Burning of the Witches!

Hi Everyone,
Tonight is the Burning of the Witches in the Czech Republic! This is a time to celebrate the end of Winter and the beginning of Summer! You can read more about this in my post from last year: Burning of the Witches and May Day.

Jiri and I were invited to a bonfire at a friend's garden, but we are having some rain, so the bonfire will be held on Saturday night, instead! Something to look forward to! I love a good klobasa cooked over a fire outside...it smells great, but oh...the taste is wonderful!!!

That's all for today...have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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Veterinary Service in Prague

Hi Everyone,
The gerbils and I are back home after our visit to the vet! This was a bit traumatic as it was the first trip out of the house for the boys since I got them! We let them out to play in the house, but have not traveled anywhere with them before today. So, for them, the walk to the vet was a bit hard, but they actually did very well, even though the little guys were scared.

We have a neighborhood vet about twelve minutes walk from our flat. Jiri and I took a walk to the office last night to check on office hours, so I would know what time to take the gerbils (the boys) there this morning. My husband looked at the vet's name on the window, and noticed that there was a PhD with the name...so my husband pointed out that the probabilities were very high that the vet spoke English. Jiri told me that all PhD candidates are required to learn another language--most taking English, and some German. So, Jiri was very confident that I would be able to talk with the doctor.

This morning, I packed up the boys (the gerbils!!) and we walked over to the vet's office. The walk must have been very hard for Pepa and Ota...there were so many new sounds and smells...the poor things...I felt sorry for them and tried to get to the vet's office as fast as possible! When we got to the office, there was no one waiting...so that was great! The nurse came out right away, and she spoke very good English! She took down my name and contact information, and then took the boys and I into the examination room.

The whole office is so clean! I had a very excellent vet back in Angel Fire, NM--and she has an immaculate office! It was great to see that I can find the same here! The vet turned out to be a lady...and she was very good in English, too. I apologized for my poor Czech, but she and the nurse were happy to practice English! They said they don't use English very often, but just this morning I happened to be the second pet owner they spoke English with! The vet and the nurse were both very kind to me and the boys...they were very good with Pepa when it was time for his exam.

The vet used a scope/light--similar to the ones used for human eye exams--and checked both of Pepa's eyes. She said that his eyes are perfect...which was great news! However, it was a scratch that was causing the irritation...and it was not infected. But to keep it from becoming infected she gave me some antibiotic ointment to use on Pepa's eye for a few days. She said that would keep the scratch from becoming infected. This was such great news! Gerbils are known to be prone to eye injuries/infections due to their love of digging and chewing! When one of these little guys gets a wound or gets sick, they can quickly deteriorate and die. It was a relief to hear that Pepa's eye is OK...and he is OK!! And Ota, too!! The price for the exam and medicine came to about 163 KC--that's approximately $8.15 USD. Back home, it would probably have cost about $50 USD!

When we got home, Pepa and Ota were shocked to be back...and were very happy when I put them back in their own house once again! The poor boys were quite worn out and have been sleeping, but just now, I hear one of them stirring and chewing on something...they must be hungry after all that excitement this morning!

So, I'm very happy with the service we received this morning. The vet and the nurse were so very kind to me and the boys...they were very thorough, and very gentle with Pepa during his exam...and their office is immaculate...and the atmosphere is very friendly. I also learned something new that I wanted to share with you...be sure to look for the PhD when looking for people who speak English here, in the Czech Republic. The chances are high they will probably know some English. This is no guarantee, but it is a sign that the person is able to speak English, and/or another language like German...both of which go a long way over here!!

That's all for now...you all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

PS There are some who would say I was crazy for taking my boys to the vet today. They would say, "Why bother taking "rats" to the vet?" My answer to that is because I love these little guys. Secondly, they are pets who are completely dependent on me for everything--food, water, shelter, etc. I love animals and hate to see them suffer and be sick. When we own pets, they give us so much--companionship, love, and so much more! We should give them no less than we receive--and we need to be responsible for them in all ways....which includes taking them to the vet when they are sick. These little guys, and all animals, who have been given into our care, are completely dependent on us...and we need to be responsible pet owners....to them all...the "rats" and all the rest!

