Hotel Alessandria Hradec Kralove

... plus a large hop warehouse fire and the worldwide hop supply was dwindling while growers had to replant. Now the hops are back and it isn’t quite a crisis anymore.

We are finally down to the cellars after going past the large copper covered tanks where the beer is mashed and hops added. Down here we are treated to a new beer. It has not yet been filtered and pasteurized but boy is ...

I seemed to have developed a taste for beer on this trip (partly b/c it's too hot to drink wine!!) and no tour to Czech republic would be complete with a tour of the Pilsner Urquell brewery...


The town of Pilsner is fairly nondescript (ie/ it has no redeeming features, other than a summer installation of a pilsner beer garden and a bouncy ...

Today we went to the Pilsner Urquell brewery in Plzen. Pilsner, the type of beer, originated here, where Pilsner Urquell was brewed from local crops and local mineral water. The tour was awesome. We saw the traditional brew kettles and the modern ones, as well as a very modern new packaging plant. We also tasted some unpastuerized beer directly from fermenting barrels.

We're starting to slow down a bit on the major tourist sights in Prague, and are able to absorb a bit more of the atmosphere (read eat and drink in as many different places as possible :-) To this end, we went to Cafe Slavia today with Alex (ostensibly on his way to work, although edging towards midday at this point), along the Vltava River and opposite the National Theatre. Location, location, as ...

Arrived in Karlstejn on the "City Elephant" train at 1.20pm and walked 2km to the Karlstejn Castle. Went on the 2.30pm English tour of the castle which took about an hour. No photography allowed inside the castle. Took in the views over the town before walking back to the train station and catching the train back to Prague.

... of apartments around Prague city centre, and are very friendly and helpful. They use environmentally friendly cleaning products and offer vegan breakfasts so we were happy to support them. The apartments are excellent value (we paid £35 a night) and very central (we were just below the castle). Compared to hotel rooms in the centre, whose lowest rates are about £80 a night, there is no competition. Being self catering we saved a lot of money, and cooked ...

... and email the hostel, who then texted hostel - plan worked. Booked into hostel with discount which was nice, straight out to meet Magda, Max and friend in brewery at 2230. Only clothes I had slightly clean were my helly hansen and walking trousers so must have looked a right state. Onto Irish pub where friend had to leave and we went onto Niebo nightclub till 0500. Magdas bus didn't turn up so I treated her to a taxi.

Well day three is almost over. I just went out to eat at a pretty nice restaurant with about 12 other people from Omaha. It was pretty good but really expensive, I spent $25 for dinner and 2 beers. I got a message from Ross saying he can meet me here in Prague on Sunday and can help me plan my upcoming trip and maybe even borrow ...

... people and architecture. It was hard to pull Charlie away from the blacksmiths doing work. He loved to stand and watch them. We ventured around the square enjoying the various memorials, churches, and historical sites. We tried to see the Anatomical Clock, but it was under construction. We peaked under the scaffolding to see the work at hand. It should be opening back up in November for others to enjoy. Wenceslas Square caught our attention with it's ...

... a charge of 100kc and you only have a 500kc or 1000kc bill, be ready for the look that will kill, after the clerk has queried you about change or a smaller bill, checked your hand with coins in it, and, if you have it out, glanced at your wallet. Curiously a 1000 Korun note is only $40, but the clerks treat a 1000kc note as if they couldn't possibly deal with so much money. It must be the idea of 1000 rather than its value. Convenience stores abound, almost one per block, but ...