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Ok, so in the spirit of keeping you informed I'm going to briefly update you on the last few months and what I've been up to!
BARS/CLUBS
Ok, so as it's common knowledge that the Czechs love their beer I'm sure it comes as no surprise that we have frequented the odd bar or two. I don't know if it's the same in Prague, but CZ doesn't have the traditional freestanding pub like Blighty. Mostly, you'll find bars and clubs hidden away down some dark corridor off the street, in cellars and basements or just squashed between shops and other restaurants but due to communist nature of the buildings, often you just don't see them until someone drags you inside. Friday afternoons have become a particular drinking time after staff meetings on Friday afternoon when nobody has to work later than about 4 at school. It's heaven not finishing at 8 on Friday. There are lots of these places known as 'non-stops', meaning that they're open 24 hours and you do see guys in here at 5/6/7 in the morn on your way to work.
I haven't ventured much into a lot of the bars around yet, purely cuz there's so many, but there a few places I like:
Charlie's is an underground bar that looks like an old wine cellar not far from school. Decent drinks, decent atmosphere and even though you have to pay to get into this bar, they give you a free drink for it.
'The bar downstairs'- no idea what it's called but it's below school, has cheap wine and a good atmosphere. The only nonstop I like.
A bar not far from school that I've only been to once but really like. Every table was surrounded by high chairs and really nice.
Stopkova- really nice bar/restaurant- nicest and most expensive bar in Brno I reckon.
Cocktail bar- occasionally a nice treat but expensive- about 80 crowns for the cheapest (about 2.50- wine in Brno about 30 crowns) but it's got a nice feel and you can sit n talk if you just want a couple in a nice place.
There are a few others too but if I list every bar in town I'll be here all day...instead of in them hehe.
There's also a couple of clubs that we go to, purely cuz the musics usually pretty good and they're in the centre- livingstones and metro. Sometimes have bands in there too.
RESTAURANTS
Been to quite a few restaurants while here. Having no kitchen is forcing my hand into navigating the pork and potatoes gauntlet but so far it's not been too bad. Every wednesday I go for dinner with a few people from school (usually Jack, Hana and David) cuz we all teach up till 1 then have an hour off. There's a little place round the corner from school where they've now learnt our drink order called Vacice (Vach-ee-ser). They have a lunch menu which is a list of about 3 things to choose from with soup all for about 70 crowns. The food's really nice and really quick. For example the last time we went I managed to get salmon, lemon and all!
There's a veggie place here too that me and tracey have made use of because you get as much as you want to choose from and you pay for how much your plate weighs. It's a good idea for people on a diet or a budget!
There's lots of just normal traditional Czech restaurants too that we've tried but there are also some more exotic places. Stopkova is the best traditional czech food place but we've been to a nice little greek restaurant (that was for our welcome meal when we got here) and also an Indian run by some really nice Sri Lankan blokes who like to speak english- perfect.
ENTERTAINMENT/LEISURE
Big category I know but mostly it's been spending time with friends in some form or another.
For Trace's birthday back in Nov, we all went out to a place in one of the 'gypsy areas' to have some food at this really nice little restaurant, but also, the main reason for being there actually was for the bowling. A group of use took up the 3 line alley for a couple of hours and I'm disappointed to tell you I lost spectacularly. It's only small but seems pretty popular I think.
There's not a huge expat community in Brno (defo not like in Prague) but every month a little laundry/bar (weird I know, I'll take a pic sometime and you'll see what I mean) puts on an English comedy night. There haven't been massive audiences so far so it's been quite intimate and really good. The last comedian we saw was a musical one and I have to admit I was sceptical but was laughing every minute of Earl Okin's performance so you never know till you try I suppose.
Same with this new thing I've been introduced to called the Brno Underground Film Project. These 2 guys have started a film club basically showing little known treasures in the basement of this gorgeous little cafe not far from where I live for free. Last week was a silent german film that was brilliant in the end. They also have a normal cinema here too which I've been to a few times cuz they use Czech subtitles for most of the big films here which is great for us. No crap dubbing.
Me and Tracey did brave an opera back in September however. Sang in Italian, surtitles in Czech...no idea what was going on! It was figaro but a modern version- we eventually caved, bought the programme and managed to work out what was going on half way through the second half- very impressive singing though!
We've also been out and done a few things with our students, even if it's just been a cafe here and there.
SIGHTSEEING IN BRNO
So far, I haven't done too much yet. Me and Tracey went to the Castle in October while it was unseasonably warm. There's really nice view from the top and although not your traditional towers and dungeons castle, the exhibitions inside were really good and it's massive. They also have a section where it's basically dungeons but outside in the courtyard and remnants from the world war with old german phones still hanging off the wall and torture devices and what not. Really interesting.
Me and Andrew also walked round the city one Saturday (when it's actually quieter cuz everything s***s at 12). We went to the cathedral and the crypt where the bodies of some influential people in Brno have been preserved really well. It's a bit eerie actually.
I need to get my bum in gear and venture into the museums more around the city.
OUT OF BRNO
Kuklik
Back in October Pavla (one of the senior members of staff who's lovely) organized a hiking weekend which she does every year. We went to Kuklik, about 40 km away from Brno and stayed in a cabin with a real fire and real country Czech pub that we had all of our meals at for the weekend. (Some pics are already up).
We hiked around the area, through forest that looked like you'd landed in the middle of Siberia and across hills and valleys and some really nice countryside. We stopped for dinner at a nice little place in the middle of nowhere with great food and went to a little coffee and cake shop afterwards up a little crooked lane in a tiny village where I had the best apple strudel I've ever tasted.
At night we all sat round the main room with a coal fire going drinking and chatting. There was such a big group of us that we got to know each other well fairly quickly and never ran out of stuff to talk about from 4pm when we finished walking till whatever time we sidled off to bed.
Vienna
When the Christmas markets started back in late Nov, I also decided I wanted to see Vienna. You'll notice the pic at the top of this blog- you can only tell it's vienna cuz the rooves aren't red. Again, me and trace went one Sunday, just hopping on a bus and getting off in Vienna. The city is gorgeous and the markets were brilliant. The mulled wine was really good and you got a little mug to carry round with you for 2 euros (which I bought home with me! You could have returned it for your 2 euros but I thought it was a nice memento). The architecture is beautiful and the Christmas markets looked really pretty nestled in front of some of the big white buildings- they brought a bit of colour on a December day. So much Christmas music too and cheese and sausages and baubles and sweets and god knows what else. I'd like to see it in Summer.
So that's it for now, I'll keep updating from now but here's your brief overview so far. More again soon :)
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