Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
I t would have been impossible to miss the woman with bright blue hair and an equally bright smile who was standing waiting at 38 Dlouhá, the meeting point for the Best of Prague food tour.
The morning air was chillier than of late but that was only to be expected now they were moving into early October. Leo had bought firewood so he could light the wood burner in the lounge, an idea that had definite appeal. Although Leo, being Leo, hadn’t actually got round to buying the kindling or firelighters, so they’d yet to enjoy its cosy warmth.
‘Hi, I’m Agáta,’ said the woman with the blue hair, looking up from her clipboard. ‘And you are?’
‘I’m Anna and?—’
He, of course, stepped forward to say, ‘Leo. Nice to meet you. I’m really looking forward to this tour. Although four hours of eating is going some.’
Agáta laughed and responded to his open, friendly smile – just like everyone did, Anna thought.
‘Ah, you’re from Sdílená Kultura . Very nice to meet you. Ji?í says I have to look after you well.’ She grinned, her bright red lipstick widening her smile. ‘It will be my pleasure. And it is not all eating, there is quite a lot of walking, too.’
She could almost see the sparks of energy radiating from the woman. For a moment she wished she had that kind of presence that made people notice you straight away. Anna tended to fade into the background and people didn’t see her. Sometimes she felt invisible, especially next to her loud and overachieving second family, who were all brilliant at sport and outdoor things.
The wonderful thing about Leo was that he had seen her. Made her feel beautiful, special and a person in her own right. But then again, she’d learned over the months they were married that he had that magical gift of making everyone he spoke to feel that they were important. If he was charismatic, she was the opposite – was there even a word for it? Uncharismatic?
‘We’re waiting for some other British tourists and then we can go.’
Anna nodded and gazed around her, looking at the worn cobbles lining the narrow street, filled with quiet, solid buildings which looked as if they’d been sheltering their residents for hundreds of years. Everywhere she looked, the city was layered with history that gave it an atmosphere all of its own. She didn’t think she’d been to another European city quite like it.
‘Amazing, isn’t it,’ Leo said and she glanced round to find that he’d gravitated to her side rather than Agáta’s. ‘The city. I think you could stay here for a year and still find something new to see. I love exploring new places, don’t you?’
Anna hadn’t ever really thought about it, and now it was like the sun coming out inside her as the realisation dawned: yes, she did like exploring new places. Her second family tended to prefer the gravitational pull of their own home and village, and none of them had moved away, so she’d tended to frame her life in their terms. This sudden observation made her realise she had set quite a lot of limits upon her habits and routines.
‘Do you know what?’ she said with sudden vigour that clearly took Leo aback, because his eyes widened. ‘I do. It’s not something I’ve done enough of. I’m going to pick a new place to visit every weekend while I’m here.’ Steve had now booked flights for the following weekend but she felt she’d wasted time already waiting for him before exploring.
‘That’s a great idea,’ said Leo. ‘We should make a list. And top of it has to be Prague Castle because we still haven’t done that.’
Anna’s heart jumped a little at his use of ‘we’ but if she was honest she rather liked the idea of having someone else to explore with, other than Steve. Someone to get lost with, someone to share the highs and the lows with. ‘There’s a bar that overlooks the Old Town square that’s a must do. That’s going on the list.’
She pulled out the paper diary that she still carried and opened it at a notes page where she began to scribble a couple of ideas.
‘You do know you could use the notes app on your phone.’ Leo nudged her, bringing her back to the present.
Agáta gathered everyone round and gave them a brief introduction to the tour. ‘Prague is a food hotspot. Czechs have been rediscovering a taste for food which has exploded within the last ten years. You may know that until 1989, we were under communist rule. During that time all the restaurants had to have the same menu with the same food and the same prices.’
‘No!’ breathed Anna and Leo in unison and caught each other’s eyes.
‘God, that sounds miserable,’ said Leo, as Agáta handed out some black-and-white photographs that captured examples of bygone menus.
‘Not so now,’ said Agáta enthusiastically. ‘Now we have artisan food all over the city, all over the country. And I’m going to take you to our most famous product. Anyone guess what that is?’
‘Beer,’ said Leo and Anna in unison again.
‘That’s right,’ she said as the two of them smiled at each other.
Marshalling them along the pavement and keeping up a steady stream of chat, Agáta steered them into a stone-built pub on the corner of the next street. Although it was only eleven o’clock in the morning, the place was already filling up with early lunchers. She sat them down at a long trestle table that had been reserved for them and explained about the different beer styles, while Leo and Anna exchanged slightly smug grins because they knew this stuff already.
