Karlovy Vary/ Carlsbad

We took a program day trip to Carlsbad, the Czech Republic's biggest and most famous spa city, located about 2 hours out of Prague. There was snow cover - something we probably won't get in Prague because of the river. Only 7 girls from our program and Marta, a leader, went on the trip - and what a fantastic day it turned out to be.

We started at the Moser Glass museum. Moser is something Czechs are very proud of. The museum had lots of glass unmarked in cases, and then videos playing on the wall, one in each room. We had to wait for the video to get to the beginning countdown and then push a button on our audioguide, in order to get any information. But it was cool information.
For example, there were the award-winning giant snifters, a set of glasses designed by a Moser business man that won an award at some exhibition in Paris. Each glass has a name/personality: Fellow, Long Face, Moon Face, Stout Gentleman and Big Bertha. Apparently, there are clubs and such devoted to the giant snifters, or there were a century ago. That was exciting.

the giant snifters

Moser also designed a "cup of the allies" during WWII. It was a single cup out of a single piece of glass, but it is separated inside, so each of the leaders, Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin, could drink their national drink out of the same cup. Very symbolic. (What is the national drink of the USA?)
After the museum, we visited the glassworks, where we saw artists at work making vases and giant snifters and tumblers and such. Unlike what I assume would happen in the states, we pretty much could walk around the factory however we wanted, and we weren't really warned about the ovens or bright fires. Also, there were people smoking inside and the glassblowers were drinking beer. It's laid-back here. In some ways.

the Moser glassworks

On our way out, we ran into a big dumpster filled with discarded glass, on its way to recycling. The girls got really excited and took little pieces (I was not as enthused, and as a result was one of the very few who did not sustain glass-dumpster-related injuries). After a while, our tour guide came back out of the museum and gave us each a glass pig, and told us she was worried about us cutting ourselves so we should stop... :)

Next stop: Becherovka Museum. Becherovka is a Czech liquor, prioduced only in Carlsbad, distinctive for its spicy taste. As our tour guide told us, it is 30% alcohol, 10% sugar and contains over 20 herbs and spices. It was created by an apothecary and is supposed to have medicinal qualities - a lot of Czech women and men, old and young, drink a little Becherovka every day.
As we toured the museum, a guide told us about the history of the Becher family and showed us the barrels that Becherovka is kept in. Along the walls of the museum and throughout the factory there is 9 kilometers of pipe through which Becherovka travels during its various phases of production. Becherovka is exported, our guide told us, and showed us a map, but 80% of the liquor produced is consumed in the Czech Republic.

Na Zdravi! to your health!

At the end of the tour there was a documentary and tasting. The tasting was neat - there are specially made little porcelain cups for Becherovka and three types; lemon, original, and a cordial. The documentary was amazing. It was narrated by a time-traveling scientist, Dr. Christian Fobrig, who apparently was friends with all the generations of the Becher family, from 1807 through the empires and the wars and everything. He was amused when troops on the front at WWI requested the liquor to be sent to the front, and was worried when, under communism, the family tried to bury the secret recipe. Thrill!

We then took a walk down to the mineral springs. There is a special glass you buy, and then walk along to many different fountains along a promenade and sample and sip the different mineral waters. The waters are warm and bitter, and no one really liked them... but I tried - they are supposed to be healthy!

me and my little mineral water glass - it is porcelain and has a straw-handle

one of the mineral fountains

We got back to Prague at about 6:30 - unfortunately 30 minutes too late to see the Christmas tree lighting on old town square. But we walked through and saw cute families and children and smelled the delicious cinnamon and gingerbread being sold at the stands.
Now Breanne and I are going to watch the West Wing.

There are some more pictures in the album here:

Karlovy Vary/Carlsbad