What you’ve heard is true! Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, probably the world. Alan and I had a good banter about which city is cooler – Paris or Prague – just to give you a sense that it even warrants the discussion. Needless to say, Prague was my favorite city of the trip up to that point (Budapest may catch up). It also helped that we stayed in the cutest little one bedroom apartment (overlooking a courtyard with a chill bar) on one of the little cobble stone streets in Old Town.
This post should actually be named ‘Land of beer and pork part II’ because that sums up most of our meals there, but in Prague we also had some tasty pickled herring and other fish (which I didn’t even think I would like), as well as my first Afghan meal at Kabul which ended up being probably our favorite of that leg of the trip. The amazing feast included perfectly crispy afghan bread and spicy/vinegary green chutney; and scrumptious dumplings filled with lamb, veggies, and covered with yogurt sauce. But the winner had to be the beef kabobs which surprisingly tasted a bit like the flavor-packed Romanian-style kabobs my dad made for us growing up. Imagine the best meatloaf packed with herbs & spices, rolled into a tube and cooked perfectly on the grill so when you stick your fork in it gushes with juiciness.
My favorite thing about the city wasn’t the great food, fine beer (Pilsner Urquell), or even the powerful absinthe; it was the city itself – its stunning architecture and Bohemian character. What makes Prague unique is that unlike most European cities, it was left pretty much intact during/after WWII because at the time Czechoslovakia was peacefully annexed to Germany, and then occupied by the Soviets at the end of the war. So most of the neo-classical, neo-gothic, baroque, art nuevo, and art deco architecture remains and has been thoughtfully renovated following years of Communist era neglect. The handful of concrete slab boxy eyesores act as a somber reminder of the years behind the Iron Curtain.
We were pretty surprised by how Jewish Prague was pre-WWII – Jews made up a third of the city’s population, the other two thirds were Czechs and German. Jews had a very long and interesting history in Prague which I won’t go into detail on here. Luckily many of the old Synagogues survived, including one that dates back to the 14th century – something that you won’t see in most of Europe. The Jewish cemetery also survived intact (w/ graves dating back to 1300’s), as well as the medieval Josefov ghetto… but unfortunately most of its inhabitants didn’t. The Jewish population in Prague today is only about 7 thousand.
Our last day in Prague was the coolest one. We walked all over the place – over the bridge in the north and up the steps to the giant metronome (which replaced a statue of Stalin, and around the huge Castle to the opposite hilltop and all the way up the winding steps of Petrin Tower (a copy of Eifel Tower). After checking out a video exhibit of Shanghai-inspired images at Futura Gallery (in Smichov), we walked all the way back over the Charles Bridge to the Center to finish the day with more beer and great food.
We’re in Budapest, Hungary… we got here a couple of days ago. I love this city but we’ll get to that later. Right now I have some previous stops to report on – Munich & Prague. I’ll make this as quick as I can, despite my usually rambling self…
Munich was sooo much fun! While it wasn’t on our itinerary initially, we decided to make it a stop after Annie and Josh invited us to join them at Annie’s BFF Ellie’s place in Munich which she shares with her fiancé Josh. Ellie and Josh were the best of hosts and the 6 of us had an uber fun 4-day run together… primarily drinking beer and eating sausages, pork knuckle, and a heap of other pork products.
Not to worry, in addition to making sure our livers were earning their keep, we also did some cultural stuff. Not only did we hike up a mad climb to a mountaintop monastery (and rewarded ourselves with their fine brew and swine) and ride bikes all day to explore the sites of Munich (with a pit stop at a beer garden), but we also spent the afternoon at Pinakothek Museum to take in a little Rembrandt, Raphael, Rubens, and other Dutch and Flemmish art from the Middle Ages.
The most memorable excursion was Dachau – a suburb of Munich which is home to an infamous concentration camp where Nazis detained hundred of thousands WWII political prisoners and Jews. There’s not much I can say that hasn’t been said about the atrocities of the holocaust. Over the years I’ve been to numerous/memorials, studied it in school, and heard my grandparents first-hand accounts… and while those experiences always left me angry, bitter and mainly saddened, the visit to Dachau hit me much harder…
There’s something about standing where it all took place… seeing the barracks, barbed wire, the ‘showers’ (gas chamber), crematorium… walking past all the haunting memorials, each marking unknown mass graves of thousands. It was all too much to take in and it tore me up.
So the one of the reasons we’re in Europe (v. doing a 6 week adventure in some developing country with a much better exchange rate) is Jam in the Dam! This annual music festival in Amsterdam invited Tea Leaf Green to play 3 nights along with 5 other bands – Disco Biscuits, Umphrey's McGee, Dark Star Orchestra, Perpetual Groove, and Lotus.
