Come Along My Little Strudels on a 2016 ABD Trip Report - Cloud 9 Sky Bar

sayhello said:
I'm going in Chicago the end of this month. :) I bought from the venue, but it was still a chunk of change!

Sorry for hijacking your Trip Report, Mary!!

Sayhello
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tgeorge said:
Sorry Mary...I had to respond and then I PROMISE no more interruptions :-)

I was going to buy a ticket for the 25th of October since it was my birthday and I was just looking for one ticket. But, I have a work obligation that I couldn't get out of. I figured Chicago was the only way I was going to see it before 2020. Have fun!!
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I am going to see it in Chicago in March! I am sooo excited!

mare1203 said:
You weren't even on the tour where it happened.
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But who wouldn't want to be in the room where they make sausage? You have kept me from the room where it happens...for the last time! (PS Yes I know A LOT of the lyrics!)
 
Eating Our Way Through Prague, Part 3


Our fourth stop on this culinary adventure was about a 20-25 minute walk, which gave us a chance to discuss some Czech history and culture, and also to digest a few of the yummy treats we had eaten.

Along our stroll, we stopped at one of the many Stolpersteins in the city, but apparently I'm a bad photographer and didn't get a picture. Stolperstein’s can actually be found in 18 European countries, and they are a concrete cube laid in the sidewalk or street, with a brass plate inscribed with the name and life dates of victims of Nazi extermination. The project commemorates the person’s last place of residency (though sometimes it’s a workplace) before he or she fell victim to the Nazi regime. It was decided to use these locations, because it is the last place the person freely chose, and more than 55,000 have been laid. It is the largest decentralized memorial on earth.

At one point nearly a quarter of the entire Prague population was Jewish, though the population was driven out multiple times. Today, there are less than 5,000 Jews in the whole Czech Republic, which is a fraction of the total number prior to WWII, when the number was as high as 117,000.


We also walked by the Powder Tower, and the Municipal House and Art Noveau building. Both are located just down the street from the Prague Marriott and a good landmark if you are heading towards either Old Town or New Town. The Powder Tower used to be the city gate. It was damaged in a war battle, but has since been restored. The Municipal House next door is an entertainment venue that hosts ballet, opera, and other concerts.


Eva also pointed out the Museum of Decorative Arts - House at the Black Madonna, which is a masterpiece in Czech Cubism and architecture. Literally everything is in the shape of a cube, including the cafe. It was the first building of its kind


Along the walk, Eva told us a little about the differences between Old Town and New Town, and pointed out some of the buildings leading toward Old Town.


We did stop near the Beer Spa so she could talk a little about the area, but also about the attraction itself. She was pretty cheeky about this, but it is a popular and unique experience that you won’t really find elsewhere. Basically, you bathe in a whirlpool of the natural extracts used to brew a Czech beer. And, of course, you can drink as much as you like while you are there. There are a few other elements included, but that’s the jist. I actually have a friend who did the beer spa recently and thought it was hilariously awesome.


Quickly we arrived at our next location, the Restaurant Zvonice. Zvonice is located in the Jindrisska Tower in New Town. It is the highest belfry in Prague with 10 floors.


The Gothic Style tower has gone through several rebuilds and is currently both an attraction and restaurant. The first floor houses a coffee shop and whiskey bar, while the middle floors serve as a museum.






The Restaurant Zvonice is tucked into the original wooden trusts of the belfry. It’s a very cool space with wonderful views. We took a lift and had a bathroom break .


Our dish here is a specialty of Prague and the Czech Republic - Zelnacka, or sauerkraut soup. It is made with sour cream, baked mashed potatoes, pesto, mushrooms, sausage, and sauerkraut. It sounds a little weird at first, sauerkraut soup, right?


Oh my gosh, this was definitely my favorite dish of the day. It was a thicker soup (made creamy by the sour cream) with a distinct flavor, but not overpowering. I think we all loved it.

From here, we continued through New Town. This was the most crowded part of our tour as we winded towards and through Wenceslas Square. Eva knew all the side streets, breezeways, and other tricks to get us where we were going, but she also tried to stay close to the main pathways so we could retrace steps if we were on our own. I appreciated that.


