European Trip – Tony Gentilcore

Day 15: The Best Copenhagen Day Ever!

I didn’t really sleep.

There were a number of young and drunk people yelling and chanting early 2000’s hip hop outside of our hotel window.

Tony didn’t hear it because:

He is the best sleeper on earth
He wears earplugs, which worked out to be smart in this situation.

Anywho, once we were up Tony thought we should just go for it and get the breakfast in the hotel. It was cold cuts and yogurt and toast and the worst coffee in America… oops… sorry… the worst coffee in Denmark.

So I had muesli with hot water and shitty coffee, but we did what we needed to do and got up out of there to enjoy the day!

We rented some bikes (with a handy GPS attached!)

And made our way over to one of the castles.

Afterward, we were wandering around and stumbled upon a fabulous market!

Called Torvehallerne, this public space was filled with beautiful produce, funky and fabulous food and drinks, skincare, and all kinds of fun! Here’s a pic:

And HERE’s the website (in case of you randomly being in Copenhagen).

We decided to come back at lunchtime.

But first, to the Round Tower! Built in the 17^th century to be used as an astronomical observatory, our tour also included the attached chapel and library hall.

Here’s the beautiful chapel:

And here’s the super cool winding hall up to the top of the tower! (Please notice Tony being silly/creepy over there in the corner).

Atop the tower was the observatory, with a great view of the city:

Then it was time for lunch! Tony hit up an “egg wrap”, which is basically super thin yet large omelet that functions as a wrap for veggies and other goodness. I had a salad from this place called “Paleo”. Check it!

Tony wanted a bit of dessert afterward, and he stumbled upon the bakery Nazi – AKA Café Rosa.

Rosa was not playing any games, and made it clear that we were interrupting her baking by asking for Tony’s carrot cake – but it was worth it!

Once we were all finished with the market, we hopped back on some bikes, and cycled our way over to the Royal Palace. I risked my life while riding to show you how awesome and bike friendly Copenhagen really is! There’s Tony up ahead:

And here we are once we arrived at the Palace:

By this point, we were both feeling Copenhagen.

Staff at the front desk of our hotel told us that more than 50% of the city’s population rides a bike, but that seemed like an underestimate to us. There were HUGE bike lanes everywhere, special traffic signals, specifically for bikes, and very patient easy-going drivers, who seemed used to bikers being everywhere.

Bikers in mini skirts.

Bikers drinking a coffee (or beer) while riding with one hand.

Bikers chatting, listening to music, and so on and so forth. It was very fantastic!

For example, here is one of many bike parking lots, sitting just outside a little café where I grabbed a coffee:

We returned our bikes (there are little stations to return the bikes all over the city) and wandered around in the city for a bit. When we came upon Nyhavn:

It was high time for another dessert, and Tony wanted a repeat of the amazing Belgian waffle a la mode that Travis’ wife Amanda introduced him to the day before! Here it is:

Then, upon another of Travis and Amanda’s recommendations, we jumped on a boat tour of Copenhagen. It was fabulous! Here are some highlights:

We even got to see the famed Little Mermaid statue:

It was a fabulous way to see the city and hear little facts about different buildings and neighborhoods:

Once off the boat, we decided to walk around to the “other” side of Copenhagen, and check out “Christiania” – the hippie town with a reputation for an amazing street food extravaganza:

It was a long walk, but completely gorgeous. Walking from one side of the city to the other from 5:00pm to about 6:30pm meant that we were accompanied by hundreds of city-dwellers afoot and on bikes, leaving work and heading over for some amazing street food (and drinks).

Let me just tell you, the walk was worth it!

After we did a lap and made a thorough assessment of our options, I grabbed a local beer from a microbrewery, and Tony grabbed some pizza:

For our second course, we hit up a Brazilian place and got the “mixed grill”, which involves our favorite: meat and veggies:

To wrap it all up, we decided to have an open-faced little sandwich with tenderloin, onions, and a bit of pickle:

That was our favorite, and came from this little gem, called Handmade:

We were full, and weary, after an amazing day! We decided to bike home, since we needed to get clear across the city. Here’s Tony heading over to our bikes for the Trek home:

It was a beautiful, and an epic way to end the perfect day. Awesome sunset, easy biking, and happy people everywhere, getting their weekend started:

We were so sad the day was over!

It may have been our best.

We quickly washed up and passed out! Tomorrow, we start the long journey home… talk to you then!

Love Lisa (and Tony).

May 29, 2016 Tony

Off Topic

Day 13: Mayo, Salmon, Lebanese!

With one full day in Stockholm only, we had a full itinerary!

Tony wanted to get a lift in, so we found the nearest SATS gym, and had a good bench day together.

NOTE from Tony: kudos to the staff at SATS Odenplan for their professionalism and general level of awesomeness.

