Paprika spread
Garlic soup
Goulash soup
Stuffed crepes (Budapest)
Hungarian beef stew
Gnocchi with sheep cheese (Bratislava)
Langos (Budapest)
Sauerkraut
Tsizitaki sauce
Baguettes
Hard boiled egg sandwiches
Wienerschnitzel
Potato pancakes
Quiche/fluffy omelets
Pesto potatoes
Spinach burger
Tomato preserves
Friday, June 1, 2012
Cesky Krumlov
Pronounced chesskey krumloff, it is a short train ride from Prague - roughly 4 hours with a train change in Cesky Budajovice. We thought it was closer but that was alright because it was definitely worth it.
Eric shared our little train mishap on this adventure. We got there and that's all that matters. Plus we got to see rural Czech Republic from the comfort of a bench at the train station while we waited for the train going back to Cesky Budajovice.
Side note: Cesky Budajovice is where Budweiser is made. The Budweiser beer in CR is way better than that in the States. Add it to the list.
The weather wasn't the greatest in Cesky Krumlov but we made it work. We got checked in at our little bed and breakfast and then went on our hike to Klet. It was pretty challenging but it felt great after completing it. It was good exercise. It rained the entire time we hiked which was annoying but we didn't let it stop us. 3 1/2 hours, 16 km, and an altitude change of 500 meters. done and done.
We grabbed some dinner at a local joint which was yummy. I had a chicken dish and Eric a pork one. They were both tasty. Eggenberg is the local beer of choice and quite good as well. It is made there in CK.
The town itself is small in both size and population which makes it easy to get around. After dinner we wandered in the square and found a bar to enjoy some Budvar in. The town itself doesn't have much open after 9 but we managed to find a place.
The place we stayed was called a pension which I think is the Euro way to say bed and breakfast. There were several of these throughout CK. The breakfast we received was typical Euro breakfast with meat, cheese, and bread. I got used to it and will most likely go into shock when I have to eat cereal again.
After breakfast we did some sightseeing before heading to the train and back to Prague. CK is a beautiful town with a castle (of course) and the Vltava river flowing through it. It's quite lovely.
No train mishap on the return. Quick check of the departure board, grab a sandwich and chips, and on our way to Prague. We managed to do all of that in 10 minutes. We became quite an efficient team.
The chips there were addicting but I suppose the ones in the States are too. We enjoyed the paprika chips and the onion chips.
Eric shared our little train mishap on this adventure. We got there and that's all that matters. Plus we got to see rural Czech Republic from the comfort of a bench at the train station while we waited for the train going back to Cesky Budajovice.
Side note: Cesky Budajovice is where Budweiser is made. The Budweiser beer in CR is way better than that in the States. Add it to the list.
The weather wasn't the greatest in Cesky Krumlov but we made it work. We got checked in at our little bed and breakfast and then went on our hike to Klet. It was pretty challenging but it felt great after completing it. It was good exercise. It rained the entire time we hiked which was annoying but we didn't let it stop us. 3 1/2 hours, 16 km, and an altitude change of 500 meters. done and done.
We grabbed some dinner at a local joint which was yummy. I had a chicken dish and Eric a pork one. They were both tasty. Eggenberg is the local beer of choice and quite good as well. It is made there in CK.
The town itself is small in both size and population which makes it easy to get around. After dinner we wandered in the square and found a bar to enjoy some Budvar in. The town itself doesn't have much open after 9 but we managed to find a place.
The place we stayed was called a pension which I think is the Euro way to say bed and breakfast. There were several of these throughout CK. The breakfast we received was typical Euro breakfast with meat, cheese, and bread. I got used to it and will most likely go into shock when I have to eat cereal again.
After breakfast we did some sightseeing before heading to the train and back to Prague. CK is a beautiful town with a castle (of course) and the Vltava river flowing through it. It's quite lovely.
No train mishap on the return. Quick check of the departure board, grab a sandwich and chips, and on our way to Prague. We managed to do all of that in 10 minutes. We became quite an efficient team.
The chips there were addicting but I suppose the ones in the States are too. We enjoyed the paprika chips and the onion chips.
Thanks!
Obviously none of them will be reading this, but we wanted to thank all the locals who were helpful to a couple of naive tourists. We really ran into a lot of nice people who could have easily ignored us.
The staff at both hotels and the pension in Cesky Krumlov were both very nice. From the man in Budapest who taught us to say thank you in hungarian to the woman in Prague who let us pay part of our bill with our remaining money.
Both our rental hosts were nice and gave us valuable information about our neighborhoods.
All if our servers were very patient with us as we navigated a foreign language and currency. I ordered many a meal by pointing Except of course for the guy at the Blue Tomato who got mad at us for screwing up the tip.
And last, but not least, the train conductor in the Plizen line who didn't speak any English, but helped us get back to Budweis.
The staff at both hotels and the pension in Cesky Krumlov were both very nice. From the man in Budapest who taught us to say thank you in hungarian to the woman in Prague who let us pay part of our bill with our remaining money.
Both our rental hosts were nice and gave us valuable information about our neighborhoods.
All if our servers were very patient with us as we navigated a foreign language and currency. I ordered many a meal by pointing Except of course for the guy at the Blue Tomato who got mad at us for screwing up the tip.
And last, but not least, the train conductor in the Plizen line who didn't speak any English, but helped us get back to Budweis.
Prague - Eric's Point of View
Shannon already covered the ins and outs of our first weekend in prague. I won't rehash, but would like to share my thoughts on the city.
It was kind of overwhelming at first due to all the tourists, but after I got a feel for it, I found it more enjoyable. It was a more subtlety pretty city than Vienna. It took me a little while to appreciate the architecture, buildings, and winding streets. I think that is because you need to get away from Old Town to truly appreciate it. Don't get me wrong, the castle and medieval town are nice, but the mass of tourists and street peddlers distracts you from that beauty. Im glad we walked across the Charles bridge, but I don't consider it a highlight of my trip. I don't need to be sold some useless trinket in front of every statue.
I enjoyed the sites much more from a bridge over or off the beaten path on Petrin Hill. One of the highlights of. Prague for me was our sunset paddle boat ride on the Vltava. Cool way to see the castle and bridge. Very relaxing, very peaceful. And of course, they let you bring drinks on the boat.
My favorite building was probably the national theater. Something about the gold trim and detailed statues impressed me.
There is a good fashion scene if you're into that. It's not really for me, but Shannon almost convinced mr to buy white loafers, like Marian Hossa. Unfortunate (or fortunately, depends how you look at) my feet are bigger than the average European and the didn't have my size.
Our last day in town we got a little adventurous. We wandered to the town market. It wasn't quite what we expected. We thought it was a farmers market, but it was mostly souvenirs. We also walked into a local watering hole for a couple of beers. It was a blue collar place where people went for a drink after work. One guy was still in his city worker uniform. We didn't really fit in, but people were nice nevertheless. Finally, we walked into a random restaurant for dinner. Mad Bar- a Mexican fusion sort if place. It was near our hotel. The menu was only in Czech and the waitress spoke limited English, but we navigated our way to a delicious meal.
Finally, there is the Czech beer. Amazing, delicious Czech beer. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite, but I will miss them dearly. I might shed a tear the first time I have to drink a Coors Light back home.
It was kind of overwhelming at first due to all the tourists, but after I got a feel for it, I found it more enjoyable. It was a more subtlety pretty city than Vienna. It took me a little while to appreciate the architecture, buildings, and winding streets. I think that is because you need to get away from Old Town to truly appreciate it. Don't get me wrong, the castle and medieval town are nice, but the mass of tourists and street peddlers distracts you from that beauty. Im glad we walked across the Charles bridge, but I don't consider it a highlight of my trip. I don't need to be sold some useless trinket in front of every statue.
I enjoyed the sites much more from a bridge over or off the beaten path on Petrin Hill. One of the highlights of. Prague for me was our sunset paddle boat ride on the Vltava. Cool way to see the castle and bridge. Very relaxing, very peaceful. And of course, they let you bring drinks on the boat.
My favorite building was probably the national theater. Something about the gold trim and detailed statues impressed me.
There is a good fashion scene if you're into that. It's not really for me, but Shannon almost convinced mr to buy white loafers, like Marian Hossa. Unfortunate (or fortunately, depends how you look at) my feet are bigger than the average European and the didn't have my size.
Our last day in town we got a little adventurous. We wandered to the town market. It wasn't quite what we expected. We thought it was a farmers market, but it was mostly souvenirs. We also walked into a local watering hole for a couple of beers. It was a blue collar place where people went for a drink after work. One guy was still in his city worker uniform. We didn't really fit in, but people were nice nevertheless. Finally, we walked into a random restaurant for dinner. Mad Bar- a Mexican fusion sort if place. It was near our hotel. The menu was only in Czech and the waitress spoke limited English, but we navigated our way to a delicious meal.
Finally, there is the Czech beer. Amazing, delicious Czech beer. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite, but I will miss them dearly. I might shed a tear the first time I have to drink a Coors Light back home.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Farewell Europe
You have been great. A trip I'll never forget.
Always sad to end a vacation and have to go back to work, chores, and errands, but in a way it will be nice to be back somewhere that you understand the language, currency, and customs. Where you can put $20 down on the bar at 4 Treys and know they will keep feeding you Miller Lites until its gone.
Next stop: USA
Always sad to end a vacation and have to go back to work, chores, and errands, but in a way it will be nice to be back somewhere that you understand the language, currency, and customs. Where you can put $20 down on the bar at 4 Treys and know they will keep feeding you Miller Lites until its gone.
Next stop: USA
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Krusovice imperial
I may have had this one already. I'm losing track.
It is like $3, which feels like a rip off. Where am I, the States?
Except it's not Miller Lite at the 4 Treys.
We were drinking half liters of Eggenberg last night for $1.40.
It is like $3, which feels like a rip off. Where am I, the States?
Except it's not Miller Lite at the 4 Treys.
We were drinking half liters of Eggenberg last night for $1.40.
Praha - Part 1
We broke up our 7 day stay in the Czech Republic into 3 parts. First is Prague for 3 days.
We took the train from Vienna to Prague which was ok. The ride is long - over 5 hours - but it was a little more entertaining when a couple of little Czech girls joined our seating area. The train had many cars. Each car had many compartments and each compartment had 6 seats. Eric and I had reserved seats because we are fancy like that but the majority of people just get on and find a seat. These girls were heading somewhere with family as an adult man sat with them and a teen boy. There were 4 of them and Eric and I in this area for the majority of the time. They giggled and giggled the whole way. You could tell they were excited to be together. And the loves the two liter of soda they were sharing. They would pass it back and forth trying to make each other laugh. It was nice exposure to happy Czechs.
Once we got to Prague we made our way to the rental we had. We for turned around a bit but eventually found it. We were greeted by Jana who was wearing an Ed Hardy hat and some tight black pleather pants. She was rockin it. And she was super nice.
The view from our balcony was awesome and the apartment itself was really nice. Great find by Eric. It was a little away from the hustle and bustle but that was perfect for us. We were able to explore the neighborhood a little bit.
The town is crazy with tourists. I think it had a lot to do with it being the weekend. Hopefully when we get back it won't be as bad since it will be mid week.
Speaking of crazy, we did see a woman walking a full size tiger as if it was a dog. We assume she has it as a house pet but she could also be in the circus, work for the zoo, or be a carni.
We also had a guy offer us marijuana in the city center. I guess he makes good money off of tourists for him to do it there. He was very sly about it.
We had a good 3 days in Prague. We went to the Czech Beer Festival, where we got to sample some tasty local beers. I got a sweet T-shirt too. We ate at a yummy vegetarian restaurant and hung out where the locals do. And of course we took in the sites - castles, churches, you name it.
Off to Cesky Krumlov and then back for more Prague.
We took the train from Vienna to Prague which was ok. The ride is long - over 5 hours - but it was a little more entertaining when a couple of little Czech girls joined our seating area. The train had many cars. Each car had many compartments and each compartment had 6 seats. Eric and I had reserved seats because we are fancy like that but the majority of people just get on and find a seat. These girls were heading somewhere with family as an adult man sat with them and a teen boy. There were 4 of them and Eric and I in this area for the majority of the time. They giggled and giggled the whole way. You could tell they were excited to be together. And the loves the two liter of soda they were sharing. They would pass it back and forth trying to make each other laugh. It was nice exposure to happy Czechs.
Once we got to Prague we made our way to the rental we had. We for turned around a bit but eventually found it. We were greeted by Jana who was wearing an Ed Hardy hat and some tight black pleather pants. She was rockin it. And she was super nice.
The view from our balcony was awesome and the apartment itself was really nice. Great find by Eric. It was a little away from the hustle and bustle but that was perfect for us. We were able to explore the neighborhood a little bit.
The town is crazy with tourists. I think it had a lot to do with it being the weekend. Hopefully when we get back it won't be as bad since it will be mid week.
Speaking of crazy, we did see a woman walking a full size tiger as if it was a dog. We assume she has it as a house pet but she could also be in the circus, work for the zoo, or be a carni.
We also had a guy offer us marijuana in the city center. I guess he makes good money off of tourists for him to do it there. He was very sly about it.
We had a good 3 days in Prague. We went to the Czech Beer Festival, where we got to sample some tasty local beers. I got a sweet T-shirt too. We ate at a yummy vegetarian restaurant and hung out where the locals do. And of course we took in the sites - castles, churches, you name it.
Off to Cesky Krumlov and then back for more Prague.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Train mishap
So, we were to take the train from Prague to ceske budajovice (Budweis). Transfer to a different train, take that into Cesky Krumlov. Seemed easy enough.
Well, it wasn't.
We got to Budweis no problem. Had about 10 minutes to our connecting train. Based on the departure time (12:07) we found our track (track 2) there are only like 6 tracks at Budweis, so it wasn't that hard.
However, the track didn't say Cesky Krumlov, it said whatever the end of the line was. So, to be sure, we checked the board inside the station, it confirmed Cesky Krumlov was a stop on the line. Track 2, 12:07 departure. All good, so we thought.
Train pulls in at 12:05 on Track 2, so we get on. Everything is good, ah, not so much. Shannon notices the train goes north, not south. I don't. Luckily, we don't have seats cause we don't speak Czech and can't ask anyone to move over. Sign on the door says Pilzen. Uh oh, that can't be good. We think it's ok, but as we follow the map and watch stations go by, we realize we're on the wrong train. Oh crap. We ask the conducted and he confirms we ate not on route to Cesky Krumlov.
He starts to type on his little PDA. We think he's charging us for tickets, like our pass isn't valid. Turns out, he was helping. He was printing out the train routes we need. So nice. I should point out that he doesn't speak English and we don't speak Czech, but we communicated.
So, we get off at the first stop Civenive in rural Czech Republic. It's pretty much every scene you've seen depicting communism. We did not belong. But it worked out. Waited a half hour for our train, went back to Budweis, had lunch, and caught our train.
In retrospect, it was a series of mishaps. Both the train to Pilzen and the train to Cesky Krumlov use track 2. The former departs at 12:02 going north. The latter south at 12:07. Well, both trains were late. So at 12:07, the only train departing was to pilsen. The Cesky Krumlov train had not arrived. And the sign at the bottom of the stair case only listed the route through Cesky Krumlov, not the other route.
When we returned to Budweis both trains were in the station at the same time AND were both listed on the platform.
Such is life when traveling I. Countries where you don't speak the language.
We successfully took trains from Budapest to Vienna, Vienna to Bratislava (and back), and Vienna to Prague. I guess we were due for a mishap. Oh well, no major harm. We can look back on it and laugh.
Well, it wasn't.
We got to Budweis no problem. Had about 10 minutes to our connecting train. Based on the departure time (12:07) we found our track (track 2) there are only like 6 tracks at Budweis, so it wasn't that hard.
However, the track didn't say Cesky Krumlov, it said whatever the end of the line was. So, to be sure, we checked the board inside the station, it confirmed Cesky Krumlov was a stop on the line. Track 2, 12:07 departure. All good, so we thought.
Train pulls in at 12:05 on Track 2, so we get on. Everything is good, ah, not so much. Shannon notices the train goes north, not south. I don't. Luckily, we don't have seats cause we don't speak Czech and can't ask anyone to move over. Sign on the door says Pilzen. Uh oh, that can't be good. We think it's ok, but as we follow the map and watch stations go by, we realize we're on the wrong train. Oh crap. We ask the conducted and he confirms we ate not on route to Cesky Krumlov.
He starts to type on his little PDA. We think he's charging us for tickets, like our pass isn't valid. Turns out, he was helping. He was printing out the train routes we need. So nice. I should point out that he doesn't speak English and we don't speak Czech, but we communicated.
So, we get off at the first stop Civenive in rural Czech Republic. It's pretty much every scene you've seen depicting communism. We did not belong. But it worked out. Waited a half hour for our train, went back to Budweis, had lunch, and caught our train.
In retrospect, it was a series of mishaps. Both the train to Pilzen and the train to Cesky Krumlov use track 2. The former departs at 12:02 going north. The latter south at 12:07. Well, both trains were late. So at 12:07, the only train departing was to pilsen. The Cesky Krumlov train had not arrived. And the sign at the bottom of the stair case only listed the route through Cesky Krumlov, not the other route.
When we returned to Budweis both trains were in the station at the same time AND were both listed on the platform.
Such is life when traveling I. Countries where you don't speak the language.
We successfully took trains from Budapest to Vienna, Vienna to Bratislava (and back), and Vienna to Prague. I guess we were due for a mishap. Oh well, no major harm. We can look back on it and laugh.
Mt. Klet
Climbed.
1,084 meter at the peak. Probably started at 500 meter. 16km round trip.
Don't let the Sunny sky fool you. It rained most of the way up and most of the way down. But at least we got good pictures.
1,084 meter at the peak. Probably started at 500 meter. 16km round trip.
Don't let the Sunny sky fool you. It rained most of the way up and most of the way down. But at least we got good pictures.
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