Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Storm Over Medical Reforms

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday I ran across an article on the New York Times* website about the medical reforms that are taking place in the Czech Republic. The Czech government instituted major reforms in health care that took effect in January of this year. One of the major reforms put in place was for people to pay when they see the doctor. This has had a huge impact on many people here, especially the elderly and disabled.

Back in the day, the state (mainly under communism) took care of all the health needs of the people. No one had to pay anything in most cases! And if they did, usually the fees/prices were subsidized and were very small. This had been the norm for almost 60 years. Now, however, everyone must pay to see the doctor, pay for the doctor to write prescriptions, and then pay for the medicines that have been prescribed. There is also now a charge for hospital stays.

The fees don’t sound very high from a Western point of view. The fee to see a general practitioner or a specialist is 30 KC (about $1.85—paid to each doctor you have to see for your health problem), the fee charged per prescription is 30 KC (about $1.85) and then there is a charge for the medicine, itself, the charge per day in hospital is 60 KC (about $4.00). These sound like bargain prices to our ears, and we wonder how anyone could be upset to pay these amounts! First, we need to understand what the average monthly take home pay is…then we begin to see the dilemma.

The average salary in the Czech Republic is about $1200/month, in the US the average salary/month is at least twice this amount. The average pension or disability payment is around $540/month. These are the average amounts…many salaries and pensions are much lower than this. Let’s look at the average pension amount of $540/month. Out of this must be paid rent, utilities, public transportation, groceries, and medical expenses. Just for some perspective, the average grocery bill for one month’s food, for 2 people, is almost $300. That’s over one half of the monthly pension! Rents are very high in Prague, with the average person paying about $500/month for a small one-room flat. Looking at just these two figures, it is pretty easy to see why people are upset about having to pay the doctor! Also consider that older people and those with chronic health problems have to take several medicines each day. The cost quickly becomes prohibitive for those on a fixed income.

The government is planning on moving the Czech health care system more toward the system we have in the US. That will make things much harder on pensioners and disabled people, unless their pensions are raised to balance the increase in costs and inflation. These are the reasons so many people are upset over the changes in the Czech health care system. This is why having to pay the equivalent of $1.85/doctor visit, etc. is such a hardship for many people here.

We face similar problems in the US…it is very hard for pensioners and disabled people to make ends meet in our country, too. But, it’s very important to have some perspective when reading this type of story in our news in the US, and having an understanding of some of the background before wondering what the big deal is!

You all have a great day!

God bless,

Sherry :0)

http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com

© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

*Kulish, Nicholas “$1.85 Fee to See a Doctor? Some Say It’s Too Much” New York Times. May 27, 2008. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/27/world/europe/27czech.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Adventures in the Twilight Zone

Hi Everyone,

Do you ever have one of those days when you feel tired, and a bit out of it? I’m not talking about having a hangover after partying all night! I mean just feeling tired and a little discombobulated…or like maybe you’ve been taken to the Twilight Zone…or maybe both? Well, I had one of those days not too long ago when my husband was away on a business trip…I had a couple of twilight zone incidents in one day!!!

The very first morning after my husband left on his trip, I decided it would be nice to take a walk and stop by our local shop for a few groceries. We live in a small building of flats…and the front door is always locked. You have to have a key to get in or out. Well, I headed down to our building’s front door, put my key in the lock…only to find that the lock was jammed! My key was stuck…and the lock wouldn’t turn…nothing I did would free up the lock or my key! This normally isn’t any big problem. You just get the building manager and tell him what’s happened. But, I don’t know enough Czech, yet, to even tell the manager I’m having a problem! I didn’t know what to do! By some miracle, my key finally was loose enough to come out of the lock…and someone came downstairs…and they took care of the problem. Later, when the lock was fixed, I was able to get out for my walk! Needless to say, I have learned the Czech words to let the manager know we have problem…when the need arises!

