“It’ll be a total blast,” they said. The journey to Kyjov in Moravia took most of the day.

Luboš’s brothers insisted I tour their wine cellar. They insisted even harder that I sample all the types of homemade slivovice. The only way out of the cellar was to crawl—otherwise they would feel insulted.

Cradled in the couch, I woke to the smell of frying schnitzel and more slivovice. The eldest brother looked at me and laughed.