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Spalicek restaurant, Brno, Czech Republic.
Fountain, Capuchin Church, Brno, Czech Republic.
Stara Radnice, Brno, Czech Republic.
Freedom squareThe one real sight is the...
The one real sight is the Spilberk Castle but for my money, the real attraction is just wondering the streets and enjoying the local foods. I peered through the thick glass window into the brightly lit yet dingy looking eatery feeling a mixture of apprehension and envy. Though obviously not above my means and perhaps considered a low class establishment even by local standards, this place intrigued me like no other. It was a spartan affair with stand-up tables at which the predominately working class men stood and enjoyed a beer and simple meal. All the signs were in Czech and I was certain that no one would speak a word of English. If I were to enter, I would have to make do with pointing and paying, pretty much eating whatever looked good and was easy enough to get my hands on. It would undoubtedly be cheap but pride would not allow me to walk away without finishing my grub. It was a perfect opportunity as I was alone and could never ask a woman to enter such a place so I finally got up my courage and walked through the door. Immediately, I was surrounded by choices. On my left was a butcher’s counter with some of the fattiest cuts of meat I had ever seen and straight on was a deli counter with similarly fatty lunch meats and cheeses. You could obviously get things to go, but there were people buying portions they intended to eat there, with bread that was also available. This looked too confusing so I walked past the beer counter and over to the hot food. Not that this looked any easier but I had read that tripe soup was a particular specialty and they did have soup so I pointed at the gray one rather than the red and also at something that looked like a cross between lieberkase and mortadella. I grabbed some bread in case what I chose was too strong to stomach alone and made my way to get a beer and finally to take a spot at one of the long tables. The soup was oily and it seemed like there were some tripe-like morsels in there. It was tasty if not like anything I had ever had. The meat was good as well though again fat-laden. The beer was marvelous, a real find. Czech beers in general are great but this Starobrno was very special. A massive rocky white head rested buoyantly upon a delightfully deep golden brew that was merely a precursor to the exemplary interplay of hops and malt that is rarely found. It was just lip smacking good. I had forgotten all about not fitting in as I enjoyed everything so much and no one seemed to pay any attention to me anyway. Okay, I had overpaid at the food counter, it had been so inexpensive, and my bills were just too big for her to change, but as I ate, she came up and gave me the rest of my money. It was a far cry from Prague where I had to watch every coin to make sure I wasn’t being ripped off. I was happy to have found it but sad it was on my last day there. On my way out, I noticed it opened at 7:00 am and I knew my bus to Telc was not until 8:30 the next morning so I planned on a breakfast there on my way out of town. I left my backpack in the hotel and went there first thing, ordered the red soup this time and something that looked vaguely like haggis. Of course, I had to have one more of these amazing beers, no matter how early it was. It was okay; everyone else was having one too. I took my spot and really felt very much like a regular after only my second visit. It was haggis as far as I could tell and though a bit strong for this hour of the day, I ate every bit of it. I drained the beer too, it might be the last one I would ever have. I debated on whether to take a photo and jeopardize my newfound feeling of belonging, finally figuring that I would probably never be there again. On my way out the door, I snapped two and for just one instant, a few people looked at me as if I was crazy, but almost immediately went back to their beers. It was time to leave. They would be going to work soon and I had a bus to catch.
