March 25, 2014
Prague Czech Republic
Beer, Dead Horses, and the art of the Czech Pubcrawl
Five Americans went drinking in Prague, led by one Finnish expat. Add 5 pints of high alcohol beer, add five hours of walking. Meet my night of pubcrawling Prague.
Our guide, Niki, has a backpack when we arrive. I, however, have opted for fabulous shoes. I figured there’s no way a tour company is going to plan on dragging
drunk tourists around very far. He has sturdy walking shoes, do the other guests. I may have underestimated this one. Ah, well.
We exchange names and I instantly recognize one couple as the people I sat next to on a tram in Paris a few days ago. It breaks some ice when I tell them I was enjoying their American accents, as I figured I would be without any of those very soon. And the woman had incredible skin (L.A., of course!). The other couple are related to them, so it’s a cozy group of sic for an entire evening.
I say this with true enthusiasm. I got to ride a subway! After riding a ridiculously steep escalator built by the Soviets to the underground system, we boarded our train to a different part of Prague 1. It’s then that I realize I will need a cab home. The buildings are very tall and there’s no way I can dead reckon at night here. And there isn’t a chance I am doing this alone at midnight.
Our first stop is a neighborhood pub, U Sadu, a dark and charming place full of smoke, antiques and locals. And dogs! A Soviet broadcast station towers over the rooftops as we step into the cozy bar at the end of a long block of houses. Our first beer in a sadek. No ideas what that means but it’s unfiltered and mild. It’s really drinkable with a natural head from fermentation, not the tap. We get to sample some local tapas as well, pork on skewers with hot horseradish and mustard. The group is chatty and really loves beer. The evening already bodes well.
I have given up on timekeeping, but we leave after our beer is gone and the smoke is starting to get to us a bit (there is a non smoking side, but it’s much more charming on this side, so we endured). Outside, another look at the Soviet station shows babies crawling the tower, their faces replaced with barcodes. Turns out it is art representing the life under communism. We will encounter more by the artist as the night wears on.
Our second stop is Kulový blesk, probably my favorite stop of the night. A long corridor leads to a staircase leads to a stairwell leads to a room with taps that leads to room after room of tables and drinking spaces. Here will we have two beers, which is great because there is a lot to choose from. The walk here was 10 minutes at least, which I am thankful for because it burns off some alcohol.
Our guide orders pickle sausage. It’s pink, like Spam, and arranged on top of a pile of cabbage. I gently draw some chips from the basket as I eye the meat on the plate, accompanied by chili, garlic and horseradish sauces. I’m not so sure on this one. Oh, well, when in Rome! I take a small bite. Delicious. Tastes like cold pickled meat, washed down by friendly Czech beer.
Yes, I said friendly Czech beer. It’s smooth, a little sweet and not acidic. Consider Palate Wrecker, Arrogant Bastard or even a Shock Top. These are all big, in your face, distinctive American beers. Even the Czech IPA is mildly hoppy, but has a sophistication that lingers more like a finish than an aftertaste.
It’s a glorious hour and a half as the conversation turns to life, our tongues loosened by imbibing and the charm of a foreign locale. My new friends are going to Krakow. To Auschwitz, really. They are going because they are German and want to see it for themselves. They have budgeted four hours. I tell them it might not be that long, remembering my own trip to a concentration camp at Neuengamme. Even the smaller ones are terrifying, tragic and transforming. It’s like four hours of Schindler’s List, only it’s not pretend and you were either on one side or the other of the fence. I hope the the experience goes well, for they are very humbled and honored to get to visit.
The bars stay open mostly until 11, so we must leave our charming place if we want to see more. I have noticed a bob and weave in our group, except our guide, who orders small beers to our large and water. We rotate pairs for chatting, telling and retelling our lives, dreams, thoughts about traveling. We all agree that Prague has been spectacular. From food to people to sightseeing, it’s charming.
We pause at a train station for facilities, but I am really startled by a piece of art in the hall. It’s a sculpture of a horse, upside down and dead, with St Wenceslas, patron saint of the Czech and former king, riding the dead horse. As a horse owner, I was disturbed, certainly. As our guide explains the piece, I gain some understanding. It’s a symbol that the people can no longer live in the past. It’s by the same artist who did the alien babies, David Černý. It’s a direct response to the three story high statue of Wenceslas in the square bearing his name.
Our third stop is a homey place called U Pinkasů. It’s warm enough to strip all our layers. We order their pilsner and sink in to the warmth. It’s getting colder and i can see why people are hesitant to leave, If this is March, I wonder about December. It feels like Seattle in late fall. The conversation muddles with the beer and the late hour, our talk has turned to our names. One of our group was named by her father in a 24 hour visit home from Viet Nam which resulted in Dionne as a middle name. Although she doesn’t care for the moniker, we laugh with her when she says it illustrates her Dad’s sense of humor- because he tells people she is named after his Viet Namese hooker (not at all true, mind you)! I suggest she announce at Christmas she will now be going by Shanikwa.
We have time for one more stop, but before we leave, we visit the ancient tap set in a wall in the cellar. It’s dated late 1800s, I believe. Everywhere we go, it seems we are so young in city so old, just a gaggle of 30 and 40 year olds retracing a paths of a city centuries old (900 AD).
Our last stop is at U Tří Růží, a modern looking pub. Every place we have been brews their own beer or has craft beer on tap. One of my favorite, this beer blending the robust and spicy body of a red with the malty foam of...Czech beer. It was almost Belgian, although not sweet.
It’s the end of the night and we are getting recommendations fro Niki about tomorrow, although mine will be short as I am leaving for Vienna midday. He pores over our maps with a pen, circling sites for beer, (like the beer spa, where you can soak in a vat of beer while drinking it as well) and drawing walking maps. We discuss the probability and possibility of colliding again in Budapest in a few days, exchanging hotel information and numbers.
Finally, we pour ourselves into the late evening air, ending around 11. Although I am worried about getting to my hotel, Niki assures me he is not dumping me in a cab or on a train. We part ways with the gang who have opted for more revelry in a wine bar we have just passed while I, quite fuzzy headed but still upright, have opted for sleep.
As we walk the ten minutes back to Republic Square, I realize I am completely turned around. I thought we were south, but we were west. I haven’t really had to worry about my location, because I had forgotten I was traveling a bit. I felt like I was home drinking with my cousins. What a wonderful thing, to leave your country, meet strangers and feel adopted by the end of a few hours.
I kind of feel like that’s how many countries treat visitors. Come in, sit. Have a beer, talk to me, rest. Be happy.
Or at least, that’s what the Czech do.
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Urban Adventures http://www.urbanadventures.com/destination/Prague_tours
Žižkov Television Tower http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Žižkov_Television_Tower
David Černý http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Černý
Weceslas Riding the Dead horse http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cerný_Wenceslas.JPG
Wenceslas Square http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenceslas_Square
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