Jubilee Year

A Jubilee Year is a special year declared by the Pope, which usually happens every 25 years. It is a time, when Catholics are encouraged to reflect, go to confession, receive communion and pray for the Pope. Doing these things with the right intentions allows the believers to receive an unconditional indulgence - basically a spiritual reset. And as a part of this tradition is walking through the so-called "Holy Doors".

Well, I am not a Catholic, but receiving at least a piece of indulgence by walking through the "Holy Doors" could be a good opportunity for me, because it is 2025 and I am in Rome.

There are four Holy Doors in Rome, which are opening only in Jubilee Years. And one of them is in St. Peters Basilica.

I am staying in the very center of Rome, so the way to Vatican on foot would take only 30 minutes.

Surprisingly, there is no long queue at this time on the square. So, I was quite fast near the church.

The camera is on, and I am ready to record the moment, when all my sins are forgiven immediately (or some of them).

So, I successfully passed through the Holy Door, left behind sin and entered a renewed life of grace.

It is Sunday, and there is a special mess at this time, where cardinals take part, but there is no Pope here.

The Pope is going to pray at 12 pm, from a window in the Apostolic Palace (second window from the right on the top floor). Typically it lasts around 15–20 minutes and includes the pope’s message, the Marian prayer, the blessing and sometimes a short greeting to pilgrims. Of course, I could not miss this chance to hear the voice of the Pope Leo XIV.

After Vatican I am going back to the Rome city centre. With visiting all remarkable places there. Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Monument to Victor Emmanuel II and Pantheon.

Finally, back home. It is the right time to relax a bit after such a long walking and drink some coffee!

The most iconic method of brewing coffee in Italian homes is undoubtedly with using a Moka pot. Of course, I have it in my rented apartment.

And here is a short instruction how to make perfect coffee:

1. Add water. Fill the bottom chamber of the Moka pot with cold water up to the safety valve.
2. Add coffee. Fill the filter basket with ground coffee; level it off but don’t press it down.
3. Assemble the Moka pot. Screw the top and bottom parts together tightly.
4. Heat it up. Place the Moka pot on medium heat; leave the lid open at first so you can watch the coffee rise.
5. Wait for the magic.The water in the bottom will heat up, creating pressure that pushes the water through the coffee grounds and into the top chamber.
6. Listen carefully. When you hear a gurgling sound, the coffee is almost done; remove it from heat right away to avoid burning it.
7. Cool the Moka. Cool a bit the bottom of the Moka with the cold water from the faucet.
8. Stir and serve. Stir the coffee in the top chamber with a spoon for even flavor; then pour into small cups.

Still, there is some time for evening strolling around Rome. It is only 30 degrees outside, so it must be a good evening.

I hope, I would not need to wait for another 25 years to visit Rome again.

Berliner Weekend. Day1

Another attempt to pal up with Berlin. The first one was almost a year ago, and at that time I have noticed that the city was very diverse, but quite gloomy and not very friendly.

I came to Berlin with the train. I think we even do not have any direct flights from Prague. However, if you set off early in the morning, you would still most probably feel sleepy, so you can sleep on the train some hours.

The spring has just come to the city. Not much greenery and leaves on the trees.

Wide streets in the city centre. Very pedestrian-friendly, with large sidewalks, bike lanes, and well-marked crossings.

Here is the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. A powerful symbol of the destruction of war and the resilience of peace. It was largely destroyed in a bombing raid in 1943 during World War II, but nowadays it is preserved in its ruined state as a memorial to remind the horrors of war.

I am staying at SORAT hotel, a small, cozy city hotel in a prime location directly on Wittenbergplatz, located in Berlin's Schoneberg district, at the edge of the famous shopping boulevard Kurfurstendamm. One of the main attractions here is the iconic KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens), a Berlin institution and the largest department store in continental Europe.

The late lunch I had in some traditional restaurant. And in that traditional restaurant I tried the traditional food - the Schnitzel. To tell the truth, Schnitzel originated in Austria. But it has become a beloved and widespread dish in German cuisine too. In Germany, the most common version is Schnitzel "Wiener Art" (Viennese-style Schnitzel), usually made with pork instead of veal. The Schnitzel was served here with potato salad (Kartoffelsalat). Very delicious and very heavy :-)

The day was not finished with Schnitzel, of course. After having a nap at the hotel I had a long walking in the neighborhood of Wittenbergplatz, visiting many local bars. Yet, the night life in Berlin is more exciting than the daylight life.

Escape to Olomouc

It is always a good idea to go somewhere for a weekend, especially if there is a direct train connection with Prague. For this time I travel to Olomouc. And honestly, I do not have any plan, what to do there, but maybe I just wanted to check the train company Leo Express, cause usually I travel with Cesky Drahy.

Olomouc is the 6st largest city in Czechia, and it has around 100000 inhabitants. It lies in the heart of Moravia and in the past it was its capital.

One of the most beautiful and the most needed to visit monuments in Olomouc is the Saint Wenceslas Cathedral. Founded in 1107, nowadays it has the gothic style.

The next necessary thing to do in the city is of course tasting local delicatessen, called Olomoucke Tvaruzky. Indeed, its very salty, very smelly, but with very unique taste cheese. It contains lots of protein, but usually goes well with beer. Honestly, I am not going to miss this food, but next visit I will eat it again.

Of course there are much more places and things to explore in the city, including the iconic Holy Trinity Column, the Astronomical Clock and even the beautiful Botanical Gardens, and the good thing is that all of them are located close to each other. Very compact and comfy.

I need to say, that am in love with cobblestone streets in Olomouc. But most of all I appreciate the quietness here. So, this silent, cozy city is an ideal destination if you are tired of the hustle in the megapolis. Definitely, I would come here again to enjoy solitude and unhurried walking.