Becherovka! (Bless you!)

I have been in the office since 10 AM today (it's 7:40 PM now) but I didn't want to leave without updating this from last night.

Yesterday was a rough day, especially for a Friday, so at the end of the day I was ready to let loose a bit and have some fun. I started talking to a really nice girl on a Czech website for expats, when I was trying to find out some info, and we agreed we should meet up since we've both got some party-girl in us.

So we decided to meet up last night. We took the #9 tram over to the old part of town again where we went to this place that was built in 1499. It's a restaurant/brewery called U Fleku. Without even ordering they came around and put two big mugs of beer on our table. We did our little Czech version of "cheers" (I'm very good at that) and merrily started drinking the night away. We ordered our dinners - her, pork neck with red cabbage and dumplings, and me, roast pork with dumplings and saurkraut - could it be any more Czech? We also ordered an appetizer of beer cheese, neither one of us knowing what it was.

That's when the guy came around with the little tray of shots. We didn't know what was inside, but we though hey, why not. So down the hatch they want. The firemen had to come at that point and extinguish my throat, which was engulfed in flames. Luckily, the fire department was automatically in my new "mobile" when I bought it. :) Kidding. Anyway, we checked the menu and found out we were drinking something called Becherovka - a Czech liquor that is 38% alcohol (making it 76 proof). How we ended up doing two more shots each of the stuff is not part of my memory today, but I do think that it was the first shot's fault.

We ate and drank very happily, but paused to frown at the beer cheese, which smelled like feet and tasted like it smelled. But it was okay, because a tuba player and accordion player came around to cheer us up again.

After we paid our huge bill (about 1500 CZK, which for all we got - dinner, six beers, six shots, bread, and an appetizer, worked out to be around $33 each - no biggie - I've spent waaaay more on a night out in Pittsburgh and gotten a lot less!), we decided to go outside and walk somewhere else.

We ended up in this little bar where we found one table of mystery Europeans playing poker and at the bar, four Africans, one of whom was the bartender.

We sat down and ordered a final drink for the night. The bartender came over and set our drinks down, and out of my mouth came, "Merci," not sure why but I think because in my stupor I overheard them speaking French. He came back to chat with us and asked (in French) if I spoke French. I replied my usual, "Oui un peu.." and then we chatted for about an hour, all in French. :)

Naima and Farid should be soooo proud. :) I really thought I'd forgotten it all but out it came.

After that we had to go find transportation back to our respective parts of town. After a lot of walking and trying to read signs and schedules, we both found trams/buses that would get us close to where we had to be. This was my first tram ride alone - and it was PACKED. I mean you couldn't have fit one more body on that tram, man. But I did it - and I even knew where to get off. :)

And that's pretty much it.

Oh, one more thing. Today, some of the work friends asked me what I did last night. I couldn't remember the name so I described that last bar to them and finally Naima said, "Was it called Tulip?" I said, "YEAH, that was it!"

Turns out it's a big drug-trafficking spot, where people go to buy. :) Ooops.

I will stay away from there in the future. I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be allowed to pick the night-spots anymore.

Hugs to everyone in Pittsburgh.


I'm going salsa dancing tonight :) I hope it's good here.