tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117457965555197769.post1844112943314243386..comments2023-11-14T07:34:09.243+01:00Comments on Czech Please: Mistral Café RestaurantBrewstahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07696497881565368117noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117457965555197769.post-65050553813592573502010-09-26T22:06:51.493+02:002010-09-26T22:06:51.493+02:00Hi - I'm not sure how else to contact you so I...Hi - I'm not sure how else to contact you so I hope you get this. I would like to post a link to your blog on mine, if that's ok with you. My blog is http://praguemylove.blogspot.com/ (was just on holiday so I haven't posted in 2 weeks, but will be making up for that this week!).<br /><br />Love your blog by the way...makes me hungry!<br />EvaEva Krizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16594384263269541769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117457965555197769.post-78650948242167267932010-09-01T18:36:13.662+02:002010-09-01T18:36:13.662+02:00Hi,
I spend my summers in the Czech Rep and have ...Hi,<br /><br />I spend my summers in the Czech Rep and have found your blog for Prague very useful (and funny)<br /><br />In addition to Prague, I like the food places outside of it - usually very traditional, and cheap! For example, I'm in Dobris right now for a few days - there's a nice pizza place called Olivo, maybe you could review it! Also, I found a reallllllly nice gift shop, which also has a blog, you may want to check it out too (it's in Czech though but I'm guessing that's good for you): http://artdobris.blogspot.com/<br /><br />Anyway, keep writing, and I'll keep reading! :)Art History Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04694504584660778201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117457965555197769.post-58318011949952908522010-06-16T19:09:48.294+02:002010-06-16T19:09:48.294+02:00Hi Sandlefish;
Glad to hear you're concerned ...Hi Sandlefish;<br /><br />Glad to hear you're concerned about knowing something about the country you're visiting!<br /><br />English is fine in Prague, but do know the key words in Czech (you can look up plenty of menus of local restarants on the internet and get both Czech and English translations so that will help immensely).<br /><br />Back in the late 80s and early 90s, German was the second language on the street (most people here refused point blank to speak the Russian they spoke fluently) as the East Germans up until then had made up the bulk of tourists. Learning English properly wasn't even an option in those days (and what on earth would you have used it for anyway given the lack of opportunity for travel?).<br /><br />By about the mid 90s as all the Americans arrived AND all the young Czechs wanted desperately to travel outside the former Eastern Bloc, things changed massively in Prague. The Americans have now mostly gone, replaced by the Brits and Irish on weekend holiday. If you're speaking to an older Czech, many speak fluent (if rusty) German. If you're speaking to a younger Czech, I don't know that many who speak German at all, unless you're talking about a bordertown or, say, Karlovy Vary where plenty of German tourists still go. Most speak very good English (and, sadly for them, very few of them agree to recognise even a single word of Russian).<br /><br />So stick with the English & Czech you can manage, but you might also try German because someone who speaks German in Prague probably has a special reason for doing so (boyfriend, relatives, etc.) and might appreciate the opportunity.<br /><br />Bon voyage.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117457965555197769.post-33044827811509943962010-06-16T19:01:59.579+02:002010-06-16T19:01:59.579+02:00Many thanks Brewsta and Anonymous for the advice. ...Many thanks Brewsta and Anonymous for the advice. I almost feel embarrassed asking anyone if they speak English incase I look like the arrogant or rude British tourist who expects people to speak his language.. Wherever I have travelled previously I have always made an attempt to speak the language as much as possible and have spent at least a few months learning (except for any trip to Germany where I'm comfortable with the language). <br /><br />I'm going to be spending the next month hammering the Czech books I think (I personally feel you learn more about a place culturally if you at least attempt the local language) but with a month to go I was a little apprehensive.<br /><br />Many thanks again for the advice!Sandlefishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01353243625893289111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117457965555197769.post-3158061111802726332010-06-16T18:13:00.535+02:002010-06-16T18:13:00.535+02:00Sandlefish, I agree with Brewsta here. There are v...Sandlefish, I agree with Brewsta here. There are very very few young Czechs who don't speak any English at all. You'll find that if you're not a jerk about it, they actually speak pretty darned good English (almost all the menus you'll see downtown will be in at least Czechlish if not the Queen's English so you can point and choose, if nothing else). "Pivo", "gulas[h]" and "svic[h]kova" are the three most important, I've found for my tastes, though the "kachna" (duck) is also nice!<br /><br />Don't be a rude pushy foreigner and don't expect the awful American "Hi, my name is Becky!" stuff and you'll do fine. Czechs are much more reserved and honest than most foreigners have experienced, so that's part of the trip!<br /><br />I would just say, don't tip extravagantly (it ruins it for the rest of us!) unless you have had exceptional service. 5-10%is just fine, if not excessive in most places.<br /><br />Finally, I met with a friend of mine recently who has tolerated my fluentish-but-still-bad Czech for ages. He suddenly broke out into very good English (I hadn't even realised he spoke it). He was just shy about making mistakes and afraid to look silly in front of me.<br /><br />Have fun! Dobrou chut!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117457965555197769.post-9284837930144003822010-06-16T11:45:05.679+02:002010-06-16T11:45:05.679+02:00You'll be just fine with English. Try Cafe Sav...You'll be just fine with English. Try Cafe Savoy a good breakfast (lunch or dinner). The food at Cafe Louvre isn't as good, but Kafka and Einstein used to hang there. Otherwise just browse the blog to see if something catches your fancy.Brewstahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07696497881565368117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117457965555197769.post-6048733776808874092010-06-16T10:58:16.781+02:002010-06-16T10:58:16.781+02:00This is going to sound hideously ignorant, but how...This is going to sound hideously ignorant, but how do you find the spoken English in Prague restaurants? I'm travelling next month and am beginning to feel a little apprehensive of looking foolish for having little grasp of the Czech language.<br />Despite my best efforts the trip is very much a last minute booking so I haven't had much time to learn. I speak near fluent German as well though I gather English is more popular?<br />Would you also recommend any particular restaurants of interest for a new-to-town couple to visit?Sandlefishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01353243625893289111noreply@blogger.com