Magazine
Eating under cover of night: Prague has joined a number of world cities in providing an unusual experience: wining and dining in utter darkness. Why is the Czech Football Union dying of embarrassment? And, a multi-fruit tree in celebration of the EU. Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarová.
Prague has joined a number of world cities in providing an unusual experience: wining and dining in utter darkness. The restaurant is called Under Cover of Night –it is located in Prague’s Voršilská Street - and its owners promise an unforgettable evening out, explaining that the loss of vision sharpens the other four senses, turning a meal into a culinary adventure. The restaurant is divided into two sections – a lit one and a dark one where anything that could provide even a chink of light is utterly prohibited. Diners are requested to put their luminous watches, mobiles and battery-light key-rings into the restaurant’s safe-keeping, and are told their waiter’s name and table number before being led to the dining room proper. After that they are in the dark for the rest of the evening –dependant utterly on their remaining four senses and their waiter. People who have tried it – either love it – or hate it. For those who are not afraid to tackle a challenge the good news is that the food allegedly tastes better than ever. One’s taste buds are more receptive to even the plainest dishes and the fact that one can’t see what’s on one’s plate – and what you are just putting into your mouth makes it more exciting yet. Although you can share your experience with your companion – dinner is accompanied by a cultural programme – an audio recording of a play, book or erotic stories. The restaurant is the first of its kind in the Czech Republic and, as I said, its owners promise a memorable dining experience.
Some goofs are really bad – and the one that happened during a friendly match between the Czech Republic and Lithuania this week – left the Czech Football Union squirming with shame. Somehow the organizer got Lithuania and Latvia mixed up and as a result the Lithuanian team was treated to the sight of the Latvian flag and forced to listen to the Latvian anthem at the start of the game. Most of the visiting team’s players pulled faces and put their arms on their hips, looking around the stadium in disbelief. To demonstrate their disgust they stretched their muscles and otherwise exercised while they played the Czech national anthem. The organizers tried to prevent the ill-fated leaflets with the wrong flag, state-name and capital city from getting into the hands of the visiting team, but failed. The Lithuanians took a few home as souvenirs of the crazy land they’d visited. The head of the Czech Football Union Václav Tichý says he’s still trying to live down the shame. “It is a terrible faux pas,” he told the media, “there is just nothing you can say or do to erase it.” All this, when the Czechs should have been celebrating their 2:0 victory.
Efforts are being made to turn Prague into a cleaner city. The town hall is planning to introduce a new regulation against littering on the grounds of which people can be fined up to thirty thousand crowns for tossing a cigarette-butt or chewing gum onto the street and this week a group of people from Prague’s Žižkov district took it upon themselves to highlight the district’s problem with dog excrement. They passed though every street in Žižkov sticking a little flag in each offending pile and spraying it a bright colour. Prague still has a major problem making dog-owners clean up after their pets, although the police have collected a quarter of a million crowns in fines for this particular offense.
Some gardeners really have green thumbs. Last week two Slovak brothers gave the Pelhrimov Museaum of Records and Curiosities a wonder tree as a gift. The tree was originally a plum but by clever grafting the brothers turned it into a multi-fruit tree. It is expected to bear apricots, plums, pears, nectarines and almonds. The brothers say it is their way of celebrating Slovakia’s entry to the European Union. This particular tree was planted in the museum’s garden and will hopefully grace the premises for years to come. The director has promised that if the tree bears all of the mentioned fruits then he will have them distilled and send the Slovak brothers the best fruit brandy they ever tasted. Talk about fruitful cooperation within the EU…