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Vet Visit This Morning

Hi Everyone,
This morning I had planned to write a new post about an outing that my friend Karen and I took on Saturday. But I have found that Pepa (one of my gerbils) seems to have something wrong with one of his eyes. So, I have to take him to the vet to see what's going on. This will probably be an interesting trip since my Czech is very minimal--still--and my first trip to a Czech vet. So, I'll write about that later...and also about my outing with Karen, including pictures.

Things have been very busy here lately what with the freelance project I've been working on and the updates to this blog. Both have been proceeding in a very positive way, of course there are some "hiccups," but that's only natural! My philosophy has been that yes...these "hiccups" will come along, but the positive way to deal with them is to learn from them! I've been doing a lot of learning lately! That's a good thing!!!

Anyway, that's all for now...I'll be back to write more later...after the vet visit--which will probably be a post in itself!!!

You all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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No Problems with Old Posts!

Hi Everyone,
Phew! I'm learning a few things from this updating process...like I wish there was some "batch overhauling or updating" button on Blogger that would let you update things like fonts without having to go through and redo each, individual post. Now watch! One of you will leave a comment that there is some function like this...well, if there is, please let me know!!!

Another thing I've learned is that those of you who subscribe to blogs via email/RSS feed readers are not being inundated by old posts as I'm updating them! I was very worried about that earlier this morning, but a couple of you have informed me things are OK. So, I'm relieved!

That's all for today...welcome to the updated Czech Off the Beaten Path!

Have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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Something I Hadn't Thought About

Hi Everyone,
I was just doing a batch of updating of older posts, and realized that this might be causing a problem! If you have subscribed to this blog via RSS, are you receiving multiple posts in your reader from these updates of old posts? If so, I'm really sorry! This possibility never crossed my mind! Please leave a comment or send a message if this is the case. I will slow down on the updates so you won't have a problem with unwanted clutter from old posts. One thought, would it help to have specified dates when I am working on updates--like the weekend?

Anyway, I apologize for any inconvenience this might be causing for you, and will slow down the updating old posts process!

Have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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Making Progress

Hi Everyone,
I'm making progress! It's about 1:07AM here in Prague, and somehow I'm still awake and working on Czech Off the Beaten Path! I would like to thank my daughter for also helping with some of the work here. You can see a credit to her banner below (at the bottom of the page--where she told me to put it!), and she also wrote up the code for my labels list (also near hte bottom of the page). She and my other daughter also aided me by giving me their honest opinions! All this was done via the Internet...from three separate locations on this world...we were online at the same time...and had a good time! So, thank you, kids, for helping your "old and gray haired" mother to get her website into better shape!!!

So far, this page is working...well, I believe it's all working!!! If you would like to help me out, please click around on the links and see if they take you where they should! It will take me a while to do that work...which I will do over the next few days. I'm currently getting pretty tired out...and everything's begining to look the same to me at this point! If you find a problem, please let me know and I'll get it taken care of! One more thing, I have to go through each, individual post to change them to another font and size. I'll be working on these at few posts at a time, until all are converted to this new font and size.

Well, that seems to be all for now! Please leave your opinions in the comments, email or in Twitter, and let me know what you think of this new layout, etc! Later in the morning, after I've had some sleep, I will take another look, too, and might tweak a couple of things...we'll see. But for now, I'm going to say good night...or rather, good morning and get some sleep!

God bless,
Sher :0)

Please Pardon the Mess

Hi Everyone,
I'm in the process of working on changing things around, and so have a bit of a mess going on. This is definitely not the final version that will be ready on Monday!!! Please be patient and forgive the mess...I'm in process and am very inexperienced with all of this kind of work!

Hopefully a miracle will happen and things will be in order on Monday!!!!!!!

