Your view, right now

[DieselDaisy]

1 minute ago, EvanG said:

I travel mostly alone, especially when I'm doing city trips, so I usually end up not drinking at all. I was in Prague a year ago and on my last night I wanted to go to a pub near the apartment but I couldn't find any charming pubs in that area, I never feel comfortable sitting alone in a pub anyway, so I bailed and went back to the apartment.

Funny Prague story, when I walked up the hill to Prague castle I saw this old street musician playing violin and I had a déjà vu. I had been to Prague once before but that was 11 years ago. When I got home I checked my Prague pictures from 2007 and lo and behold, my then-girlfriend had taken a picture of the guy playing violin at the exact same spot. He had barely aged!

Problem with drinking alone? That is a strange one. Although I suppose it could be construed as a bit of an ''old man'' thing. Just bring a newspaper; there is always a chap reading the paper whilst drinking in a British pub. Although I suppose mobile phones are the thing now?

[EvanG]

Just now, DieselDaisy said:

Problem with drinking alone? That is a strange one. Although I suppose it could be construed as a bit of an ''old man'' thing. Just bring a newspaper; there is always a chap reading the paper whilst drinking in a British pub. Although I suppose mobile phones are the thing now?

Most pubs I go to are places where people are sitting together and chatting and to go sit alone at the bar staring at the wall or into my beer... I don't know, I would probably feel self-conscious. I'm not one to stare at my phone, often don't even carry it with me. Reading a newspaper could work, I suppose...

[DieselDaisy]

2 minutes ago, EvanG said:

Most pubs I go to are places where people are sitting together and chatting and to go sit alone at the bar staring at the wall or into my beer... I don't know, I would probably feel self-conscious. I'm not one to stare at my phone, often don't even carry it with me. Reading a newspaper could work, I suppose...

I don't feel that level of self-consciousness. Usually I just want a drink, and if I have a paper, to read the paper. If I am waiting for something like a train or somebody, it is convenient way to pass the time also. 

[EvanG]

2 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

I don't feel that level of self-consciousness. Usually I just want a drink, and if I have a paper, to read the paper. If I am waiting for something like a train or somebody, it is convenient way to pass the time also. 

I don't know where this notion comes from, I travel alone a lot and some people find that odd, but I prefer travelling alone, I can go see and do what I want at my own pace without having to compromise. Last time I went away with mates I spent half of the time wishing I was travelling alone because they were too slow to keep up with me and I wanted to see as much as possible.

But when it comes down to sitting alone at a pub or restaurant, I wouldn't feel comfortable, even though I know it's silly. I'm going to visit Strasbourg alone soon, maybe time to do a pub crawl on my own to get over this.

[DieselDaisy]

26 minutes ago, EvanG said:

I don't know where this notion comes from, I travel alone a lot and some people find that odd, but I prefer travelling alone, I can go see and do what I want at my own pace without having to compromise. Last time I went away with mates I spent half of the time wishing I was travelling alone because they were too slow to keep up with me and I wanted to see as much as possible.

But when it comes down to sitting alone at a pub or restaurant, I wouldn't feel comfortable, even though I know it's silly. I'm going to visit Strasbourg alone soon, maybe time to do a pub crawl on my own to get over this.

I think part of the experience of travelling is drinking, not Irish Pubs, nightclubs or any of that shite, but proper places where the locals drink (and eat as I ate in these type of places also). I was in this cellar type place drinking my Pivo - all locals except for me - and these ruddy faced musicians came in in traditional Bohemian costume to play music, waltzes and polkas, and I thought ''this is bloody fantastic this''. They didn't want any money or anything, just traveling around the locals playing their music. 

Going around the traditional beer halls was as important a cultural experience as visiting Hradčany, Old New Synagogue, etc etc. 

PS

When I visit parts of Britain on my cricket trips, I try to find local ''historic'' pubs. 

Edited November 14, 2019 by DieselDaisy

[Dazey]

2 hours ago, EvanG said:

This is one of several reasons why I dislike Amsterdam. You almost can't escape the obnoxious, loud-mouthed British kids who go there just to get wasted (like they can't get wasted at home, I never understood that) and wear t-shirts in the middle of winter and don't even bother going to the Rijksmuseum, van Gogh museum, Rembrandthuis, or check out Anne Frank Huis.

Amsterdam is shit for getting wasted anyway. I can't stand weed and the only beer on sale is fuckin' Heineken. 

[Len Cnut]

5 minutes ago, Dazey said:

Amsterdam is shit for getting wasted anyway. I can't stand weed and the only beer on sale is fuckin' Heineken. 

Yeah but they say you can get all mushrooms and LSD and all that over there pretty easily too.

[DieselDaisy]

This is the place, although it is a bit more rustic in the flesh. Traditional brewery from 15th century converted into a pub/restaurant (but the brewery is still at back). Reasonably central (New Town),

If anyone visits Prague, you have to visit this place,

https://umedvidku.cz/restaurant/

This is a nice place also, New Town as well,

https://www.restauraceuvejvodu.cz/

PS

Best to avoid touristy places around Old Town Square. Prices are double and service not so good. Although we were still guilty of using them because of the location and convenience. I know the places in the Karlin area very well also as I was staying there.

 

Edited November 14, 2019 by DieselDaisy

[EvanG]

15 minutes ago, Dazey said:

Amsterdam is shit for getting wasted anyway. I can't stand weed and the only beer on sale is fuckin' Heineken. 

There's more, but it's totally overpriced. Ok, that's how it is in most Western European capitals, but more than 5 euro for a beer? I may be a simple small towner, but fuck that.

[Andy14]

3 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

I wouldn't say so considering I saw all of Hradčany (e.g., St Vitus, Old Royal Palace, St George's, Golden Lane, etc etc), all the Jewish stuff (synagogues and Old Cemetery), about a million other churches including the church where the assassins of Reinhard Heydrich were cornered in 1942. Did drink lots of beer and ate all traditional food in Czech places. I think the dopey Brits go to the nightclubs?

Did you visit Nový Svět (New World) as well? It's in the Hradčany area but not many people know about it. Not sure if there's snow in Prague but an evening walk in snowy Nový Svět is awesome. 

I'd also highly recommend visiting Klementinum with an astronomical tower and one of the most beautiful libraries in the world.

Spoiler

And please, don't eat "trdelník", it has nothing to do with a traditional Czech cuisine. Tourists love it though.

[DieselDaisy]

58 minutes ago, Andy14 said:

Did you visit Nový Svět (New World) as well? It's in the Hradčany area but not many people know about it. Not sure if there's snow in Prague but an evening walk in snowy Nový Svět is awesome. 

I'd also highly recommend visiting Klementinum with an astronomical tower and one of the most beautiful libraries in the world.

  Hide contents

And please, don't eat "trdelník", it has nothing to do with a traditional Czech cuisine. Tourists love it though.

I didn't. I actually didn't eat in the Hradcany/Malá Strana area at all. Had a couple of beers in one nice place opposite St Nicholas', tad full of tourists maybe but nice. I saw the Lobkowicz Palace at Hradčany which has some Beethoven and Mozart manuscripts and two Canaletto's of London, a vital source for understanding the topography of London in the 18th century. Here is one of them,

PS

Trdelník? Those round pastry things everyone was eating?

I ate goulash which is different from Hungarian goulash, krkovice (Port neck), svíčková (twice), a big spicy sausage served with condiments and vegetables, apple strudel and traditional pancakes (breakfast) served with fruit and nuts and sour cream. All the food was excellent. Again, (generally) tried to avoid the touristy places, choosing traditional places full of locals. 

Edited November 14, 2019 by DieselDaisy

[DieselDaisy]

1 hour ago, Dazey said:

Amsterdam is shit for getting wasted anyway. I can't stand weed and the only beer on sale is fuckin' Heineken. 