‘Wonder if anyone will go for the mlíko ?’ whispered Leo in Anna’s ear and she couldn’t help but smile back at him as they heard both of the middle-aged Englishmen in the party voice their disgust at the idea of a pint which was predominantly foam. ‘If I’m paying for a pint I want a pint,’ one of them said, so loudly that his wife gave him an embarrassed poke in the ribs. ‘Colin,’ she hissed.
‘Well, it’s just a gimmick.’
Anna knew it was this rudeness and Agáta’s forced polite smile that made Leo pipe up, ‘Two mlíkos here, please, Agáta.’
Anna was a little bit proud of him as Agáta shot him a grateful look.
When the beers arrived, so too did a selection of dishes for everyone to try. Colin eyed Leo and Anna’s foam-topped beer with a sneer. ‘Looks like you were cheated there.’
‘Don’t think so,’ said Leo with his usual geniality, tapping his glass against Anna’s. ‘ Na zdraví .’
‘Very good,’ said Agáta, her words warm with approval.
‘Tastes lovely and the great thing is, it doesn’t make you feel bloated,’ he announced to the table at large, with an irrepressible grin that prevented it sounding as if he were giving a lecture. ‘We’ve got a full day ahead of us. I don’t want to peak too early.’ He patted his perfectly flat stomach in a comical gesture that had the other woman laughing, although not Colin.
‘This is very typical Czech food,’ explained Agáta, indicating the plates in the centre of the table. She waved a hand in the direction of each, ‘Pork Schnitzel with potato salad, a selection of sausages with mustard, marinated Hermelín cheese, fried cheese with tartare sauce, and this, my friends, is marinated carp with onions, which is a very traditional Czech dish. It’s normally served as a main dish but I wanted you to try it.’
‘Carp,’ hissed Colin to his wife and friends. ‘I’m not trying that. It’s a bottom feeder, disgusting. Any fisherman knows that.’
‘Shh,’ whispered his wife.
Agáta smiled gamely. ‘The carp is kept in fresh water for a few days, which cleans out the mud from the veins. Try it, it’s delicious.’
‘I notice you’re not eating anything,’ said Colin. Anna couldn’t believe his rudeness.
With another of her gracious smiles Agáta said, ‘If I ate with every tour I would be as big as the castle. Have you been there yet?’
Colin’s grunt was audible enough that Leo leaned over the man, took a piece of the fish and onion, put it on his side plate and then forked some up and tasted it. In the spirit of solidarity, though she wasn’t particularly a fish lover, Anna followed suit.
‘Wow, that is really good,’ she said with genuine surprise. ‘I’m not great on fish but that is lovely.’ She smiled at Colin’s wife. ‘You should try it.’
The woman leaned over her husband and took a piece, while he muttered under his breath.
‘Anna, you’ve got to try this cheese,’ said Leo, immediately handing the marinated cheese dish to her, his face lit up with his usual enthusiasm. Being with him made her so much braver and bolder and without a qualm she took a piece of the cheese. She’d barely swallowed the first mouthful before he was asking what she thought. ‘Do you like it?’
‘Yes, it’s really good.’
Agáta chipped in, explaining how the cheese was produced, her eyes lighting up with passion for her subject. Anna envied her that unselfconscious ability to be herself. She was exactly the sort of person Leo was always drawn to. They were like two sides of the same coin. Bright, bubbly and super-confident.
As they sampled their way through the dishes, Leo’s infectious interest spread around the table and soon everyone in their separate groups began to loosen up and share notes and opinions on the different foods. The atmosphere was warmed by good company and beer. Leo handed the plate of carp across the table.
‘Go on, Colin,’ he said, ‘Give it a try. You wouldn’t want to upset our lovely hostess, would you?’ Once again, as Colin’s wife clapped a hand over her mouth, hiding her amusement, Anna reflected on how her ex-husband was such a charmer.
Colin, shaking his head, took the plate, saying, ‘You’re a one and that’s a fact, lad.’ To his credit he took a mouthful and chomped away as everyone watched him.
‘That wasn’t bad at all,’ he announced to a quick round of applause. He took a quick bow. ‘Not sure I’d choose it again, mind.’
From there they moved on down the street to Nase Maso, a very smart butcher’s shop where Agáta explained how the owners worked with specific farmers in the Czech Republic to ensure the best quality meat. ‘They make their own sausages and smoked meats from traditional recipes. We are here to try their famous meatloaf, which is very popular.’
There was no doubting the popularity of the shop as there was a constant queue crowding into the spotless space, with its white-tiled walls and floors and huge, glass cabinets displaying an array of products. Anna had never thought that a butcher’s shop could be so trendy but they’d definitely nailed it here. As she was examining one of the fridges containing a plethora of interesting-looking sauces and broths that made her mouth water and want to cook, Leo leaned down next to her and said, almost as if he’d read her mind, ‘I could buy some of that beef and some of the Lokal sauce. We could have it for our dinner.’
