Cobblestones in Pilsen vol. 5: Urban legend

Just another Hungarian urban legend. They were walking a brand new, tiny Yorkshire terrier along a riverbank. Evening lights, quiet splashes and gurgles, peace. Suddenly an owl struck down, seized the dog with its leash, and flew off. Walking little dogs next to riverbanks is not recommended since. I do hope Czech owls are kinder and have better ethics. Our first WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE...

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Cobblestones in Pilsen vol. 4. The city on Sunday

On Sundays the houses dress up and look at themselves in the shop windows. On Sundays construction sites are laying idle. Potholes in the road are yawning and the piles of soil are lying low as if they were caught doing something. On Sundays even bulldozers are friendly. On Sundays I need to call my mother to calm her down. On Sundays I video chat with my fiancée in a low...

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Cobblestones in Pilsen vol.3: Advent

Hrabal said: „The most beautiful thing about being drunk is not the elation, not getting high, not the hoot and the holler and the ideas that come, but getting drunk's most valuable asset is the day after, the hangover, the guilty conscience, turmoil…” And he’s right. When I am hangover I am the only ornament hanging near the bottom of this spiky pine tree. And as Christmas...

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Cobblestones in Pilsen vol. 2: And I like it

Everyone envies me back home. My friends could have killed me with their looks, my parents shook their heads, my boss scowled, my fiancée sighed like a wise man, when I told them I am coming to Pilsen. None of them have been here before, beer is the only thing they know about this place. „Bring home as much as you can and we’ll forgive you.” I took this snap at the puppet...

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Cobblestones in Pilsen: The first lunch

Like the everyday tourist. I ordered something under 'old Czech foods', it seemed like pork and was indeed delicious. The waitress brought the bill and my last beer (instead of dessert) with a big smile. Since then I found a zoo on the city map. It was like a little savanna sunshine piercing through the grey Czech autumn-sky. Our first WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE Mihály Etlinger...

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