20 September 07
So I had a lovely day here in Plzen. I ordered food, I answered "yes" to "for here?", I took some tours.
My Day:
- Visit Informatce for brochures
- Pray at side chapel at Sv. Bartolomeje
- Climb tower at same. I have a pic of my foot on one of the tiny stairs.
- Go inside Sv. B's. Again, no English w/woman at desk, used my little Czech.
- Go to Great Synogogue. It's in disrepair and disuse except for prayer in the back chapel. It's REALLY beautiful though.
- Plzen Underground. Ok, this is seriously cool. There are three levels of basements under the city, about 20km and they are from Medeival times. The houses are connected to the first level still. Stairs to lower levels are walled off from them. Houses used to have brewing lisences and sometimes even their own pubs in the first level. The lisence belonged to the house so a new owner inherited it. There are a ton of wells throughout this system. The third level is canals, 1m of water I think she said. Anyway, they built pipes out of trees, then out of stone. It's incredible.
- Final stop: Pivovar - Pilsner Urquell. The bottling plant was being repaired. The brewhouse is three years new. It's like an aquatic center... hot, tiled. The vats are copper, all shiny and new.
I found out that CR used to drive on the left, like England. But during WWII they had to switch. The tour goes into the tunnels where the giant barrels used to ferment. They still brew down there for the visitors. The beer is much better than the restaurant ones - unfiltered and unpasteurized.
Random observations:
They are fond of 360 degree maps. The bubble effect kind of disorients me.
Some toilets have big and little flush options. Many do not have sufficient suction.
I heard Spaniards today. That velvety accent. Mmmm.
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