‘Sounds like a plan,’ she said, unconsciously echoing him.
‘Love it when a plan comes together.’
As Leo was buying the food, one of the women sighed. ‘This meat looks amazing. We’re staying in a hotel. Are you in an Airbnb?’
Anna explained – and got quite a kick out of it – that she and Leo were living here for several months.
‘Oh, how wonderful. And together.’ She leaned in with a smile. ‘The two of you do make a lovely couple.’
Anna stared at her for a second. The woman looked sincere. It gave Anna an unexpected jolt. She always assumed that everyone wondered how on earth she’d managed to snag Leo, who was so obviously out of her league.
‘Make the most of it. I wish I’d done something like that at your age. How wonderful to be able to immerse yourself in the city. This is my fourth visit and I love it. Can I give you a tip? The Wallenstein Gardens. They’re not far from the Charles Bridge on the other side and on a busy day there are never that many tourists. It’s a really lovely place to sit and be quiet right in the middle of the city.’
‘I’ll add it to my list,’ said Anna, taking out her phone and opening up the notes app.
‘I’m guessing that could be a very long list,’ the other woman teased. ‘You should go to one of the theatres. You’re spoilt for choice here. Opera, ballet, plays and black-light theatre – you don’t need to speak the language. There’s mime, puppets and quite a few English-speaking productions.’
After another snack, of chlebí?ek , open sandwiches, which they ate in a little covered arcade between the butcher’s and a charming bistro called Sisters, Agáta rounded them up and like obedient sheep they trotted after her. Leo fell into step with Anna still munching on one of the sandwiches.
‘Who knew egg and sundried tomato would be such a tasty combination?’ he said as they walked along.
‘I don’t know where you put it.’ Anna’s waistband already felt a little snug and they were headed to a restaurant for lunch where no doubt there’d be more treats in store. Thankfully it was a half-hour walk to their destination, which she hoped would help build her appetite.
Leo gave her his usual disarming smile. ‘High metabolism, Love.’
The word gave her a start and she wondered if he’d even noticed that he’d used it. She remembered the first time he’d said it to her. They were going out for dinner and, emboldened by his admiration, she’d opted for a slightly more daring dress than she’d normally wear, which was daring in itself because she hardly ever wore dresses. It showed what little cleavage she had and clung to her hips. Leo’s dumbstruck look when she’d walked in the room in the bright red dress amazed her and all her self-consciousness had faded away the minute he said, ‘Looooove,’ and walked up to her and kissed her soundly on the lips. She wondered if he still fancied her or was indifferent to her now. Her heart lurched in her chest, as if shying away from the thought that he might be indifferent. It shouldn’t hurt because she shouldn’t care, but she did, a little bit.
The restaurant contrasted dramatically with the pub they’d started in. A wall of glass windows formed a backdrop for a long table where they seated themselves, with smart waiting staff in black and white hovering attentively.
‘Reminds me of our first date in London,’ murmured Leo in her ear, as, with those impeccable manners of his, he pulled out one of the bentwood chairs for her.
Anna’s mouth quirked at the memory. The date had been a disaster, the restaurant too formal and the hushed silence inhibiting. It was only when they’d stepped outside into the dark rainy night and he’d hurriedly confessed with boyish earnestness that he was trying to impress her that she’d realised he was serious about her. Leo Knight was interested in Anna Love. It had been one of those magical earth-tilting moments. It would be so easy to fall back under Leo’s sunbeam-fuelled spell, to enjoy the sunshine of life with him and a carefree existence … though one she knew was without substance. And she couldn’t do that. He treated everyone with the same easy charm. With a fixed smile she turned to her neighbour on the other side, the nice American woman, Louella.
‘What do you think of the tour?’ she asked, almost wincing at the trite small-talk opening.
‘It’s a gem,’ said Louella. ‘It was recommended by some friends who were here last fall. It’s quite a marathon but that girl’s so knowledgeable and it’s like she really wants us to find the best food in Prague. I love that she’s so enthusiastic. Almost evangelical. It makes a nice change, you know, when someone’s really proud of their country. It’s only a little place but they punch above their weight. Have you been to any of the towns outside of Prague? Just gorgeous.’
‘I’ve got some on the list.’
‘Well, you make sure you visit them, honey. Life is too short not to do as much as you can while you’re on this earth. My Walt died last year and we didn’t travel because there was always a reason we shouldn’t. I really regret that. Make the most of every moment.’ Her eyes shone with tears and she put a hand on Anna’s wrist. ‘Don’t ever think there’s always tomorrow. Do things now because you can, don’t put them off.’