I know I’m biased but personally I thought TLG brought the house down – the energy of the band, the light show, and the crowd was intense and electrifying. The guys were on fire! Other highlights include Umphrey’s – have to give their sick drummer Chris Myers props… he totally blew me away. I like to describe Joe Russo from the Duo as an alien because he plays with his whole body and makes it look like arms are like these long tentacles that do this sort of seductive mating dance with the drums. Myers plays differently… like his arms are like little sticks of dynamite which pop and explode all over the kit in a way that make you think ‘whoa, wtf just happened?’
Besides taking in the music festivus scene, my favorite Amsterdam activity was riding around the city! Alan and I rented these laid back Amsterdam-style bikes and rode everywhere… through Vogel Park, zigzagged canals, over the Amstel River, down to a windmill, up to the waterfront district, behind central station and back around. I really dig the bike culture there – we should totally learn from the Europeans and set up this system back at home (not holding my breath though since we’re married to our cars).
In case any of you are planning a trip to A’dam any time soon, you may want to check out this amazing deli – it’s called Loekie (on Prinsengracht at the corner of Leidsestraat)… we had an amazing steak tartar w/ caper sandwich on toasted whole grain baguette. This place is sooo good, we’ve had lunch from there the past 3 days in a row.
We tasted Amsterdam’s other local flavors but will spare you the details :)
We totally indulged (read: pigged out) in Lyon! Our second day there was pretty incredible from a culinary standpoint. We had two very rustic regional meals – lunch was Southwestern French cuisine at Le Bistro de Saint Paul, while dinner was at mainstay Lyonnais bouchon named Garet.
At lunch we shared a salad of sliced artichoke hearts topped with foie gras, and wild mushrooms with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic reduction. Main course was a cassoulet – an oven baked dish of duck, sausages, and pork belly covered in saucy white beans, slightly crispy brown on the surface. This hearty comfort food beats a mac n’ cheese any day!
For dinner we headed to Le Garet, a ninety year old bouchon in the opera house neighborhood. This was a pretty unforgettable experience which I’ll sum up with this: tripe & veal feet. I tried everything (even if it was hard to swallow) but some of the other stuff we had was pretty tasty – sausages, lentils, scallops, baby goat, and of course more cheese!
A little about the city… Lyon is totally a place I could see myself living in. Nestled among a few steep hills and two rivers – the Rhone and the Soane – Lyon is home to people who are serious about their food, art, wine and shopping. It has the cultural atmosphere of Paris but just a bit smaller and much more relaxed… kinda like San Francisco v. New York.
So I haven’t been able to get online for a while so here are two posts – most recent from Lyon and the one further down is from Avignon…
We’re absolutely loving Lyon – how can we not!! -it’s the gastronomic capital of the world, known for its collection of high end Michelin star restaurants, local casual eateries called Bouchons, and of course all the creperies, boulangeries, charcuteries, and patisseries you’d expect in France.
Our first meal was a lunch we reserved weeks in advance while we were still in the States – Michelin gave Nicolas Le Bec two stars which we felt was well deserved. We opted for the pre-fix dejouner menu which featured the most amazing scallop dish in pureed sauces of cauliflower and pea, covered in fresh baby greens. Another winning dish was the green asparagus appetizer which was peeled and very tender, served on a slice of ham with a nutty bacon cream sauce and topped with parmesan shavings and baby greens. This was a beautiful dish that was both light and very decadent.
I’ll skip the main courses as they’re nothing to write home about but the cheese cart definitely deserves a shout out. The waiter dude rolls it over and the first thing I see is a giant wheel of Stilton sitting next to Munster, and several different goat cheeses. Between the two of us, Alan and I tried 6 – my favorite was the Munster, much better than one I get at Safeway (Alan wants everyone to know that he doesn’t buy his cheese at Safeway).
Lastly, the desserts…
The ‘hot chocolate mouse’ was like the rich/sophisticated twin sister of the lava cake – along with the accompaniments of white cheese ice cream and sweet little fraises des bois (baby strawberries), a spoonful of the gooey molten center was soooo good it made me giggle. The caramel mousse tart topped with caramel ice cream, a salted butter sauce and caramel hazelnut candies was like a sweet and salty soiree in my mouth.
After several days of great Spanish food, we were pretty eager to taste what the French had to offer. While we promise not to make this blog all about food, we do have to describe two amazing meals we had in Avignon. One of the major stops in Provance, Avignon is an upscale medieval town on the Rhone River which was enclosed by a fortress wall to protect the Popes while the Vatican was temporarily located here in 1309.
