Anti human zone!!

This is one of my favorite pieces here in Brno. It's a piece of plywood glued to the wall. And it's outside one of the ubiquitous sex shops.

Sping Break: Plzeň

Plzeň is a depressing place. You step off the bus and are greeted by a classic communist-era wall of a building with a giant Skoda emblem perched on top. The air is gritty and most things are old and grungy. Parts of it are amazing and cool, but that is the general atmosphere for tourists.
This was one of the few cities in the Czech Republic to be liberated by the U.S. in WWII. (Brno and Prague were both taken by the Soviets.) And they have a monument that actually says, “Thank You, America.” I thought that was pretty cool.

Like any Eastern European town the differences between then and now can be quite glaring. This building shows three things: the town becoming the seat of the Holy Roman Empire (for a year), successfully withstanding a decade plus Swedish seige, and ?possibly? the 50 year anniversary of the city's brewery. It was probably built sometime around the turn of the last century, when the town was prosperous.


This is what sits below it today. “Thank You, America” indeed.



Dům Kultury translates to something like Cultural House or House of Culture. Yup, quite....cultural....

But, when you get to the old center of town, most of that is forgiven. I was totally blown away after seeing all the beautiful facades. Most of these were probably added or redone around or after 1900 when the town was booming with successful industry, mostly owned by Emil Skoda.


It's cool to see this building is still fulfilling its original purpose. [click for facade detail]


This is a justice building of some sort, maybe the local courthouse.



Plzeň is also home to the largest synagogue in the Czech Republic, which Rough Guide states is the 2nd largest in Europe, which means it could be 3rd largest in the world, as someone told me. Like many things on this trip, it was no-entry-until-summer-or-at-least-spring.

The town's alright. The people there seem a lot less homogeneous than here in Brno. More odd colors and stereotypical subculture styles. Kinda like the difference between say, Wallingford and Georgetown in Seattle.

The highlight for me was the brewery. Not only for the beer. I'm not such a fan of Pilsner in the wild, but the stuff from the brewer is wonderful. This place was chock full of history and it's presented very well, too. It gets it own post.

Returned

I am back. Slightly rested, slightly footsore, and have seen a lot more. Here's a pictoral preview of the first day of my journey: Plzeň.


This is the essential Plzeň. Left to right we have a very old religious monument, ugly stadium lights, and the smokestack + water tower of the brewery.


Old Czech towns are warrens of interconnected buildings.


Let us celebrate the glories of Communism, comrade!


There are some truly amazing buildings on the old town square.


But this is the essential take-away from the town: it is the place from which comes beer.

More, and more thoughtful, soon.

On the road!

It's midwinter break around here, which means I have some time to travel. Budget and desire for some quiet time are keeping me here in the CR. I'm headed to Bohemia tomorrow morning with a couple of my teaching companions, Dave and Joe. We're going to Plzeň, home of the famous Plzeňský prazdroj aka Pilsner Urquell; Karlovy Vary, a trendy spa town where I'm told I will see Russian gangsters taking some time off; and Loket, a tiny medieval village with one of the few castles that are open to the public in the off-off season. Should be back by Thursday or Friday. Wish me luck!

Cool building at Masná

I go by this building several times a week. I get off the tram here to go to a company where I have four different classes. It's on the south east side of the city, on Cejl Street. The tram stop is Masná.

Mandragora

Křenová 10, Mapped
Tel.: 608 632 436
M-F 1pm -?Midnight?
Sa 4pm - ?Midnight?
www.putykamandragora.info

Beer: Svijany (ležák 11, speciální 13, tmavé speciální 13 [dark], and Kvasničák nefiltrované 13) @ 21-25 kc.

Feel: This place is on the border of what passes for a 'bad neighborhood' here. (Brown-skinned people be here!) The place is very low key, and somewhat plain, but there is leather furniture to chill in near the bar. The staff and clientèle are younger and/or grungier than most of Brno that I frequent (closer to Seattle average). Seems to be a music place, too. There's a raised section at the end of the hall and concert photos march around the room. A bit loud and a bit smoky on a normal Saturday.


Pros: Good selection of quality Svijany (mind the tall-glassed nefiltrované, it packs a punch). There's a small selection of cold bar snacks, including some blue-ish cheese and utopenec (sausage drowned in vinegar and raw onions). The staff is friendly, remarkably efficient (read: western-style service) and will quickly find someone to speak English with you. Foosball and micro-foos (see last picture). Decent website (no English, but clear layout).

Cons: A bit on the spartan side, dogs do run about, and headed towards a sketchy 'hood.



Overall: Good for just hanging out with nice beer and chill people. Great prices.

Directions: From hlavní nádraží - walk down and to the right, under the bridge, and straight across the street. Pub is 15 meters ahead on the right. By tram - take the 8, 10, 13 to Vlkhá and walk towards hlavní nádraží. Pub is about 15 meters ahead on the left.

Mini-foos!

The House of the Four Idiots

Mapped
This is a building on námĕstí Svobody that is known as The House of the Four Idiots, Dům u čtyř mamlasů in Czech. It was built for one “of Brno's richest nineteenth-century Jewish industrialists.” p358, The Rough Guide to the Czech & Slovak Republics

Now it's just one of a warren of commercial buildings, like everything else on náměstí Svobody.

I am become Shiva, Destroyer of Worlds

This is taken just a few steps from my school. They're unusual, even for Brno's surprisingly vibrant little street art scene. They're ceramic tile and not the only ones out there...

With apologies to my adoring public...

Sorry for the unexplained and significant hiatus. Life was rough for awhile there and I didn't really have time/energy/focus enough to keep the blog going. I've told one or two of you that I don't really like short posts mixed in with giant ones (like I tend to have), but we've found a loophole: photos. I've finally gotten a decent camera here (Thanks, Mom & Dad!), so I can now document the wondrous, glorious, banal existence that is life in Brno. Expect lots of old buildings and graffiti. I've also decided to start reviewing some of the bars/pubs that I find myself frequenting, as well as the beer that is served there. I think we can expect at least one review, one graffiti, and one old building per week. Probably an actual written post as well, but no promises.

To those of you who wrote encouraging me to keep going, thank you. Especially, those of you that I haven't written back to yet.

I finally got a new house. It's part of a shared flat on Kopečna street, just downhill from the Cathedral. I'm in Stare Brno, i.e. Old Brno, the most ancient part of town. This puts me a five minute walk from the main train station and a fifteen minute walk from work, because I have to climb up and over.

This is the view from my front door.

This is taken from the top of those steps in the first picture. Yes, that is a sculpture on the grass roof, which tops my landlords' apartment. My window is the one on the left with the bars.