My next adventure took place on the same day that I got my key stuck in the lock. After my walk, I decided to go ahead and work on cleaning out the fridge and letting it defrost. Usually, this isn’t such a problem, but I’ve never defrosted a fridge in my life! Back in the States, every fridge I’ve ever owned has been frost-free. You just wipe the inside out and put things back in! No problem. Well, my fridge here is definitely not frost-free…the small freezer compartment was thick with ice. Definitely time to defrost. I took everything out and turned the fridge off. So far, so good. Then I took out the shelves and the vegetable drawer and left the door open to let warm air help with defrosting the fridge….no problem. But after a little bit, I looked over and saw that there was a lake on the floor in front of the fridge! UGH!!! I ran for some towels and got the lake wiped up…then put some towels in the fridge, but then the towels got full of water, etc…I had a mess…and it finally dawned on me that I should have left the vegetable drawer in the fridge to catch the water…Duh!!!! Once I put the drawer in everything was fine…no problems. I was able to get the fridge all cleaned, dried and things put back in with no trouble….and had no more lakes to contend with!

This was one of those days when it seemed like everything was going wrong…and I was being especially discombobulated and my husband, of course, was out of town! Fortunately, the rest of the week was OK…there were no more adventures…that time, anyway…and I lived to survive the tale! And I learned a couple of things from these episodes…I need to concentrate and learn more Czech, and I have finally learned how to defrost a fridge; and maybe its just better to stay in bed, with the covers over your head if you wake up and find yourself in the Twilight Zone!

That’s all for now…you all have a great Memorial Day weekend!

God bless,

Sherry :0)

http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com

© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Homesickness Relievers

Hi Everyone,

Living in another part of the world is a great adventure—there are so many new things to see and do! I am enjoying many of my adventures in the Czech Republic, but sometimes, I do get really homesick—missing my family and friends, my dog (Pal), and things like a good old-fashioned pot roast cooked for hours in a crock pot!

One of the greatest things that has helped to ease my homesickness is the Internet. It allows me to read all the news from back home, and allows me to talk to my family most every day, and stay in touch via email. It is a wonderful invention (Al—you really didn’t create the Internet!!!!) that has helped me in the transition of moving from the US to the Czech Republic.

One of my favorite programs to use on the Internet is Gtalk—created by the Google people. Gtalk allows me to very simply and easily talk to everyone back home every day—for free. The program is free and doesn’t take up much space on my lap top, and with it, I can either type (like regular IM) or I can even talk with the voice application in Gtalk. It also allows me to very quickly share files (such as pictures) with my family and friends back home! This program works very smoothly most of the time, however, on busy holidays it can be congested and the voice application doesn’t work as well. But most of the time, it is clear and smooth. Gtalk is a necessity, as far as I’m concerned, and has really helped with my homesickness by letting me talk to everyone (my folks, my kids, and even my 93 year-old grandmother) on a very regular basis!

I am a voracious reader…I can’t be without a book, or it drives me crazy! Reading is almost like breathing for me! I have found that it is a bit of an adventure to find reading material in English here, even in Prague. It is possible to find English books and magazines, but they are so very expensive! So, I began to look to the Internet for my reading material and I found a wealth of books and magazines in digital format that fill the bill quite nicely. There are websites that offer e-books for free, such as Project Gutenberg. This site offers e-books, in various formats, all for free. Much of my reading material comes from here. There are also many e-book websites that offer e-books for sale. Many of them offer current best-sellers. They can be a bit pricey, too, but are still cheaper than buying books in English here. I have bought some books from such websites and read them on my PDA. It wasn’t so easy making the transition from paper books to digital ones, but now I’m a convert and will not travel without my PDA loaded up with several good books!

Another program that has allowed me to obtain English reading material via the Internet is Zinio. This site offers digital magazines, in all kinds of genres, in English. Some of the magazines are expensive, but I found a couple that are pretty inexpensive, and was able to install the Zinio program onto my computer with no trouble. The program allows you to download the magazines as they become available. The Zinio program has a delivery manager that will alert you if there is a new issue of your publication available. Zinio will also send an email to alert you that a new issue is available. This has been a wonderful program for me! I receive one of my favorite women’s magazines this way and am able to enjoy it fully on my computer! The Zinio program allows you to page through the magazine—it is almost the same as holding the real magazine! The other good thing is that this is a virtual magazine…so no trees are used to publish the digital version you read on the computer! When you are done with the magazine, then you can delete it, which allows you to free up disk space on your hard drive. I really do enjoy this program and it does help a bit with my homesickness!

There are more programs that help me to stay in touch with home--I’ll talk about them another time. It is wonderful that we have the Internet nowadays and all these ways to stay in touch with family and friends, and news, etc. from back home! All of these things help me with homesickness…I have a touch of home right on my lap top every day!

That’s all for now…you all have a great day!

