Sunday 5 June Here are some photos that give a general impression of Karlovy Vary.
The mineral water here is the big deal, and so the activities are based around this.
The water is available at a number of public fountains, mainly located in colonnades, and at each fountain the water temperature is posted. Visitors buy special ceramic cups to collect and drink the water. They then go from small fountain to fountain sampling the water, almost like a pilgrimage.
There is a whole industry around manufacturing and selling these cups. They are specifically designed for capturing the water and then drinking it without burning your mouth.
The handle is in fact a narrow spout. Most are pretty tacky, but we bought one with a list of the fountains and corresponding temperatures listed on the side.
We also found a shop that had some versions with modern designs which were quite nice. Frances liked the water, however it wasn't exactly to my taste! There are also some large fountains in the town, where the water shoots up under pressure.
Another big deal here is the tradition of making Oplatky (Oblaten).
They are large wafers “made from all-natural ingredients; wheat flour, crushed almonds, whole milk, powdered sugar, egg yolks, unsalted butter, natural flavours. No preservatives are used or needed to keep these delightful wafers fresh for months.” Mind you, they are quite sweet, but also very delicious.
They now come in a number of different flavours as well. The photos show a shop where they make them, the machine that they use, and the finished packaging.
The mineral water here is the big deal, and so the activities are based around this.The water is available at a number of public fountains, mainly located in colonnades, and at each fountain the water temperature is posted. Visitors buy special ceramic cups to collect and drink the water. They then go from small fountain to fountain sampling the water, almost like a pilgrimage.
There is a whole industry around manufacturing and selling these cups. They are specifically designed for capturing the water and then drinking it without burning your mouth.The handle is in fact a narrow spout. Most are pretty tacky, but we bought one with a list of the fountains and corresponding temperatures listed on the side.
We also found a shop that had some versions with modern designs which were quite nice. Frances liked the water, however it wasn't exactly to my taste! There are also some large fountains in the town, where the water shoots up under pressure.
Another big deal here is the tradition of making Oplatky (Oblaten).They are large wafers “made from all-natural ingredients; wheat flour, crushed almonds, whole milk, powdered sugar, egg yolks, unsalted butter, natural flavours. No preservatives are used or needed to keep these delightful wafers fresh for months.” Mind you, they are quite sweet, but also very delicious.
They now come in a number of different flavours as well. The photos show a shop where they make them, the machine that they use, and the finished packaging.
