Tag: the chronicle

The unique beauty of Amsterdam is obvious to anyone who steps foot onto its cobblestone sidewalks.

Around 60 canals and 1,500 bridges lace through the city, giving a distinct color and atmosphere to every street. The overall architecture of the city reflects somewhat of an intimate character. Every house and building has its own exclusive style — all together contributing to the eclectic vibe. Tradition and innovation collide to establish a society that celebrates individuality in both architectural and communal aspects.

As you wander down each narrow road, you will soon realize just how important cycling is to Dutch culture. Despite the city’s modern metro system, practically everyone travels via bicycle. If you happen to walk in the bike lane by accident, be prepared to get yelled at by more than a few cyclists.

Read the full column on SouthCoastToday.com, published on April 17, 2018.

The picturesque Bohemian town of Karlovy Vary, also known as Carlsbad, just an hour outside of Prague, is historically famous for its hot springs. The neo-Renaissance Mill Colonnade building is known for housing five of Karlovy Vary’s 12 hot springs. These include the Mill, Rock, Libuse, Nymph and Prince Vaclav springs — all of which are between 125 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit. The Mill Colonnade is considered an iconic, traditional symbol of Karlovy Vary.

The earliest of the springs were discovered in the 16th century. In fact, their waters were once sold in stores because they were said to have therapeutic healing powers. Some of the springs, such as the Prince Vaclav spring, surfaced more recently in the mid to late 20th century. The Prince Vaclav spring, originally one of the most powerful springs in the area — both in yield and force — was used to produce curative salt around that time.

Read the full column on SouthCoastToday.com, published on April 10, 2018.

While there are so many grand countries and cities that I want to explore, I also want to make sure that I’m taking enough time to appreciate the Czech Republic, the country I chose to study in to start. Recently, I had the perfect opportunity to explore the town of Pilsen, just an hour outside of Prague.

I traveled with a few friends of mine by bus to Pilsen. It took about an hour to get from Prague to western Bohemia, where Pilsen is located. The town itself is famous worldwide for its renowned Pilsner beer. In fact, one of the first things I heard about the Czech Republic before I arrived here was that beer is so common that it is actually cheaper than water. Most of the time it’s true. Of course, we had to check out the Pilsner Urquell Brewery to see how this widely admired beer is crafted.

Prior to starting our tour we ate a traditional Czech lunch at the brewery’s restaurant. I had the goulash soup in bread bowl accompanied by a Pilsner beer. The atmosphere of the restaurant and the brewery itself gave off a cheerful and welcoming taste of Czech culture. Golden tablecloths covered each table with tall mugs of beer sitting atop every one. It was definitely prevalent to anyone who walked in just how much Czech cultures take pride in their beer.

Our tour began with a bit of history about the 175-year-old Pilsner beer. The first beer was brewed at the factory in 1842 by Josef Groll. Many other similar brews were also emerging around this time so the company trademarked Pilsner Urquell, meaning original, to emphasize the beer’s authenticity. Today, Pilsner Urquell inspires the production of more than two thirds of the beer produced in the world.

Read the full column on SouthCoastToday.com, published on March 13, 2018.