We stopped in front of this liquor store to talk a bit about the liquors available and popular here in the Czech Repubic. Nearly everyone drinks beer, but they are also known for Becherova and Slivovice. Becherova is an herbal liquor made from secret plants. At one point, it was believed to have medicinal properties and aided in digestion. Depending on how you’re trying to digest, I guess that could be true. Slivovice is a plum alcoholic beverage, but varieties can be found using many fruits. Eva also noted the absinthe, which is popular, with the young people, but nothing like the true absinthe and will not actually give you hallucinogenic feelings (though, placebo effect, who knows)? While she didn’t recommend absinthe, she did say that if we wanted to buy some, to be sure we didn’t buy anything bright, neon green. It should be a paler, more natural green if you want to get the good stuff.






We made a stop in Wenceslas Square on the way to our next stop. Wenceslas Square, located in New Town Prague is both a business and cultural center. You will often find some sort of public gathering going on whether it be a demonstration, festival, or celebration. New Town, which was founded by King Charles IV planned the area with a number of open areas. At the far end of the Square one finds the prominent National Museum Building and statue of Wenceslas. Surrounding the square, which is actually a long rectangle, is a variety of architecture reminiscent of when the buildings were put into place. While much of the square is accessible via vehicle, the portion at the far end from the National Museum is pedestrian only. Wenceslas is the patron saint of the Czech State and he is likely best known as the subject of the carol for St. Stephens Day, “Good King Wenceslas.”


From there we walked towards our next stop, the Styl & Interior. Tucked in an alleyway off a busy street heading away from Wenceslas Square, you would never guess this place existed, let alone housed a beautiful restaurant and garden interior.






Part restaurant and park furniture store, this place sells nearly everything you see. We were led to a large table overlooking the courtyard garden.


Here we were treated to Svarak, or mulled wine. The mulled wine was served room temperature, rather than hot. I didn’t love it, but had a depth of flavor and I appreciated getting a chance to try it.




Our small bite was a pork belly pate with roast pork, served with poached pear in port wine and bread. I thought the pate was delicious; I mean how could it not be when it’s made with pork belly??


The bread basket had cloves of garlic on sticks you could use to rub on the bread and eat the pate.





The owner came by to tell us a little about the space and food while we were there, as well. We had a bit of time to relax, hit the restroom, and enjoy our eats before heading out. This was probably my favorite location of all the sites.
​
 


Yumm! More good stuff. Enjoying the shots of Wenceslas Square! We spent a good while there on my walking tour, learning about the communist take-over and rebellion that had parts that occurred there.

Looking forward to more!

Sayhello
 
Looks tasty! My wife and I made a trip to the Beer Spa before our tour started. Nice and relaxing...and good beer too!
 


Our Eating Italy food tour was a highlight for me and something I will look for whenever we travel. I love visiting small locally-owned spots and sampling the local fare. You learn so much about the culture!

Laurie
 
So glad you finally posted more! It is almost like you have a job and other priorities outside of entertaining us! ;)

Stolpersteins- so interesting. I have never heard of this. I think it is a beautiful way to commemorate their lives. Much better to be honored at the place you chose to live rather than the place you died.

Beer Spa- ???!!!! I must tell my brother about this.

Belfy restaurant- the pictures of this place are so cool.

The last restaurant/shop looked beautiful. Love the little details like the glass dishes the pate was served in and the garlic on a stick.

Thanks for sharing!
 
I didn't think I wanted to go back to Prague but maybe I do....
and I want to look for Stolpersteins
and now I am going to be reading each installment like 3 times looking for the Hamilton reference.....you could have gone with "I didn’t love it, but had a depth of flavor and when push comes to shove, I appreciated getting a chance to try it" Too easy?!
 
I just may have to go back to Prague solely to do the food tour! Looks so yummy.

I am taking my daughter to NYC on December 16th -- Hamilton tickets for Saturday the 17th were going to be almost $2,000.00 for us. So we are going to see Wicked (Saturday) and the Illusionists (Sunday -- dd's choice). Hope to see Hamilton another time when it's much more affordable!
 
What a wonderful report, I'm so happy to be reading a foodie TR, I've enjoyed your other TRs and the special attention you pay to the food while on holiday :) I had to google stolpersteins since I didn't know they existed. How moving, more so because they do make a point of building it in a place the victim chose to live in. I can't wait to read more, you're doing a terrific job!
 
