We had arrived early at the railway station and waited for our host

The day was quite warm with a gentle southerly breeze

But what struck me most about this little town was the perfume that hung in the air

At first I thought it was artificial but there was no mistake the air was sweetly perfumed

The Ghost of Thomas Carlyle soon arrived in his impressive 4×4

I helped my wife into her seat and placed our travelling bags in the boot

My host remarked that it was not uncommon for days to be perfumed

As March was a changeable month

 

We were greeted by Jane at the gate of their house

She embraced us both and ordered her husband to take our bags upstairs

He agreed with a good humour and declined my assistance

As we went into the kitchen we were greeted by a delicious smell

My wife enquired of its origins and was told that it was a traditional Italian stew

It was called Caponata   

On enquiry we were told of the ingredients

Olive Oil
Aubergines
Banana Shallots
Tomatoes
Celery
Capers
Garlic
Red Wine Vinegar
Lemons
Honey
Pine nuts
Basil leaves

But Jane would not give us the recipe as it was a closely guarded family secret 

Both my wife and I understood her reasoning

Taste is everything

Always trust your palate

I remarked on the perfumed day and was told that no-one actually knew why some spring days were perfumed and others not

Some had tried to discover the reason but without success

My host said it was easier that way and that we should not try to discover the reason for everything

Certain things were better if they were left alone