Hotel Slovan Plzen

... part of the plant but one line was running so we saw the bottles scuttle past on their way to being filled.

We wound our way through the plant and saw a multimedia presentation on the brewing of Pilsner Urquell. They mash it or boil it three times which is unusual. They also hop it three times. Using Saaz hops from the region. A few years ago, there were several natural hops ...

... I would - as they were pretty impressive, but then you all know how to use google!!


We then had a tour of the fermentation tanks and details of the vital ingreadients (water, malt, special yeast and bacteria...). The tour concluded in obvious fashion - with a taster straight from the keg, poured by the most photographed man in Plzen!!

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 camped at this weird, seemingly abandoned hotel. After we ride miles out of our way to get there this lady tells me in broken few words and mostly hand gestures that we can't stay there it's only for people of an association. I'm not sure if it was my puppy dog eyes or my deadly looks but in the end she let us camp out back. It was kinda weird because we were the only ones there.

... nipped in the bud. Czech is a whole different ball game. Like cricket. It sorta resembles something familiar, but you soon realize everything is differnt. Differnt field, different rules, different variations on familiar things. Even the liquid refreshment is different ...rather than breaking the action for tea, they break for beer here. And sadly, I have NEVER figured out cricket. Perhaps the beer will do the trick and I will eventually remember how to say hello without my crib notes.

... in circles I noticed a tall steeple rising above the skyline of Plzen, and it struck me that the tallest building in Plzen is the St. Bartholomew's Cathedral located merely one block from Solni Pension. It was like my guiding light and led us through the city into our pension. By this time I was drenched in sweat and demanded a beer immediately. We trudged around town until stumbling upon Dominika where we knocked back a few $1.50 ...

... hope chance was on my side.. it was.. or it was just toying with me. In either case, I managed the arduous journey to the promised land. It was worth the epic quest for the spoils of the campaign were legendary. As Peter Griffin said (Family Guy) " I felt like I died and went to heaven.. but then they decided it wasn't my time... so they sent me back to a BREWERY!" Most ...

... it was all in Czech. It was very melodic and seemed like one, long folksong. We hurried home, threw two ducks in the oven and had a delightful last night with the Klugs. Lyn teaches in a Lutheran school in Bratislava, Slovakia, so we spent a lot of time during their stay discussing TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) and the best way to approach it. It was fun to compare her program in Brno with ours at ITC here in Prague. One striking difference was the number of ...

... on a very busy street. Nice place with a beautiful kitchen. The other two were just south of City Center. She really pushed these. Nice places but they were only one bedroom. They were in the same building. It had an exercise pool, whirlpool, fitness room, and party room. Nice, but still only one bedroom. We told her we would call on Monday. She took us into Tesco to show us where the office supplies were. MS bought a card case and several plastic envelopes for all the papers we ...

... a small quantity the same way they have done for centuries before, us me the humble beer devotee, who samples such delight, fulfils an unknowing purpose, preservation of the Original Pilsner Urquell trademark. So as the tour comes to an end and we are shown the front gate, a warm grin passes my face, with the knowledge that i have contributed to one of the noblest acts ever bequeathed on society, the original Pilsner. Mum would be proud...... Grin