Dàibhidh
@pokuston
Albannach/Éireannach/Eòrpach/"Brainwashed by Brussels"/dual national. Studied town planning and urban conservation in Scotland, now based in Prague. Love discovering Europe's forgotten corners. A bit random. #FBPE 🇺🇦
Back in Scotland for a break and enjoyed an amazing, brilliantly sunny day in Troon, Ayrshire. I love this view and could sit here all day admiring the Isle of Arran mountains. I also have Ayrshire roots and so many fond childhood memories of visiting my maternal grandparents in nearby Prestwick.
If you're on holiday in Central Europe and suddenly crave mac and cheese, look out for bryndzové halušky, the Slovak national dish and a very good substitute. It consists of gnocchi drowning in melted cheese (in this case, bryndza, a tangy sheep’s milk variety) sprinkled with spek.
Wenceslas Square, 20.7.26. Next year, trams will return to the upper half of this famous boulevard after a break of almost 47 years. Work continues on laying the tracks. I'm very rarely in Prague city centre these days, and a lot of progress has been made since my last visit.
Vivid pink clouds over Roztoky u Prahy. They now look like Portuguese Man of War jellyfish. Pity my phone camera just doesn't do the colours justice. Meanwhile, the local swifts have the zoomies and keep looping the loop.
This is the building. Roughly on a northeast/southwest axis, and the eaves should provide plenty of shade. Re Cz citz'ship, I don't really need it. Basically it's about voting in elections. I have Irish too, so I haven't renewed my UK passport. I just use my Irish one or my Irish passport card.🐱
Spotted on a tram in Prague today. While I never condone vandalism, I 100% concur with the sentiment.
Bramborák in progress. A good way to use up leftovers. My 1st attempt at a very trad Czech potato-based treat, despite living in the CR since 2000. Not bad, but I was too sparing with the marjoram and salt. Trying to make healthy bramborák is a bit of a contradiction in terms.😀
German speakers enjoy gemütlichkeit, Dutch speakers love their gezelligheid, Danes savour hygge, and the Czechs enjoy pohoda. Pancakes and coffee for breakfast, with musical accompaniment by collared doves, woodpigeons and various finches and warblers. Dobré ráno z Roztok!
The world is going mad, so cheer yourself up and take a break from the madness with a cheeeessy (as ABBA would say) oatcake or two (or 5). Perfect with a cuppa or a bowl of soup. In true Blue Peter fashion, here are some I made earlier.
These pics aren't great, I know, but maybe you'll get a glimpse of the atmosphere at the demo. Positive and hopeful, the polar opposite of the paranoid, bigoted nonsense peddled by the Motorist morons. Stojíme za prezidentem!
Squiffy Santas😄 leering down from the top shelf at shoppers. Going cheap at Tesco in Roztoky u Prahy.
Spotted at M&S. NOT A RICH FRUIT CAKE - IT'S A CHRISTMAS CAKE!!! C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S!! WHEN WILL THIS WOKE NONSENSE END???? Seriously, do the usual suspects who get worked up about such matters really have nothing better to do?
A late afternoon walk on a chilly but clear late autumn Saturday. As we say in Scotland, ye cannae whack it!
Bird feeder finally up, despite my doubts about whether our feathered friends would be attracted to the terrace of a 4th/5th floor flat. So am pleased to report that some Great Tits stopped by earlier today.
The world is going bonkers. So shut out the madness and enjoy the simple pleasure of cuketové placky (sort of mini omelettes with zucchini and smoked cheese) and mash. Served in the dining cars operated by Czech Railways. Pohoda.
This afternoon I spotted the Czech transport minister, almost outside my front door. He was being "interviewed" by a local bigwig, a fellow party member, who called him "Mr Minister". A standard Czech way to address someone, based on their profession; it makes politicians seem more normal.
A week ago, I spent a few days in Warsaw. My last proper visit was in 2000, and a lot has changed since then, including the skyline. The pace of transformation is bewildering.
Have been thinking about how to attract more of our feathered friends to my terrace... and then receive a visit from what I think might be a juvenile sparrowhawk. It was perched there for a good 20 mins and seemed blissfully unaware of me.
Its vowel-deficient name may look daunting, but don't be put off by the Polish city of Bydgoszcz. It has lots to offer, with a small but attractive historic centre, plenty of relaxing spots, and some quirky attractions. And far less crowded than nearby Toruń, or Kraków.
Changing trains in sweltering Warsaw. Reminds me of a visit in July '99, when the weather was the same. Naturally, the city has been transformed since then: the centre looks more like New York each time I'm here, and Zachodnia station has received a stylish and much-needed makeover.
Paid a visit to one of Prague's cat cafés and enjoyed some feline fun. The moggies were quite timid, but they're rescue cats, so that's understandable, but overall it was a relaxing experience.
Keeping a family culinary tradition alive: chicken and red rice. Fried rice with leftover roast chicken, bacon, onions, garlic, beaten egg, pepper - and tomato puree. Sounds bizarre and looks a tad garish. Actually really tasty, but don't have a clue where this idiosyncratic recipe came from.
Theth, a magical spot encircled by spectacular mountains in Northern Albania. Time has stood still here, but the picture-postcard image is changing slightly, as new development creeps in. These huts have just appeared by the church. The classic tourism/development versus conservation dilemma.