Jon Searles' photos with the keyword: Panelak

One huge difference between Europe and the United States is that people tend to be free to party, socialize, and even (god forbid) drink in public without getting arrested. Note that all those "Panelak" apartment blocks around this party are occupied, yet nobody's phoning the police to have everyone arrested. "The police are here," as they say in California, over there on the left, but the difference in this scene is that they're only there to prevent trouble. This party was elaborate and well-funded enough to have a big screen, which you can see behind the blue tent next to the police van (and larger concessions van), and my understanding is that they had some beer barrels and taps in there, too. Not being a football (or soccer) fan, however, and not knowing if there was a cover charge, I didn't actually attend, but I've been to many similar parties with other themes around Prague.

The snows came to Prague relatively early in 2007, almost coinciding with Halloween, but it was wet snow, and while the snowstorms continued into November, particularly in the mountains in other parts of the Czech Republic, the winter of 2007-2008 was abnormally warm, with snow only in October, November, and the end of March, at least in Prague. This shot in Sidliste Haje, incidentally also gives a perspective on Haje that I haven't succeeded in giving before, looking north, with not only Communist-era "Panelak" apartment blocks, but also a Communist-era Karosa bus. The Metro station is hidden off to the right of the photo.