Czech culture at home: 5 tips for what to stream, eat, and read this weekend, Feb. 26–28, 2021

As this week marked the birth date of Jiří Menzel, it seems fitting to watch the film Closely Watched Trains which picked up an Academy Award back in the 1960s. The whole movie is currently available to stream, with English subtitles, via Netflix. Menzel was born on Feb. 23, 1938 and sadly passed away last year at the age of 82. The film Closely Watch Trains is one of a number of award-winning films he created and if you have time and are a film fanatic it is well worth your time watching as many of his works as possible. This comedy/drama tells the story of a young man working at a train station in German-occupied Czechoslovakia during World War II. The film is based on a 1965 novel by Bohumil Hrabal. You can watch it online now.

While it currently isn't possible to go and eat or drink inside venues, 10 cafés are offering people views from the outside with art displays in their windows. It is part of the PechaKucha Night Prague Window Gallery project with 24 local artists having their work displayed at eateries across the city of Prague. An online map sets out each of the different locations you will need to visit to see the artwork. The artwork includes pieces by painters, sculptors, designers, and other artists. Each piece has a QR code that can be scanned for more information about the work and its author. Find out how you can support them by visiting the PechaKucha Night Prague website. The Window Gallery project will run through March 11.

Hot off the press, the book My Brother the Messiah was released this month from acclaimed author Martin Vopěnka. Vopěnka is Head of the Association of Czech Booksellers and Publishers, he picked up the Golden Ribbon prize for his novel New Planet in 2016. This latest book jumps forward to 2096 where scientists are working to protect the planet with Europe hit by a drought. A rainstorm heralds the birth of a "messiah" called Eli born in a suburb of Prague. My Brother the Messiah is a story about daring to seed the future of our planet. It was given the Science Fiction Book of the Month by British newspaper The Times. You can purchase a copy of the book in most stores and online, with a link to where you can get one available via the Barbican Press website.

Trying to reduce the amount of meat you eat or just looking for something different? This Czech pub offers vegan versions of some traditional Czech dishes as well as loaded fries and burgers. You can't go and eat inside Shromaždiště, due to the current coronavirus restrictions, but they are available to order from via Wolt. Their menu can be viewed (in Czech and English) via the pub Facebook page. It includes stuffed dumplings, a vegan chick'un burger, and other delicious comfort food. The restaurant is open until 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday, they are closed on Mondays and also offer a lunch service if you wanted to order into next week.

At the moment, going to a football match is quite difficult given the coronavirus restrictions in place in the Czech Republic and beyond. But you can bring yourself ever so slightly closer to the action with this irreverent English-language podcast that covers the beautiful game and so much more. Zbrojovkast also discusses history, folk music, beer, and a range of quirky topics with a heavy dose of FC Zbrojovka Brno (hence the name!). You can listen on all good podcast platforms for example Apple Podcast, Soundcloud, and Spotify. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter. So get yourself a beer, put your headphones in and give this a listen!