Have a great weekend,
Sher :0)

Updates in Progress

Hi Everyone,
This morning I've begun to work on the updates to Czech Off the Beaten Path! So far, I've managed to change the template--what do you think? I chose to stay with an original Blogger template as I'm not very proficient with HTML at this point. I was worried that using a template not created by Blogger might present some difficulties I'm not ready to handle! I've also been working on cleaning up the labels for all of my posts. Most of them are done, but there are a few I have to go back and correct...ach jo!!

Please be patient...these updates will continue through the weekend. This should all be done by Monday...I'm looking forward to it!

In the mean time, thanks for visiting and have a great weekend!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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Updates Coming This Weekend

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for your responses to my question and your suggestions for places to look for new Blogger theme templates! I've been doing a little studying on the matter the past few days, along with nursing an allergy flare-up and working on a freelance project! Things have certainly been busy! I've been running back and forth to the doctor, had x-rays of my sinuses, etc...it's been very interesting this week...and it's only Tuesday!

Anyway, it looks like I will try to do some updating and housekeeping on the blog this weekend. The changes will probably not be drastic, but I would like to go for a little more simple, clear look. That's more in keeping with me and how I like to live. Sometimes, there is more beauty and meaning in the simplest things. And "simple" can also be very elegant--it doesn't have to be plain. This is how I live my life, and my blog should follow suit. So, this weekend, I'll make some of the changes and see what happens! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Oh, one more thing before I close this post...I've had some readers try to leave comments, and the comments are sent back to them! I have no idea why this is happening. I have checked all the settings on my dashboard and in the layout sections...and it all looks to be OK! Does anyone know what might be causing this problem? I've not blocked or rejected anyone's comments--and this is something I would really like to fix! So, if you have any thoughts about this problem, please send them in a comment, via Twitter, or email. You can find my email address under my profile. Thanks for your help!

Well, that's all for today...I just wanted to let you know what's been going on the past few days. It's busy, but we're having a beautiful spring (of course with pollen that's making me sick)--this is one of my favorite times of year! Spring is here....I'll try to get some pictures over the weekend (weather permitting) and share them with you next week...on the updated blog!

You all have a great and very springy day wherever you are in the world!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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Thoughts & Considerations

Hi Everyone,
My last post, "Housekeeping," dealt with Hospitalera's review of my blog--how I could go about cleaning it up a bit (sidebar, having only one post per page, etc.) and earning a little money here. Since then, I've been mulling over the suggestions made in Hospitalera's review.

One of my major thoughts has been that this blog was not set up to only earn money. It would be very nice to earn here! I've been out of work since October 2007, and have been working on becoming a freelancer. That is a process! Trying to develop a freelance career is something new for me...so I'm working on that, and seeing some progress. Still, it would be nice to earn a little bit here, too. Even so, making money is not the main goal of my blog. My main goal, in the beginning, was writing for my own well-being! But that has evolved to writing for others who are interested in expats and how they manage overseas living, while there are other readers who are interested in learning about the Czech Republic and Europe. Czech Off the Beaten Path has been evolving right along--I just hadn't really thought about it till Hospitalera's review!

Another major thought is how to manage making a layout and theme change for Czech Off the Beaten Path. Basically, I would like a theme that is very simple--minimalist. That would offer a more clean look. The next thing is to clean up the sidebar. I have some thoughts about that and what should stay. The labels section is in need of a big overhaul...that is going to be a job!!! Anyway, what do you think? What items on the sidebar do you find useful, if any? I would really love your input and thoughts on my layout/theme ideas and what really you find useful in the sidebar!

The Czech Off the Beaten Path website also needs some work...I've not had time to do more with that, but really I need to do something. This, along with updating my shops is another goal I've set for the updating process...as Hospitalera mentioned!!

These are some of the major thoughts I'm looking at right now...playing around with different ideas. It's not so easy! So, if you have any thoughts or ideas, please post them in the comments and we can discuss them!!

You all have a great day!!!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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Housekeeping!