I observed many of the trainers working doing some lovely things with their clients. Frankly, it was a breath of fresh air to see the bulk of them utilizing the free weights area and having their clients deadlift, perform KB swings, and perform a plethora of movement/mobility drills.

A hearty slow clap to you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAryFIuRxmQ

Afterward, we were in search of breakfast.

Did you know that Swedes eat sandwiches for breakfast? Did you also know that Swedes are obsessed with mayonnaise, and other creamy condiments? We didn’t know! So after popping into and back out of 12 different cafes, we decided we had to just do as the Swedes to, and have a sandwich for breakfast.

Tony found a “chicken Caesar” sandwich, which is essentially the American salad classic, between bread. I wanted to try something Swedish, so I got a Skagen. An open-faced sandwich with lots of little shrimp. Here’s our breakfasts:

I was not aware of the Swedish love for mayo! There was a freaky amount of mayo underneath those shrimp. I spent about five minutes taking globs off the bread.

For me, it was a little on the gross side. I couldn’t help but laugh, thinking of my best friend Susie, who is horrified by mayonnaise… I think she would have had to sit at a different table!

We popped back to the hotel for a shower. It was much cooler and overcast today, so once we had on some layers, we were ready for our day!

We decided to hop on the Hop On Hop Off Boat, which scoots all around Stockholm:

We made our way over to the Vasa museum.

The Vasa was a MONSTER ship that was built early in the 17^th century. The ship made it a little over a mile before capsizing and sinking in the Stockholm Harbor, and sat in the bottom of the harbor for 333 years (until 1961) before being rescued, restored, and placed into it’s very own museum.

Both gorgeous and fascinating, the Vasa is still actively being restored and preserved. Here are a few pictures:

We hopped back on the boat and enjoyed the scenery as we made our way over to Gamla Stan:

Once in Gamla Stan, we made our way to the central square, and then found a little place for lunch.

Tony had some Swedish meatballs, and I had the BIGGEST and most delicious piece

of Salmon ever! Check it out:

Lunch was amazing.

We explored Gamla Stan a bit more, and then spent the afternoon in the Royal Palace. First, we walked around in the Royal Apartments, checking out the gorgeous surroundings:

The large collection of Clocks:

And then finally some of the grand bedrooms and meeting rooms in the royal apartments:

Then we took a tour of the old, medieval part of the palace. We were the only two who booked the tour! So we had a private tour with a lovely Swedish woman, who spent almost an hour with us, describing the history of wars and the difficult ways of life, and the legit Game of Thrones that used to go on.

It was fascinating.

The lighting was very low, but Tony took a few pictures… take a look:

We then took at look at the museum of Antiquities, which housed a collection of Roman art that one of the princes of Sweden put together and then made public:

After some more walking around, we made our way back to the hotel.

Tony had enough of Swedish cuisine for one day, and had a hankering for some Mediterranean food.

After some Google map and TripAdvisor searching, we found a Lebanese (my favorite) place up the block.

It was AMAZING!

The restaurant was called Underbar and I highly recommend to anyone. Here’s my dinner, complete with grilled meat, salad, and plenty of meze:

After dinner Tony went down to the lobby to use the Wifi and get some work done, while I packed up and got ready for tomorrow’s travels.

We’re off to Copenhagen!

Can’t wait… talk to you then!

Lisa (and Tony)

May 26, 2016 Tony

Off Topic

Day 12: Stockholm

5:00am Sharp!

That’s when our alarms went off. We popped out of bed and headed down to the Oslo Central Station. Once on our 6:00am train, Tony and I settled in for a five hour ride to Stockholm. Here’s some photos of the view:

Tony working diligently catching up on emails and what not.

Since we were up so early, no breakfast was had.

There was a pathetic little “kiosk” with nothing (really) worth eating or drinking. So we swayed and we fasted, and as the hours past, we got very tired, and a little nauseous.

Dehydrated, sleepy, and woozy, we slithered off the train in search of caffeine. Tony does not drink coffee, but is a sugar-free energy drink drinker. You may curl your lip, but don’t judge. We all have our vices.

One sparkling water and Sugar-Free Monster later, we made the 10 minute walk to our hotel!

We’re at the HTL Upplandsgatan, a “smart” hotel, which apparently means no drawers – or furniture actually. But we don’t mind – with barely 48 hours to explore, who’s got time to unpack?!

So off we went, in search of lunch. We were directed to the nearby Vete-Katten, where we enjoyed a delicious salad:

Pic of lunch.

We were pleased to see the prices for food and drink return to normal, and actually Vete-Katten also provided water, coffee, bread, butter, and cookies along with all lunch orders:

After some sustenance and more caffeination, we were ready! Map in hand, we made our way down through Norrmalm (the “new city”, where our hotel is),

To Gamla Stan (Old Town)

And then down and over another bridge to Ostermalm (“Hipster” town), where there were amazing views of the rest of the city:

Here you can see most of “Old Town” in the background…a breathtaking view of the city overlooking the harbor.

We meandered through streets and stopped to chill in the small square in Gamla Stan, just outside of the Nobel Prize Museum:

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped for a drink (I stopped for a drink, and Tony joined me) to enjoy the sunshine and watch Swedes leave work and meet up for a Carlstad.

At this point, we started to feel weary! But, a fan of Tony’s recommended a restaurant to us, and made us reservations for 7:30pm. We began to wonder how we’d stay awake…

Luckily, the lady at the front desk of our hotel called and changed our reservation from 7:30pm to 6:00pm (I know! We are early birds!).

The Grill was amazing. A funky place with live jazz and edgy décor:

Tony had the Tenderloin of a Swedish cow, and I had grilled lamb with grilled veggies.

Afterward, we were in search of ice cream for Tony, and came across Organic Gelato. There were even a few Vegan flavors! I had dairy-free peanut butter, which was somehow better than Tony’s creamy cookies and cream:

We were back at the hotel by 8:15pm, and ready for bed just about an hour later! Tomorrow, a FULL day in Stockholm! See you then,

Lisa (and Tony)

May 25, 2016 Tony

Off Topic

Day 11: More Rain in Oslo

Day 11: More Rain in Oslo!

Today is Tony’s only full day and our last day in Oslo. We’ve got a full itinerary.

Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating at all.

Nasty, serious rain, all day!

But that didn’t stop us. We got up and went right to the gym (where Tony and Dean just completed their workshop) for a lift. Tony squatted, I did a little RDL & glute bridge thang:

Lisa and I were able to get a legit workout in this AM in Oslo complete with squats, RDLs, and barbell bridges. Felt good to move around some weight for the first time in a few days.

A photo posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on May 23, 2016 at 12:56am PDT

And then we hit up breakfast, for the last time! (We’re so bummed).

Showered, dressed, and out da’ door!

It was so rainy that one umbrella just wouldn’t do. On our way to the pier, we came across a metal fence and many, many military people. We made it to the other side of the street just before they blocked the way, and decided to watch for a few minutes to see what was going on.

Can you see the street lined with military?

It was serious!

We couldn’t figure out who was coming, but since the street leads directly to the Royal Palace, we assumed it was someone important. Lo and behold! A few minutes later, many police cars, a few SUVs and a gorgeous limo with two fancy-looking military men in the back cruised by.

Who could it be? Since we can’t get anything out of Norwegian news, we figured we’d probably never know, and just went on our way, happy to have seen someone important get, literally, the royal treatment.

On to the Viking ship Museum!

We needed to take a water taxi to get there. Here’s ours:

It was raining so hard! We had a good 10-minute walk off the boat to the museum, but man, it was worth it! This modest museum holds the remains of four Viking ships, dating back as early as 800AD??!!

W.H.A.T.?

These boats had been used in the water, but after a time they were used for the burials of VIP Vikings. Along with the VVIP’s (get it?!) were all kinds of neat gadgets and artifacts. After checking everything out, we took a fifteen minute walk to another museum, called the Fram Museum.

This little museum houses the very large, very serious “Fram” ship, which sailed many voyages, most notably to the South Pole and the North Pole. We got to go around, on, and down in the boat! Check it:

Just outside this museum was another dock with people waiting for the water taxi, so we walked over to get back to the city. Here’s how it was looking:

When we returned, it was 1:30, and time for a bite of lunch. Two caesar salads, one glass of house red, one Coke Zero, and one side order of fries… $75.

No joking. (Thank goodness we have not had to pay for meals here! It’s outrageously expensive).

After lunch we made our way over to Akerhus Fortress/Castle. Much like the Prague Castle, Akerhus dates back to the 13-14th century and very much emulates a scene out of Game of Thrones.

Here’s a few photos:

We couldn’t find the way into the castle, so after some walking around we went into the info center to inquire. The woman within told us, “Sorry, the castle is closed today because the President of Poland is visiting today and has a special tour.”

BOOM!!!

That’s who we must have seen in the stockade earlier! Tony was super bummed we couldn’t go into the super-medieval looking castle, but we took a deep breath and moved on.

Back in the city, we decided to pop into Parliament.

All we did was check our coat and bag, go through a metal detector, and walk upstairs. We got to sit IN the main chamber of Parliament and watch some Norwegian government in action! I wish I had pictures to show, because the room was gorgeous and we were totally close to the people working and speaking on the Parliament floor. But, I couldn’t bring my camera up. So here are two much less cool photos of the outside of Parliament:

By the time we made it back to the hotel, we had been damp and a bit chilly for a little over five hours. We needed a hot shower and dry socks! Then it was time for a little dinner – our last free and delicious meal here at the hotel! A cod stew with salad and amazing bread.

We spent the evening packing up and getting ready for our super-early departure tomorrow. I booked us tickets on the express train to Stockholm!

Talk to you then!!

Lisa (and Tony).

May 24, 2016 Tony

Off Topic

Day 10: A Rainy Day in Oslo

Tony and I woke up bright, early, and ready for that insane breakfast. We hit the little gym at the hotel, and got downstairs in time for Tony to eat before heading out for Day 2 of the workshop. I managed to sneak a little photo of breakfast:

Afterward, Tony headed out, and I got ready for the day. It’s rainy and kind of gross, so I tried to dress accordingly.

First, I made a game plane with one of the front desk girls, which involves looking at a map and torturing the front desk girl, because I am the most direction challenged person to walk the earth. So I terrorized this young, gorgeous blonde over the map and made her draw lines with arrows and tell me things three times, and right before she was ready to lose her Scandinavian cool, I thanked her and headed out.

Here is a plan for the day:

I set out for the National Gallery first, stopping to check out the National Theatre:

The doors opened at 11:00am and the collection was small, but impressive. There were some Norwegian artists I had never heard of, and a few others that I knew. There was an entire room with Munch (the best-known Norse artist), and people crowded The Scream and took their picture with it like it was the Mona Lisa.

My favorite was called September, by Erik Werenskiold (1883)

I got myself a few postcards and started the long walk to the Botanical Gardens.

I made my way though a different part of town that seemed more every-day than touristy, and could easily tell I was approaching the Botanical Gardens, as runners, strollers, and happy off-leash dogs started to lead the way.

The National History Museum lives inside the Botanical Gardens. I did not visit that museum today, but did check out the Gardens. Have a look:

The Munch Museum was… well… different.

The idea is to change the exhibit regularly by comparing and contrasting Munch’s work to another artist’s.

Currently, the artist of comparison was Robert Mapplethorpe.

Mapplethorpe is… well… a colorful person, to say the least. I don’t mean his works – they’re mostly black and white photographs – I mean him.

Please Google Mapplethorpe if you get the chance. I’m not sure the American version of Google will have his pictures available to view, but just know that he was mainly interested in (male) sexuality, sexual identity, and nudes.

One thing I loved was to see all the families, young, old, conservative-looking and otherwise, all viewing the exhibit without embarrassment or awkwardness. (We Americans could learn a lot from Europeans). I will not include a photo with a penis here – mainly because my Grandmother (HI MEEMS!!!) might be reading this. But here’s a tame example:

I especially liked the many photos he had of this subject, Lisa Lyons (pictured above), because she was the first woman to win the International Federation of Bodybuilders World Pro Championship.

So in her day, she was considered insanely muscular and “masculine”. Today, wouldn’t you agree that she looks like your standard “fit” actress or fitness model?

Anyway, after the museum I headed back home, this way taking a different route, and making my way to Central Station in Oslo. Tony and I have a crack-o’-dawn train to catch on Tuesday morning! So I wanted to know exactly where to go while were still in Zombie mode and schlepping our luggage.

I made my way back to the hotel and enjoyed an afternoon espresso and sparkling water.

Tony made it back around 6:00pm, and we popped up to the lounge for our free-hotel dinner.

Delicious! Again, my favorite bread ever.

There are pieces of carrots and sunflower seeds and it is so heavy and chunky it barely stays together. Also there was this fresh cabbage and fennel salad and a fabulous chili that had chunks of beef and pork.

After dinner we digested a bit, and then met up with Dean and Lindsay for dessert and goodbye.

D&L head back to London tomorrow, and home on Tuesday. They’ve been great traveling companions and we’ll miss them!

We returned to the hotel just after 9:00pm and were beat. I told Tony we should go to bed, because I have a FULL itinerary planned for his one and only free day in Oslo, tomorrow!

See you then,

Lisa (and Tony)

May 23, 2016 Tony

Off Topic

Day 9: Oslo: The Near-Future Utopia

Photo Credit: Mariano Mantel

Day 9 Oslo: The Near-Future Utopia

You know how they make those movies about the near future Dystopia? In which we’ve destroyed the environment, we treat each other like shit, and no one is able to shower any more? Well, just imagine the inverse of that.

Kind of like Star Trek, only sooner to now.

And also less spandex and more normal hairdo’s.

That’s basically Oslo.

Everyone speaks multiple languages – most notably English. The streets are pristine, and old royal-looking buildings are routinely and momentarily blotted out by passing trams, trolley cars, and slick looking German cars that don’t make any noise.

Tony set out for his 8-hour Shoulder-palooza Seminar, and I went for a little joggy-jog. (If you’ve been reading, you’ll remember that my ‘jog’ involves bouncy walking with very frequent stops for photo-taking). Here are some highlights.

Once the jogging was over, I hit the mini-gym in the hotel (which has taps for still AND sparkling water!!!) for a little upper-body biz-nass. Then a quick shower and on to the free and amazing breakfast!

Now, seriously. I know about breakfast. I’ve had lots of breakfasts. I consider myself an authority on what constitutes an impressive breakfast.

Let me tell you: #1 breakfast of all time.

And. It. Was. Free.

I was too overwhelmed to take any photos. The name of the restaurant in the lobby where breakfast is located is named “Paleo”; needless to say, there were 37 kinds of meat and eggs. I’ll try to capture it tomorrow.

Did I also mention that there are industrial-sized Nespresso machines EVERYWHERE in this hotel?

I love espressos, and own a Nespresso, but I have never seen machines this size; not I was not surprised, being in the near future Utopia and all.

Only second to espresso is my love for fizzy water.

In the US, it’s not as ubiquitous as it is over in Europe, so it’s always a plus of traveling abroad. At the Thon Rosenkrantz, there are actually taps all over the place, so you can have some sparkling whenever you like. For example, here is the Nespresso machine and the tap in the lounge (hopefully this is what it will look like in my own dream kitchen one day…)

Fortified by my pre-historic breakfast and many, many espressos, I was ready to explore the near future.

Based on my Norse research, and excited about having a Saturday in the city to myself, I set out for The Vigeland Sculpture Park. About a 2 mile walk, I stopped at the Royal Palace along the way:

Which is surrounded by a beautiful park, open to the public:

Then I continued my journey through lots of shops and people out for brunch whathaveyou on their Saturday mornings:

Finally, I arrived at the Vigeland Sculpture Park! I will let the photos speak for themselves

This is a huge park, and was filled with both tourists and locals. After roaming around for a bit, I made my way to the base of the park, where the Vigeland Museum and some tennis courts were.

Then I made my way over to a Vintage and Antiques Market I read about online, called “Vestkanttorvet Bric-a-Brac Antiques Market”.

Who wouldn’t want to check that out?

Here it is!

A combo vintage/antique/flea market, there were all kinds of one-man’s-trash, another-man’s-treasure type things. It was fun to watch the locals buy and sell, and I did find myself a few little Norwegian treasures (at a great price!).

After the market I began to meander back to the hotel. I stopped in some shops and roamed back through the Palace grounds, and made my way down to the water. There was a cultural fair in full effect! Check it:

I then walked out on the pier to find a bit of lunch. (It was 2:30 and I was barely hungry, but I knew Tony would want to eat right after the seminar – at our FREE dinner!). I picked a spot with a little outdoor seating to watch the water, look at the Castle across the water, and people watch.

It looked like this:

A Caesar salad and Sauvignon Blanc later, I nipped back to the hotel to drop off my treasures and grab a little Nespresso. Tony asked me to arrive at the gym at 4:00pm, so I could watch him in action a bit before he ended the day at 5:00pm.

I’m sorry there’s no pictures! I didn’t want to make a scene. I was a fly on the wall, and since I haven’t watched Tony speak in a few years, I was impressed with how polished and efficient he’s become.

Bravo babe!

Good news bad news?

Tony was on such a roll, he didn’t finish until after 6:00pm! He is an animal (FYI, that’s 8:30am – 6:00pm All-Day Tony-Shoulder-Palooza).

He was beat and starved!

We went back to the hotel and enjoyed another fabulous (and did I mention free) dinner! Beef, salad, wild rice, and once again, the most amazing bread I’ve ever had (so ironic that it’s made in a restaurant entitled: Paleo).

As the last bite of dinner went into our mouths, we began transitioning into pumpkins. Tony wanted a bit of ice cream, which we ran out for, and were surprised by how quiet it was. Two out of three ice cream shops closed right before our very eyes, at 7:00pm sharp! The same area that was a beehive at lunch time was completely dead at 7:00pm on a Saturday night. Maybe all Norwegians turn into pumpkins early on Saturdays?

We made our way home and settled into bed early. Today is a record for me, 29,000 steps! Now it will be the record to break. Maybe tomorrow? Talk to you then!

Love Lisa (and Tony).

May 22, 2016 Tony

Off Topic

Day 8: Goodbye Prague, Hello Oslo!

Day 8: Goodbye Prague, Hello Olso!

Tony and I woke up and shot out of bed so we could pack up our bags, clean out the apartment, and head over to the airport. I had one last espresso from Bake Shop, and we both enjoyed our last bowl of Czech granola.

We have loved our apartment and are sad to say goodbye!

Our driver arrived promptly at 10:00am and off we went.

Once we were all checked in and seated at our gate, Tony received a text message notifying him that unfortunately there would be nothing to eat or drink on what was supposed to be a lunch flight. Apparently, restaurant and hotel workers in Norway are currently on Strike… Uh oh.

I grabbed us a few overpriced sandwiches, and on the plane we went. I think there were two flight attendants, and basically they were present just to seat us, make sure we stayed seated, and then got us off the plane.

The weather is not good. Check it out:

Once in Norway, we got ourselves some train tickets, into the city we went!

Every screen was digital, every surface was clean and modern-looking, and every Norwegian was tall, blonde, and fluent in English. We stepped off the train and were immediately lost, but soon approached by a friendly Norwegian who put us back on the right track.

Tony and I promised one another that we would “pay it forward” when we’re back in Boston. The next time either one of us sees a lost tourist, we’re going to stop and help.

Via Tony’s credit card points, we’re staying at the Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz, which also happens to be the #1 Oslo hotel on TripAdvisor.

It’s beautiful, high-tech, and includes FREE breakfast AND dinner!

You may have heard, Oslo is a super expensive place. Basically a city on the opposite end of the spectrum from Prague.

And it shows.

Everything and everyone is modern and gorgeous.

We had a very nice dinner with cod, peas and potatoes, salad and the best bread we’ve ever had. The dinner room is in the sexy little lounge on the top floor of the hotel.

After dinner we met Dean and Lindsay for dessert. They’ve been chilling in Oslo for a few days now, and gave us some tips and suggestions. We turned in early before Day 1 of Tony’s workshop tomorrow.

Talk to you then!

Lisa (and Tony).

May 21, 2016 Tony

Off Topic

Day 7: Lift, Wander, Taste

Photo Credit: Taste of Prague

Day 7: Lift, Wander, Taste

Our last full day in Prague. How terrible!

We started off with some eggs and Czech granola, and although we were planning to head out to BarBar, Tomas’ gym, we received an email in the morning that Tomas and his wife Lenka were in the hospital, because The Baby is coming!

Congrats to you both, Tomas and Lenka!

Tomas provided a recommendation for a nearby gym, and off to the Palladium we went, for a little workout. We paid a steep guest fee, but it was worth it! All of this beer and bread and meat necessitates picking up some heavy stuff.

After the gym we went back to our apartment for a light lunch. We had the rest of our farmer’s market fare and leftovers, and then headed out to wander around Old Town, New Town, and The Lesser Quarter one more time. Here are a few photos…

At 5:00pm we met Jan (of Jan and Zuzi, Taste of Prague) for the Prague Foodie Tour!

Along with six of our fellow Americans, we proceeded to have a gustatory escapade that rivals any meal we have EVER had!

First of all, Jan is exceptional. Here he is with Zuzi (pics from their website):

Fiance to Zuzi (who I have emailed 34,000 times in the past several months with questions and wonderings), Jan is a professional translator and attorney who executes 9 tours of food PER WEEK for curious, hungry Americans!

Needless to say – he knows his stuff.

The Prague Foodie Tour taught us more about the culture and recent history of Prague than the rest of our week here, all put together. We learned about pre-Communist Czech cuisine, the impact of communism on the food and the people, and the return to traditional Czech cuisine – plus the modern twists – that are becoming popular once again.

Before we begin, I would like to first tell you that I am an adventurous eater (and drinker). I LOVE to try new things and hear about strange and little-known ingredients. So the Foodie Tour was kind of “my thing”, if you will.

Tony, on the other hand, has the tastes and preferences of a nine year old boy (or an American Meathead). He prefers chicken breasts and other cuts of meat that are super-lean and do not at all resemble the animal they once were.

He does not eat seafood.

He is not into sauce or dressing. He does not drink alcohol. So, in short, this entire experience was outside of Tony’s comfort zone…

Our journey began at “Sisters Bistro”, where we tried Chlebicek – an open faced sandwich. This is apparently something you make if you’re having people over, or if you’re brining in a little bite for your co-workers to nosh on during a meeting.

The first had a little celery root remoulade with roast beef atop, accompanied by a little crunchiness sprinkled on top (maybe bacon bits?)

The second was pickled herring with a little radish and wasabi mayo. I thought both were very excellent and well balanced.

And guess what? Tony liked it!

Across the hall from Sister’s was one of my favorites, “Nase Maso”, a butcher shop.

This is an all-natural establishment that prides itself on being preservative and chemical free.

It seems impossible to describe to you the amazing difference between eating meat from a happy animal and our standard American freaks-of-science factory “animals”, but it is really something.

First, and the best, was the meatloaf on a bit of bread, with a pickle. This consisted of “40% fat”, which was probably why it was so fantastic. Then we tried a wiener sausage that was very delicious, followed by headcheese!! (Which was actually kind of nice). Then finally a little pork crackling. See for yourself:

Next, we took a walk to Lokal – a pub fashioned after the standard communist pub in Prague.

Although our guide planned to have us here just after the Czech vs. US ice hockey competition, the game had gone into overtime, and we arrived to a local pub BRIMMING with screaming, enthusiastic Czeck hockey fans!

Luckily the restaurant accommodated us and placed us into a separate room, so that we could hear Jan over the cheering fans.

At Lokal, we enjoyed very traditional yet delicious food, from the “standard” communist recipe list:

First, a bit of pork schnitzel with potato salad, Prague Ham (preservative free and fantastic) with horseradish cream, and then a little Goulash with dumplings.

In addition, we had a beer – dark for the ladies (a Kozel) and light for the men (Pilsner Urquell). These beers also came from the “tank” and were very fresh and preservative free. Take a look:

Not only did I enjoy my beer, but Tony had his ENTIRE BEER! Tony has never drunk a beer before.

I was stunned.

Amazed.

See for yourself!

How could there be more?! Our next stop was a very fabulous, funky wine bar, Bokovka. Here we did not eat (Thank goodness!), but did enjoy tastes of three different Czech wines.

Mostly from Moravia, Czech wines tend to be more delicate, light bodied, and white. We had an “all natural” unfiltered white that tasted more like a cider, a simple “Welch Riesling” (apparently this is most likely a mis-translation, as the real name of the grape means “Walnut-ish tasting Riesling”), and the house red (a Cab).

Tony also tried these (and most liked the Riesling).

Onward!

Maso a Kobliha was our next stop, home of “The Real Meat Society,” which prides itself on raising happy healthy animals that taste delicious.

First – a Scotch egg! If you’ve never had one, they’re amazing in any country… these were extra delicious. We then had a Vanilla Custard Donut (Tony took care of this one for us) and a bit of “craft” IPA. Tony had that too!!

Here we are, enjoying the outdoor seating in the back of the restaurant:

Finally, we hopped on the tram and ventured to Eska restaurant. Walking into a gorgeous open kitchen, we enjoyed a front-row seat at the Chef’s Table and had an exceptional finish to our tasting.

Priding itself on no-waste, this restaurant attempts to utilize all parts of the animal, and all “waste” from the food prep and cooking process. First, we enjoyed a bit of fermented coffee soda – which sounds super weird, but was delicious.

Then, an “amuse bouche” of rabbit pate, and insanely fresh bread with salted, herbed butter

Finally, we had my favorite dish of the night. Wheat berries with wild mushrooms, in a risotto like consistency, with a sous-vide egg. The dairy-eaters on the tour also had burnt potato in ash with potato espuma, while I enjoyed green asparagus with buckwheat chips.

Finally, Tony finished with a Zemlovka – a bread pudding with apples and an espuma of vanilla and rum, while I had fresh asparagus and strawberries in a sweet “salad”.

What a journey!

Special thanks to Zuzi and Jan for planning and executing such a special evening. I highly recommend Taste of Prague and the Foodie Tour to anyone visiting Prague in the future!

We made the journey back home and began to pack for tomorrow’s departure.

We’re sad to leave the apartment. But THRILLED to be heading to Olso, Norway!

Until then,

Lisa (and Tony)

May 20, 2016 Tony

Off Topic

Day 6: Terezin and Old Prague Ham

Tony and I woke up early this morning to try and get yesterday’s blog up before heading out – the internet was slow, so sorry for the delay yesterday!

We walked a whole three minutes over to Old Town Square to meet the bus, and started our one hour journey outside of the city to see a concentration camp.

Terezin, or Teresientadt, was built for use as a military fortress, starting in the 1780’s, but then was used as a political prison during the 19^th century. In 1940 the Gestapo (Nazi Secret Police) was assigned to Terezin, and it became a ghetto – a concentration camp.

Terezin was huge.

There was a “small fortress”, which was very large, and also a large fortress. There were “dormitories, and a crematorium.

Although Terezin was not an “liquefaction” site, or an “extermination camp” thousands upon thousands died of starvation, terrible living conditions., and typhus toward the end and even after the end of WWII.

Terezin was often used as a “first stop” for Jews to first be “concentrated”, before being transported to Auschwitz or another concentration camp for extermination. Also used for propaganda, the site would be used to demonstrate how “nice” concentration camps could be, including staged bathrooms and “comfortable” living quarters that weren’t actually used by the Jews.

It was an intense day, to say the least. Here are a few pictures:

NOTE: Tony also uploaded a bunch more pictures from Terezin (with background/historical info) on his personal page.

We arrived back to the city at 3pm and were starved!

We sat in Old Town Square for a late lunch – I tried some Czech goulash, and Tony (surprise) had a chicken Cesar salad. We knew we’d be too pooped to go back out again later for dinner, so we took the advice of an attendee at Tony’s workshop and bought some “Old Prague Ham” from a street Vendor, and went back home for a night in.

I cooked up the zucchini from the Farmer’s Market , and along with the Carrots and the Old Prague Ham, we had a relaxing night at home!

Tomorrow, our last day in Prague. Sad, I know!

Talk to you then,

Lisa

(and Tony).

May 19, 2016 Tony

Off Topic

Day 5: The Library, The Lesser Quarter, The Dinner

Day 5: The Library, The Church, The Dinner

Another quiet night, followed by a leisurely morning with coffee from our little machine, eggs from the local market, and the most insane granola ever.

Today the Somersets and Gentilewis’ decided to divide and conquer.

Dean and Lindsay headed to Old Town Square and the Torture Museum, while Tony and I headed to Klementium, Pragues second largest building next to the Castle (and pictured above).

An entire complex consisting of buildings that are or have once been The University, two separate churches, a library, and an observatory. We got to check out the Baroque Library Hall

As well as the Vysehrad Codex (which seemed like something from an Indiana Jones movie:

After visiting the meridian hall and checking out some other old school devices for tracking the planets and keeping time, we were allowed up on the observatory deck for a great 360 degree view!

Here’s Tony taking a peek through one of the holes the astrologists used to peek down into the Observatory.

Afterward we visited Wenceslas Square, which is a much bigger, much more modern square than Old Town Square.

We walked home for some lunch back at the apartment with the Somersets.

I whipped up the cabbage, purple potatoes, and broccoli that I bought at the local market (Naplavka) a few days before, and also headed up a chicken we had recently purchased.

As you probably know if you like to travel, it feels AWESOME to eat a home cooked meals with lots of veggies after traveling and eating lots of bread and heavy restaurant foods (and cookies J).

Here we are (sans me):

Then we headed back out to continue our respective journeys.

I, of course, got my espresso-of-the-day from The Bakeshop (and Tony had a brownie). We made our way down to the river and back over the Charles Bridge to explore Kampa Island and Mala Strana (The Lesser or Little Quarter). It was more quiet, more local, and more funky/gritty in this part of town. My favorite so far!

We were on bridge below the Charles, so it made for a fabulous view when we walked back to the center of the city over “Most Leggi” Bridge

We took the long way home, past the Theatre:

And some markets.

Once back home, we happened upon the Somersets watching the new Game of Thrones!!!!!

We are not into season 6 yet, so we quarantined ourselves in our half of the apartment and got ready for our exciting dinner out!

As I may have mentioned, I have arranged a “Foodie Tour” through a fabulous couple/blog site called Taste of Prague, and I have made email BFF with the wife of the couple, Zuzi (I am sure she does not reciprocate her “best friend” status, but I’m ok with that).

Zuzi recommended Cestr for us, and I got reservations for tonight!

A 25 minute walk from the apartment, the Somersets and Gentilewis’ headed out.

We walked through Old Town Square, then Wenseclas Square, finding the restaurant on the backside of a museum.

Here it is!:

It was an exceptional meal and I highly recommend to anyone in the city!

The mission of the restaurant is to serve local food.

They serve the Czech breed of cow, called “Czech Spotted Cattle” or “Cestr” for short, and provide not only a menu prepared for that day, but also a map of the cow so that you can read about items on the menu and then look at where that is located on the animal.

Dean and Lindsay both ordered gorgeous looking drinks, and when I asked for help choosing a glass of wine, the Sommelier came over, listened closely, and recommended a Moravian Dornfelder.

I’ve had some unpleasant German Dornfelder in the past, so I was nervous! But it was exactly what I wanted. Here are our drinks:

For dinner, Lindsay had the chicken, Dean had the “rump” Tony had the Filet (naturally), and I had the skirt, along with some carrots. Here is my food:

A wonderful evening! On the way out, I even got to spy on the butcher, working on some beef just off the kitchen:

What a day!

Thanks again to Taste of Prague for the recommendation. After a quick stop at The Bakeshop for dessert (are you shocked?), we headed back to the apartment, laying low to be ready for our excursion tomorrow.

Good night and talk to you then!

Lisa

(and Tony)

May 18, 2016 Tony

Day 15: The Best Copenhagen Day Ever!

Day 15: The Best Copenhagen Day Ever!

Day 13: Mayo, Salmon, Lebanese!

Day 13: Mayo, Salmon, Lebanese!

Day 12: Stockholm

Day 12: Stockholm

Day 11: More Rain in Oslo

Day 11: More Rain in Oslo!

Day 10: A Rainy Day in Oslo

Day 10: A Rainy Day in Oslo

Day 9: Oslo: The Near-Future Utopia

Day 9 Oslo: The Near-Future Utopia

And. It. Was. Free.

Day 8: Goodbye Prague, Hello Oslo!

Day 8: Goodbye Prague, Hello Olso!

Day 7: Lift, Wander, Taste

Day 7: Lift, Wander, Taste

Day 6: Terezin and Old Prague Ham

Day 6: Terezin and Old Prague Ham

Day 5: The Library, The Lesser Quarter, The Dinner

Day 5: The Library, The Church, The Dinner

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