Today was a great day. We first visited the Skoda factory about an hour away from Prague where we had an amazing tour guide. While walking feet away from the workers and cars, she passionately pointed out to us the different stages of the production process. The work is done in an assembly line and there are multiple stages that must be done quickly but accurately. I was surprised to learn that only about 7% of the work in the factory is automated while the rest is still done by real, hard-working people. She also told us that the workers there make more money than the average Czech worker and have good benefits.

The tour guide then took us into the museum where she showed us Skoda vehicles from the very beginning of the company in the early 20^th century to present day. The company first produced bikes and then its production evolved to all sorts of cars. After visiting the museum we ate lunch at a nice restaurant where we had a delicious pasta and ice cream.

We then visited CZU’s vineyard which was a lot of fun. We tasted six types of wine and I was able to drink all of them, which is impressive for me as I rarely drank wine before this trip. The vineyard produces about 400,000 liters of wine per year. This week is pretty busy as we have 3 essays due on Thursday afternoon so I’m going to end the blog here and get to work.

Cheers!

Today was a fabulous day as we visited the historic town of Karlovy Vary. We first visited the Moser glass factory and saw first hand the multi-step process of making glass. We walked literally feet away from the workers as they were melting hot materials and carving them into fancy objects. I learned that the process requires a lot of teamwork and trust because each worker’s job must be done very well or else the whole process must start over again. The glass produced is so unique that it can only be made by experienced and creative people, not by machines. Some workers start their jobs when they are 15 years old and work until they are very old, allowing them to develop extraordinary skills and eventually be considered “masters” at their jobs.

We then visited a liquor store and museum called Becherovka Distillery. The tour guide was very passionate and proud of the liquor that they have produced since the 1800’s. She first gave us a talk about the store’s unique history and then we tasted 3 of their drinks. We then ate a delicious lunch there!

After visiting the liquor store we ventured into the beautiful town of Karlovy Vary. We tasted the water from the hot springs so maybe we will all wake up tomorrow and be young and beautiful! Walking around the town and taking in its beautiful architecture and scenery made me feel very grateful that I am participating in such a wonderful program. I have found the Czech Republic to be a beautiful country and will continue to enjoy it in the weeks ahead!

Cheers!