PragueBuzz!

This poor blogger got himself in a German McDonald where ”German” Big Macs were served with beer. For an American, this probably seems a bit gross, no wonder he labels this initial culture shock as his worst European food experience.Well, if the sugar-obsessed Americans don’t mind slurping one biggie sodapop after another, then why should beer-craving Germans serve this “liquid bread” –as called by the Czechs–strictly at the pubs.

I’ve been to McDonald only twice in Prague and don’t think that beer is served there. If so, it is quite a tragedy for a country with the highest beer assumption in the world.

After the culture shock at this German McDonald, this blogger discovers another side of German cuisine, in mom-and-pop food stands and small restaurants, those without English menus and prepare food exactly how it should be for the locals. It’s same in the Czech Republic. I tend to avoid tourist-oriented, fancy restaurants which charges twice or three times as much for the same dishes found at local restaurants.

I highly recommend those that have the opportunity to travel through Europe to take a day trip through the countryside of any country and experience the food of the locals. For the best experience, spice up on your foreign language skills. Most importantly, bring an empty stomach and you are guaranteed to leave satisfied.

I haven’t got the opportunity to visit villages in the Czech Republic, but I recently traveled to traditional Czech villages in Romania and had a stomachful of cheap and delicious meals made from homemade and homegrown products. I will write more about this trip in future post.

This is a sponsored post.

[tags]food,europe,paid reviews[/tags]

Tired of ubiquitous rock and hiphop tunes? Spend an evening out at this hidden but well-known bar located in the downtown Lucerna palace, owned V�clav Havel’s family, and dance the night away with non-stop 80s and 90s pop beats.

The dancing floor is of medium size, lit by a spinning disco ball, creating a sort of cheesy illusion. The crow comprises of mostly locals and expats, ranging from teenagers to late 20s. Its venue is not perfect, but it can be a blast to 80s music fans, one of which is of course me.

For only 20 CZK, you can free your hands by leaving  your bags in a safe place.

Theme: 80s Dance Club (weekend)
Dress code: Whatever way you like
Location: Prague 1, Wencelas Square

Sample Music from the 80s

Ingredients:
-Dough
-Flour
-Sugar
-Butter
-Apple
-Grind nuts
-Raisin or dried fruit

Preparation:
-Heat butter and spread butter liquid to frying pan
-Boil dried fruit and cut into small pieces
-Slice apples
-Thin the dough

Make:
-Add apple, cinnamon, fruit and sugar to the thinned dough
-Roll the doll into cylinder shape and place on the pan.
-Switch oven to medium temp and bake for 25 minutes

Three weeks ago, I became a legitimate resident of Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. Beside its Slavic root, Germanic influence has played an important roles in shaping the Czech identity.

Berlin and Vienna, the historical and modern capitals of Czech’s two Germanic neighbors, Germany and Austria are only 5 to 6 hours drive and 2-hour fly from Prague. When you connect Berlin, Prague and Vienna, you will end up with a straight line with Prague as the midpoint. (See [pix])

I visited Vienna three times but never really “saw” the city since in all three occasions I ended up wandering about at Sud Banhoff where I got hit on by an Egyptian masseur and an Austrian station employee who offered me free massage and beer.

I’ve never set foot in Berlin but soon I will for I have a strange fascination by historical Eastern European events and sites. The collapse of the symbolic Berlin Wall inspired world-famous German rock band Scorpions to write their classic hit  “Winds of Change,” a song I I used to play non-stop during my childhood.

Traveling among Vienna, Berlin and Prague are easy. International and domestic buses, trains and flights are affordable–sometime very cheap. Budget Airlines covering these three countries are Germanwings, SkyEurope and Air Berlin. Lufthansa and Austrian airlines are worth a check; they are major airlines and cost more than smaller air carriers, but if you book in advance, you might find decent deals.

You can sweat over many thing but don’t burden yourself with the thought of being a homeless in these three major capitals. If you book ahead, you can find a hostel bed for as low as 10 EUR. Visit hotels in Berlin for more detail. Vienna hostels charge about the same prices; however, if you desire the comfort in a 3-star hotels in Vienna, you can get one for as low as 39 EUR.

German versions of this website: hotels in Berlin and hotels in Vienna.


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