Prague and Pilsen

Karl and I got a train from Berlin and met Martin at the main station. It was so good catching up as it had been three years since we had all been together and decided to stop off for a beer on the way to our accommodation . We were so lucky as Martin had organised for us to sleep at some offices used for the young conservatives organisation of the czech republic which he is a member of and it has a few beds and a bathroom. We headed out that night starting at a whiskey bar and then continuing around town tasting many of the different beers Prague had to offer. The next morning we were up early as Martin took us on a tour of the city, we started at the palace and continued down past Charles' bridge and finished in the main town square. Prague is a beautiful city and really does make you feel like you have stepped back in time with all of the old buildings and stone streets. So then that afternoon we grabbed our things and Martin drove us to his home town Pilsen which is just under an hours drive. That night we went into town and drank delicious beer. I had never tasted beer like this before and all my questions were answered when Martin told us that this beer was connected to the brewery via a pipe line about 400m away and has not been pasteurised and was unfiltered. After that pub we went to another which is part of a chain of pubs were you sit at your table with its own tap and even a glass cleaner and every time you pour your beer you can select your tab which is heaps of fun. Once again we were up early and went into Pilsen to do some sightseeing of the town, we climbed the cathedral tower which is the tallest one in the czech republic, admired the old buildings and streets and most importantly went for a tour of the Pilsen brewery. There we learnt the history behind the beer and the impact it has today on most of the beers around the world. The best part of the tour was when we were brought underground into the natural fridges of the brewery that they use to use for the storage of the beer and had a glass of beer that had been brewed and stored in a barrel. That to date is the best beer I have ever had. After the tour we had lunch at the restaurant and ate more traditional czech food which consisted of meat with dumplings until we were stuffed. That night we were all so tired that we had a night in. After a sleep in and a BBQ lunch we were back in Prague and doing what we do best. Later that night we went into the 6 storey night club which was good fun, the different levels played different types of music so we spent our time going up and down the levels getting a little bit of everything. The next morning I departed for the airport and got a flight to Milan and then a train to Reggio Emilia. At the station I met another friend Gabriele who lives in Reggio and and is letting me stay at his places and also met Lucas who was staying his last night before he flew back home to Australia.