I had some of that the other day under the mistaken impression it was ''one of the better shit mass produced lagers'' and it was bloody awful! 

[Andy14]

30 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

Trdelník? Those round pastry things everyone was eating?

I ate goulash which is different from Hungarian goulash, krkovice (Port neck), svíčková (twice), a big spicy sausage served with condiments and vegetables, apple strudel and traditional pancakes (breakfast) served with fruit and nuts and sour cream. All the food was excellent. Again, (generally) tried to avoid the touristy places, choosing traditional places full of locals. 

Yes, the round thing. It smells better than it tastes. Instead, try some local pastries (věneček, rakvička, větrník, etc).

https://www.tasteofprague.com/pragueblog/where-to-go-for-czech-pastries-in-prague

Another place you shouldn't miss is Vyšehrad. And Petřín, something to please your romantic soul. 

[DieselDaisy]

4 minutes ago, Andy14 said:

Yes, the round thing. It smells better than it tastes. Instead, try some local pastries (věneček, rakvička, větrník, etc).

https://www.tasteofprague.com/pragueblog/where-to-go-for-czech-pastries-in-prague

Another place you shouldn't miss is Vyšehrad. And Petřín, something to please your romantic soul. 

I wanted to go to Vyšehrad because it is very important historically; legend has it the city was founded there and the Přemyslids used it as a palatial alternative to Hradčany, although from my understanding little remains of what was once there as it was destroyed during the Hussite Wars. I didn't go so it'll have to be for the next time.

[spunko12345]

6 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

You're preaching to the choir. I don't understand it myself, although I did (sort of) do one holiday like that when I went to Barcelona, although I ended up drinking beer on the beach all day as opposed to the night clubbing thing which never appealed to me, mostly because I loath that sort of music and am far too ''English'' to attempt to dance.

In the present, I try to drink like the locals which here entailed traditional Bohemian cellar type places which I had specifically marked down from reviews on this Prague app I had downloaded beforehand. So I had all of these authentic places ascertained. Place your beermat down and ''pivo, prosím'' and a glass of nectar arrives which is replenished whenever drank, paying at the end. I suspect the Brits hit Irish bars which has an experience similar to their own, before the nightclubs of course which is what they're ultimately there for - although in fairness I only saw one ''hen'' like group and they were on the plane, it being a working week.

I went on one of them holidays to Costa something or other when I was younger. Didnt do much exploring but i did get threatened with a knife over a ping pong game. I also got pissed and fell off a 5 foot wall after falling asleep on it.

[SoulMonster]

My views, 30 min ago.

[EvanG]

^ You probably already have more snow now than we will have all winter. Latest winter forecast says it's going to be, yet again, a very warm winter. I hope they're wrong.

[SoulMonster]

1 hour ago, EvanG said:

^ You probably already have more snow now than we will have all winter. Latest winter forecast says it's going to be, yet again, a very warm winter. I hope they're wrong.

Just a few centimeters and it is expected to melt away later this week. No skiing for the time being. 

[SoulMonster]

 

[Fitha_whiskey]

Here’s our Xmas tree 2019... I’m truly curious to see other forum members Xmas trees or holiday displays or whatever people do... 

[SoulMonster]

No tree up yet. 

[soon]

My nativity, crammed into the only place that my cat, Sweet Murder Spree, cant get at it 

Over the last few years making herbal preparations has become a Christmas thing. I garden a lot of herbs & veggies and by the time they are all preserved and the herbs are dried, its already Advent. Sometimes I gift some of the preparations at Christmas, too.

[SoulMonster]

[Dazey]

11 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

 

Where's the fava beans and Chianti?  

Edited December 2, 2019 by Dazey

[SoulMonster]

8 minutes ago, Dazey said:

Where's the fava beans and Chianti?  

Haha.

To the preparation of lammerull I prefer an IPA.