A 100 Word Story

Keith's Ramblings

Post 1628. Wednesday February 7

Seeing the picture of the Hotel Henry Berrisford in Guatemala reminded me of something that happened to me when I was in Prague several years ago!

 

 

chasing-stars.regular (1)

The hotel is grim but I’ve paid so I’ll stay. In need of sustenance, I enter the smoke-filled bar and sit at a wobbly table.

A surly-faced woman hands me a menu. I utter the one word understood in any language, beer. A foaming flagon is plonked before me and I order a two-course meal, knowing not what to expect. The first arrives. Bread topped with cheese, topped with cabbage. I struggle through it. My empty glass is refilled then my second course arrives. Grey meat topped with cheese, topped with cabbage. I eat what I can.

Another beer arrives and another and…I’m beginning to like this hotel!

 

js-brandThanks to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers and J S Brand for the picture.

98 thoughts on “A 100 Word Story”

  1. Denise Feb 7, 2018 / 12:49

    Ah yes, Prague. I still remember eating rabbit in my hotel dining room there. Not something I have ever seen on a menu around Detroit, but my parents raised rabbits and we had a lot of them for Sunday dinners. Obviously my hotel was a step – or a hop- up from yours, lol.

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    • Keith's Ramblings Feb 7, 2018 / 14:20

      I wasn’t the best but it a certain charm about it or maybe that was just the beer influencing me! BTW, I used to serve rabbit in my restaurant!

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  2. rochellewisoff Feb 7, 2018 / 13:02

    Dear Keith,

    I suppose all the beer makes up for the grey mystery meat. 😉 Nicely done.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

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  4. Dale Feb 7, 2018 / 13:14

    Not good when we need many flagons to get through a meal… ugh!

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  6. Moon Feb 7, 2018 / 15:01

    Great descriptions, Keith.
    A delightful read.

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  7. Susan A Eames Feb 7, 2018 / 15:25

    Ha ha – nothing like alcohol to deaden the senses and give a false feeling of satisfaction!! Nice story, Keith and I hope all your memories of Prague aren’t as grim. 🙂

    Susan A Eames at
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

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    • Keith's Ramblings Feb 7, 2018 / 17:54

      That’s what I found when I ran my restaurant! As for Prague – I adored it!

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  9. Anita Feb 7, 2018 / 15:42

    ‘Beer’y good, Keith!
    Beer made him bear the hotel 🙂 🙂

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    • Keith's Ramblings Feb 7, 2018 / 17:57

      Beer makes the world go round and round, and round and….whoopsie! Cheers, Jilly.

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  12. Lynn Love Feb 7, 2018 / 17:50

    Ha! Amazing how things look brighter through beer goggles! Nicely done Keith

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  15. plaridel Feb 7, 2018 / 23:30

    beer does wonders. the more you drink, the more you become at peace with the world. 🙂

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  16. Lavanya Feb 8, 2018 / 13:44

    Haha. The happy hour beers do wipe off all the miseries of the day!

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  17. The Urban Spaceman Feb 8, 2018 / 14:33

    Ha, cabbage! Reminds me of galubsti (though I’m sure cabbage-on cheese-on-bread isn’t quite as tasty). ‘Beer’ is definitely one of those universal words.

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    • Keith's Ramblings Feb 9, 2018 / 00:59

      Beef galubsti is great! I had it in Russia. I had beer there too, although the vodka was better! Cheers US

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    • Keith's Ramblings Feb 9, 2018 / 01:05

      I’ve eaten some very odd things around the word and have managed to survive every one of them unharmed – so far! The Middle East next week…fingers crossed!

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      • Inside the Mind of Isadora Feb 9, 2018 / 17:56

        I’m not adventurous when it comes to food. Plain like vanilla ice cream : )
        OOOooo … I look forward to how your travels will go especially the food. Happy Travels …
        Isadora 😎

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  20. JS Brand Feb 8, 2018 / 17:54

    A funny and warm take Keith. Unfortunately I’m late in reading this week and all the beer goggles jokes have been done!

