I arrived in Mikulov, which is a small town in the south of Moravia very close to the Austrian border. It was a boiling day, and I was exhausted, sweaty, and wanted something refreshing to drink.
I checked into my hotel and immediately went walking around the city. Mikulov, like many Czech towns, has a history deeply rooted in Jewish culture. Mikulov is extra special, because Rabbi Loew officiated here for twenty years. He was the Jewish scholar and rabbi who, according to a legend, created the famous Golem of Prague to protect the Jewish community.
So, I simply had to explore this part of history of Mikulov. I really enjoyed exploring the Jewish Quarter and its beautiful Cemetery. I also saw the synagogues and the mitzvah (which means ‚commandments‘ in Hebrew).
By the afternoon the heat had gotten to me and I was ready to find a place to sit down and do what I had been told to do in Mikulov: drink wine. However, I am not a big fan of wine, so I was a little worried.
Still, I was determined to try it. I went to a ‚vinárna‘ (a special kind of a bar where they serve mainly wine) near the old town square and asked the waiter for some white wine. I told him I was hot from a phrase I memorized from my dictionary:
„Je mi teplo!“
He laughed.
„You could try a ‚bílý střik‘.“
„What’s that?“ I asked.
He told me it was soda water and white wine mixed together, and that it was good to drink in hot weather. I’ve never heard of anything like that but it sounded good, so I said yes. He came back with a drink in a tall glass that was bubbly and clear. I drank a few sips and instantly felt better, it was so refreshing! I asked him again what it was called and he said it was a „bílý střik“.
Oh yes. That terrible Czech letter řagain. Well, I am sure that I will never be able to pronounce the letter ř orsay the word střik, but it was just what the doctor ordered.
