Compact archive July 24, 2006

Santy y su Son de Cuba is a famous Cuban band under the leadership of Santiago F. Jimenez Smith. This singer, guitar-player and song-writer is surrounded by professional musicians. Given the core band’s members come from Cuba, the music the ensemble plays is original, amazing and full of temperament.

The ensemble entered the Czech music scene three years ago and its qualities were confirmed, when it won in the category of music bands The Prague Latin Awards 2005. Their music is interwoven with numerous dance styles such as salsa, cha cha cha and many others.

Santy y su Son de Cuba plays with attention to rhythm and dance but at the same time in a very spontaneous manner. This ensures the audience a relaxing and unforgettable evening. If you want to listen to Cuban rhythms, do not miss the start of the concert at nine o’clock in Akord Jazz club.

Velotroxi have recently appeared in Prague streets and many tourists took advantage of this new opportunity to take a look at the city’s beauty.

Recently, Prague 1 refused to allow the vehicles to have permanent standing places on its area such as the Old Town Square, the Rudolfinum or Kampa. The reason given was the fact that areas for pedestrians should remain vehicle-free. At the same time Prague traffic is rather heavy and draggy – for instance due to the presence of horse-drawn carriages for sightseeing tours. It is therefore believed it should not be slowed down any further.

Velotrixi are vehicles with some features of bicycles – for example movement is provided thanks to manpower. Nevertheless, there are also distinctions such as three wheels. Velotrixi also have an electric engine which may aid the driver when needed. Velotrixi are thus environmentally friendly – they do not produce any pollution and are noiseless.

The twenty-sixth General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) will be held in Prague in August. The importance of this assembly must be stressed because of one particular item on its agenda – this event may change the way we know our Solar System.

To be more precise, the assembly will discuss the possibility of adding the tenth planet. The object is for the time being called Xena. Even though it is hundred times further away form the Sun than the Earth, its diameter exceeds that of Pluto. Xena is thus bigger and the tiniest and most far-away planet and may thus arguably deserve planetary status.

The expansion of the Solar System is controversial since some astronomers disagree even with Pluto being called a planet. It earned this classification because of misjudgement of its size by the astronomer who discovered it.

Monday till Friday of this week will be in Prague devoted to golf. The inaugural International Golf Week is an open forum of superb professionals from the area of golf teaching. The participants include for example Hank Haney – a private coach of the world-famous number one Tiger Woods.

Golf week is meant to address people interested in golf or those, who would like to learn about this sport a bit more. The programme consists of training sessions as well as of presentations about training methods. There will also be a possibility to become involved in various discussions and debates or to try a golf tournament. The individual events take place in Golf Center Cechie in Prague and on the premises of Golf Resort Karlstejn.

The objective of the organizers (INGOLF Golf Learning Centre ) is to enable all of the fans of this sport to participate in the event. Golf amateur players, instructors or professionals are all welcomed to participate, learn and train as well as to meet golf’s absolute stars. To learn more, visit the official pages.

Czech National Bank will commemorate the 700th anniversary of the dying-out of a royal dynasty of the Premyslids (1306) by a commemorative coin. The value of the coin, consisting of nine parts of silver for every part of copper, will be two hundred Czech crowns and it should appear on Wednesday.

It will measure three centimetres and weigh 13 grammes. The interested will be able to choose between two versions of the coin. An ordinary one and a more luxurious one. They will differ for example in their edges – the latter, highly polished one having a smooth edge.

The coin will portray the last member of the dynasty – king Wenceslas III. The other side will show a symbol of the dynasty – the famous eagle. It will also have the depiction of St Wenceslas’ sword and helmet – symbolizing that the last member of the dynasty was male.

The aim of this review is to bring to you a perspective of a tourists, who sees and appreciates the beauties of Prague – but not only idealistically and starry-eyed. The tourist guides all too often offer impersonal description of the most famous sightseeing spots but the author of this article mentions less famous places of interest. Her personalized account draws your attention to Art Nouveau and synagogues:

...famed art nouveau artist, Alfons Mucha, was from here. So throughout the city, you can see some things he designed, like a stained glass window in the cathedral and the mayor’s office in the municipal building. There’s a small museum of his work too – famed Sarah Bernhardt posters – which was interesting to see.
...
And Prague also holds Europe’s oldest synagogue, from the 1200s, and 5 other synagoges as well. ... The Spanish synagogue was my favorite – painted walls, and stained glass, incorporating the Star of David in all the designs. You even can look up – and the chandalier is in the shape of the star.

Should your interests be also directed in this way, you can read the full article here.

Letnany airport gained its international status more than one month ago. This Friday, this new status was confirmed when the first two passengers entered the customs and were checked out. Letnany thus belongs among the twenty international airports the Czech Republic has.

Letnany airport represents for the two passengers from Switzerland their regular destination. The fact that the airport has now started functioning as international makes for them their travel much easier. They no longer have to interrupt their flights and stop at other airports for reasons of customs clearance and other formalities.

Letnany airport staff do not expect any radical changes because of the international status of their airport. It serves sport flights (planes with maximum weight of 5700 kilogrammes) and last year was the destination for 24 000 planes. It is expected that the annual total of foreign passengers will be around two hundred.