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.

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

J. told me Lucie Bila, Czech popular singer, had a house (should I say villa) in Florida so that she could go to the gym without being followed by crazy Czech paparazzi. Though being an icon in her own country, she is probably able to waltz in and out around her neighborhood in the US without being recognized, thanks to Americans’ typical ignorance about pop culture other than their own.

I’ve been to Florida only once on a road trip along the Southern states: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The plan original plan was to make a complete trip along the coastline of Florida; but my friend and I never made it down to Miami since we spent our lazy ass for more time than we should on the many beaches of Florida. I was unimpressed by Florida’s landscape and tourist spots, so I was a bit surprised when I first learned about Lucie’s real-estate choice here. Others might disagree with me as there seem to be many websites dedicating to tourism in this sunny state.

When I drove to Florida with friends, we followed a strict budget: sleeping for free at a friend’s house and cheap motels scattered along the coast. However, if you travel in a group and expect certain standards, choosing a vacation home might be the best option. Vacation rentals have almost the same luxury as hotels, and prices are inexpensive if there are at least 3 people.

For example, the Disney retreat in Orlando costs 99 dollars a day. There are 3 bed rooms accommodating up to 6 guests. Thus, each pays only $17/night. Not bad! Or three people staying at a luxury Apartment Jr. Suite in Miami Beach will pay 1800/month, not including tax and surcharges.

Visit goin2travel for more details and available properties in Orlando, Miami Beach and the rest of Florida vacation rentals.

Oh, in case you are curious about who is this Lucie Bila I was blabbing about, listen to one of her sweet ballad. I’ve become addicted to this song recently.

When I saw someone selling cheap return tickets from Prague to Barcelona, I wanted to change the plan and travel to this city if only the date coincided with my upcoming holiday.

Do you know that a few years ago, one of the most popular hit in Europe is a song named “Asereje” or “The Ketchup Song?” The pop, feet-moving tune started a chain of sensation in many part in Europe and spread to South America. The main forces behind this hit are three spunky gals from Spain. 

Despite being  one of the first European countries I wanted to see, I never set my foot on Spain after three years traveling to quite a few places in this continent. Especially now that I develop a western-europe-who-care attitude, the prospect of my coming to Spain is slimmer than ever. Perhaps I should change my mind soon as Spain satisfies my life goals: improve my pitiful Spanish and experience the passion of life in Mediterranean. After all, my childhood favorite football club was Barcelona when Ronald Koeman, the Dutch footballer, played there. Though there are more places to explore in Spain, I am going to sick to Madrid and Barcelona as I know some people there and cross my fingers hoping that they will show me the city.

Buses and trains are popular transportation from Barcelona to Madrid, but flights are also available and lasts less than an hour and 30 minutes.

Ticket prices range from 94 euros to 320 euros return plus a service charge. You can find hotels in Barcelona for as low as 19 EUR and Madrid for a petty 25 EUR.  (Spanish version: Hotels en Barcelona)

From Prague, SkyEurope and Smartwings have frequentdai flights to Barcelona.

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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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