Prague 101: How to order Czech dumplings

by Iva Skoch on

Whenever friends from abroad are visiting Prague, they always want to eat dumplings. The problem is, they just want to be able to say they have had dumplings so they order them randomly as a side dish to–say–schnitzel. See, that doesn’t really work. Schnitzel is dry, dumplings are dry. Now, if you ordered a side of steamed cabbage/sauerkraut to smother your dumpling in, you could MAYBE get away with that…but it is a strange combo.

We are talking about “side dish” dumplings here, typically either bread or potato dumplings (not about dumplings filled with fruit — that’s dessert). The advantage of dumplings is that they soak up the sauce, so they should always be ordered with a “saucy dish”, for example:

  • goulash
  • svickova (roast tenderloin & sour cream sauce) – see picture
  • vepro-knedlo-zelo (pork roast with cabbage; cabbage is just wet enough to pose as “sauce” here)
  • Beef with creamy dill sauce, mushroom sauce, tomato sauce…you name it.

Sauce is the magic word. So please don’t walk into a restaurant and order a chicken fillet with dumplings. You would like it about as much as a hamburger with rice.

Things named after Las Vegas casinos

by Justin Glow on

When I was in Vienna, Austria this past October, I made the trek out to the riesenrad, or giant ferriss wheel, with the idea that it might be fun to see the city from way up high. Unfortunately they were charging something like EUR10 for a ride, and I was on a budget. So instead, I elected to browse around the shoddy amusement park next door, and was tickled to run across this architectural homage to Las Vegas (above) crammed in between the bumper cars and tilt-o-whirl.

The amusement park turned out to be a real treat. It was nearly empty, and overweight men with cigarettes dangling out of their mouths sat around waiting for someone to ride the rusty ride they were operating. It reminded me of the type of place you’d meet someone to discuss a murder. They even had a carousel with real, live horses that walked in a circle! The icing on the cake, however, was a young boy riding the bumper cars by himself. The poor chap had nobody to bump into.

Anyway, I ran across this link called “Things named after Las Vegas casinos” that reminded me of the photo above. Check it out. (Via Neatorama)

£1 rooms at London’s Hoxton Hotel

by Abha Malpani on

Yes, you read it right: from January 24-April 30, the chic Hoxton Hotel in London will offer 5 rooms every night for £1; on normal days rooms here can cost up to £120 a night. You can’t book more than one room for £1 a night, and if you try, your booking will be canceled.

This price offer opens January 24 at 12pm GMT, so sit by your computer ready to book — word is that these rooms go in seconds. If you are not lucky enough to get the £1 rooms, you might be able to get a £29 room, 5 of which are also available every night on the same dates. Follow these instructions if you want to make bookings.

The Hoxton Hotel is a no-smoking hotel located in London City Center and was opened just over a year ago. With the tag line “the no bullshit hotel,” it promises comfort and style without rip-off prices. In the Guardian’s article about its launch, it says that means: “No endless queues at check-in, no £3-a-sip bottles of water in the mini bar, no-sell-your-house-to-call-America telephone charges.”

Sounds too good to be true, and for any sort of luxury being offered on promotion, there has to be a catch. But if you are getting a room in a nice hotel for £1, I guess you can’t really complain, no?

[Via Gridskipper]

Going to Europe? New Non-Stop Trans-Atlantic Flights for 2008

by Anna Brones on

Jerry Guo recently wrote about Europe being the comeback kid, and even though that pesky Euro-to-Dollar ratio is not in our favor, 2008 is definitely the year to make your way across the Atlantic. It’s most likely thanks to Open Skies Agreement or maybe even Europeans looking for a bountiful shopping weekend, but even us American travelers can take advantage of all the new direct trans-Atlantic flights.

A little sampling of what airlines are offering the newest non-stop routes to those anxious to make their way to the continent of lower work hours, good wine and charming culture in 2008:

Northwest Airlines/KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: For travelers living in the Pacific Northwest the partner airlines will be opening a new non-stop route between Seattle and London Heathrow starting June 1, 2008. If you are a World Perks member, traveling between June 1 and July 31, 2008 will score you an additional 15,000 bonus miles.

Air France: LAX to London Heathrow starting March 30, 2008. Travel between March 30th and May 24th and you could find yourself with a one-way fare as low as $243 (before airport taxes). They’re even throwing in a complimentary glass of champagne.

US Airways: Summer route from Philadelphia to Stockholm. The thrills of Scandinavia are a non-stop flight away between May 18 and September 26, 2008.

Delta: Salt Lake City to Paris starting June 2, 2008 providing a non-stop between the American capital of skiing and hiking and the European capital of bistros and the Eiffel Tower.

Singapore Airlines: Houston to Moscow and onto Singapore starting March 20, 2008. If Russian Roulette isn’t your forte, continue on for some quality gambling in the Southeast Asian metropolis.

For more options, check out the following article at Executive Travel.

European Smart Car Hits American Streets

by Anna Brones on

Anyone that has traveled Europe knows that Smart Cars are nothing new. The tiny, trendy and energy efficient vehicles have nearly taken over the busy, narrow streets of European metropolises. Think of the sleek design of the Swiss watch company Swatch combined with the automobile precision of Mercedes Benz and you get a little taste of why these cars are so popular.

The European within me loves them. They’re cute, fun and nice to the environment, what could be better? This last summer when I was in France, many of my friends questioned why Americans were so behind that we didn’t have the infamous car cruising down our own streets. Well, good news Europhiles, the wait is over: Smart Car is making its American debut. But how will the miniature vehicle fare in the land of everything big? In Europe, a continent already known for smaller vehicles, even Smart Cars stick out. So put one of the bite-sized, candy colored cars next to a lane of large and in charge SUVs and the image might seem a bit humorous.

Size aside, some Americans are already sold. Smart USA started taking reservations for the Smart ForTwo at $99 a pop last year, and drivers tired of dumping their savings at the gas pump, or just wanting to drive something a little hipper, quickly jumped on the bandwagon. This week the car finally made it from the floor of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City (yes, the car really is a symbol of chic design) and onto American roads. The New York Times says Californians will be the big buyers. Priced between $11,600 and $18,000 it remains to be seen whether the car will take off here much like it did on the other side of the Atlantic.

Just like Swatch made watches into a fun and funky clothing accessory, Smart Car has made their vehicle into a life accessory. You’ll seem “greener” (think of all the gas you’ll be saving), more European, and best of all, if you get sick of the color, give Smart Car a call and you can get the replaceable door panels in a different shade to better match your eyes. Now it’s just a matter of learning how to drive your tiny Euro car next to the rough and tough American trucks and SUVs. Makes you long after those pedestrian-filled passageways of Europe doesn’t it?