A Day and Two Evenings in Plzen

Plzen is the fourth largest city in the Czech Republic and the home to the heavy industrial works of Skoda, as well as to Pilsner Urquell, possibly the best beer in the world!

Our day begins saying goodbye to our generous and fun loving relatives in Kutna Hora!  The two great joys of this trip were traveling with my daughter, and reestablishing my friendship with the Stichovi, especially Jarda, a fine man.

 Prague transfer at Hlavni Nadrazi, platform 4

After a stimulating ride through the west Bohemian hills talking to a young medical student as critical of American foreign policy as me, we arrived in a rainy Plzen.  We walked several kilometers until we came, drenched, to an apartment house under renovation where Mia had arranged an "Air B&B stay".  It worked.

Before long we showered and changed clothes and figured out how to get downtown to the main bus station where we took a bus 20 miles out of town to the small village of Stod.  

There we visited a friend, Olinka Broadfoot in her studio which is in the giant kiln of an old brick factory!  Olinka is a painter and sculptor and poet I know from Portland/Vancouver.  She was born in Czechoslovakia and works here part of the year.

Next morning we left our apt bldg on the triangle where Vrchlickeho Ulice and Cechova Ulice come together and took the #4 tram down Klatovska Trida to the mesto.  

The main square is Namesti Republiky.  Lots of these in Czech towns.  Before we got there, I posed in front of a monument that said "Thank You America".  It referred to the fact that it was the 4th Division, under Patton that liberated Plzen, unlike most of Czechoslovakia which was occupied by the Red Army at the close of WWII.

This monument to the American Liberation wasn't constructed until 2002.  Can you see anything about it that would have made you guess that?

(Psst, Ric, you're on vacation.  Would it kill you to smile?)






At the main square there were tents set up and some kind of family-based science fair was going on. 

The coolest thing about it, however, was the crazy carousel with huge animals and giant bugs

 












"Le Manege Carre Senat" was curtained off when we arrived so we wondered what the heck it was.  After we wound around the church and came back and saw it opened and people climbing aboard we couldn't help but stop and watch awhile!

Very cool!


On the square was the town hall where a wedding was taking place.  We went in and saw a neat model of the central part of Plzen in a display case.  

 



Plzen, though heavily industrial, is quite a nice town.  The central city is bordered by two rivers with side canals and parks around the edge.

In one of the parks we found the wedding couple, relaxing between pictures.

Suddenly, I had a "Tri-Met Moment".  A new tram line is being built.   I'd seen plenty of this in Portland over the years I worked in transit planning!

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Time for a beer!  Well, it always was.  Time now for a tour of the Pilsner Urquell brewery.  It took an hour and was very well spent.  I learned a lot.  

Above: The visitors' center from where the tour began.


Right: Artsy shot of the brewery buildings with a light-house shaped water tower in the background.

Concluding the tour in the underground caverns where the casks of beer are stored, we received generous pours of the unfiltered, unpasteurized brew.

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After the tour we ate dinner at a restaurant in the complex and it was dark when we left.  So long Prazdroj!  I think they may have invented beer here.  The next morning we are off again by train to another part of Bohemia!