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AquamarineSteph said:
Loving these posts & pictures! I'm now thinking I might want to try this trip...
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Bwahaha, you are getting sucked into my evil plan!

disneyphx said:
I didn't think I wanted to go back to Prague but maybe I do....
and I want to look for Stolpersteins
and now I am going to be reading each installment like 3 times looking for the Hamilton reference.....you could have gone with "I didn’t love it, but had a depth of flavor and when push comes to shove, I appreciated getting a chance to try it" Too easy?!
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I feel conflicted about this response, but I'm going with it anyway...Solpersteins are like a much more poignant hidden Mickey scavenger hunt!

I can't put in a quote every time, gotta make it a game!

*WDW*Groupie* said:
I just may have to go back to Prague solely to do the food tour! Looks so yummy.

I am taking my daughter to NYC on December 16th -- Hamilton tickets for Saturday the 17th were going to be almost $2,000.00 for us. So we are going to see Wicked (Saturday) and the Illusionists (Sunday -- dd's choice). Hope to see Hamilton another time when it's much more affordable!
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I think the food tour is what made me really appreciate the city!

I myself am stuck with sticking with PBS for my Hamilton fix, so I hear ya. But Wicked and the Illusionists will be good, too!

Burgundy Rose said:
What a wonderful report, I'm so happy to be reading a foodie TR, I've enjoyed your other TR and the special attention you pay to the food while on holiday :) I had to google stolpersteins since I didn't know they existed. How moving, more so because they do make a point of building it in a place the victim chose to live. I can't wait to read more, you're doing a terrific job!
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Thank you! I am glad you're enjoying all the food pics!

I thought the solpersteins were very cool and had such a thoughtful story. I'll make note of it throughout the trip, but I appreciate the way Central Europe and Germany don't shy away from recognizing their past, the horrors, and making sure to honor those affected so it doesn't happen again.
 
Alacrity said:
Looks tasty! My wife and I made a trip to the Beer Spa before our tour started. Nice and relaxing...and good beer too!
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Oh cool! It seems like a fun way to spend a few hours.

sayhello said:
Why did no-one tell me about the Beer Spa??? :)

Sayhello
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Haha! I don't know!

Sarabi's Cubs said:
Our Eating Italy food tour was a highlight for me and something I will look for whenever we travel. I love visiting small locally-owned spots and sampling the local fare. You learn so much about the culture!

Laurie
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It was probably the same company; obviously we loved them! I'm with you...those little locally owned places or holes in the wall are the best! I can appreciate the tourist traps for what they are, but I like to get lost, too! Especially when it comes to the food. Why have mediocre versions of the best dishes when you can find the real deal?!
 
Eating Our Way Through Prague, Final Part!

I meant to post this final piece in my last post, but then I realized I hadn't actually written it yet...whoops. So, here's the last part and then we'll get on with the adventure!


The walk from the Styl & Interior to the Cafe Lourve was another longer one of about 20 minutes. Again, we strolled rather than proceeding in any direct manner.




The path to our destination took us through the Franciscan Garden.


It is tucked into the heart of New Town Prague and offers some beautiful gardens, which are overlooked and looked over by the Franciscan monastery. The monks were forced from the monastery when the Communist regime took over after WWII. After the fall of Communism, the monastery was given back to the Franciscans and the gardens were restored.

We had a couple of other side conversations along the way. We discussed the Czech’s love of hockey, some of the most popular players, and the role they play in being an ambassador for the country. Eva also pointed out the Skoda cars, partly because Skoda means "too bad!" They were originally an entry level brand not known for quality, thus the chuckle-worthy name, but have expanded and seen great improvements in recent years. They hope to enter new markets, perhaps even the US, in the near future. It has added to jobs and manufacturing in Czechia. Also, did you know that apparently the Czech Republic decided their name was too cumbersome, so they quietly filed paperwork recently to be legally known as Czechia in English on government documents, etc.? Kind of like how the official name of France is the Republic of France, but everyone just says France. I dig it, because, tbh it’s super annoying to write out the Czech Republic every time! Apparently, they want the name to catch on 'organically', so they haven't made any formal announcements. And who says Buzzfeed isn't a real news outlet??



Eva decided to take a small detour on the way to the Cafe Lourve to show us some kinetic art, and to get us into the Kafka mood. Located near City Hall, you can find this 42-layer twisting and reflective sculpture of Franz Kafka. I thought it was cool to see how it worked and also thought it captured the essence of Kafka, who had a brilliant mind along with a somewhat tortured soul. It also serves as a fountain, aptly named “Metamorphosis”. Franz Kafka is a highly celebrated son of Prague and tributes can be found all throughout the city.