We arrived at Avignon at night so of course the first thing on our mind was dinner – we strolled over to Le Moutardier du Pape which was a cute little restaurant across from Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes) adorned with renaissance inspired frescos which gave it that uber-French vibe.
In an effort to keep the cost down and not stuff ourselves, we split 2 apps, an entrée and a dessert. We started with the Boudin Noir (blood sausage) – which I had a hankering for after seeing it in Barcelona in a few places – served with thin slice of toasted bread and topped with fried onions, it was much more tender and creamy than the one I had in the States… more spreadable and very delicious. Next came the best split pea soup I’ve ever had – very delicate flavor and silky texture, enhanced by a drizzle of olive oil and a dollop of crème fraiche. The cod that followed was perfectly cooked, covered with an olive tapenade which added a welcomed tinge of acidity.
The next day after walking all over Avignon, we rewarded ourselves with an impromptu lunch at Christian Etienne, a Michelin-starred restaurant, located in a beautiful old stone house adjoined to the Palais des Papes. The interior is gorgeous – the perfect combo of medieval charm with modern decor and an arty feel.
We had the pre-fix lunch menu which started with a comforting and refreshing Consommé of Mussels with julienne ginger and carrots. The Gnocchi with lobster topped with black truffle cream sauce and shavings was memorable but not spectacular -- we added this in from their special truffle menu so I think we were expecting a religious experience… although we did finally get it in the next dish – guinea hen stuffed with almonds in veal jus accompanied by leaks stuffed with bacon. The courses were expertly paired with several different wines by our very attentive sommelier. Last but not least was the caramel crème brulee topped with granny smith apple foam next to a scoop of refreshing granny smith apple sorbet covered with toasted/candied sesame seeds.
Avignon also has a great market in Les Halles which we hit up the next day to prep a little picnic of pulpo (octopus), brandade (salt cod spread), chic pea salad, olives, fresh baked bread with Roquefort cheese baked into it, and the most amazing little personal size round of chevre I’ve ever had (and I really love my goat cheese). We worked this off with a nice long hike over the Rhone River to the neighboring town of Villenueve where we strolled though the peaceful gardens of Saint Andre Abbey.
So here begins our 6 week adventure in Europe – something I’ve always wanted to do in some shape or form but was never able to make it happen until now. We start with Barcelona…
Upon arrival we walked around the Barri Gotic, the old Roman city – a great place to get lost and explore the narrow winding coble stone streets. Famished, Alan found a traditional Catalan lunch spot for us – Elizabeth’s in Upper Raval – where we wolfed down tasty paella, fried sardines, and a tender hunk of pork knuckle (a first for us)… oh, I probably shouldn’t mention the big jug of cheap wine which we happily drank!
Day 2 was primarily devoted to walking… everywhere! (it felt like 10 miles at least) The most memorable part was Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) which is the massive Roman Catholic church designed by Gaudi. Construction began in 1882 and continues today – it’s completion is scheduled for 2026 but will likely be delayed given controversy over construction/design. The cathedral is an impressive example of Gaudi’s nature-inspired Modernisme/Art Nouveau style meshed with the more modern adaptations of his successors.
Saturday we strolled to Mercat de la Boqueria which is a huge dizzing market where you can find anything from homemade candy, organic fruits/veggies, and tapas bars; to goat & cow heads, and whole uncooked pigs & octopus.
After the market, we had what’s probably our favorite meal of the trip so far at Quimet y Quimet – a standing-only tapas bar about a mile outside of Barri Gotic… We had all these amazing little creations that the tapas bartender made right in front of us – duck pate with mushrooms on toast with sweet balsamic reduction & olive oil, anchovies with artichoke hearts & pesto, cheese with candied chestnuts, salt cod with tomato spread on toast… and more. Mmmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about that meal. The home-brewed beer was the perfect accompaniment. (for anyone heading to Barcelona, this place is a MUST!)
Later that night we met up with Scotty and Gretchen and grabbed dinner at 7 Portes – an old famous restaurant featuring the best paella I’ve ever had in my life! I can’t really remember what else we ate because the memory of the paella basically dwarfs it all.
The last day the four of us feasted on more Gaudi with a trip to Park Güell, Casa Milà, and Casa Batlló… I’ve never seen architecture like this – the two house are truly works of art in the form of houses. I don’t know what Gaudi was smoking but it must’ve been real special ;-)
Our last little treat in Barcelona was at Cacao Sampaka – a chocolate store that could pass for an art gallery with sophisticated displays of chocolate creations and an inviting little cacao bar in the back where Alan and I sampled a very different hot chocolate than we’re used to in the States – so thick and pudding-like, you can almost eat it with a spoon. Mmm, the Azteca (80 % cacao y especias) was our favorite -- It was to die for!!
