Photograph by stevacek

Evan Rail, the Prague Post’s former restaurant critic, issued forth a 36 Hours round-up for the New York Times this past week. Prague will start its high season on April 1, so the feature is pretty well timed. It’s the NYT, so there aren’t a ton of good Cheapos recommendations here—especially as Prague is now one of the most expensive cities in the region—but Rail does name check one of Prague’s best cheap bars, Hapu (on Orlicka street in Zizkov).

A tiny space below street level with mismatched furniture, Hapu was one of the first low-cost bars to excel at mixed drinks in Prague. Working with very little except a blender, some fruit, and courage, they make excellent concoctions beyond the typical beery fare found elsewhere. There are couches for sitting, and things can get a bit sloppy as the night progresses, but even after a few years it remains one of the city’s best nightspots.

And no one wears a lab coat at Hapu. Honest.

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Some interesting pieces from yesterday’s New York Times travel section:

Paris: Making a Pilgrimage to the Catherals of Commerce
Shopping arcades in Paris, dating from the 1830s and 40s, are making a comeback as chic shopping destinations.

England Rocks, and a Map Now Proves It
A free downloadable map to the graves of famous British rockers.

Au Natural is the Fashion on Some Gay Cruises
Swanky new European gay cruises where clothing is optional.

Q&A: To and From Split, With a Stop in Rome
What’s the best way to make a Roman holiday out of a trip to Croatia?

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The following pieces in yesterday’s New York Times travel section caught our eye:

Q&A: Home from France, with seven pets in tow
How, but how, to fly three large dogs and four cats from France to Atlanta?

Spas in Finland: How to enjoy a Nordic ritual at any age
A family’s adventures with spas in Finland.

Foraging: Bologna, Italy
A profile of Antica Aguzzeria del Cavallo, one of the most “comprehensive cutlery shops imaginable.”

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Today’s New York Times Escapes extends its 36-hour attentions to the Catalan capital. No shocker here, but the Times’ version of Barcelona isn’t exactly Cheapo-friendly.

This acknowledged, Andrew Ferren’s article nicely handles Barcelona retail, beaches, museums, and even the best view of the skyline from an amusement park ferris wheel. Whichever way you tweak it, Barcelona remains exciting, and Ferren’s article nails the city’s charms—and also comes up with plenty of suggestions for a weekend’s worth of activities.

Most of Ferren’s dining recommendations soar above Cheapo budgets. Given Barcelona’s current culinary reputation, we have no doubt that these restaurants are worth the splurge. And, if all this extravagance is too much for your wallet, you can always find budget relief in our Barcelona guide.

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Following our Sunday night Oscars soirée we only yesterday got down to sorting through our weekend media infusion. We found a cocktail-painted Sunday’s Times’ Travel Section—predictions scribbled across the front page—under the sofa.

We apologize for our tardy digest. These travel section features had us particularly interested:

Travel by rail in Europe is set to get easier
Rail travel will soon be faster between certain cities, including London-Paris (2 hours, 15 minutes), and Paris-Strasbourg (2 hours, 20 minutes).

Street theater at the pull of a curtain
Some suggestions for landing hotel rooms with the most intoxicating views in Rome, Paris, Vienna, New York, and Tokyo. These ain’t Cheapo rooms, be forewarned…

Lower-priced rooms, with boutique style
Now we’re talkin’, peeps. Hotels catering to younger business travelers are getting smarter designs and lower rates. Focused on US destinations.

Q&A Getting Compensation for Lost Luggage
Who’s responsible when your baggage is picked up by the wrong passenger? Yikes.

And then there were lots of stories about cruises…

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Some pieces that sparked our interest in Sunday’s New York Times travel section:

Practical Traveler: Whether to Ask the Hotel or Hit the Web
Big online agencies such as Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz used to be able to offer the lowest price. There are new benefits, however, in booking directly with the hotel.

Vatican Takes Steps to Control Overcrowding
The Vatican museum is shortening its hours, raising its prices, and trying to deal with larger crowds. How badly do you want to see that ceiling?

A Lisbon Suburb Turns up the Chic
Cascais, the luxurious Lisbon suburb once exclusively populated by high-rollers and heads of state, opens up to travelers of all budgets.

Check In/Check Out: Berlin - Hotel de Rome
A bit of stately swank, in the middle of Mitte.

And also of note:

Q&A: Airline Baggage - by the piece or by the pound?

Foraging: Geneva - Collection Privee

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“Sex and the City” fan(atic)s might think that New York is the apex of martini culture, but the New York Times reports that these $10+ potions may actually be considered a bit weak.

According to the article, even Manhattan bartenders have begrudgingly admitted that their London counter-parts are now mixing up some of the world’s greatest concoctions.

Why London? Wasn’t that pub territory? Over the past ten years, bars across London have begun mixing it up more and more with top shelf liquors that were once found exclusively at swankier establishments. Some of the thirstiest bars have hundreds of varieties in storage.

The expert bartenders splash them together, throw in some freshly-squeezed juice, pure mineral-water ice, speared green olives…

Thirsty? Choose from this list. We’ll meet you at the bar.

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