Czech mate part 2!

First time to Czech Republic was with a tour for half a day, intense and speedy, I didn’t really have time to interact with the people, to fully enjoy the sceneries. Now I am back the second time round, I plan to do it at a slower pace, taking in the changing architectures, see the beautiful Charles bridge at night and down some famous Czech beer.

Despite really enjoying the city scene, as if walking back in time seeing merging periods of medieval, baroque, rococo, neoclassical architectures and the grand castle district all in the one place. The beautiful old town square in Staré Mésto, the interesting sculptures along the twisting streets, the ornate municipal house was not enough to compensate the general rudeness of people we experienced in Prague. There were too many examples to share, i.e. Asking people for directions, they usually brush you off; not being able to communicate in a post office, they throw the items in question at you; and worse of all, a fine for wandering in a metro station on our first night around midnight (which is pretty much when they close the station) – not knowing we’ve crossed the ‘fee zone’ when we weren’t even near or intending to use a metro. There were absolutely no mercy, three muscular inspectors escorted us to the ATM on the spot to pay the fine.

This was probably the only country where I felt unease, the desire to get out ASAP despite the beautiful township. It did get a little repetitive as well given the old town is relatively small, it felt like we were walking the same streets over and over again.

Nevertheless, I have to give them some brownie points on beer and certain skincare brands, which was top notch. My favourite brand is Botanicus, a luxurious organic soap brand which uses high quality natural essence oil extracted from the plants and herbs they grow. So they claim it also has some medicinal benefits. Their most popular soap being the Dead Sea mud soap which has a rather light and natural fragrance. Medicinal benefits or not, the intensity of their natural scent feels as if you’ve reborn and again embraced by Mother Nature. You may have heard of Manufacktura, which is the popular beer and wine extract skincare brand. They too, have some awesome packaged and unique products. Both these brands are probably 1/3 the price compare to other similar products in the market, so don’t forget to pick up a few things from these shops.

When it comes to beer, Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world – with an average of 430 bottles consumed per annum per person including babies. My personal favourite are the dark beers. It is not your typical dark, bitter dry beer but with a delicious blend of sweetness, malt, chocolatie texture with an alcohol content slightly higher than average and it won’t break your bank account. If this is the type of beer you enjoy, you should definitely sample the infamous X-Beer 33, a dark bittersweet lager that has been sitting in an oak barrel for six months, with an alcohol content of 11.8%, making it the strongest brew in Czech Republic. You can find it at the U Medvidku Beer Hall. Whilst you are here, have a taste of their specialty Koleno – roasted pork knee, you will not regret it.

Another restaurant which I highly recommend is Lokál – a midrange sophisticated restaurant that is always packed with people and loud noises. The food are your traditional Czech dishes such as sausages, boiled beef, goulash, sauerkraut but with some gourmet touch to it. The beer and sodas are top quality. The ambience is young and fun. Get in early so you don’t miss out!

Whilst we were in Prague, we also came across a Beer Spa! It was hilarious and so much fun. Although, it also did some serious damage to our wallet. It is essentially as it sounds, a beer spa in an oaked barrel with plenty of hop in the mixture, with unlimited beer on the side for an hour. Afterwards, you get to relax on a bed covered in hay straws and enjoy some deliciously homemade beer bread. Anyhow, here are some photos: