Weekend in Budvar, home of the Original Budweiser.

Travel time:  Less than 3 hours.

Why:  There’s a beer tour.  And it’s a long weekend.   Why not?

The Christmas markets were already full of people, sipping drinks and meeting friends amidst aromas of fried cheese and cinnamon.  Christmas markets aren’t just for shopping, they are a meeting place.  It’s like taking the neighborhood bar outside.  My Austrian friend told me that people wear electric socks just so they can stay out longer in the cold, which totally makes sense because my toes always end up freezing!

We made the trip with our good friends, Pamela and Riley, and rented an apartment where the six of us could stay together.  Jake liked riding in the BMW.

On Sunday morning we found a Vegan coffee shop offering brunch and pumpkin lattes.  A little odd, but eye-opening.  You can do all that with just…. things that grow out of the ground?

Later came the Anti-Vegan meal.   I’m starting to think that of all the meat-loving cultures in Eastern Europe, Czech Republic does it best.  Pork knuckles, goulash, steaks, piles of meat with sides of meat.  Meat heaped up on bread and slipping off the bones.  My ribs arrived on a metal rack heated by tea lights, all alone.  Just meat.  A dream or a nightmare I guess, depending on your taste.  Or your morals.

Killer Uno that night back at the apartment, with sliced persimmons and a Marlenka Cake to celebrate Riley’s birthday.  Riley showed us how to do the peacock.

Happy Birthday Riley!!!!!