A Coffee Éclair: Personal Indulgences No. 9

Completement formidable, Madame. Mille mercis pour cette memoire.
To lapse into my native tongue, I could write a huge volume on the effect of low blood sugar on intimate relationships based on mine with my husband, who was a complete bastard when he was hungry. Fortunately he explained that to me when we'd been married about four days and were traveling across the country by car. [Sent June 25, 2008. --Ed.)

How delish. (Sent June 25, 2008. --Ed.)

Oh, what a tasty treat from the "Land of Delicious"! I gobbled it up as soon as it arrived.

Lovely. I've just returned from spending a week in a French hotel in Washington, DC–not Paris, but close–where I was served excellent pain au chocolat every morning. You can see them on my hips even now, but it was worth every bite. (Sent June 25, 2008. --Ed.)

I'm on husband #2 but have yet to find one who would tolerate two hours
of flea-market browsing! ---though I suspect that either one might
have succumbed to the promise of a chocolate eclair as reward. [Sent June 25, 2008. --Ed.]

Ooooh, French bakeries! My loves are more prosaic. Pain au chocolat, croissant aux amandes, chausson aux pommes. And the meal staple of every tourist on a budget (nowadays, that’s just about everyone) the delicious sandwiches on baguettes at most boulangeries.

When you go to any of the Chinatowns (I just went to the one in Flushing last week, which is worth the trip for the shock of a huge, vibrant commercial center that couldn't care less about Manhattan) the Asian bakeries (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) do the similar pastries. They’re nowhere near as delicate, but there is the weird amusement of seeing them filled with red bean and green tea fillings. [Sent June 26, 2008. --Ed.]

This was an absolutely charming story.

I can relate to it because my husband and I had almost the same experience except that the genders were reversed.

My husband will attempt to "track down" food that he particularly wants and is the "shopper" in our family. Examples: We were on board a ship for the overnight crossing from Oslo to Copenhagen several years ago. There was a smorgasbord of delectable food and outrageous desserts. We finished a marvelous dinner and headed for the dessert table. I recall that my husband chose an enormous, but delicate piece of cake with apricots, nuts and some sort of icing drizzled on the edges. He took one bite, became speechless, grinned like a Cheshire cat as he savored every morsel. He said, "I think I'll splurge for another piece," when he finished the first.

He returned to our table quickly and said, "D_ _n, gone, no more." He spun on his heels and several minutes later returned with another large piece. "I went into the kitchen with the server," he explained.

Another instance: We were vacationing in Florence about two years ago. My husband wanted a particular style of leather jacket. We had hired a guide but spent a few days on our own beforehand, sightseeing and shopping. Many jackets, but not what he wanted.

During one of our excursions with the guide, my husband mentioned to him that he was looking for a very specific kind of leather jacket. The guide listened, immediately took us to a leather shop, and there it was!

I look forward to more of your reviews, "personal indulgences," and, most important, wish that you and your husband will have the opportunity to share many more joyful experiences together whether it be here or abroad. [Sent June 29, 2008. --Ed.]