God bless,

Sherry :0)

PS I'm not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned, but I do find them very useful and like to share this information if it might help others who are in the same boat! :0)

http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com

© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Monday, May 19, 2008

The Infant Jesus of Prague




Hi Everyone,

It is so much fun to have so many new places to visit! I’ve only been here just over a year, and everything is still very new to me! Adventures are waiting around every corner at this point of my living in Prague and the Czech Republic! It is fun to explore all the nooks and crannies that abound in Prague!

One of my favorite places to visit has been the church called the Church of Our Lady Victorious. This church is one of the oldest Baroque buildings in Prague, and is the home to the Infant Jesus of Prague. People come from around the world on pilgrimage to visit the Infant Jesus of Prague.

The Infant Jesus of Prague is a wax statue of the child Jesus—it is the work of an unknown artist, probably done in Spain in the 1600’s. One lady, Dona Isbela Manrique de Lara Mendoza obtained the statue. The statute was later given as a wedding gift to her daughter, Maria Manrique de Lara. She married a prominent Czech diplomat and they had a daughter named Polynexa. When Polynexa married Vilem of Rozemburk, she received the statue from her mother as a wedding gift. Polynexa was married a second time to Vojtech of Lobkowicz. After his death, she donated the statue to the Carmelites, and it was then placed in the Church of Our Lady Victorious.

The church has a very interesting history! The church building was constructed around 1613 by German Lutherans, and was called the Church of the Holy Trinity. But the church was given to the Descalced (barefoot) Carmelites after the Battle of White Mountain in 1624, when Catholics gained the upper hand in Prague. Then, in 1631, the city of Prague was attacked by the Lutheran Swedes (during the Thirty Years War), and they took possession of the church, and sacked it, throwing the statute of the Infant Jesus of Prague into a rubbish heap behind the church’s altar. Years later, the church was again back in the hands of the Carmelites. During reconstruction, the statue came to light in that heap of rubbish behind the altar, and it was reinstated in the church once again.

The Infant Jesus of Prague has been credited with saving the city from many disasters and plagues. It has received veneration for over 400 years, and has been credited with many miracles and answered prayers. The statue has become famous the world over, with thousands of people coming to a make pilgrimage to see the Infant Jesus of Prague.

The sanctuary has recently gone through some renovations. When I first visited the church, there was a huge scaffold behind the altar. It was very big and cumbersome, and it was not possible to see the painting of Mary the mother of Jesus for which the church is named. Now, however, the renovations are complete, and the church has a renewed interior. The painting behind the altar is now completely visible—it is beautiful.

I like this place because it is a very beautiful and holy spot...and is free to visit—including the museum in the church, and the services are really nice. If you happen to be in Prague on a Sunday, be sure to visit Our Lady Victorious—it is a wonderful place to visit! The church's address is: Karmelistka 9, 118 00 Praha 1. The phone number is: 420-257-533-646.


God bless,
Sherry :0)

All photos property of S. A. Vacik

Czech Off the Beaten Path Website

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© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath


Friday, May 16, 2008

Rites of Spring

Hi Everyone,

We are having a beautiful spring in Prague this year. The flowers are bursting out in brilliant colors; everything is so very green, and fragrant! Everyone is working on their yards and gardens and heading to the countryside on the weekends to enjoy our wonderful spring weather—these are the rites of spring for Czechs! Another of the rites of spring, here in Prague, is the Prague Spring Music Festival.

This year marks the 62nd annual Prague Spring Music Festival. It kicked off on May 12th, which is a significant date for the fest—it is the anniversary of the death of one of the Czech Republic’s most celebrated composers, Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884). Smetana’s symphonic cycle of Má Vlast (My Country) launches the festival each year. This music fest was first held under the sponsorship of Edvard Beneš (then president of Czechoslovakia) in 1946, and it is one of the biggest events of this kind in Europe. The fest features orchestras, chamber ensembles, and soloists from around the world.

My husband and I were able to watch the opening of the festival on TV and the music was beautiful. The Brno Philharmonic played Má Vlast (My Country)—it was a very moving and stirring rendition of Smetana’s symphony. I wish we had time to go to an actual concert—it would be great to hear all this wonderful music in person! Even from what we heard and saw on TV, I would highly recommend a visit to see and hear the Prague Spring Music Festival. You can find more information and this year’s program at: http://www.festival.cz/en/program.php?id_program=90&menu=1
They have all the information for where to buy tickets, and a program listing for each day of the fest.