A few minutes later we arrived at our final, and most well known, destination - the Cafe Louvre. It is also the location that we were served the most traditional of Czech cuisine. One of the couples we were with said they had tried to go earlier in their trip and hadn’t gotten in; it's really quite popular.


We were led upstairs where we found a private room and table set up for us. It has been a part of the city since 1902 and host to such acclaimed guests as Kafka and Albert Einstein. It attracted many great thinkers and writers, but like so much else in the city, was destroyed in the communist coup. It was restored in the 1990’s.


Here we had our heartiest and most common dish...svickova (beef sirloin in cream sauce). A very popular meal in Czechia, the sirloin is marinated in root vegetables such as carrots, parsley root, onion, and celeriac. The marinade is then used to create the creamy gravy, and topped with cranberries and dumplings. The dumplings, known as knodel, are boiled bread dumplings. Since they are made with white bread, they are literally there as a vehicle for the sauce. I enjoyed this dish very much.

To finish off the tour we were treated to Jablecny Strudl, aka apple strudel. Unfortunately, we had to get going and thus weren’t able to indulge while there. However, Eva had the restaurant box and bag up the strudel so we could eat it later. Umm, yeah, sadly, we never had that chance. But, I’m sure it would have been delicious!

And that completes our Prague Food Tour! Up next, we start our Adventure!​
 
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Adventure Welcome


Get excited, y’all because we’ve finally made it to the start of our adventure! And also to the part of the report where the guides can save me for missing an obvious picture!

Our welcome was fairly similar to my past experiences. After leaving our food tour, we made our way back toward the Prague Marriott and arrived just after 5:00. Bob went up to stash our apple strudel and I ran into Andy. He informed me that we would be mixing/mingling upstairs before kicking it off.


The upstairs was an open area where we could spread out. There was also a small bar set-up on the side for us to grab a drink. I couldn't decide what I wanted to drink (okay, so I could, but what I wanted was a beer and that wasn't available), so I decided to forego the drink until I was properly, teasingly chastised by Jennae for not having one. I ended up sipping a mediocre sparkling wine, but, let's be real, the odds that the red and white were any better are slim to nil, ha!


I spent a few minutes chatting with some people and introducing myself while I waited for Bob to return. When he made it down, we stopped at what I like to call the “pop-up photo booth without a booth” for our welcome picture.


We also grabbed our lanyards and a name card of our fellow adventurers!

I didn’t take note of the time, but I would guess we mingled for about a half an hour before Jennae and Andy got things rolling. Jennae, as expected, took the lead on the introduction and gave us some background on herself and her excitement for the trip. As most of you know, Jennae has been guiding since ABD began 11 years ago. She also told us that we were all long lost cousins, so now we’re all family. Andy then took a turn at introducing himself. He mentioned that he is very musical, and that he compares this Central Europe trip to a symphony with three parts. It’s an analogy that works very well, especially considering all the classical music to be found in the cities we visit.


It was then of course, our turn to introduce ourselves and to tell our fellow adventurers what we were most looking forward to in the trip. Andy encouraged us to be as specific as possible. As expected, many people mentioned the ice caves and Schoenbrunn, or the Spanish Riding School. One couple said they looked forward to staying dry at Hellbrunn. I decided to go as cheeky and specific as possible and went with ‘Well, I grew up with the Sound of Music, and I would always make my family find 16 going on 17 on a cassette tape, so I’m most looking forward to Salzburg and seeing the gazebo’. You’ll just have to wait and see who got the last laugh on that one in the end.
On our trip we had 26 total adventurers. Here are some fun facts about our group:​
  • 2 groups had met on an Ireland adventure, while another 2 had met on a Scotland adventure​
  • 2 sets of adventure family’s were on their 1st Adventure by Disney​
  • One pair of sisters had been on 14 and 11 adventures, respectively!​
  • About ⅔ of the groups were couples, with the other ⅓ traveling with some version of parentals​
  • There were 5 of us in our mid-twenties to early-thirties (3 of us with parentals and 1 couple who had gotten married two weeks prior)​
  • The East Coast was the winner for top region of the country, representing about ⅓ of the group​


Once we had introduced ourselves, we made our way to our dinner destination. Unlike previous adventures, this dinner was not held in the hotel, but rather a short walk heading toward Old Town Prague. Follow that popsicle!!
​
 
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Adventure Dinner

Oh yes, 2 posts in one day! What is even happening?! Enjoy!


Our dinner was at the Restaurant Sarah Bernhardt. Sarah Bernhardt was a French stage actress who moved to silent films later in her career. We were told that she has been regarded as the most famous actress the world has ever known. Her career took place in the late 1800’s to 1920’s, and saw the entertainment industry explode. She was praised as a phenomenal actress and gained fame across both Europe and America; a feat in that time period. The Restaurant Sarah Bernhardt is located in the Hotel Paris, which is why it's there. I don't think she has any real ties to Prague...or, I forgot them.


I have to say, this was definitely the best welcome dinner I’ve experienced thus far. It was also clearly the highest rated. We had a whole corner of the restaurant and spread out over 3 tables. We sat with 3 other families and had a chance to get to know them over the course of dinner. Our table got along well and enjoyed telling stories. They weren't elitist; the kind of people you could grab a beer with (too obvious?!). We also decided to eschew politics and political talk for the entirety of the trip. Now, I’m a sucker for politics and find it fascinating, but have to say that a) I agreed fully with our decision and b) found it a welcome respite from the continuous barrage of politics we had endured and would be forced to endure both before and after our trip.


When we sat down at the table, we were asked for our drink order. Our table asked Andy if it was a ‘thumbs up or thumbs down’, and he announced that all except one meal would be thumbs up on this trip. I would assume that's the norm on this trip since beer and wine are so common, but either way, I was cool with it. I decided to have a traditional Czech Pilsner - Pilsner Urquell. I’m not sure who owns this brand, but it’s fairly easy to find here in the states.


Oddly, they gave me a wine glass for my beer. Or, I used the wine glass for my beer because they didn't give me one? Not sure, but either way I used it since I wasn't drinking from the bottle at a fine establishment such as this. I was amused.




Just for you all, throughout the trip whenever there were choices on the menu, Bob and I did our best to order different things to give you (and us...let’s be real, especially if you’ve read me before) the full spectrum of dishes available! Ta-da! Also, the pics above are how the staff revealed the entrees. So fancy! After our food tour, I think Bob and I ended up eating about half of everything. I was glad we had over an hour to digest and that the food tour didn't leave us feeling stuffed.


Our first course was a veal consumme. I thought this was delightful. It had a nice depth of flavor and the cheese dumpling was a welcome addition.


For my entree I got the filet of veal. I can’t say I’ve had much veal in my life, but this was tender and quite good. The gravy definitely paired well with the meat. I was happy with my pick.


Bob got the sirloin with gratin potatoes. This was much better than the airport sirloin he had gotten earlier in the trip. I can also attest to the deliciousness of the gratin potatoes...yum!

For our dessert, we split the menu.


I, sucker for all things lemon, went with the lemon tart. I ate a few bites and thought it was great. It came with a caramel or salted caramel ice cream, which was an interesting choice to pair with the lemon, but it was yummy.


Robert went with the chocolate tower with strawberries. He loved it. I had a bite and appreciated it while not needing to indulge in any more than that.


About halfway through dinner, a pianist sat down for some musical accompaniment. He played a variety of songs, but managed to throw in quite a few Disney classics. I very much appreciated this dinner, as it was on the higher end of the dining spectrum and our other meals would not be doing so in the same way.




Upon finishing dinner, we were set forth on our own for the rest of the night. Bob and I tried to find the Hilton, which was supposed to have a rooftop bar. It had begun raining, and we ended up meandering for about an hour in the Prague mist without ever finding it. Oh well, a chance to walk off some dinner and experience the beauty of the city at night. So, after getting sufficiently wet, we headed back to the hotel for some shut eye before our first full day!​
 
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I really loved the dinner at Sarah Bernhardt's, too. The whole building is such a cool Art Deco design. Of course, we had 60 people all dining at once there (we had a group of 40 and a group of 20 for the add-on!) so it was crowded & noisy, but still very nice. The reveal of our dishes was very cool, too!

I really liked the location of the Marriott. I found it was pretty easy walking distance to a lot of things.

Looking forward to more.

Sayhello
 
Having been on this tour previously I can tell you without any hesitation that the welcome dinner looks like a huge improvement!

Thanks for sharing the pics and stories!
 
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