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