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    • Keith's Ramblings Feb 9, 2018 / 01:25

      Don’t worry, those jokes will be beer today and gone tomorrow! Thanks for the pic which has inspired such a vast range of takes.

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  25. wildchild47 Feb 9, 2018 / 13:53

    Czechoslovakia – the people – consume the most beer – in the world. So yeah, I can understand how “Beer” would see you through the … er …. “tougher to digest” meals. And yup, “Beer” is one of the short list of universal words. It can see you through in a pinch – which you’ve clearly shown in your story 🙂 LOL – fun reading Keith – and Cheers! 😀

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    • Keith's Ramblings Feb 9, 2018 / 18:03

      Seriously though, I did have some great beers there and at a decent price too. Delighted to have amused you, Nazdravlje!

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      • wildchild47 Feb 9, 2018 / 22:38

        Děkuji 😀

        I can totally believe that.

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  26. yarnspinnerr Feb 9, 2018 / 14:53

    One of the advantages of living in a tropical country …… fresh cabbages are available only for a few months and most people like them. Great narrative KR. 🙂

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    • Keith's Ramblings Feb 9, 2018 / 18:05

      Cooked properly cabbage is just about edible but when it’s greyish and slimy…yuk! Glad you liked it YS

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      • yarnspinnerr Feb 10, 2018 / 07:35

        Fresh cabbage cooked with in Indian style using Indian spices is a delicious accompaniment with meals. At least most people like it here.

        Try it may be you too would like it. 🙂

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      • Keith's Ramblings Feb 10, 2018 / 10:05

        Having travelled around India many times I’ve probably eaten it withour realising what it was! Thanks YS

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  27. Norma Feb 9, 2018 / 15:06

    “The one word…beer” worked wonderfully well for him. Now the food would be less troublesome to his taste buds.
    Loved your story Keith. 🙂

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  28. prior.. Feb 9, 2018 / 16:34

    ah – so nice and I did not know the word beer was so universal –
    cerveza baby!

    and you actually grabbed something major that happens a lot in society…

    “but I’ve paid so I’ll stay….”
    ph how often this happens to folks….

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  29. Susan Feb 10, 2018 / 03:33

    My husband and i went to Nassau when we were young and found out that you got soft drinks and water without ice. The beer, however, was served ice cold.

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  30. Fatima Fakier Feb 10, 2018 / 08:30

    Everything appears and tastes better after some alcohol, I guess. Sounds like you had a great time too. 😊

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  32. Sarah Ann Feb 10, 2018 / 15:49

    I think I like this hotel. As long as the cabbage isn’t sauerkraut, I’d be fine.

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    • Keith's Ramblings Feb 10, 2018 / 18:37

      Oh no no no! Someone gave me a jar of it once and it was (expletive deleted)!

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  35. Jan Vanek Feb 11, 2018 / 19:12

    I love your descriptions and word choice–foaming flagon and plonked. Excellent! Your story was the perfect gift wrapped inside this week’s photo!

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    • Keith's Ramblings Feb 11, 2018 / 22:32

      I’m really pleased you liked it Jan and that the colloquial speech worked.

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  36. ahtdoucette Feb 11, 2018 / 21:22

    Love this. It made me think of that one line from the Bible where Jesus turns water into wine and the guy is like why are you serving the good stuff after everyone is already drunk? 😉 Fun story, evocatively told.

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  38. subroto Feb 12, 2018 / 12:03

    Everything is perfect once the beer goggles are on. I had something really delicious in a food stall in Thailand, to be honest I had no idea what I was eating but it was delicious.

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    • Keith's Ramblings Feb 12, 2018 / 17:25

      I love to eat street food wherever I go in the world, but in Thailand, it’s the best – even if you can’t make out what it’s supposed to be! Even better with a bottle of Singha!

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  39. magarisa Feb 12, 2018 / 17:37

    It’s amazing how beer improves one’s outlook so quickly and dramatically. Grey meat … uuggh! Fun story.

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  40. Colline Feb 12, 2018 / 22:05

    The many servings of beer probably encourages many to eat their unpalatable food. I feel uncomfortable for him..

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