Author: Greg

Beer experiences in Prague

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Drinking beer in Prague is a true pleasure.  Great beer is everywhere; you don’t have to seek it out.  Over the course of two weeks I didn’t have a single bad beer or ever spend more than $2 Canadian for a beer in a bar.    These are a few of my favourite beer-related experiences in Prague – the bars, the delicious traditional Czech snacks, and of course, the beers themselves.

First beer in Prague:  After getting settled into our apartment on the first day, we made our way for a much needed meal at Svejk Restaurant U Karla.  We picked this location for the ease of gluten-free eating for my wife for the first night.  A few minutes after sitting down, I got acquainted with my first Pilsner Urquell:

First beer in Prague

What went well with my second beer in Prague?  My first pork knee.  Czechs know how to eat:

Pork knee

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Back to Philadelphia

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Philadelphia is the place I’ve traveled to more than anywhere else aside from Toronto.  The combination of previously working for a company based just outside Philly, my irrational love of the Eagles and a strange confluence of conferences in Philadelphia has me traveling there again at the end of this month.  I never get tired of going back.  In fact, I love it so much, I’m adding the better part of two days onto the start of the work part of the trip for some vacation.

Philadelphia a truly great city.  It’s a bit blue collar.  It has an underdog complex.  It is as far from pretentious as a city could be.  It’s honest, a bit gritty and doesn’t take itself too seriously.  If Philadelphia was a person, it would be that neighbour who helps you build a deck, loans you a few bucks to get you out of trouble without asking any questions, and calls you on it when you’re being an idiot.  Anthony Bourdain might have best summed it up about Philly when he said that it’s a “city with a low tolerance for bulls**t and plenty of heart.”

What do I have planned for this trip?  A Flyers game, a foodie visit to South Philly, touring and photographing some public art, at least one cheesesteak (who’s kidding who – it’ll be more than that), a long overdue trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and/or the Mutter Museum, watching my Eagles in a sports bar (shame they’re playing on the road that week), a stop at my favourite Philly beer store to stock up on some Yuengling to bring home, and as much more fun as I can squeeze around the work parts of the visit.  I know that by the time I get home, I’ll have eaten well, enjoyed some great laughs and have debated the Eagles offensive approach with whoever ends up sitting on bar stools next to me over the six days.  Such is Philadelphia.  Simple.  Honest.  Fun.  And with an endearing chip on its shoulder.   No wonder I love the city so much.

30 hours in Vienna: Monday

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After a great first 12 waking hours in Vienna, we were ready for a mere 10 more hours in this stunning city.  Nowhere near enough time to see everything, but more than enough time to put a dent in it and have some fun in the process.

08:30 We started the day with some traditional Viennese pastries for breakfast.  We chose Kurkonditorei Oberlaa as our destination as they have something rather unique in Vienna – gluten free pastries.   My wife was in heaven as she didn’t expect to be able to try any of these delectables.  The gluten free pastries (left and top right in the pictures below) were really good.  In particular, the one on the left below was very similar to a Québécois mille-feuille.  I got one non gluten-free pastry as I had to try an apfelstrudel (bottom right below).  That and a great espresso put me in a wonderful mood to start the day.

Gluten free pastry
Gluten free cake
Apple strudel

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30 hours in Vienna: Sunday

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Nothing focuses your energy quite like having only a bit more than one day in a city you’ve always wanted to see.  When we booked our trip to the Czech Republic, we decided to stay in place in Prague and do a few day trips rather than being repeatedly on the move like our last few big trips.  When we took a closer look at a map and saw Vienna a mere four hours away, we knew we had to do a quick trip into Austria to spend one night in the city of music.  So what did 30 hours in Vienna look like?  Here’s how we spent the first 12 hours after arriving just before lunch on the first Sunday in September.

12:30 Before going anywhere, we were in desperate need of a caffeine jolt.  Across from our hotel was a coffee shop whose double espresso and lovely pastry got me ready to start exploring.  With caffeine hitting our respective blood streams, we took a streetcar ride around half of the Ringstraße (ring road).  If you envision the Ringstraße as a clock, we took a trip from 12 to 6 to get near the Vienna State Opera.

13:30 On my list of things to try in Vienna was the famous Sachertorte.  Looking up from the map when we got off the streetcar, Hotel Sacher was right in front of us meaning it was time for the rich chocolate cake (with brandy!) and another double espresso.

The Sachertorte
Sachertorte & me

I loved this cake.  The chocolate icing was almost fudge-like.  I could have had a second piece, but I was well into a deep caffeine and sugar buzz.  Plus, my understanding wife who can’t eat gluten may not have been so eager to sit and watch me wolf down a second slice.