The insistence in her quiet voice as her eyes held Anna’s made her remember her mother and her positive attitude. When she answered, ‘I will,’ she felt like she was making a promise to her mother.
‘Make sure you do,’ Louella said, patting Anna’s hand. ‘You make sure you do.’ And with a complete about-turn as if the moment between them hadn’t happened, she said, ‘What do you think of this wine. Rather lovely, isn’t it?’
Anna agreed as she took a sip of the pale golden wine. This one was a tramín from Znojmo in South Moravia and was characterised by its hints of roses, or so Agáta told them. Anna knew she liked the delicate floral flavour of the dry wine.
The group worked their way through another succession of delicious dishes, including an amazing piece of beef with a rich root-vegetable sauce, which Anna decided was her absolute favourite. The beef was melt-in-the-mouth and the thick accompanying sauce was sweet and creamy. She was also taken with the bread dumplings, which were light and fluffy, like no other dumplings she’d ever tried, as well as the P?e?tice pork sausages and the grilled asparagus in hollandaise sauce. Everything was perfectly cooked and it was difficult not to eat too much because it was all so wonderful.
The next call was Eska, a buzzy, busy bakery with a trendy vibe within that Agáta explained was an old fabric factory. With clever styling, the interior retained its open airiness but also managed to be welcoming, bright and chic. Initially they were served the house speciality: burnt potatoes with ash and cream espuma, a foamy concoction that set the subtle potato flavour off to perfection. Anna really didn’t think she could eat anything else but then the pastries appeared, modern takes on traditional Czech desserts, so she had to try a tiny bit of each. Once again Leo was sitting next to her.
‘Do you think we could take some home?’ she whispered to him. ‘I don’t want to waste them but I can’t eat any more. This větrník is divine. I love the caramel icing and the cream filling and the choux pastry.’
‘I’ll eat yours,’ said Leo, a hopeful gleam in his eye as he looked at her plate.
‘Leo, you can’t possibly eat any more,’ she squealed with mock outrage.
‘Try me.’
‘You can’t.’ She laughed as he pouted.
He pretended to think about it for a moment before giving her a rueful smile. ‘No, don’t think I can. God, we’ve been spoiled today. I’m definitely going to ask for a doggy bag – and take these home. We can have them for breakfast tomorrow. My treat,’ he said with a mischievous wink.
‘Your treat, you cheeky beggar. Don’t think I’ve forgotten you helping yourself to my bolognese sauce.’
‘Yes, you have,’ he chided with a teasing smirk. ‘You know you have.’
‘You’re so cocky, you know that.’
‘Yup but you love it.’
His confident throwaway response hit her unexpectedly hard. She had loved that about him, loved and feared it – and for a static-filled minute, despite being surrounded by other people, she stared at him and he stared back.
‘Mmm,’ she said, not knowing what to say. She picked up her fork and shoved a mouthful of the pastry into her mouth. He did the same.
‘Good, eh?’ said Agáta, oblivious to the tension between them.
‘Very good,’ said Leo through a mouthful of cream and choux. ‘A bit too good. I was discussing with Anna whether we could take a doggy bag home.’
‘It is a frequent question,’ replied Agáta with another of her boisterous laughs. ‘They have little boxes for this very reason. Next we will go for a cocktail made with traditional Czech Becherovka which was created for stomach problems, so it is an excellent digestif.’
After leaving the bakery, armed with boxes and bags as the café sold their own coffee, which Leo insisted on buying, as well as a cellophane-wrapped packet of gingerbread, they walked the short distance to Liquid Office, another well-designed modern space with a central bar lined with bar stools where they finished off the day with their signature Becherovka sour, made with gin, yuzu, bergamot and basil. Anna decided it was like an early taste of Christmas and immediately wondered what the festive season would bring. She hadn’t booked her flight home for Christmas, hadn’t given it that much thought. A very small part of her rather liked the idea of staying holed up in the apartment on her own with a pile of good books, the wood burner – she’d need to learn how to light the thing – and a cosy blanket. Christmas at her aunt and uncle’s was always so bloody competitive and active with games, pub quizzes, football and rugby. It was exhausting and the New Year’s Eve party at the rugby club had been the same for the last five years: very loud, with the same old faces, same conversations.
Doing something different for a change was very appealing, although she doubted very much she could persuade Steve to come over and spend Christmas here. He’d want to spend the festive season with her family, heading off for the annual Boxing Day football match. He fitted in perfectly with them; better than her, in fact. What would Leo be doing for Christmas? Would he stay here or head off somewhere exotic and glamorous with his family? She couldn’t imagine he’d want to stay here with her.