Magazine
Prague is to get the first Buddha Bar Hotel in the world! A lamb with six feet is born on a Czech farm. And, Prague elects its Metro-sexual of The Year. Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.
Have you ever been to a Buddha Bar Restaurant? It is said to be the ultimate restaurant experience - a mixture of eclectic Asian decor, hypnotizing music and delicious cuisine. Buddha Bar Restaurants are to be found in Paris, London and New York but so far Prague has been left out. Now, the Czech capital is about to go one better. Prague will reportedly have the very first Buddha Bar Hotel in the world. The luxurious five star hotel will reflect the tradition of Buddha Bar restaurants - and aim to beguile all your senses. Oriental colour schemes, hypnotizing music, perfumes of the Far East and Japanese and Chinese art objects - over which a statue of Buddha will preside. It is not yet clear when the hotel will be completed but it sounds like a night at the Buddha Bar Hotel in Prague will certainly be unforgettable.
A farm in Blanensko is currently attracting TV crews and news people from around the country - who are all eager to report on a freak of nature - a lamb with six feet - the result of a genetic disorder. The lamb was born a few weeks ago and was immediately nicknamed Spider. The extra two feet hang limply between its front legs but appear to be causing the lamb no problems. In the past Czech farmers have reported the birth of a two-headed calf, a two-headed cat and most recently a chicken with four feet.
Josef Zimovcak - a 50 year old Czech postman - is crazy about cycling. He has taken part in the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia but not on an expensive bike with gears. Josef Zimovcak rides an old-fashioned penny-farthing, where one wheel is much bigger than the other and keeping balance is an art. During the Tour de France two years ago Zimovcak almost had to quit after a bad fall on a mountain stage left him with a broken rib and jaw, but got back in the saddle, riding most days until around midnight and rising at six every morning. He says that when things got rough he thought about how he would buy an ice-cream when he finally got to Paris. The Giro d'Italia he gave up a few kilometres before the finishing line after a tragic accident when a motorbike collided with his accompanying vehicle. Zimovcak said that under the circumstances he could not finish the race and was later awarded a prize by the Czech Fair Play Sports Association. Now he wants to tackle the third European "Grand Tour" the Spanish Vuelta - a gruelling 3,240 km race through the Pyrenean Mountains. Like in the other races Zimovcak will be riding 24 hours head of the other contestants. He'll be starting on September 1st and if all goes according to plan he should cross the finishing line in Madrid on September 25th.
As Czechs commemorated the anniversary of the end of World War II, there were a lot of American war jeeps driving around Pilsen and Prague. To mark the occasion - and bring back the spirit of the time the city of Brno brought back two vintage trams which date back to the 1940s. The trams are lined with wood and were clearly made with great attention to detail. They are fully functional and their reconstruction cost 6 million crowns. The good news is that these two vintage models will provide normal service every day until the end of the tourist season - so many people will be able to savor the experience. Although they look impressive - the Brno city transport has an even older model - a highly prized tram from 1889 called Caroline - which is said to be the only functional steam tram in central Europe today. Caroline is only brought out on special occasions such as celebrations and charity events. The last time she made a round of the city was last year when she took a group of disabled children out for a ride.
Seventy-eight year old Juraj Puci is firmly convinced that walking is the secret to a long and healthy life - and to prove how fit walking has kept him he decided to hold his own walking marathon around Prague. He got up early in the morning and walked for a full twenty four hours without a break covering 126 kilometers. It got him a place in the Czech Book of Records - and you have to take his word for it - walking really must be good for you.
Over a hundred contestants took part in this year's Metro-sexual of The Year competition in Prague. And the winner was Petr Rouha- a 30-year old house painter from Prague. He's into fitness, fashion and shopping but says he's just a normal guy who shaves pretty much everything except his legs. So how long does the Czech Metro-sexual of the Year take to dress? If he's getting ready for a walk in the park expect to be kept waiting for half an hour. But for an evening out - he takes close to two hours. Well, so he might nick your body lotion or face mask but he'll never complain you've kept him waiting to doll up. And - you'll recognize him right away - he'll be wearing a tie with a diamond - which was the first prize along with 60,000 crowns.