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Hockey, Prague style

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On a spectacular late August afternoon, in one of the world’s truly beautiful cities, I found myself among 1,000 crazy hockey fans taking in a HC Sparta pre-season match against JYP Jyväskylä from Finland.   Although I’ve given up as a diehard fan of NHL hockey (losing your team will do that to you), the enjoyment of the sport itself is deep in my Canadian DNA.  An opportunity to see my first game on the larger ice surface in another hockey-mad country was just too good a chance to pass up.

What do diehard Czech hockey fans look like?  Probably something like these good folk waiting to head into the arena:

HC Sparta diehard fans

Not only were there passionate HC Sparta fans, but a group of people traveled from Jyväskylä, Finland to watch their team, JYP play…. and they did that for a pre-season game.  They even shelled out for a private box for the game.  Looks like they had a good time:

JYP Jyväskylä fans Continue reading →

Falling in love with the Charles Bridge

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I have always felt an affection toward bridges.  My guess is that it started when I was just old enough to walk and my Mom would take me to a bridge close to our house so I could watch cars pass on the highway below.  It’s no wonder that one of my first stops in Prague (once I got over a wee bit of jet lag) was the Charles Bridge.

When I think of Prague, “romantic” is the first word that enters my head.  Nowhere was this more tangible that along the length of one of the most famous bridges in the world.  One look and it’s pretty easy to tell why:

Charles Bridge

A chilly, damp late August night only added to the mystique of this bridge to me.  The views at anytime are stunning, but looking out toward Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral as the lights just start to come on is a special kind of magic:

View from Charles Bridge

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My Port of Wines Festival picks

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The annual Port of Wines grand tastings are quite the event.  Getting to one of them is akin to Christmas for me with the chance to sample an unmentionable number of wines over a three hour period.  There were some really strong wines at this year’s show that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Among them: Lan Edicion Limitada (Spain, 2008, tempranillo, $55.29), Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (2009, $46.99), Two Hands Barney’s Block Shiraz (Austrailia, 2010, $89.79), Farnese Montepulciano D’Abruzzo (2008, Italy, $34.49).

With a focus on wines that we thought were particularly good value and worth a spot in the collection for home, here was what we picked up:

Port of Wines 2013

From left to right:

Mumm Napa Prestige Brut – This was the festival award winner for top sparkling wine.  Made in the traditional method, it was fresh and creamy.  I thought it was good value at $33.99 for a traditional method sparkling.  It also brings back great memories of a visit to the winery in 2008.

Luna Argenta Prosecco – Didn’t actually taste this wine, but you got the bottle free if you bought at least one other bottle.  Needless to say, my wife and I split up our purchase to get two off these.  Who doesn’t love free prosecco?

Hahn Pinot Noir – A 2012 from the hills above Napa Valley, we both found this to be an outstanding value wine at $22.29.  A bit fuller bodied than a traditional pinot, it too brings back memories for us.  We visited this winery during our wine tour of Sonoma and Napa back in 2008.  A bonus was speaking with a lovely lady pouring on Saturday who works at the winery.

Marin Old Vine Garnacha, 2012 – This was an almost accidental tasting that went very right.  On a second visit to the table for Spain, I picked this for a sample blindly.  Rich and full bodied, it is probably one of the best value for money wines ($16.29) I’ve tasted in recent years at the festival.

Chateau Senailhac Bordeaux Superieur, 2006 – This one was on everyone’s list as it was the top scoring  French table wine and $21.99.  It tastes like a bottle that could be priced around $35.  It is a real shame this wine was an exclusive to the festival or I’d be backing up a truck at the nearest NSLC to buy a case or two.

Trinchero Napa Cellar Zinfandel – Perhaps not a true value buy, but I can’t resist a wonderful zinfandel.  It was the award winner for the festival, was under $34, and is a truly great wine.  A very light hint of oak really set off the bold fruit flavours and spice in this one.

Pilgrimage to Plzen

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You won’t see a description for a day trip to Plzen in your Frommers guide to the Czech Republic, and that’s a bloody shame.  For the beer lover, I would argue it’s almost a necessary visit.  This quaint city gave birth to beautiful thing in 1842: a beer that has stood the test of time – pilsner.

For me, the day trip to Plzen this was a true pilgrimage.  There was no way I was coming to the Czech Republic without visiting where my favourite style of beer was created.   Only a short 90 minute train ride from Prague, the Pilsner Urquell brewery is located just outside of the city centre.  When you arrive, you are greeted by the original gates of the brewery:

Gate at Pilsner Urquell

On our way into the brewery we got to see a morning delivery loading up.  Each day, the brewery delivers beer to bars in the city by horse, keeping alive a long-standing tradition.  I momentarily thought about taking the reins and making away with a few kegs of the good stuff:

Pilsner Urquell delivery into town Continue reading →