Blogs & Ecology

Belatedly, a link to the item on the Muslim community of Brno - at The Czech Daily Word.

Olive harvesting in Albania, John Paul II monuments in Poland, a Soviet military hardware “cemetery” in Moscow, and more: Central and Eastern Europe-based bloggers share their recent travel observations and photos.

Albania

- Stepping Stones has posted photos of two elderly Albanian village women: the first one is harvesting olives in “the old-fashioned way”; the second one has her black apron filled with “tiny daisies,” which she is picking for a local company and gets paid less than $1 per kilo.

Petro's Jotter compares Kyiv to Prague.

The 8th Circle reports that citizens of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia will now be able to visit the United States for up to 90 days without an entry visa; Polish citizens, however, are not included in this list: “It’s ironic, because of the immense role that Poland has played (and continues to play) as a stedfast ally of the United States. It’s also awkward, because Bush has promised visa-free travel to Poland’s neighbors while not being able to do the same for Warsaw.”

Updates on the regional and Senate elections in the Czech Republic - at Dr. Sean's Diary and at The Czech Daily Word (here and here).

Dr. Sean's Diary writes about the Czech Republic’s forthcoming Presidency of the EU.

I really dig these exterior sliding louvers on this prefabbed wood family house in Budyně nad Ohří, Czech Republic.

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The Czech Daily Word writes about the arrival of iPhone in the Czech Republic.

Photos and video of seven activists holding a rally at Red Square in Moscow on Aug. 24 - “For your and our freedom” - in commemoration of the protest against the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia (posted by LJ user moscow_river_25 in the legal_team LJ community).

The Journeys of Captain Oddsocks recounts important events of Czech history that happened in years ending in 8, such as the birth of Czechoslovakia in 1918 or the Warsaw Pact invasion of 1968, and wonders if something important is going to happen before the end of this year.

Looking at the image above, you probably recognise the vase named after Finnish designer Alvar Aalto himself. The design classic was released in 1937 at the World Fair in Paris. Since then the vase is in production by Iittala, whose designers change the size and colours to please today’s market. The vase in the image above however, is called Droog Aalto. It is the work of Czech designer Jan Ctvrtnik who expresses the effects of global warming, based on the famous Aalto vase. More images after the jump....

Pivní Filosof-Beer Philosopher reviewed the three brewpubs currently operating in Pilsen, in the Czech Republic, that he visited on a weekend excursion from Prague (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3).

The Czech Daily Word reports on the problems in relationship between the Czech Republic and China on the eve of the Olympics.

Der Spiegelfechter (GER) comments on rumours in Moscow, according to which Russia might station strategic bombers on Cuba in reply to deployment of the US missile defence system to Poland and the Czech Republic. Is it a new Cuba crisis in the making?

Dr Sean's Diary writes about the meaning of the Prague Spring.