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!
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!
Thanks to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers and J S Brand for the picture.
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.
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!
Dear Keith,
I suppose all the beer makes up for the grey mystery meat. 😉 Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
It certainly did Rochelle!
Everything always tastes better after the first flagon
I couldn’t agree more Neil – it’s your round!
Not good when we need many flagons to get through a meal… ugh!
It certainly improves it though! Thanks, Dale.
Sure does!
Oh, I don’t know! It certainly deadens the taste buds and makes you smile rather than smirk! Cheers Dale!
There is that…
Hope those are free refills.
Regrettably not but they were very cheap and extremely cheerful!
Great descriptions, Keith.
A delightful read.
That’s really kind of you, thanks, moon.
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
That’s what I found when I ran my restaurant! As for Prague – I adored it!
A steady supply of beer can solve most situations.
Indeed it can especially with wee dram chaser!
‘Beer’y good, Keith!
Beer made him bear the hotel 🙂 🙂
Ales well that ends well! Thanks Anita.
Everything’s better with a beer.
Beer makes the world go round and round, and round and….whoopsie! Cheers, Jilly.
‘Grin and beer it, eh?’ Your account made me smile!
Why didn’t I think of that! Nothing like a beer to make your pint! Thanks Penny
😉
Ha! Amazing how things look brighter through beer goggles! Nicely done Keith
Essential equipment even better when rosé tinted! Thanks, Lynn.
My pleasure Keith
I think I’ve stayed there too.
Oh, so that was you! Nazdravlje Liz!
It sounds like a place that grows on you.
Well, it certainly did me! I may go back one day. Cheers mimi
beer does wonders. the more you drink, the more you become at peace with the world. 🙂
A panacea – perhaps our world leaders should drink more beer! Thanks plaridel.
Haha. The happy hour beers do wipe off all the miseries of the day!
Cheaper during happy hour too! Cheers Lavanya
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.
Beef galubsti is great! I had it in Russia. I had beer there too, although the vodka was better! Cheers US
It’s always my fear when we travel: the food. One never knows what’s in that stew.
I’m smiling about the beer. 😎
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!
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 😎
If he keeps going like that it’ll be five star soon enough!
Stranger places have earned them! Thanks, draliman.
A funny and warm take Keith. Unfortunately I’m late in reading this week and all the beer goggles jokes have been done!
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.
Ouch! You’re welcome.
Ha! love the humor, Keith 🙂
Delighted it hit the spot Granonine!
Love the coming and coming beers!
So did I! Tkanks Cecilia
Ah, beer makes everything bearable…..beerable….ah, well. Love the atmosphere you created.
…the puns keep coming! Glad you liked it Sascha.
That’ll teach you to invest in a phrase book next time 🙂
I always say I will but I never do! Thanks Jane
🙂
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! 😀
Seriously though, I did have some great beers there and at a decent price too. Delighted to have amused you, Nazdravlje!
Děkuji 😀
I can totally believe that.
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. 🙂
Cooked properly cabbage is just about edible but when it’s greyish and slimy…yuk! Glad you liked it YS
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. 🙂
Having travelled around India many times I’ve probably eaten it withour realising what it was! Thanks YS
“The one word…beer” worked wonderfully well for him. Now the food would be less troublesome to his taste buds.
Loved your story Keith. 🙂
It certainly did the trick! Cheers Norma.
😀
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….
Absolutely right, just try to make good of a bad situation. Right now I’m off for a cervesa!
right on and enjoy
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.
That’s crazy – baharmy even! Cheers Susan.
Everything appears and tastes better after some alcohol, I guess. Sounds like you had a great time too. 😊
Everything but the daily cabbage was marvellous Fatima!
Oh so that’s all it takes? Must try it next time 😀
It always works for me Dahlla!
I think I like this hotel. As long as the cabbage isn’t sauerkraut, I’d be fine.
Oh no no no! Someone gave me a jar of it once and it was (expletive deleted)!
Lovely. Beer as an international ambassador.
I’ll drink to that! Cheers!
This is an enjoyable read for sure! The beer makes it easier to swallow the grey meat. =)
It certainly does Brenda. Thank you.
I love your descriptions and word choice–foaming flagon and plonked. Excellent! Your story was the perfect gift wrapped inside this week’s photo!
I’m really pleased you liked it Jan and that the colloquial speech worked.
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.
Haha! A delightful comment for which I thank you
Funny story, made more so but it’s honesty.
Honest, it was – Friday Faction! Thanks, Dawn.
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.
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!
It’s amazing how beer improves one’s outlook so quickly and dramatically. Grey meat … uuggh! Fun story.
It’s clever, isn’t it! It even makes the inedible edible! Thanks so much.
Yep, it must be magic.
The many servings of beer probably encourages many to eat their unpalatable food. I feel uncomfortable for him..
He felt uncomfortable the next morning! Cheers Coline
I can imagine!
Wait! I think I’ve been there. Nice one, Keith
Hard luck! Cheers Varad
Ah, the dangers of drinking! Well done.