Hi Everyone,
Today you may notice that my blog is currently only showing one post per page! This is a change done at the advice of Hospitalera, at Hospitalera's Blog. This is a blog that offers advice for bloggers on Internet Marketing. This writer has been on other blogs and I really like her style and sense! Today, she opened her blog up for commentors to ask questions that she would answer, while offering a backlink to the commentor's blog. I jumped on the band wagon...you can read Hospitalera's assessment of my blog here. She was right on...and I'm going to implement many of the changes she's advised. I am currently busy with some freelance work, but once this is done, I will be able to devote more time to updates and changes for the better on this blog!

Due to the freelance project I have going right now, I will not be able to post as often, and will be slower with dropping Entrecards. This is only temperorary...and I will do my best to stay as up-to-date with this blog and Entrecards as much as possible!

That's all for now...you all have a great day!!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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Pomlazka and Easter Whippings

Hi Everyone,
I managed to survive Easter OK--being beaten and all!! Some of you had so many questions about the Easter whippings that I went to find a video to share with you. Here, you can see exactly how it works! No one ever believes me (outside of the Czech Republic) that women are willing to submit to this "beating!" You can see how it goes in the video!!!

Please visit YouTube to see this video! I tried to embed the video, but could not fix it so the video would fit in my space here! Sorry about that!

The pomlazka is made from fresh willow branches which are cured a few weeks before Easter. The branches are then woven into a "whip," with the end decorated by a ribbon. Sometimes these "whips" are woven very intricately--they are really beautiful! Once the "whip" is made, then on Easter, groups of boys and men go from house to house, or even wait outside the church after the service, and then "beat" the women! The women, in turn are supposed to give the boys/men something in thanks--you can give small coins, a shot of some alcoholic drink, or a decorated egg/candy! Wow...you have to reward the guys for beating you! Unheard of!! Sometimes, it is also the custom to add a colorful ribbon to the end of each pomlazka that was used to beat you!

The idea behind the beating is from pagan times. The willow is seen as a symbol of new life and renewal, and it is an honor to receive a beating from them--for women, that is! The freshly cured branches are supposed to convey their new life, youth, strength and health to the women who are whipped with them on Easter! The theory also goes that this is supposed to enhance the reproductive health of the woman! Kind of like some people beat tomato plants to make them bear more tomatoes!

Anyway, this is a very interesting practice! The whips made in Moravia are a bit cruel, though, in that they are made from some tree/shrub that has thorns! I would not allow that! But this is the Moravian practice! I'm happy that I'm married to a Bohemian!!!!

Thankfully I'm not having to sit on a pillow or anything...I'm good for strength and health, etc. till next year!

If you would like to hear more stories about Czech Easter traditions, please be sure to visit Czechmatediary, written by Tanja (a Czech married to an American and living in the US)--"Traditional Czech Easter--the Way Lenka Remembers It", and "Czech/Slovak Easter--Run for your Life!" Tanja also shares about her life in the US--her life is the reverse of mine! Be sure to stop by and Czech out her blog!

You all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

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A Czech Easter

Hi Everyone,
This weekend, on Sunday, is Easter for Roman Catholics and Protestants all over the world. The faithful will be gathering in churches all around the world to celebrate the resurrection of the Christ. Here, in the Czech Republic, we will be celebrating not only on Sunday, but also Monday. Monday is known as Easter Monday--the day Christ actually rose from the dead--according to some churches.


Jiri and I will be leaving for his mother's house and staying there till Monday afternoon. We will be gathering with most of his family either at his mother's flat or at his brother's house. Now, I'm hoping we will be at his brother's house as they have a huge garden! The whole family gathers out in the garden for the whole afternoon (weather permitting)! It's a wonderful place to sit and relax...I always enjoy feeding the chickens there, too! The chickens really like me for some reason...it might be my hair color, I'm not sure!


You can read a couple of past posts about some of the Czech Easter traditions--such as the men whipping the women, and kraslice, etc. It is always an interesting experience!!!


I would like to wish you all a very beautiful, blessed and very Happy Easter!!!


God bless,
Sher :0)


Art from Microsoft Clip Art


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The Rest of Trip to Paris, France

Hi Everyone,
Today will be the final post about our trip to Paris! The slideshow covers the rest of our visit. There are so many beautiful buildings and sights in Paris...it's amazing! Paris is full of museums of all kinds. We didn't have time to visit any of them on this trip. I'm hoping we'll have a chance to visit Paris again and spend more time in the museums there.

We walked through the Tuileries Garden--which is just in front of the Louvre Museum. The Louvre is a grand museum, and is home to some of the greatest works of art and history. The building began as a fortress for Phillip II in the 12th century, and has served as the home of many kings, down to Louis XIV. The Louvre became a museum just after the French Revolution, and opened to the public on August 10, 1793. The Louvre is the home of the famous Mona Lisa, by da Vinci, along with many other art treasures. I would love to have the chance to visit this great museum! Even just being in the courtyard was great! The pyramids there are really not a distraction, as some have claimed. For me, it was just added charm to the building and its surroundings.

Our next major stop was the cathedral of Notre Dame. Construction on the Gothic cathedral Notre Dame de Paris began in 1160 and was completed in 1345! When you see the building in person, it's easy to see why it took so long! The cathedral was one of the first churches in the world to make use of "flying buttresses." They were built in order to support the thin walls of the church. The sanctuary of Notre Dame is beautiful--filled with stained glass windows, statues and other ornaments. Notre Dame is still a place of pilgrimage for the faithful to this day! It is a very impressive and holy place...and for one Protestant (me) this church and all the others we visited (and have visited in other places) put me in awe.

Protestants generally don't have much art of any kind in their churches. Our churches are plain--this is a holdover from the Reformation. I love plain churches...as there is something beautiful there, too...there is beauty and holiness in simplicity. But I have been finding that even in the midst of some of the most beautiful cathedrals and churches of Europe, there is still a sense of the holy. The art and statues, etc., just seem to enhance, rather than distract, from the holiness. Not everyone feels this way, of course. We are all different. For me, these churches are showing another side of what we miss in our Protestant churches....some very beautiful and holy art can definitely enhance worship!

After visiting Notre Dame, we walked around some very old sections of Paris--you can see the pictures in the slideshow. After a time, our way brought us to the very famous Hotel des Invalides. The building was begun under orders of Louis XIV, in 1677. He wanted to have a place for war veterans and war invalids to go to live and recover from their wounds. Here, along with a place to recover, the soldiers were taught some trades, such as cobbling, tapestry making and illumination. Their lives were governed by military and religious rules. Today, the Hotel des Invalides serves as a military museum and the burial place of many famous soldiers, among the most famous being Napoleon Bonaparte. We saw many antique canon here, along with other military armament. The canon were so beautifully worked! It's hard to believe that anyone could make a canon beautiful! Leave it to the French! Here, too, we saw a beautiful cathedral--Cathedral of St. Louis des Invalides. This place is gorgeous--and is hung with many banners that were trophies taken from the enemies of France in wartime. Behind the altar is the burial place of Napoleon. We were not able to see Napoleon's tomb, but here you can see some beautiful photos of his tomb.

Our next stop was the Eiffel Tower! The Eiffel Tower is a masterpiece of engineering and construction. Here are some interesting facts*:

1. Current height is 324 m (including antennas)
2. Total weight is 10,100 tons
3. Each year the tower is repainted using 60 tons of paint each time!
4. 50 egineers and designers produced about 5,300 drawings of the tower, and over 100 workers built 18,000 parts of the tower in a workshop.
5. Work on the foundation took 5 months
6. Number of rivots used in construction: 2,500,000
7. Cost of construction: 7,799,401.31 French gold francs of 1889
(*Facts taken from pamphlet "About the Eiffel Tower")

It's hard to imagine that many viewed the Eiffel Tower as an eyesore! Many literally hated it, including novelist Guy du Maupassant. He ate in one of the tower's restaurants every day. When asked why, he said that it was the only place one couldn't see the tower! The Eiffel Tower was built for the World Exposition in 1888--the one hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution. It is interesting to note that the permit to build the tower included a 20 year life for the Eiffel. At the end of that time, the tower was supposed to be dismantled. But, the tower was seen as a boon for communications and was allowed to stay!

Truly, there are no pictures that give the proper credit to the Eiffel Tower's beauty. This massive iron monument is truly pretty...and so intricately wrought. We have a smaller version of this tower here in Prague, on Petrin Hill. You can find it in pictures here. Jiri and I were very impressed with the Eiffel Tower...and so were many others! There were long lines of people waiting to buy tickets just to go up to the observation deck. So, we only viewed the tower from the ground...but we were happy with that!

One thing to note about Paris--and other major cities--is to be aware of your surroundings at all times. While we were visiting the Eiffel, we were noticing that there were some pickpockets...and another "game" was afoot! There were some gypsies who would come up to you...and point to a "gold" ring on the ground. The "game" is that they will pick up the ring and ask if you've lost it...or say that you should have it...and then they ask for money for a meal. Now, sometimes they will only take the money you offer them...but other times they will rob you of other things, as well! We have this same trouble in Prague, too. So, it pays to stay on your toes--be aware of your surroundings--and who's nearby--at all times. Take the proper precautions to avoid having trouble of any kind!

Our last stop was the Pantheon. This an exquisite building that was at first a church dedicated to St. Genevieve, but now is better-known as being the last resting place of many famous and historical people. Here, again, we weren't able to go inside due to lack of time and the long lines. But here and here you can find some pictures of the inside. It is beautiful...and I wish we could have seen it!!! Even so, the outside is massive and beautiful, as you can see from the pictures in our slideshow!

We had a wonderful time on our trip to France, and we would like to go back again when we have more time and money to enjoy the museums! This trip was one that we did with an eye to saving money. Even so, when you don't want to spend for every museum and sight, you can still find so many that are free to see and visit!

We spent the majority of our money on flights, train transportation between Paris and Tours, and hotels...the hotels offer a free breakfast. So, you can save money that way by filling up on breakfast and eating simple and light the rest of the day! We also save money by visiting the grocery stores where the locals shop. We buy cheese, bread (rice cakes for me), salami, water, wine, soft drinks and fruit--all for cheaper than you can buy at the stores and shops near hotels! Plus, we walked everywhere we went in those two days in Paris! It was something like 11 hours of walking both days...and I have the blisters (almost healed) to prove it! We are currently living only on Jiri's salary...we have to be very careful with money. Some people would be ashamed to admit they travel like we did on this trip...not me! We were able to have a great time on a shoe string--and still save money for a trip home later this year. I'm here to tell you that you can have a good trip without spending much money!

That's all for today!

You all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

All photos in slideshow are property of J and S.A. Vacik

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Wine Tasting in Moravia

Hi Everyone,
Wow...what a weekend Jiri and I had with our friends down in southern Moravia! It was one of the most unusual and fun events I've been able to visit here in the Czech Republic! We went to a place called Velke Bilovice, which is about 30 to 40 minutes south of Brno, in Moravia. Our friends invited us to drive down with them...it was a beautiful ride there. We were going at speeds over 100 mph which was really interesting! So, the trip only took about 2 hours or so.

I've tasted Moravian wines since moving here a couple of years ago. They've been very good wines...and could compete with any from California and other places! But this was my first trip to actually visit some of the wine cellars that produce this fine wine. The town, Velke Bilovice, sits in a valley surrounded by rugged hills. All the land around is dominated by very orderly vineyards...rows and rows..acres and acres of vineyards! It is a beautiful setting! The town has a population of nearly 4,000 people...so it's fairly small. There is a lot of history there...with wineries going back to the time of the Romans! The secrets of wine production have been handed down from father to son for many centuries.

The wine tasting festival we attended was called "ze sklepa do sklepa" which literally means "from cellar to cellar!" Our tickets were interesting...after paying the entrance fee, you received a pocket with a strap (to go around your neck), with a very nice, large wine glass inside the pocket! The glass is stamped with the name of the festival and the year. This makes a very nice souvenir! You also receive a catalog which lists each cellar that is participating--with some background information, such as how many hectares they farm, how many liters are produced. Next to the listing for each cellar is a place to make notes! I'll explain that in a minute! You also receive a nice map of the area so you can find your way! This year there were about 5,500 people who attended the festival--that is up from last year, when there were about 3,000!! It was pretty crowded, but still a lot of fun!

The wine festival opened at 11 AM and lasted until about 7PM. The day was beautiful...and pretty warm. I'm sure the temperature was close to 70 F (20 C)! And the sky was clear and blue! Thankfully I had sunscreen and a hat to wear while wandering among the cellars and vines! Now, as the name of the fiestival suggests, you were able to visit all the participating cellars on the list! You really went from one cellar to the next, and could try as many wines as you wanted...or were able to taste! You just had to take your glass and choose which wine you wanted to taste! It reminded me a bit of Halloween in the States--and trick-or-treating! Only, instead of going door-to-door for candy, we went cellar-to-cellar for wine!

There were so many different types of wine...too many for me to list here. Plus, I'm no wine expert at all. But I know what I like when I taste it. There were wines of all descriptions and flavors. I pretty much stayed with white wine due to the heat and sun. Plus, I don't drink very often or very much! I didn't want to have to be carried back to the hotel later! Anyway, as you tried each wine, you were able to make notes about which ones you preferred in that catalog listing each cellar. That way, you would know which ones to buy the next day! Thankfully, you had to walk from cellar to cellar, so this helped to wear off the wine you drank!

Along with the wine some of the cellars also provided small snacks for us. The snacks consisted of bread, cheese, skvarky (fried pig fat), sadlo (rendered pig fat made into a spread for bread), and some meats such as salami and klobasa. Along the way, too, there were small food stalls that sold grilled meats (klobasa was a favorite--and smelled so good!), beer and soda, and also traditional Moravian baked goods! Talk about being in heaven!!! I enjoyed the sights and smells so much--I couldn't eat them--but still enjoyed the baked goods' smell!! I did try skvarky and sadlo on rice cakes that we took along...and that stuff is really good!! It's not so good for your cholesterol and the calories are probably astonomical, but for one day it's OK! However, be prepared if you're not used to eating much fat in your diet...you might have trouble like I did later...which I won't describe in detail here!! I didn't lose my supper, so to speak...but later is when the problem struck!! Anyway, that stuff is great...even though I'm not a fan of pork and don't eat fat!!!

It was very surprising at how orderly the whole festival was!! People were a little silly from all the wine, but no one was drunk and disorderly at all! I saw entire families participating (only the kids didn't taste the wine!!)--grandparents, parents and small children! There were even a few dogs with their owners there!! It was all great...and no problems at all!!! Mixed in with the food and wine stalls were also some small musical groups who played traditional Moravian folk songs. These were great...and I wanted to dance so much...but my husband would not...and neither would the other guys...what a waste of good music that was!!! :0)

There were 42 cellars listed in that catalog...needless to say, I didn't try wines at each one of them. That would simply have been too much!! As it was, you can see the effects of what I did drink! In fact, if you watch the slide show you can see how things progressed...till the end of our wine tasting event! I was not feeling much pain...and neither was anyone else!!

The next day (Sunday) everyone goes back to buy the wines they enjoyed the previous day! I didn't have the camera, but there were almost as many people buying wine as there had been tasting the previous day! Something very interesting that I had never seen before was how people took their own bottles to be filled with wine! Only a couple of cellars were filling your bottles for you, but it was great...and so much cheaper than buying the pre-bottled wines! We were in line for some of this wine--directly from the barrel--when I looked back and saw a huge line had formed!! And people brought all kinds of containers for the wine. There were gas/petrol cans (probably 3 gallons in size), along with huge jugs, plastic water bottles (1.5 liters), etc. I was amazed! The vintner took a siphon (a rubber hose with a nozzle at one end) and that's how they got the wine into the bottles! They didn't use siphon pumps...but did this the old fashioned way--with their mouths! It was pretty amazing!!

This whole trip was great--we had a fun time with friends--and had a wonderful time exploring different wines in Moravia. The people there are so nice and open and very friendly! They are also known for the great cooking and hospitality! We were hosted by one of our friends' friends --Dana...and would like to thank her for the spread she put on for all of us (a group of 14)!! This is one of those trips that is highly recommended--you won't want to miss it!

That's all for today...I'll finish up our Paris trip on Wednesday! I'm still sorting and processing pictures!

You all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher

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(c) 2009 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Top 10 March Droppers

Hi Everyone,
Here are the top 10 Entrecard droppers for March:

Golden Prague

Bloody Computer!

Internation Musings

Computer Help and Advice

Bulgarian Slivatree--An Expat's Eye in Bulgaria

Las Vegas Baby!

Journeys and Adventures

Black Holes and Astrostuff

Zataki

Life in Australia

Thank you all for visiting so regularly--and thank you everyone for visiting and supporting this blog!

Have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

Czech Off the Beaten Path website
Czech Off the Beaten Path Travel Store
Czech Off the Beaten Path T-shirts and More
(c) 2009 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Deal of an Ordeal

Hi Everyone,
I'm sorry for not making my regular post yesterday. I had planned on telling you more about our trip to Paris. Unfortunately, I had a deal of a dentist's appointment that turned out to be a very hellish ordeal. Every time I go to the dentist is not so easy due to my TMJ (temporomadibular joint). Both of mine (tm joints) are bad, with the disc on the right side "falling" out of place...which allows the bones to rub together. Ouch! This is on a good day! But a visit to the dentist adds trauma...and the ouch becomes a major physical disability.

Yesterday, the dentist first decided that he was going to use no novacaine on the tooth he was going to work on! My dentist and I have gone round and round--several times--about the need for novacaine when he's going to drill! Czech people are so inured to suffering that my husband told me yesterday everyone cries in the dentist's chair here! I really don't understand this mentality, especially when we are willing to pay for everything--including the shot...I need and want the comfort to know I will not feel much pain! OK...he gave me the shot when I strongly suggested it would be best! I'm sure he's thinking Americans are all just whiney babies...well, that may be so...and this whiney baby needs and wants novacaine before drilling proceeds!

I won't go into graphic detail about the rest of the way the appointment went yesterday. Just suffice it to say that I was suffering as a true Czech. This tooth has been one of the worst to have work done...I'm so looking forward to when it's over...and I'm sure the dentist is, too! I was in so much pain after the fact that I was sick...and couldn't even take enough medication to quell the pain in my tooth and TMJ. It was pretty much like torture during and afterwards! I would also like to add that I do really like my dentist. He's one of the best in Prague and does great work. He's a very pleasant guy--and I'm sure he was pretty frustrated by my being in so much pain--he's not heartless!!!

Today, I'm a little improved...but it will take several days to recover for the tooth and the TMJ! That's normal...I'm OK with that...I know how to take care of it. I'll be resting some again today...and tomorrow. This weekend, though, Jiri and I will be attending a wine tasting festival in southern Moravia! We're looking forward to that...and I'm sure it will help to losen up my joints a bit! :0)

Anyway, I will work on getting that post done for Paris, and have some fun telling you about the wine tasting festival next week! My posting may also be a bit slower for a bit...I've just taken on a research project that will need to take precedence for a time.

You all have a great day!

God bless,
Sher :0)

Czech Off the Beaten Path website
Czech Off the Beaten Path Travel Store
Czech Off the Beaten Path T-shirts and More
(c) 2009 by czechoffthebeatenpath