Czech This Out....

BOHEMIA

Prague (Praha)  -  The Czech Republic

Post 1

We have taken a most fabulous trip to Prague/Czech Republic. We have never been here before, so sharing the history, architecture, food and culture of this beautiful city is going to be fun. We hope you enjoy this city as much as we have.

A Brief History of Prague:

The City is at the crossroads of Europe, with Germany to the west, Poland to the north, Austria and Slovakia to the south and east (http://www.eubusiness.com/europe/czech-republic). It has been a magnet for foreign trading since prehistoric times. By the 10^th century, the city was thriving with a large market place. The Premyslids were the first rulers of the city in AD 935. They had many bloody wars with each other during their rule (fighting amongst the family).

During the middle ages, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV ruled and Prague grew into a magnificent city, larger than Paris or London. During that time, Charles built the first university in Central Europe, Charles University. During the 16^th century, after a succession of weak kings, The Habsburgs gained control, beginning a rule that would last for almost 400 years. One of the Hapsburgs, Emporer Rudolph II, brought the spirit of the Renaissance to Prague through his love of the arts and sciences. Soon after his death in 1618, the Protestant revolt led to the Thirty Years’ War (http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/civil_n2/histscript6_n2/thirty1.html). The city declined after the war until it’s revival in the 18^th century. Many of the Baroque palaces and churches in the city date from this period.

The 19^th century was a period of national revival. Many great public monuments were built. The Habsburgs still ruled the city at this time. It wasn’t until 1918 that Prague became the capital of the Independent Republic. The German army occupied the city during WWII, followed by four decades of Communism. The ‘Velvet Revolution’ in 1989 is when Prague began to embrace a new era of freedom (http://www.prague.net/blog/article/36/velvet-revolution) & (http://www.rferl.org/media/photogallery/czechoslovakia-prague-velvet-revolution-communism/26689967.html)   The city now ranks among the most popular in Europe.

OUR WALKING TOUR OF PRAGUE

Art, Architecture, Food and People

With eight centuries of history, Prague has a lot to offer anyone interested in art and architecture (that would be me!). The city was spared large-scale destruction during WWII, so much of its medieval core remains intact. On a walk through the different quarters of the city - Old Town, The Jewish Quarter, Little Quarter, Prague Castle and Hradcany – one can see Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical, Art Nouveau and Cubist influences.

*Travelers Note: 
When visiting this city, wear comfortable shoes as you will be walking on nothing but cobblestones. To see women walking in anything that has a heel will boggle your mind. You can imagine the blisters and hammer toes developing inside that shoe. Ouch! Walking is by far the best way to take the time to see the really cool stuff. Besides stopping to see some of the main attractions, we walked all through the neighborhoods, along many back streets and alleyways to find some of the most interesting buildings and art. You will also find some of the best authentic international food off the beaten path (and cheaper!), so make a point to spend some time away from all of the tourist attractions. 
About the metro and tram system: When getting your Czech money Kc (koruna or crowns) make sure to get some change as the metro and tram system ticket machines take only coins. It is difficult to go up to any vendor and just ask for change without buying something. So every time you do buy something, try to get as much change as possible.
The public restrooms (WC) also take 10Kc or 20Kc per visit (and you will need them!)
Also, some eating establishments won't take foreign credit cards, so you will need cash.

Street Views of Prague:

(click on photos to enlarge)

Staroměstské náměstí (Old Town Square) & Josefov (The Jewish Quarter)  

 

Movie of Old Town Square while Rowan avoids getting in the picture. The little rascal is at my back as I am spinning around taking the movie.

Check out the fresco work on the building on the right. Yes, it is all hand painted!

Church of Our Lady before Tyn - a wonderful example of Gothic architecture

Astronomical Clock: The clock was not meant to tell time; instead it was meant to tell the phases of the moon, the astrological signs, the seasons and the Christian holidays. On the hour, the two doors at the top of the clock slide open and the 12 apostles glide past, while the 15th-century symbols of evil, death, vanity, corruption and greed-shake and dance below. Go here to watch a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82-Zo_hFcCE

 

A stunning example of fresco work on this Neo-Renaissance building (click on the photo to

enlarge). This kind of fresco work is found all over the city.

Maisel Synagogue: This is an original Renaissance synagogue from the 16th century that underwent extensive renovation and is now in the Neo-Gothic style. The synagogue is now a museum that houses the history of Jews in Bohemia and Monrovia. Many items in the collection were brought to Prague by the Nazis from other synagogues throughout Bohemia and Monrovia with the intention of founding a museum of a vanished people.

Horrifying, but true.

Old Jewish Cemetery: This was the only burial site for Jews for over 300 years. The site is found in the old Jewish ghetto area of the city. Because of the lack of space, people had to be buried on top of each other, up to 12 layers deep. There are over 12,000 gravestones crammed into the tiny space. The last burial was in 1787. This photo is one corner of the graveyard.

Jan Hus Monument: Art Nouveau Style - Jan Hus was a religious reformer and Czech hero. He was one of the most important religious thinkers of his day. He objected strongly to the religious practices and wealth of the Catholic Church and was excommunicated in 1412 and then put in prison in 1414. He was burnt at the stake after being pronounced a heretic in 1415. His huge size in the monument emphasizes the moral authority of the man who gave up his life rather than his beliefs. You can see here how huge he is compared to the others in the sculpture.

 FOOD BREAK....

I can't believe I have waited this long to feature some food! :o) 

This is the first piece of major food I found on the Old Town Square.

Traditional Czech Pork (Vepřové) at it's finest :o)

Lunch at a little Italian street cafe, Aldente on  Vězeňská 4. Antipasto board with a pear/orange/walnut/gargonzola salad. The Italian food in the city is fabulous. We found this in a little Italian district a few blocks off of the Old Town Square.

Trdelník - traditional Czech pastry slow cooked on an open coal fire. It is dipped in cinnamon and sugar and a variety of nut choices. Served warm off of the fire. If you have one piece, plan to have many. It is a little taste of HEAVEN!

Vepřové Křenem: Roasted pork knee on the bone - You can see there is a pork theme here. The Czech's love their meat and potatoes. This is a famous Czech dish that you must have if you come here. Plan on sharing it with a friend as it is enormous and will take you at least 2 days to digest (this is why you need to WALK the city :o) The meat is dark and just falls off of the bone. It is served with cabbage, sauerkraut, horseradish and mustard. It is absolutely delicious!

 

BEER (Pivo)

A Czech Tradition

Me with a Kozel Dark -  They say that beer (pivo) flows like water here in the Czech Republic, so you will see many locals and other Europeans sitting in the street cafe's as early as 10am having their first pint of suds. We tended to wait until at least 1pm, so here I am after a morning of walking the city on a very warm day getting my "pint of Czech water".

A little Czech Beer History - The best known Czech beer is Pilsner Urquell. The word "Pilsner" is derived from a town 50 miles southwest of Prague where this beer was first made in 1842. Many beers here are made in the Pilsner style.

The other beers of Prague: Budweiser Budvar, is brewed 100 miles south of Prague in
České Budějovice. The American Budweiser's first brewer adopted the name after a visit to Bohemia in the 19th century. Other Pilsner beers are: Staropramen and Gambrinus.

The two of us on the Vltava River with the Charles Bridge in the background. I will leave it here for now. Stay tuned for much more about our walking tour of Prague in the coming days.

Vepřové , Pivo and Na shledanou (Pork, Beer and Goodbye) ........for now...............

With Heavy Hearts

 We have made another unexpected trip to the UK. Our 5th trip since the summer of 2013. Rowan has lost her Mum, Dad, Aunt and now her Uncle Bob in this short period of time. We are currently in Wales to help with the funeral of dear Uncle Bob. It seems surreal that most of a generation of a family can be gone is such a short period of time. Our hearts are heavy...........The torch has now been passed to our generation.......we will be the ones to carry on with family traditions, tell the stories of our elders and honor their spirits by continuing to be the good people they were to so many.

In Memorium: 

 

Uncle Bob

Mum & Dad (sister Alex in the middle)

Aunt Runa

REST IN PEACE

 

 Y CASTELL GWYN (White Castle)

 So, this post is not about the White Castle in my town here in the US that looks like this.......

 ......where you can get a mound of Sliders like these........

No, no, no......here in Wales, when you talk about White Castle, you are definitely talking about THIS....

Where you can find the handy work of one of these...........William the Conqueror 1028-1087

.......and not one of these..........

Why is it, that in America, all of our castles and kings are burger joints? Sounds like a comedy act to me! ..........Anyway, go to these links to get a complete history of White Castle, Wales and the history of the Normans & Kings, etc. who ruled this place between the 10th century (YES! the 10th Century!) to the present: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_invasion_of_Wales
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Castle,_Wales

So this is where we went after our delicious meal at The Walnut Tree. Nothing better than walking around a castle to get the digestive juices flowing. Here are the photos:

The castle sits right on the border of England and Wales. It was designed to keep the English out and the Welsh in. This is the Welsh side:

 ........and this is the English side (notice the incredible sky!):

 Welsh side

 English side

 Our shadows on the inside of one of the castle towers.

One of the arrowslit windows where an archer would launch his arrows to defend the castle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrowslit

The acoustics inside of the castle were incredible. I tried taking this movie to capture the sound, but, of course, the movie is never quite like being there.

We left the castle and had a very exciting ride down the hill to get back to Abergavenny. You will see in this video why it is very exciting:

Meeting another car, tractor or bus on these one lane roads ends up in a stand-off. Someone always has to back up to the last driveway or turn-out (sometimes that can be for 1/2 a mile or more). We had to do it on the way up to the castle as we met a tractor. One needs to have patience when driving around this country as many of the roads are one lane (historically made for horses, not cars). Now you can understand why the cars here are much smaller than our big American hogs.

Our time in the UK has come to an end. It is always fun to come 'across the pond' for a visit in the old country. We hope you have enjoyed coming along with us.

CHEERS!

 SOUTH WALES (CYMRU)

A visit to the UK is not complete unless we have made our way to the southwest of Wales to see uncle Bob in the tiny village of Crickhowell, which is located in the Usk Valley of the Brecon Beacon National Park.  It is difficult to accurately describe the different colors of green one sees in this amazing land of the hobbits. A photo is the only way to do it. 

 An excellent view of Crickhowell, and Table Mountain, from just up the hill in Llangattock

 

--> The day after we arrived here, we decided to take a trip out to the coast to see uncle Hugh in Swansea. Swansea is a coastal city and the second largest city in Wales with a population of approximately 239,000. During the 19th century industrial age, it was a key center of the copper industry. It was also known as a viking trading post.

A pub lunch was in our sights soon after we arrived at uncle Hugh’s, so we took a short drive out to the small village of Kittle and a pub called The Beaufort Arms to see if we could find me some lamb chops. Boy, did I get lucky!

 From left, Rowan, Uncle Hugh, Jenni, Uncle Bob

 My heaven of a lunch - Welsh lamb chops, taters, veg., that delicious grilled tomato and sauteed mushrooms. Can you see a nap coming on? :o)

 Of course, my meal was washed down with a Brains Ale.......now I have more brains!! :o)

 

--> We finished lunch and decided we needed to go for a bit of a walk in order to avoid the impending doom of a food coma. Hugh suggested we head out to Three Cliffs Bay and walk along the ocean cliffs. It was a fabulous suggestion on this beautiful sunny day.  The ocean is one of the things I miss most about growing up and living in California, so I jump at any chance to be where I can smell the clean ocean air and look out into the infinity of the big blue ocean. Look at the sky!

 Rowan and the Uncles

 The Three Cliffs Beach. If this were a California beach, you would hardly be able to see the sand because of all of the people!

 Uncle Bob, Rowan, and Uncle Hugh. These guys get around pretty well for being in their early 80's.

 Since I am the one usually taking all of the pictures, the only way I can prove I was there is to take a selfie.

 

 We slept very well when we got back to Crickhowell.

Good thing we are doing all of this walking because we had a VERY SPECIAL afternoon meal planned for Thursday of this week back in Abergavenny (the village next to Crickhowell). There is a restaurant there called The Walnut Tree (http://www.thewalnuttreeinn.com/ ) that is very special indeed.  The chef there, Shaun Hill, is pretty famous in the UK and around the globe.

We took uncle Bob along with us for this food adventure which we had reserved before we left the US.

A photo of the very understated restaurant and inn.

 The menu for the day (click to enlarge)

Here are the photos of what we ordered. 

The Amuse-bouche (a small bite) - a little bite of something that comes to the table when you sit down. You don't order it, it just comes to the table with the wine. This bite is a quail egg rolled in herbs and crumbs and crusted in the oven. A piece of watercress and aioli on the side. A little bite of heaven.......seriously, heaven!

The house made bread bowl. Right from the oven.

 Plaice (a delicate white fish) with a shrimp and dill croquette. This fish seriously melted in your mouth. No chewing. I could swim in the dill/butter sauce!

 Robert Carrier's pate' aux herbes with picolilli (pickled vegetables). I will learn to make this when I get home. Something I could have for lunch every day. Light. Refreshing. Simple. Our heads were already starting to spin with delight!

 Chicken liver and foie gras parfait with brioche. If you like liver pate', you will weep with joy if you ever get to taste this! The pate is in the pot. It is whipped with cream with a thin layer of fat on the top. You simply can't worry about the fat because the experience of eating it will bring tears of joy to your eyes (as it did mine. Seriously!). It is served with a small block of quince jelly, a house made bun and some culinary weeds from the garden.

 The two wines: A 2011 New Zealand Pino Noir Rose - Yealands Estate, and a FABULOUS Alinanca red from Portugal. I tip my hat to the Sommeilier (wine steward) for helping with the red selection. I would have never chosen a red from Portugal. It was fantastic with the duck!

Pollack with salt cod brandade and olive crust. This was Rowan's choice for her main course (yes, all of the other stuff was just appetizers!) This fish was like eating a cloud. The sauce is watercress.

 Saddle of rabbit, liver, kidney and pudding. This was uncle Bob's choice. We were hoping to see the little rabbits saddle :o), however.........well, you know...........the dish was simple perfection!

 Confit duck leg with pig's cheek and passion fruit sauce. All I did was cry because it was so bloody excellent! The pig's cheek is on the bottom left and it melted in my mouth. Passion fruit sauce!!!! How much passion can one have in one meal! The duck leg fell apart like a slow cooked rib. All I can say is WOW!

 As you can imagine, we could not leave here without having dessert. Here is the Plum Soup with Honey Ice Cream. We are now having an extreme moment of RIDICULOUS! Oh, my! How delicious can you get!!!

 Summer Berry Creme Brulee. This put me over the top! I need a nap..............or a walk........

 Oh, we cannot forget the sugar brioche to top everything off!

We went for a walk around the gardens of  Walnut Tree (where they grow many of their ingredients) after our meal and I just happened to look through the kitchen back door and saw the chef, Shaun Hill. He came out to have a chat so I was lucky to get a photo with him. :o) A very sweet, gentle, humble chap.

 Stay tuned for photos of our after lunch walk around White Castle (not the burger joint, but the REAL castle)......................