Real Fishermen–Carpe Diem

by Iva Skoch on

Neil’s post about goulash reminded me of another controversial Czech specialty – fried carp. Don’t make that disgusted face! Carp can actually taste good, if prepared properly.

Europe has a fascinating history of fish farming, or aquaculture, dating back to the Middle Ages. Historically, monasteries were the centers of the nascent fishing “industry,” and many ponds were created to feed members of the Church.

This tradition dates back to the 11th century, and spread throughout Europe. My home country, the Czech Republic, was one of the biggest fishing centers, sporting as many as 25,000 fish ponds by the 15th century.

The primary meal fish is, and has been, carp, but eel, pike, perch, and trout are also common–and tasty–fish “crops.”

The tradition continues to this day, but you’ll have to travel a little out of the way to see it in action. You’re not going to see these events on a tour bus or just sitting around in the city. No, you’re going to have to get out to the country, to a local fish farmer.

The most common, most efficient, method is to drain the lake to one end, and just scoop up net-fulls of thrashing fish. In Czech, we call it a “vylov” (pronounced “VEE-lof”). The modern method usually goes like this: men from the village are invited to come at 4am, warmly dressed, ready to get drunk, and get wet. Waders or tall waterproof boots are required. Big, burly men catch, separate, and weigh the fish, which are quickly put into holding tanks on big trucks–essentially aquariums on wheels. Water, fish, and body-warming slivovice (90+ proof clear plum brandy–preferably homemade) are sloshed around in a frenzy until the lake is emptied. The pace slows somewhat, as the slivovice kicks in, but it’s still a blur of activity. The day is capped off by a big feast for the participants, with, of course, delicious dishes made of fish: fish soup, smoked fish, and fried fish.

Once a tanker truck is full, it’s bound for markets all over Europe, or, at Christmas time, particularly in Germany and the former Eastern block, the fish end up in big barrels for purchase by families who can’t wait to put their carp in the bathtub, where they swim briefly before being prepared in the Christmas Eve dinner.

Unfortunately, the European Union’s ridiculous, burdensome regulations are killing local agriculture and aquaculture. Better get there soon, or it will all be gone.

Red Corner: The Blue Danube

by Neil Woodburn on

While I’m not a big fan of big ocean going cruises, there is something entirely different about boarding a much smaller boat and cruising down a river-especially when it’s the Danube.

David Wickers of The Sunday Times (UK) recently spent a week leisurely touring the majestic river aboard a 114 passenger boat with 75 cabins.

His trip started in the Bavarian town of Passau and made its way downriver to Budapest, Vienna and Bratislava with a few shorter stops in places such as Esztergon (Hungary) to see a cathedral and Melk (Austria) to visit a monastery.

Wickers paints a pleasant picture of what it’s like to travel by boat; the leisurely pace, the relaxed lifestyle, the comfort of never having to pack yet arriving in a different city every day. “Sightseeing doesn’t come much more easygoing than this,” he confesses.

This is both good and bad. Wickers clearly laments how such mode of travel attracts a much older core of travelers. In addition, the routine is regimented on board, and the daily excursions are too short with barely enough time “to sniff the air.” But if you want to take it easy and see some truly wonderful cities with almost no effort, than this is the trip for you. Want to delve even deeper into Eastern Europe? Try a ten-day cruise that continues through Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania before arriving at the Black Sea.

Red Corner: Slovakia’s Capital

by Neil Woodburn on

Trivia question: From what Eastern European city did Steve Martin and Dan Ackroyd’s “Two wild and crazy guys,” originate from? “We are from Brat-is-lava,” was what Jorge and Yortuk Festrunk so often chimed in their silly faux-Slavic accent.

At the time of the old Saturday Night Live broadcasts, Bratislava was just another city in Czechoslovakia. When the country spilt into two parts in 1993, however, it became the capital of Slovakia.

Bratislava has always played second fiddle to the more popular and beautiful Prague further north, but that’s not to say the Festrunk brothers would be disappointed if they were to return today. Indeed, The New York Times paints a rather pretty picture of this oft-neglected capital and its “giddy Baroque palaces in shades of marigold and lavender.” Writer Andrew Ferren writes fondly of its architecture before moving on to describe what the buildings contain; boutique shops, crystal, art galleries, cafes and pubs.

Ferren is not the first to speak about Bratislava’s pubs. Much has been written about the cheap alcohol served and the magnetic quality this has upon bachelor parties from England who regularly invade this small capital. It’s sadly ironic, but on any weekend night, it looks like geeky westerners have traded places with the Festrunk brothers in their own home town.

Bratislava Parties – WP Video

by Erik Olsen on

It’s
such a satisfying thing (as a video producer) to see so much more fine video making its way to the Web. Remember the
days when any documentary video you saw tended to be repurposed stuff from Television? Now, we’re seeing so much more
quality story-telling coming out from major news outlets. I love it.

And so I offer here a link to a really
fine video piece done by
the Washington Post on Bratislava. That wonderful nature of video is that you get such a rich experience learning
bout a place and the things happening there. No secret that pictures are worth a thousand words. And in the case of
this video, where we learn about the waves of Europeans heading to Bratislava because of cheap airfares. The informed
(where such matter are concerned) also get to learn about European stag parties, which are a major draw to this booming
East European city.

Red Corner: Slovakia’s Snowman Spa Service

by Neil Woodburn on

Based merely on the word’s Greek roots, cryotherapy doesn’t sound like very much fun.

Perhaps you’ve heard of cryogenics, which shares the same Greek root, cryo, meaning “cold.” This is where they freeze the recent dead in liquid nitrogen with hopes of bringing them back to life one day. Well, cryotherapy is similar except they freeze the living with the intention of making them healthier.

Cryotherapy is based upon treatment developed in Eastern Europe during communism to heal injuries to their Olympic athletes. Today, a Czech entrepreneur in Slovakia runs a spa based upon the same principle.

Journalist Tom Chesshyre ventured to AquaCity, in the town of Poprad to give cold therapy a whirl. The concept is simple; bake in one of the spas numerous saunas or heat rooms and then jump into the “Snow Paradise” room where it is -60 Fahrenheit. According to the spa’s literature, the sudden change in temperature creates a “a beneficial effect of total blood circulation and a congestion of the epidermis by reducing pulse frequency.” Ouch!

The Scandinavians and Russians have been doing this for ages. Jumping out of their saunas and banyas and rolling around in the snow, they keep telling me, is great for the constitution. Well now, there is someone trying to make money off this potentially heart-stopping procedure. I’d hate to see their insurance premiums.