Spain Travel Guide

by Erik Olsen on

I am a big fan of Madrid and Spain in general. I lived there for a little while some years ago, and remember fondly
the late late nights out (Madrilenos LOVE to stay out until the wee hours of the morning), the small market near the
Alcantara metro where I used to buy loads of sausages and cheese, the cheap and wonderful red wine. Then there were
bullfights, museums like the Prado and (my favorite) the
Thyssen.

The Times has got a useful and comprehensive

guide to Spain that covers everything from dining, to

hotels, to

a piece on the hottest new area the Chueca District. Lots of good stuff here. I like to see the Times aggregating
their articles like this. It really helps as you plan your itinerary. And need I add that Spain is a great place to
visit right now?

Prague: Heading to Cesky Krumlov

by Erik Olsen on

Well with Kelly mentioning the very cool hamlet of
Cesky Krumlov, I figured I throw out an
article I did on the town for ABC News a while back. As I mentioned earlier, I was there for a wedding several
years ago, and we took a rented bus down to Krumlov and hung out for several glorious days. We rented canoes out of one
of the local outfitters and took a relaxing paddle along the Moldau River (also known as the Vltava). At the end of the
paddle, you hit a series of weirs that provide an exhilarating finish to the paddle. Of course, you get soaked, but the
nits back to the hotel to change and time to head out for beers.

Prague: Make & Drink Svaoak

by Adrienne Wilson on

In a season bursting of good cheer and cold weather, a glass of hot mulled wine or
Svaoak
makes the perfect beverage while parading the streets of Prague. Judging from Scott
Van Wagenen’s write-up on the drink, it’ll warm anything it touches and though quite delicious
he doesn’t suggest making it for holiday parties. However, he does provide a recipe almost any one of us
can use to create Svaoak from home. To give you an idea you’ll want to use two bottles of good red table wine, lemon
zest, cinnamon sticks, honey, cloves, brown sugar, fresh squeezed orange juice, and Brandy in a deep sauce pot to
create your concoction. It’s almost just that easy, but you’ll want to check the
recipe for specs. Certainly sounds interesting if not
tasty. 

Prague: Best of Prague 2005

by Adrienne Wilson on

Looking for Prague’s best-of-the-best in one swipe, from the
folks that live there and know? One sure way to gather the most information from any potential travel
destination is reading the online newspapers. If all our jabber has forced you to book a short vacation to the Czech
Republic soon you may want to look at this summary of fantastic spots around the city. Perhaps you’ll be in the
mood to get your hair done or worse case scenario you’ll need to go to the clinic after a rockin’ night at the best
cocktail bar – either way make sure you print this handy little tip sheet for your pocket. Here’s a few from the
list:

  • Best Pub – Pivovarsky Dum

  • Best Cafe – Cafe Louvre

  • Best Czech Restuarant - Kolkovna

  • Best Music Club – Akropolis

  • Best Art Gallery – National Gallery

Prague: More on Bars and Pubs of the City

by Erik Olsen on

Of course, one of the great things about heading to a place like Prague (as
Kelly mentioned earlier) is the beer. Lots of folks don’t know
that Budweiser actually was a Czech beer BEFORE it became a watered down American
beer (and it still exists…and is quite good).

In addition to the great links Kelly posted about beer, I wanted to add this
site which covers bars, restaurants, and
well, just about everything you’d need to have a fine time in the city. One of my favorite bars when I was there was
Kozika whch, albeit a bit trendy, had a great
atmosphere. Another good one, but if I remember a bit pricey, is
Celnice (at Praha 1 V celnici 4), where both
expats and locals go.