m. this Sunday, November 27, by the mayor of Prague Pavel Bém.

Wenceslas Square will not have a real tree this year. A 15-meter tall artificial tree will be used instead.

Christmas Tree on Old Town Square, Nov. 22, 2005    Christmas Tree on Old Town Square, Nov. 22, 2005

First Snow in Prague

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We had our first snow of the season here in Prague. As the day wore on, most of the snow melted and it could just be seen in parks, on cars and on rooftops. More snow is in the forecast for the next few days. As a photographer, I hope there are a lot of snow days this winter, so I have a good opportunity to capture the beauty of Prague and elsewhere in the Czech Republic under snow. As a Prague resident (and a former Californian), I hope the winter is not too harsh.