That’s all for today! You all have a great day and enjoy the beautiful spring!

God bless,
Sherry :0)

http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com

© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Helping Others in Need Around the World

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to make a regular blog post today, but instead, I would like to focus on the recent disasters around the world. My heart goes out to all those in China, Myanmar, the US, and other places around the world where people are suffering from recent disasters, war and hunger. I am not in any way affiliated with any relief organization, but I would like to ask each of you to make a donation to help others who are in crisis around the world. Even if you can only donate a small amount, it will do wonders for those who are suffering great need. Donate through a reputable relief organization in your own country. We all need to work together to help those in need, for one day, we could very well be the ones facing such disasters.

Thanks for visiting—have a great day!

God bless,

Sherry :0)

http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com

© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Monday, May 12, 2008

Transportation Transitions

Hi Everyone,

This morning, while out grocery shopping, I was reminded about one of the biggest changes that came about in my life due to my move from the US to the Czech Republic. That was in the area of transportation! Like most Americans, I own a vehicle (a Jeep Cherokee Sport) and was used to jumping into the Jeep and running for groceries, taking a ride on the weekends (when gas was much cheaper), running to and from school with my daughter, etc. This was my way of Life in the States--and my car did not come to Prague with me!

Before my move to the Czech Republic, my husband was worried about my coming here and not having a car to get around in. Many people who live in Prague don’t even own a car (though that is quickly changing) and rely on public transportation. I have to admit it was a big change for me. I’ve lived most of my adult life in small towns where it was necessary to have a vehicle. Some of the places where I have lived did not have any form of public transportation!

Prague has one of the best public transportation systems in Europe. There are three main ways to get about Prague using public transit, they are: Metro (subway), bus and tram. There are a couple of other ways of getting around Prague, too, and they are by walking and bicycle (though that is not very safe due to the way people drive here!). Walking is very effective—Prague is a city made for walking. But if you need to get to the other side of town in a hurry, or in more comfort, then taking the Metro, a bus or a tram are the best ways to get around.

Using public transportation was very new for me when I first got here, but it didn’t really bother me too much. It was just a matter of adapting to some new ways of getting around! Instead of using the car to get groceries, I changed to walking. I use a backpack, shopping bags that are cloth and reusable, and we bought a shopping cart (like the ones you see little old ladies using) which has a waterproof bag on it, about the size of a backpack. There are 3 small shops not too far from our flat where I do a lot of our grocery shopping. I walk to each of these places and carry the groceries home. That is a bit different, I must admit, but most of the time it isn’t a problem. The only time this is hard is when my allergies and asthma are acting up, otherwise, I’ve completely adapted to this new mode of doing the grocery shopping and other errands! And I take the bus to Prague for other things that we can’t buy in our neighborhood shops, and I carry these home—it’s really not a problem!

The public transport here is pretty safe, but you do need to watch out for pickpockets. They are everywhere in the big cities of the world. I’m always very careful in public places due to my husband’s very diligent training! I’ve not had any pickpocket bother me. However, there can be other hazards, such as drunks who get on the bus!

That happened one time when we were on our way back to our flat from the Metro on our bus. Our bus stopped at one stop, and this very unkempt man got on. It so happened that he was very drunk. He sat down in the bus, and as the bus began to go to the next stop, this drunk guy began raving about politicians. He was very loud…and mad…and he rolled his “r’s” with very heavy brogue! This guy began to upset some of the passengers—not hurting them, but talking to them—and also started making comments about the bus driver, etc! The bus driver hollered at this guy to be quiet or he would have to get off the bus. Well, the drunk guy didn’t care, he kept on ranting and raving…finally, the bus driver pulled over and made the drunk guy get off the bus! There was an almost audible sigh of relief from the passengers when this guy was put off the bus! Something of this nature happens occasionally, but I’ve not witnessed any violence. It is just a very interesting thing to experience when you’re just new to public transit!!!

One of the dangers of having a car here, in Prague, is the way people drive. They are fast, don’t follow normal rules of traffic, etc…plus, if you have a car, you will have to worry about it being stolen! This is a very big problem in the Czech Republic, especially in the major cities. Cars disappear even while people are shopping—they come back and find their cars gone! So, not having a car alleviates these kinds of problems. Plus, you don’t have to worry about trying to find and pay for parking or worry about how expensive the gas is getting!

