The importance of rituals...

I am a strong believer in the handing down of rituals and so this morning, as the munchkin struggled with her boiled egg, or rather with the yolk, I suggested that we cut her toast into "soldiers". Oh, the sparkle in her eye and the joy with which she wolfed them down. And the warm fuzzy glow of a maternal heart... Memories recaptured of an era bygone.

I <3 Waitrose

Yet another trip to England has sadly flown by and yet another hour of frustration as we swept ourselves through the local super-Waitrose.

My aunt looked at me incredulously and said: "Surely, the supermarkets in Belgium stock all that wonderful food; I don't understand the problem?".

How can I explain that the local Delhaize does not have Cape Cod cranberries dusted with cinnamon, a Monsooned Malabar Coffee, Sage Derby cheese, Cornish clotted cream, nice pucey stalks of rhubarb, Gü chocolate banoffee pies, etc.

I herewith hang my head and confess to being a food junkie. So handcuff me and take me back to Belgium, where foodgasms are hard to be had and few and far between.

Waitrose, I am thy humble worshiper. Now when will you answer my prayers and open a branch in Antwerp?