Friday, September 28, 2007

A restaurant in the suburbs of Prague

When I first started my blog, I wrote an extremely long article on a trip I made to Prague. I've pulled out a few paragraphs from the article which describes my first visit tio A Czech restaurant.

The building is very austere, and the windows are of patterned glass which stops me from seeing in.

Anyway, undaunted I venture inside and find myself in a noisy smoke filled bar filled with early evening drinkers and not a woman in sight. I spy the dining room and boldly go forth in search of sustenance. The room is cavernous with high ceilings, wood panelled walls and furniture from a long gone era. The windows that prevented me from seeing in now stop me from seeing out!
The first thing to strike me is that the eaters are all men. Groups of four, five and six. My curiosity is further aroused when I hear the strains of Franky Goes To Hollywood belting out YMCA! Imagine my relief when I spot a young boy / girl couple in a corner! I can only assume that in a lower working class district such as this, the men go out drinking and eating while the ladies stay at home.

A small woman waddles towards me wearing a black dress, with black hair and a black expression. She hands me a menu and I nervously utter the one word understood in any language - beer! In no time at all a flagon of frothing lager is placed before me and I set about trying to fathom out the food offering. I reckon on porc being pork, and steik being steak, but I'm not entirely sure. Noticing my confusion, and without uttering a word, the lady in black turns over the page of my menu, and reveals a menu entirely in English! I order a starter and a main. I'm famished. The first course arrives. Difficult to describe. Sort of toasted bread topped with mince, topped with melted cheese and topped off with boiled cabbage. By the time I've worked my way through it I'm stuffed! My empty glass is replaced with a full one without me even asking, and my second course arrives. A mountain of chopped pork topped with melted cheese, topped with boiled cabbage and......CHIPS!!! I eat what I can. Oh look - another beer has arrived!

I eventually manage to turn off the human beer tap. I pay my £6 bill, struggle to feet and totter off back to the the Hotel Yasmin.

The whole article is at http://keithsramblings.blogspot.com/2006/11/hoorah-for-praha.html

7 comments:

  1. Oh how very descriptive you are Keith!
    Wonderful post and I can smell cabbage!

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  2. I can see the woodpanelled walls, the waddling woman with her black expression and all the food. I don't have to go to the movies anymore. Thanks

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  3. Sounds like a feast that was well worth the trip.

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  4. Hey Cheffie my blog has the pics of the package I received from you today. Thanks love ya

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  5. When did you first write this? I must have read everything you have wrote, Mr. Hillman, because I'm having a deja-vous here! BWT - very descriptive! It is like I'm there.

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  6. Well spotted Gimme dear!

    I posted an article back on November 18th last year and it ran to an almost unreadable 2900 word! This extract was but a fraction of the whole piece! I've put a link to it at the foot of this piece.

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  7. Wonderful Keith. Are you back yet? LOL

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