Using the public transit system here, in Prague, really hasn’t been too hard for me to adjust to. The transit system of Metro, bus and tram are very well integrated with one another and are very dependable and safe. It is easy to navigate once you get used to it, and is a very efficient way to get around!

There are maps and ticket information available online that offer bus and Metro schedules. Here are links where you can find more information about the public transit system and fares at: http://www.dpp.cz/en/ and at http://www.angrenost.cz/metro/index.php .

That’s all for now! You all have a great day!

God bless,

Sherry :0)

http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com

© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Friday, May 9, 2008

Slapy Dam Recreational Area

Hi Everyone,
Thursday was a national holiday here, in the Czech Republic. It was Liberation Day--the day when the Germans surrendered and the Russians liberated Prague in 1945. Typically, everyone makes this a long weekend and heads out of town. My husband and I and some friends decided to take a day-long hiking trip. The Czech Republic has one of the most developed system of hiking trails in Europe. It is interesting to note that these trails are all maintained by volunteers from the Czech Tourist Club, which was first started in 1889. Currently, this club maintains more than 40,000 km of hiking trails in the Czech Republic!



Our hiking lead us first to a village called Krepnice (see map). The trail head in this village sits next to a small fortified castle. The castle is private, so it was not possible to take a tour. But it was still very impressive just to see it from the outside. After consulting our hiking maps, we decided to try a different trail head. This trail head was out in the country, and was called U Krizku (at the cross--see map). We followed the yellow trail, and then turned off onto the green. This trail is a beautiful windy trail that follows along the upper bluffs of the river. You do a lot of climbing on this trail, but the views make it worth all that hard work! The views are spectacular--it is possible to see for miles around--with many ridges off into the horizon.

After finishing this trail, we followed it back, and then where it joined the blue, we turned off and followed that one round about till we finally hit Radich. This trail is also pretty--it follows the river, but also takes you over farm land, marshes, and along side forest streams with burbling waterfalls. It was so relaxing after the first part of our hike! This was very easy going--just walking, not much climbing. The scenery is just as pretty, but not quite as dramatic as that first trail we took along the river bluffs. It is amazing what you find on these hikes--everything from the ruins of 500 year old castles to lizards, deer and wild flowers. The wild flowers were especially pretty. We saw so many different kinds of flowers and many different colors.

We had a great time on our hike, which also included a picnic of klobasa cooked over an open fire. The smell was wonderful...the klobasa tasted like a bit of heaven! Everyone was tired by the end of the day...we had fun together and saw some beautiful sites--and all not too far from Prague! If you get a chance, and are tired of the city, then spending time on some of the Czech Republic's hiking trails will really work wonders at helping you to relax and unwind as you walk through what you will think must be the Garden of Eden.

That's all for now...you all have a great weekend!

God bless,
Sherry :0)
http://www.czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com
(c) 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath
All photos property of S. A. Vacik

Monday, May 5, 2008

Petřín Hill

Hi Everyone,

This past weekend my husband and I visited Petřín Hill, which can be found in Malá Strana, Prague 5. Petřín is a prominent hill that overlooks Prague—the views from there are gorgeous! This is one of the most beautiful spots in Prague. It is situated close to Prague Castle and was once covered in vineyards which belonged to Emperor Charles IV. You would never know it, but Petřín Hill was also once a quarry from which much of the stone for many of the sites in Prague were built! Petřín is a relaxing place to see, with many tourist sites to visit. We spent an entire afternoon exploring this picturesque hill.

Along the way up to the top of Petřín you will encounter some portions of the Hungry Wall. The wall was built from 1360 to 1362 by Charles IV. It was to help protect the city of Prague, but was also to help the starving peasants of Prague as there was a severe famine in that time. The peasants did the work and were paid for their labor with food. The wall is 1178 meters long, 170 cm wide and about 8 meters high.

Another unique find is the funicular! What is a funicular, you ask? I asked the same thing when someone first mentioned it to me! A funicular is similar to a cable car (on rails), and is used on steep inclines. There are two funiculars that counterbalance one another on the ways up and down. The funicular on Petřín Hill links Malá Strana with the top of the hill. The funicular was opened in 1891. My husband and I didn’t ride the funicular, but it was fun to see it…this is the first one I’ve ever seen!

