Ken is traveling with us from Budapest to Antwerp. He is an integral part of our Beer Tour 2006 and a great friend. Ken has a background in media, so his writings should be a little more polished than mine.
Sept. 16 – Up to my armpits in Chodovar , Czech Republic
I love the Czech Republic . Been there. (Three or four times – still haven't figured out which.) Done that. And love to keep doing it.
Why? Can't say exactly. Some fuzzy family lore may mean I have Czech or Bohemian forebears. But I don't know for certain.
So this strong connection I have to the land and people of Bohemia may be less ancestral than placebo : I feel better in the Czech Republic simply because I think I should.
And what's not to like? OK, maybe they go a little heavy on the dumplings, but aside from that, whatever Bohemia 's dishing out, I'm goggling up.
This is the “hip-hop” center of Europe – Prague is hip, most of the rest of the country is hop – Saaz hops, to be perfectly pilsner precise.
Prague – ah, to me there's really no place quite like it. Centuries old, yet so young, fresh and today. There's an excitement and electricity that's infectious – especially for those in their 20s, but hardly less so for those twice that age and more, like me.
From castles to concerts and bridges to bar-hopping, not to mention people-watching par excellence, Prague has it all .
The smaller, more industrial city of Plzen (where vowels are in short supply but not so Pilsner Urquell beer) is somewhat quieter. But with its Old Town and proud brewing heritage it's still a place with a strong sense of self.
Ceske Budejovice (that's CHESS-ka BOOD-yo-VEE-cheh for those phonetically scoring at home) is like an impish little brother. Or at least its claim to fame, Budvar (Budweiser in German) beer is. Number 2 to Pilsner Urquell, it tries harder to convert the minds and taste buds of beer drinkers, both Czech and the world over.
Their scorn of American Budweiser (a distaste I share), is forged by decades of trademark lawsuits and hostile takeover attempts. Perhaps their Anheuser-animosity is a tad xenophobic. But that can be forgiven since it's an enmity rooted as much in comic irony as it is in global competition. They may despise Big Brother Busch and take every opportunity to say so, but they do it with panache and a playful wink.
If Plzen and Ceske Budejovice are smaller than Prague , then Chodovar Plana is downright microscopic. With one pay phone, no bank and a barely functioning train station, it's easy to mistake Chodovar for just another remote farming hamlet. But to do so misses the point. Not to mention its charm. And its beer spa .
Yes, a health resort based on beer. Good golly Gambrinus, Batman, I think I've died and gone to hop heaven!
A modern hotel, complete with a restaurant in the old lagering tunnel, attached to the Chodovar brewery. What could be better? Two words: beer bath!
Detailed explanation diminishes the experience. This really is a “you had to be there” thing, though the photo of Val and Eric luxuriating in their tub will give you some idea.
Suffice it to say you haven't lived the Beer Life to its fullest until you soak in a tub of herb-infused dark beer for 20 minutes, then get wrapped up toasty warm like a hop bale to sweat out all those nasty water- and wine-caused impurities. And all the while you're being served freshly poured pilsners by Helga, the gal who drew your bath.
My friends, this does not suck. Officially the spa is called U Sladka, but it'll always be “Rancho La Beer-ta” to me!
And so leave it to the littlest, quietest place I visited in the country to prove once and for all that my fondness for the Czech Republic isn't some placebo effect. I love Bohemia and its people because they really do make me feel better.
Don't believe me? Ask Val and Eric in the next tub over. Or better yet, ask Helga … just as soon as she's done getting me one last Chodovar!