Readers,

Despite the Corona situation globally, having my vaccinations up to date made it both super easy and made me feel better about traveling abroad this week. Traveling with a group of coworkers, we hit up the Czech Republic for a whirlwind of meetings, meals, and sights. The people were very friendly and we had a great time. Thought I would share the highlights:

Lidice township - Off the beaten path, but a must.

Lidice was the site of a Nazi revenge story after an attempted assassination on the assigned Reich Protector of the Moravia/Bohemia protectorate, Reinhard Heydrich. The Nazis elected to raze the village and murder everyone through a loose connection to the attack. (None of the assassins came from Lidice). About 340 residents of all ages were murdered that day. The children were moved around and isolated for months until they too were killed in a different location. The below is the monument and artwork done for the children. Each real life child is represented by a statue that was true to their age at the time. The faces are not the true faces of the children, the artist decided it would have been too cruel on survivors to see their faces.

Pilsen (and its brewery)

The old and new synagogue of Pilsen. Now mostly used as a cultural center and concert hall, it is beautiful.

This is the old synagogue (above). Below are images from the new synagogue, currently undergoing a restoration.

Pilsner brewery!

The room in which the patented triple boiled mash for Pilsner beer occurs.

And the barrels where it ages.

Before you ask, yes - you do get free beer when you do the official tour.

Prague

Prague has so many sights to see, it's difficult to narrow it down. I really just recommend walking around. We enjoyed the castle, the national museum, the Dali museum, the Black light theater (truth be told, they enjoyed that far more than me), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and many other places.

View from the national museum

Lion statue on a pillar in front of the Castle.

The cathedral within the castle walls

The ceiling of Cafe Imperial

L

Local "Street Art"

Sometimes I get invited to some swanky places.

The infamous definstration window.

And, finally everyone's favorite topic: FOOD.

The influences on Czech food are clear if you know the country's history of being occupied for nearly a hundred years in different empires. So, yes I know some of this may not be "originally" Czech, but I ate it there and it was part of the experience.

Trdelnik 

This delicious pastry is wrapped around a spit and cooked above the fire. Then while piping hot, it is dipped in cinnamon sugar. Next, you get to pick your topping. I am a traditionalist; enjoying the nuts and sugar combination. But, many of my friends opted to fill theirs with whipped cream, strawberries, or nutella. Either way, you cannot go wrong.

Svarak or Gluhwein 

This is a hot mulled, spiced wine and a must on a cold day. If you aren't into alcohol - some places offer a hot cider (non-alcoholic) instead. Like the Rextaurant Kuchyn which carries a hot apple and pear cider. Delicious!

Kolaches

This small pastry bites are delicious and can be found with a variety of sweet and savory fillings. They can be as small as a silver dollar - which I am pretty sure makes it calorie free for tourists. (I am not a nutritionist, that is sarcasm!)

Beer

Almost like food, right? Anyway, the Czechs love their beer and you should give it a try too. There are a good variety of local or regional beers you can enjoy most anywhere. Note that the "number" of the beer e.g. 10, 11, 12, 13 - is actually representative of the alcohol content. So a "11" beer is a 5.5% alcohol by volume beer. They just double the number to make it sound easier and nicer. Who wants to deal in percentages and decimals when drunk!?

Hope this inspires you to get out and travel a bit. The world is an amazing place.

Stay safe and successful!