A madcap race through Prague

(more…)

One 19-year-old’s crazy lifestyle as a male prostitute with Escape to Paradise, off Wenceslas Square

(more…)

Party it up while still dressing down with dumplings, fried chicken, tons of alcohol, and one stop shopping

(more…)

A slice of classic Americana in the heart of the Czech Republic, with just a hint of Top Forty flavor

By Sam Corbett

Despite cheap drinks, this saloon is a ghost town (Photo by Sam Corbett).

In any other bar in Prague, walking in and being surrounded by skulls while a vulture lurks above you might be disquieting. But at a country-western bar, it’s just par for the course.

Country-and-western music has been extremely popular in the Czech Republic for decades. Under Communist rule, the appeal of songs about the open road and freedom inspired hope among the downtrodden citizens.

“The situation was very interesting under Communism,” said Ruth Ellen Gruber, an expert on cowboy culture in Europe. “The authorities permitted country music and bluegrass, but controlled it too, as bands had to sing in Czech.”

Europe’s first country music radio station was here, and the much-loved “Tramp Movement,” in which urbanites spend weekends in the country “roughing it” as if they’re in the American west, infuses local country-western with a flavor all its own.

“The Tramp movement, based in part on the romance of the American west, developed after World War One and created a strong tradition of sitting around campfires, strumming guitars and singing,” Gruber said. “Many American folk songs, translated into Czech, were incorporated into the acoustic Tramp music repertoire decades ago.” (more…)

Easy does it (but not too easy) at an underground gay bar

By Sam Corbett

The young, the beautiful, and everyone else mingle at Club Termix. (Photo from Club Termix Web site.)

From the moment I rang the bell on the all-black door of Club Termix, the experience was a bit off putting. Not a sound could be heard from the street, so when I was ushered downstairs by an unsmiling doorman dressed in black, I was bracing myself for a scene right out of the movie Hostel. (more…)

Skateboarding teens have taken over a much-reviled former salute to Stalin and made it their very own

(more…)

No, just Wenceslas Square’s smazeny syr stands, Prague’s greasiest, tastiest street food
By Beau Benson

It was a Saturday afternoon on Wenceslas Square, the commercial center of Prague, and as usual, hoards of tourists filled the street as they listened to their tour guides, who spoke just about every language known to man. I pushed and shoved my way through, heading towards my goal. It was so close that I could almost smell it. Almost.

After working my way through the “CONNOR FAMILY REUNION 2008,” according to their lime green t-shirts,

I spotted it: a small silver kiosk with bright red signs lining its top. It may have seemed like a typical New York hot dog stand, dingy and greasy, but it was different, special somehow.

The only thing better than fried cheese on a bun is two buns and fried cheese (Photo by Julie Moody).

(more…)

How one American made a complete idiot of herself, and how to make sure you don’t do the same

By Meghan O’Connell

Panoramic views and cute tables sucker in witless foreigners (photo by Meghan O'Connell).

It is a glorious day. The sun has just burned off the last of the morning clouds and is now glittering along the Vltava. I feel perfectly content—except that I am terribly hungry.

As I make my way down the path leading away from the Prague Castle and back into town, something catches my eye. Amidst the vibrant foliage and mini-vineyards, sits a large patio overlooking the entire city.

Small tables are covered in pristine white cloths and dotted with crystal-clear wine glasses. In the early afternoon sunlight, it looks almost holy. I must eat here. (more…)

Do used right

(more…)