The Birthplace of the Dollar

by Iva Skoch on

Not many people know this, but the “dollar” (and lager beer, but that’s another story) had it’s origins in the lands of what is now the Czech Republic. The word “dollar” is actually from the German word “taler.” The taler was the official currency in the Holy Roman Empire from the mid-16th century until the mid-19th century, and spread throughout the world, getting adopted as currency as far as Arab lands.

The word “taler” was a shortened form of the name of a Bohemian town, Joachimsthal, where great veins of silver were discovered in the 15th or 16th century. Joachimsthal (now Jachymov) was the main source of the silver coin, “thaler,” later “taler.” Of course, many years later, the name was adopted as the “dollar.” (Try it yourself: say it out loud.)

Much later, Jachymov was also found to have some naturally-occurring radium below ground, which, combined with hot springs in the area, helped make it a spa town, where people would “take the waters” to cure common ailments. The town is still a spa town, but there’s no focus on radioactive cures anymore…but the water is still hot!

Looking for Value: Three Options

by Jamie Rhein on

When I saw “Value Vacations” at Kiplinger.com, I thought that meant cheap. Nope. What that meant was vacations that were less expensive than others. Three of these not cheap vacations caught my attention as future possibilities for my own overseas destinations.

The price tag on the Prague trip for two was $5,100 for 6 nights. That included the airfare from Chicago, a overnights in an inn and concerts tickets. Prague is a value destination because you get more bang for your buck if you’re heading to Europe. This was an upscale trip for not upscale prices.

Another place is Buenos Aires. This trip cost $2,000 less than the Prague trip and tango lessons were part of the price tag. According to the article, American actor, Robert Duvall is in love with the place and has been there 60 times. Since the man makes terrific, thoughtful movies, I trust his judgment. I’d say with that many visits, he knows something.

San Juan, Puerto Rico, the last of five destinations, seems like the best fit for a family with a 5 year-old and a 14 year-old like mine. Historical sites, beaches, scenery and cultural activities make for enough variety to make everyone feel satisfied. The family mentioned in the article stayed in a $200 a night 3-star hotel. I checked with one on-line source and saw hotel rooms that range from $60-$120. Perhaps you can take this value vacation and actually make it cheap.

Literary Gadling: Goethe’s Spa Romance

by Iva Skoch on

As another tip in my irregular series of literary travel destinations, I suggest visiting Marianske Lazne (aka Marienbad, in German), a spa town in Western Bohemia (Czech Republic), which Johann Wolfgang Goethe used to frequent in the 1820’s.

Goethe, a German poet and novelist, most famous for “Faust”, used to come here to relax …although some sources say that he actually came here to get treated for syphilis. It is peculiar to imagine how a hot mineral bath would cure venereal disease, but even more peculiar is that people actually came to this disease-laden place to seek romance. It was here where the 73-year old Goethe fell in love with the 18-year old baroness, Ulrike von Levetzow. He wanted to marry her but , shockingly enough, she rejected him. Instead, he wrote the “Trilogy of Passion” for her.

Marianske Lazne, smaller and more authentic than Karlovy Vary, still has the feel of a town frequented by the royalty, although nowadays you are more likely to see a busload of German pensioners than beautiful baronesses. The town and its numerous spas have been restored and it is still a great place to sip mineral waters, take baths and, of course, munch on the famous spa wafers. Thankfully, more effective medication for STDs have been discovered.

The Consequences of Drinking Tourism

by Iva Skoch on

I had to laugh at a recent article regarding the grueling work of the British Embassy, helping tourists after misfortunes. With the recent glut of cheap flights to Prague, there’s been a rise in “beer tourism,” whereby punters come to Prague to enjoy gallons of excellent, but cheap, Czech beer. (Stag parties alone account for 10% of the 650,000+ British tourists to Prague.) This travel is not without its consequences, however.

According to the article, the two broad categories of light-night hazards for embassy staff are a) being woken up in the middle of the night to replace lost passports, and b) being woken up in the middle of the night to go meet tourists who can’t remember where they are staying and are seeking shelter at the embassy. As you might guess, both problems arise primarily from too much of the yellow nectar.

A recent example is indicative: a man came in after a pub crawl, “unable to recall anything about his hotel, even once he had sobered up later in the day” according to a spokesperson. Another “young man was arrested for dancing in a fountain naked” and had to be assisted by the Embassy. In seven months, incidents numbered 155.

So, the Embassy has responded. It is socking those folks with 84.50-pound charges for using these emergency services, and it’s spending 3,000 pounds on a poster, beer coaster, and leaflet campaign to try to reduce these incidents through education. But, I’m thinking, if you’re too drunk to remember anything about your hotel, I’m not sure you can read a beer coaster….

Photo of the Day (11/20/06)

by Iva Skoch on

This is a photo my friend took of the Zelena Hora (green mountain) church in Zdar nad Sazavou, Czech Republic. It’s a recently restored, early 18th century church by architect Jan Blazej Santini Aichl. Seen from above, the baroque-Gothic church makes a fantastic, symmetrical 9-pointed star. It’s been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994, for reasons apparent in the photo.