Further along the trail to the top, you come into areas that are planted with apple and pear trees. These orchards are beautiful, and it is even possible to pick the fruit from these trees for free! On our trip we saw many paths leading under many of the apple trees. My husband told me these paths were made in the grass on May Day—when everyone was kissing their sweet heart under the blooming apple trees!

There are some interesting places to visit when you reach the top of Petřín. There is the House of Mirrors, the Starokatolická Církev (the Old Catholic Church of St. Lawrence--amongst some other smaller churches and chapels), Petřín Tower (a one-fifth size replica of the Eiffel Tower, in Paris), and some beautiful rose gardens and an observatory, and you can also see the beautiful Strahov Monastery and its grounds. The House of Mirrors was very popular the day we visited the hill. Once inside, we had so much fun finding our way through the mirror maze! Next, we saw the diorama - painting of the Thirty Years War—with the Swedes attacking Prague. After that, was the hall of “funny mirrors” that distorted images of people—with everything from everyone being extremely fat, extremely short or otherwise extremely tall and thin--everyone spent quite a bit of time in this hall—it was hilarious for all ages!!

Needless to say, there is much to see and do on Petřín Hill. It easily can take up an entire afternoon, as it did for my husband and I. It offers something for everyone, and is a wonderful break from the regular sightseeing to be found in Prague!

That’s all for now…you all have a great day!

God bless,

Sherry :0)

http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com

© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath

Photos property of S. A. Vacik


Friday, May 2, 2008

Becherovka


Hi Everyone,
When you come on a trip to the Czech Republic you quickly realize that alcoholic drinks are an important part of Czech life! They love to drink everything from beer to wine, and vodka—heavy on the beer! Czechs love their pivo (beer)! The Czech Republic is famous for its beer, but is also famous for other liquors, one of which is Becherovka.

Becherovka was first produced in 1807 by Josef Becher. He was a pharmacist in the city of Karlovy Vary (a famous spa city in the western part of Bohemia). Becher originally formulated this special mix of herbs, spices, mineral water, sugar and alcohol as a cure for digestive problems! It was a very useful medicine—and soon, Becherovka developed into a very popular drink!

Becherovka has a very herbal, spicy (almost medicinal) smell—this is because it is made from a top secret recipe--a mixture of 102 herbs that are mixed together and put in a sack which is then soaked in alcohol for a week. The resulting extract is then mixed with sugar and spring water from Karolvy Vary (it can only be this spring water—no other will work as it drastically effects the taste of the finished product), and then the mixture is put into oak barrels where it matures for about 2 months. After 2 months, the Becherovka is a finished product and ready to drink. It is interesting to note that only 2 employees know the recipe for Becherovka! And, usually Becherovka should be chilled…most people keep it in the freezer. Some also add a slice of lemon to add some more flavor to the drink. It is also a drink that is very high in alcohol (38 %), and it should only be sipped, never downed!

My introduction to Becherovka came a few years ago when I came to the Czech Republic for the first time. I remember the smell at first put me off—it smelled like cough syrup to me! And the first taste was a shock as it was more on the bitter side! But, after that first sip or two, I didn’t really care how it smelled…or that it was bitter…I really didn’t care any more! I began to like it! Over time, Becherovka has really grown on me!

Becherovka is still used, today, by Czechs as a tonic for the digestive system and for a way to get over the stiffness and aches of arthritis and rheumatism. Just this past week I was sick with a stomach virus…my stomach was cramping pretty badly and no medicines were working. So, my husband suggested I try Becherovka. Anything with alcohol was really the last thing I wanted to even think of at that point! But, I agreed to try it…my husband poured me a very small amount of Becherovka in a glass. I sipped this and over time, my stomach really did calm down! I really did begin to feel better! I have no idea how Becherovka works to help the digestive tract, except that maybe some of the spices and herbs have an antispasmodic effect. One added note, I also have asthma…and sometimes Becherovka has helped to relieve my asthma when meds didn’t—maybe for that same antispasmodic effect. Anyway, I’m a convert and will keep Becherovka on hand from now on!

That’s all for now…you all have a great weekend!

God bless,
Sher :0)

PS The above picture of Becherovka is my own personal bottle! However, since it was afternoon when I took this photo, I did not have a drink--although, a Czech doesn't mind what time of the day they might take a nip! :0)

Photos by S. Vacik

Czech Off the Beaten Path Website
Czech Off the Beaten Path Travel Store
Czech Off the Beaten Path T-shirts & More

© 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath